Global shipping program

<p>Just before Christmas I had an interesting experience on Ebay. I purchased a E focusing screen for my Canon F1 from a seller in the USA with 100% feedback. The shipping was via Ebays global shipping which promises to let the buyer know and pay in advance the total cost of shipping and customs duty/taxes upfront. As the screen was slightly under $30 my item attracted no additional fees from our loveable revenue men. The screen arrived before the estimated delivery date and when I opened the package I found the wrong screen in the correct packaging.<br />Annoying, yep. An immediate return request to Ebay was sent and, the seller promptly refunded my Pay pal account the cost of the screen but not the shipping charge. Ebay meanwhile had sent me an email stating the full amount had been refunded. After faffing around with Ebay on the phone for better than 30mins a woman with an American accent finally came on the phone and stated that Ebays position was, as I had received a package there was no shipping refund due. Read the small print. The fact that the seller had screwed up was and is irrelevant. Global shipping delivered something. When I check my Paypal account the shipping charge appears as a separate charge paid to Ebay. Thank God I didn't purchase a camera or lens, anything at much higher cost which would have triggered import taxes and duty fees. As it stands I'm out $16 in shipping cost, not the end of the world.The seller doesn't want the screen back so I get to keep a screen I don't need.<br />There you are then, be warned if you live in the UK or Europe Ebays we got you covered if there's a problem is just not true. If an USA seller messes up or is dishonest. Global shipping can have a nasty sting in it's tail. I also posted this on Flickr in one of the more popular film groups although this will apply to any item purchased through the Ebay shipping program not just camera stuff.</p>

<p>The seller SHOULD have offered to send you the correct screen postage paid, since the problem was caused by his error. I hope you left appropriate feedback on PayPal.</p>

<p>I don't think he/she ever had the correct screen to send. The packaging is correct the screen inside , A instead of E. They simply didn't check what they had.</p>

<p>With so many non-original owner equipment sellers out there, funny how often I've seen<br /> screen "error" revealed (This happens a lot with "screens" in particular, and their subsequent resale).</p>

<p>If no definitive picture is shown, you <strong>must</strong> ask the seller to confirm that the screen indicated on the box,<br>

is really <strong>the correct one in it</strong>.<br /> Afterall years ago, when somebody bought the 'new' screen, where do you think they placed the old one?<br /> Of course in the same 'new' screen box...</p>

<p> </p>

<p>When there are no good photos to go by I always e-mail the seller to find out whether the correct screen is in the box. What usually happens is that someone buys an additional focusing screen, puts the original one in the box of the new one and installs the new screen. Years later that original screen is sold in the wrong box. </p>

<p>Ebay's Global Shipping Program is a scam and Pitney Bowes are thieving bar-stewards. I refuse to buy from Sellers who offer GSP.<br>

There are lots of horror stories about it if you do a google search on it. <br /><br /><br /></p>

<p>Jeff and Gus are correct but missing the point. If you live in Europe and the US seller goes with the Global shipping program and if there is a problem the buyer will only receive the item cost as a refund. The buyer will not receive a full protection refund as indicated in Ebay advertising. Buried in the small print is a get out clause that if a package is delivered there is no shipping refund as the Global program was used. In my case it cost me about 10 or 11 GB Pounds. If I had bought a more expensive item which would have incurred VAT tax plus customs duty in the UK it would have cost me considerably more money. Emailing sellers works for most items but what if they lied about the condition of an item? Camera, lens whatever. I mean Ebay sellers never mislead and sell junk do they? The seller has given me a free screen, they didn't want to pay the return shipping. The screen is not of sufficient value. Global shipping is a nice deal for Ebay but not for buyers.</p>

<p>As an Ebay seller I've sent things many times via Ebay Global Shipping, with no problems. It makes overseas shipping much easier by taking care of customs and any other postal problems, restrictions, prohibitions etc. But I am extremely careful about my descriptions, and check everything very thoroughly before packing (again very carefully). I dread getting involved with returns.</p>

<p>+1 what John said.</p>

The warning, though, is that if something goes wrong, potentially costly shipping costs will not be refunded. Good to know that.<br>In this instance, you did not get the screen you wanted, got a refund for the screen, but still are out of pocket for something you did not want. eBay does not care about that, since they shipped something and don't care about what that something is. It still is the seller's responsibility, but if eBay advertises a full refund protection, it's not so good of eBay too.<br><br>But though not pleasant when you have the misfortune to need it, we do know that eBay's and PayPal's "protection" can be rather lacking.<br>I recently had someone collect the money but not send the goods. After contacting the seller several times (without response) i opened a case. All eBay/PayPal did was ask me to contact the seller. When i did through their portal, they changed status to awaiting a response. Nothing happened. Again i contacted the seller. Status remained awaiting the seller's reply. When finally the seller responded, saying he did not get paid, the status changed to action required. That action that was required was me showing that he lied (easy enough), and after i did the status changed to awaiting seller's reply again. That went on and on until eBay closed the case because according to eBay enough time had passed since opening the case. eBay "protection"... <br>(I did get the goods eventually, by threatening to file a complaint with the police in the seller's home town. Suddenly he had received the money after all, and would (and did) promptly send me the goods. No thanks to eBay.)