Global Shipping Costs

[tom.stuff4sale]

I am asking about how GSP costs are determined. Although I have not worked this out exactly the average cost of posting one of my items (a book) to the USA using GSP is around £29. Which is pretty high. But some individual items are incredibly expensive. For example a Ladybird book (very small and light) costing £9.99 with free postage in the UK costs £42.14 to post to the USA. A newspaper (costing £19.99) weighing only 206 grams including packaging costs £42.30. I queried with eBay the newspaper - they confirmed the postage was indeed £42.30. They said the costs were not determined by humans but by machine and could not be amended. I tried totally relisting the newspaper and entering the weight but it still came up at the same high postage cost. I do wish to remain within the GSP but just wondered if anyone had any helpful comments on how to reduce some of these high costs. 

[pixiesen2012]

you can't change the GSP costs at all,

why not opt out and list with worldwide postage?

[plpmr]

You have a small pocket guide book for £5.99 with Global P&P to Eire of £9.91.

As usual Global charges more than the seller gets.

All the extra is to cover the extra transport, extra staff, extra administration, extra checking etc and Global's profit.

All unnecessary extras and losing you overseas customers.

[rusticrye]

The costs are determined by the global shipper's costs, and the receiving country's government (the costs include any purchase taxes and import taxes which may be due). There's nothing you can do to change them.

Nothing you sell warrants using this expensive option - it's only cost-effective for buyers of heavy and high-value items. So opt out of the GSP, and ship internationally direct. You'll get far more international interest, and your buyers will thank you for it. Yes, they may still have to pay taxes to their government when the goods enter their country, but the overall cost will be considerably lower than it is with the GSP (and delivery is usually faster). When there's a third party involved, costs will quite naturally always be higher (and delivery slower).

@tom.stuff4sale