For insurance purposes. If damaged in transit, global shipping covers it with little to no hassle since they shipped it from their local hub.

I see.  But can't you just insure the package through the shipper?  You can buy insurance.  At least I have some reasoning as to why it's growing in popularity.  Not fun for buyers outside of the UK or US.

Sometimes claims can be a pain to get paid on a value of the print. With that global shipping program, from my personal experience, they don’t even ask. Whatever it sold for on ebay is what they pay out. No hassle. Can’t say that for us insurance through USPS, the most common used because of price. They like deny claims at first if they can.

I can confirm that - I recently bought a print from the UK, tube was opened because they checked it and they did not close it properly. The print had a few really small dents, they just replaced the 1k and I can keep the print, the seller also can keep his money.
I bought quite a few things over GSP (but only within the EU) and never had any issue.

I agree - a terrible system full of flaws. Sending prints from the USA to UK they always add at least 20% for import and duties when it should be 5%. I've tried multiple times to have them check and lower prices/make a claim but they won't listen - seems like a right con! I'd rather deal directly with the shipping agent.

I have sold a few cheap prints on ebay recently and when they sold the shipping address was to the GSP warehouse in the uk. I hadnt even heard of it until then so i guessed it was something the buyer aranged?
I wasnt given an option in the listing to use GSP

I forgot to add the buyers were in Europe

It's a default when you make a new listing. You have to change it to another shipping method.

It does state on the terms that 'fine arts' are prohibited. Surely screen prints would come under fine arts, but a member here said that they received a damaged print and got fully reimbursed.
Certainly would have to be careful shipping prints or other art if its in their t&c's.

It's better to ship direct rather than send to a shipping center and wait for them to send it to a buyer. Ship direct well packed with full tracking and insurance.

The Global Shipping Center workers have the right to open packages before sending them out.

US based sellers are missing out on alot of sales to the UK / EU by using the GSP programme. I like many others ignore any seller using this: the shipping takes forever (usually week`s instead of days), they use poor quality couriers (Yodel / Hermes in the UK - who are both amongst the worst), and worst of all the crazy 20% blanket import charges upfront even if the item is exempt from charges or is eligible for reduced charges.

I am unsure if the US sellers are aware of these issues and that they are missing out on countless sales from non-US based buyers.

Buyers are protected when buying through ebay, providing things are correctly packed and items are genuine then seller`s should have no issues either. The GSP is open to abuse and id be wary about buying from seller`s using it (even if you ignore its obvious flaws)

You can bulletproof a package all you want but if it's lost... it's lost and the seller is screwed. Also, too many sketchy customers which ebay will not protect you from.

GSP is the only safeguard for selling internationally right now through Ebay; which is unfortunate. Sure lose a little money on the result but better than losing the entire amount in transit (damaged/lost) which happens way too much. Little nick to a print or anything during transit and you are screwed without GSP.

This is more of a problem with Ebay in general than sellers/buyers. Ebay needs to protect the sellers a little better in general. If they protected the sellers at all, no one would use this service but they don't.

Do worry people in the US will now have to deal with a 25% tariff on all art from the UK. So GSP isn't the worst thing.

If that's the case, the seller should sell the item for less.  Your buyer is paying an arm and a leg in duties often times more than required.  I'll see sellers with overpriced stuff and also have GSP.    The problem with ebay and paypal are there are no other sidely available competitors so they are able to jack up everything.  

I have done the low value with tracking thing and have had no issues with lost packages.  I do acknowledge that it's possible though.  If your print is opened by some jackass at customs and he/she damages it, you're screwed.  That actually happened to me, luckily the damage wasn't too bad, but I couldn't get compensated since I told the seller to put a low value.  I guess it's the risk you're willing to take.  You have to hope the seller packages the print properly and uses direct shipping.

Not just UK buyers. Canadians have to pay those ridiculous charges too.