Using calculated shipping - what shipping price shows up in the listing?

[castleberrylane]

New seller here and working on creating some listings.  I want to use calculated shipping and I'm wondering when the listing goes live what price is shown under shipping if it's calculated?  I've looked at some listings and they all show a specific price.  I've been on Etsy for 15 years and use calculated shipping there but the cost doesn't show until buyer puts zip code in.  How does it work here?  Thanks

[lamber9347]

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@castleberrylane wrote:

New seller here and working on creating some listings.  I want to use calculated shipping and I'm wondering when the listing goes live what price is shown under shipping if it's calculated?  I've looked at some listings and they all show a specific price.  I've been on Etsy for 15 years and use calculated shipping there but the cost doesn't show until buyer puts zip code in.  How does it work here?  Thanks

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This is exactly how it works on eBay with calculated shipping. If I looked at your listings it would show me shipping based on my zip code. Someone from the East coast would see a different shipping cost. You are doing it correctly. Best of luck to you....

[castleberrylane]

Thank you!  That's helpful to know.  Ebay is a bit different from selling on Etsy.  Hoping to start listing soon.

[wastingtime101]

As a new seller you settings will probably be defaulted to pass the online shipping discount to buyers @castleberrylane . That means:

1. Buyers will pay the eBay discounted online label rate.

2. You are still charged fees on total amount buyer pays (item+ship+tax).

3. If you don't want to lose money on every single shipment, you need to either charge buyers retail rates so you have a built in cushion to cover those eBay fees, or you need to add a handling fee to that carrier discounted rate, or you need to increase your item prices to account for the fees.

4. By charging carrier discounts, you will have almost zero flexibility to change box size should you need to once an item sells. Buyers will be charged cubic rates for USPS Ground Adv and Priority Mail and changing box size by half an inch in some cases can have a big impact on rate.

Bottom line:

1. Use accurate box dimensions and weight.

2. Either add a handling fee, up your item prices, or turn off carrier discounts to make sure eBay fees on shipping are covered - whichever works best for you. https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

[castleberrylane]

Thanks for the detailed reply wastingtime.  I sell on Etsy so I know how those absurd shipping fees work--
Etsy takes 6.5%.  However, I don't want to ask for full retail shipping which would be way too costly for buyers.  Discounted shipping is costly enough.  Covering some of the fee can be done through a handling fee as you said, or even upping the weight by a pound I suppose.  Or maybe I need to rethink it and set my own shipping cost.  I don't really like charging buyers more than what it costs to ship which is what happens with a set cost.  My practice on Etsy has been to use calculated shipping, it's just fairer to the customer.

Regardless, my actual question was about what appears on the listing.  Just browsing random listings, every one  I looked at shows item price plus a shipping cost (or free shipping).  If a seller has a listing and they will be using calculated shipping, how does that actually show up on the listing?  Item price plus...........what?

[wastingtime101]

Upping the weight by a pound will not help @castleberrylane if the buyer is being charged cubic rates. If you don't want to charge full retail you can:

- add a handling fee

- increase your item cost

- or you can set a % off retail in your settings, but in my opinion that is way too messy and inaccurate which is why I did not suggest it previously.

As you said, you can also set up flat rate or "free" shipping if you want. Whichever way you go, if you need help setting it up just let us know. Tons of eBay/shipping knowledge on this forum.

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@castleberrylane wrote:

 If a seller has a listing and they will be using calculated shipping, how does that actually show up on the listing?  Item price plus...........what?

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Item price plus calculated shipping to the buyer's default address based on the carrier/service, package weight, and dimensions you enter in the listing form. If you're in California, for example, buyers in LA will see lower rates and buyers in NY will see higher rates.

[castleberrylane]

I am pretty familiar with how to calculate shipping costs (weight/size etc) as I've been doing it on Etsy for a long time.  I know about cubic/dimensional and oversize shipping and all that.  I don't think I am getting my actual question across.  What I'm asking is, if I list an item and want to use calculated shipping, what will someone actually see on the listing where shipping section is?  Not when they put it in their cart or buy, just when they are initially looking at the listing.   

On Etsy, shipping price isn't shown until you put item in your cart.  Ebay listings show the item price and the shipping price right on the initial listing page.  If shipping is calculated, how does that appear on the initial listing page to someone just looking?

OK, that's my last try asking this.  I'm probably not explaining my question clearly enough and I do appreciate the time you've taken to try to help.  Maybe I should just get started, list an item and see how it looks once it's live.

[wastingtime101]

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@castleberrylane wrote:

On Etsy, shipping price isn't shown until you put item in your cart.  Ebay listings show the item price and the shipping price right on the initial listing page.  If shipping is calculated, how does that appear on the initial listing page to someone just looking?

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As mentioned in my last post, they will see the shipping cost to their default address on the listing. No need to add to cart.

If calc shipping is $9.67 to the buyer's default shipping address, that is what they will see on the actual listing.

If the buyer changes the zip code they are using for search purposes then on the listing they will see the exact ship cost to whatever zip code they entered in search. No need to add to cart.

If the buyer is not logged in to an eBay account, they will see calc shipping based on the location their browser or internet service provider indicates.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@castleberrylane wrote: ....  What I'm asking is, if I list an item and want to use calculated shipping, what will someone actually see on the listing where shipping section is?  Not when they put it in their cart or buy, just when they are initially looking at the listing.   ..

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When a listing is set up with calculated shipping, it will automatically show the shipping cost from the seller's ZIP Code to the ZIP Code of any signed-in member who looks at the listing.  The seller will see the shipping cost to their own ZIP Code, I see the cost to my ZIP Code, etc.  

In your Site Preferences, you can choose whether the shipping calculator in the listing will show (and charge) buyers the retail price or eBay shipping cost, under  "Shipping discount settings" here:

https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

If you choose to show the discounted eBay rates, then for Priority Mail and Ground Advantage, the shipping calculator checks up on whether the regular rate or the Cubic rate is cheaper, and will show that rate, but doesn't mention when it's Cubic.  (There are no Cubic retail rates.)

I think maybe eBay shipping would be easier to understand if you try not to think about Etsy shipping, since they seem to have a completely different approach.

[castleberrylane]

I think you are right!  It's hard to come to Ebay from Etsy after so many years of doing shipping their way.  I also just discovered the Preview button on my draft listing.  I didn't even notice that initially and now I can see what my listing and the shipping looks to a potential customer.  I wondered if anyone signed into Ebay is shown the price according to their zip code and you have answered that question too.  Thanks all for the insight!

[castleberrylane]

Thanks, that's helpful!  I think I am getting a handle on this now.