Shipping to China

[Greybeard]

I'm offering an item on eBay. I've had enquiries about shipping the item to China. The UK Post Office site says it should cost £7.40 to send a parcel of less than 2kg to mainland China. The potential bidder is seeing a postage quote of £52.96. I don't know what to make of this. Have you any experience of this?

[RDfella]

That'll be the new ebay scam, otherwise known as 'global shipping'. Someone needs to look into this, as I suspect it's illegal.
Take today - I looked at an ebay item. Postage to me, £3.34 by RM signed for. Put it in to buy, then noticed postage was now 'international' at over £10. So they offer one price but charge another. I call that fraud.

I've had other instances where postage (to me) has jumped by £30. Yup, ebay's 'global shipping'. I keep telling sellers they will lose business by using gs. I'm led to believe also that if a seller chooses to use gs, he / she cannot unsubscribe from it. The whole thing stinks.

[muskrat]

G'day GB.
RD got in first.
Ebay's Global Shipping Program perhaps. I know it's inflated many times over. I haven't sold anything on Ebay for quite a few years, before GSP started.
They are making money hand over fist. I notice now when I buy something the money goes to E Commerce not the vendor. Another money making branch.
Cheers

[JulianS]

The GSP charges the buyer postage to UK GSP, postage to the overseas destination plus import charges at the other end. You post the item to the UK GSP at Lichfield they package  and customs label it to the overseas location.

You can opt out of GSP. Go to account/postage preferences/Global shipping program/edit  and you can opt out for any subsequent listings.

I did this last week.

[Greybeard]

I had to change my listing to Global to enable the Chinese person to bid.

[muskrat]

Yes GB but I'm sure you can opt out of the GSP as Julian said.
Cheers

[olev]

GB
I'm not sure you are allowed to send military grade electronics to a foreign power.
cheers

[mikeb]

yes GB - stop exporting BSA technology to China! it could change the global balance of power

[Rex]

Sending Ebay stuff to places like China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia etc inevitably ends in tears one way or another..

[Greybeard]

I have this Sanyo cassette player. It's unused, still in the box, with paperwork. It's a cheap clone of a Sony Walkman. I don't rate it very highly. I'm downsizing at the moment so stuff is going on eBay. I was suprised to get a message asking if I am willing to post to China!

[Greybeard]

Yes GB but I'm sure you can opt out of the GSP as Julian said.
Cheers

I had to opt in before the Chinese person was able to bid. I've advised them to forget my auction.