eBay

jonel2 · ‎06-14-2021

I have lightweight low priced items for sale. They weigh one ounce and are being shipped in a 6" x 9" padded envelope. When I listed the items, the calculator said the postage would be $1.50. That is the amount ebay is charging the customer, but when I tried to purchase the label, eBay charged me $3.12. This amounts to me giving the items away.

I tried to do an online chat which didn't work. I kept getting a canned answer. When I tried to contact an agent, I received an email stating they couldn't complete the call. The number that I gave them is the same number that is in my account settings.

How can I get eBay to correct their incorrect calculator.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-14-2021

Did you set up the shipping calculator for a "Large envelope"?

eBay only sells labels for First Class packages. If you are going to mail your item as a letter or flat (AKA Large envelope) then you can't do that through eBay, you have to go to the Post Office or just use stamps.

However, there is no $1.50 charge for an envelope; the cost for a 1-ounce letter would be 55 cents, and for a "Large envelope" it would be just $1.00. So it's not clear which shipping calculator you used.

2013grotz · ‎06-14-2021

@jonel2 wrote:
I have lightweight low priced items for sale. They weigh one ounce and are being shipped in a 6" x 9" padded envelope. When I listed the items, the calculator said the postage would be $1.50. That is the amount ebay is charging the customer, but when I tried to purchase the label, eBay charged me $3.12. This amounts to me giving the items away.

It depends on whether it's first-class letter or first-class parcel. You probably had "Letter" selected which caused it to give you the letter rates, assuming something isn't screwed up somewhere. E-bay standard is to have tracking on things, so they will only sell you first-class parcel postage. To this end, you will see these kind of rates on listings if you selected "Calculated" rates. Of course, sellers can and will charge flat rates and ship via first-class letter (untracked).

FWIW, I notice when I pull up the shipping calculator, it's correct for first-class parcel and something around 8-12 ounces is going to be $3.12. But I notice for "Letter" it isn't even giving first-class rates. Which is pretty much ebay standard and should be what you're getting.

To TL;DR part, $3.12 is for first-class parcel and ebay isn't going to sell you anything but...

Now if the listings are giving incorrect values for "Calculated Shipping", that's another matter entirely. Of course, that's going to depend on how you set things up for shipping in the listing. It's an ebay technical matter if you are using "First-Class USPS" and "Calculated Shipping", but if you have something else set outside of "Free Shipping", you'll have to buy the postage yourself. Like if you really do intend to mail these first-class letter, you're going to have to go to the post office and buy the stamps yourself.

Not sure if any of that helps, but it's not a lot of good news...

kensgiftshop · ‎06-14-2021

@jonel2

Sounds like you set it up for an envelope and it should be a package.

Have a great day

jonel2 · ‎06-14-2021

It was an 6" x 9" padded envelope. Anything else would have been overkill.

2013grotz · ‎06-14-2021

@jonel2 wrote:
It was an 6" x 9" padded envelope. Anything else would have been overkill.

There's certain postal definitions for "Letter" vs. "Package" that are mainly defined by the postage you buy and not the size. I've mailed 6x9 manilla envelopes (never mind padded) via first-class parcel because I needed the tracking for it. In that sense, they were packages even though I could have slapped stamps on them as they would have easily been flat enough for first-class letter.

The "flatness" of something is another factor. As I've shipped probably 80% of all I've sold in padded envelopes, I will note that most all of them didn't fit the first-class letter specs. Hence, they would have to be mailed as "packages" anyway.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-14-2021

@jonel2 wrote:
It was an 6" x 9" padded envelope. Anything else would have been overkill.

The USPS definitions say that if it's over 1/4 inch thick it can't be mailed as a letter. And if it's rigid, uneven, or more than 3/4 inch thick, it can't go as a flat (AKA Large envelope) and would be considered a package. So your envelope could fall into any of those 3 categories depending on thickness etc.

aproudparent2010 · ‎06-14-2021

Here's some helpful info.

You have the below statement in your listings:

Please wait for an invoice for this item BEFORE you pay for it. The $1.50 postage on the listing is incorrect.

You need to figure this out because you CANNOT charge your buyers more than the shipping shows to them. If they order your item then they pay whatever is shown...even if it is wrong.

aproudparent2010 · ‎06-14-2021

@jonel2 wrote:
It was an 6" x 9" padded envelope. Anything else would have been overkill.

I'm guessing your 6x9 padded envelope was listed as just that ..an envelope.. when most likely it is considered a package by USPS. Most padded envelopes are over 1/4 inch...therefore you are sending a package and not an envelope.

2013grotz · ‎06-14-2021

You pretty much confirmed that OP must have a bad setting somewhere on the listing. Anyway seconded: If the system says $1.50 the OP is going to be held to that.