22 years on eBay and I've picked up on many scams, which they don't have safeguards for. The latest frustration for me is Global Shipping, and this is becoming such a problem, it's likely I'll be removing the option from my store.
The GSP was supposed to be a way for sellers to send items abroad safely, without the threat of damage or scams from buyers, be it at a much higher service charge. Unfortuantely, here is the scam:
Buyer orders item from store, with international shipping option.
They recieve the goods, then claim they aren't as described.
It won't be damage, as that would require a photo or similar as evidence, it will be something as 'missing a part', and electrical feature that doesn't work correctly, or for sealed/blind box items, 'you sent the wrong colour/pattern/character (where they might easily already have the one they claim you sent).
eBay doesn't cover returns, and expect you to provide a label, so you don't benefit from eBay's discounted shipping and the cost of providing a label is typically more than the item is worth.
As it's not cost-effective, eBay will side with the buyer, refund them and you lose the item and the money
eBay used to be concious of how GSP should protect sellers and woiuld normally cover me in these situations, but now they just refund the buyer.
To be clear, errors like the ones I described, rarely ever occur with my business and when it comes to international items, I double check as I'm putting items in the box, specifcally so as not to have to deal with these kind of claims. The problem is the number of these cases happening with international orders, tips the scales largely in that way. I can send out 100 items, but the one item that has some 'he said, she said' claim, ends up being a GSP order.
My most recent order was for a RC transmitter. I've sold dozens of these and never had a problem. The buyer initially tried to cancel the order, but then argreed to go ahead. Only when they get it, they claimed the throttle didn't work correctly. The units require calibration to setup, but the buyer immediately raised a case. The fault can't be proven either way, return shipping is double the sale price of the product, so of course, I can't justify returning it and eBay just refunded them, so I lose the money and the product.
These cases are the reason why many don't offer international sales, and due to eBay's current stance on these, plus the inability to detected mayscams that happen on their site, it's likely I'll be abandoning GSP and international shipments entirely.
