E-bay labels

[shelbydakota299]

I got an email from E-bay saying that I have to start buying my labels through them so the shipping cost will be cheaper to my buyers. Right now, I use Avery label 27900 and print my labels through USPS.

My question is will I be able to use the same Avery label and go through USPS?

[nobody*s_perfect]

That is not what the email said.  It awkwardly pointed out that if your listings show the calculated online postage  rate, the only way to be sure that's what you pay for postage is to purchase your labels through eBay.  Other online postage sources (usps.com, stamps.com, Pirateship, etc.) might not charge the exact same price for any given service.  

So: Yes, you will still be able to purchase your postage wherever you choose.

[monroe67]

"I got an email from E-bay saying that I have to start buying my labels through them so the shipping cost will be cheaper to my buyers. Right now, I use Avery label 27900 and print my labels through USPS.

My question is will I be able to use the same Avery label and go through USPS?"

In the last week or so, a LOT of other sellers have posted questions about this message from eBay.  

Yours shows a unique misunderstanding.  

I think if you read through it carefully again, you won't find any mention of a brand or product number of blank labels you can use.  If they work for you, continue using the Avery 27900 labels.  My preference is Avery 8126.  You can even print your labels on plain white paper, cut off the excess paper, and tape them securely to your packages.  

It sounds like you are satisfied with using USPS postage.  Yes, of course, you may continue using USPS to ship your eBay sales.  

[powell-memorabilia]

When you print through usps, do you get the commercial (discounted) rate, or the over-the-counter rate?  Seems like more work to buy through usps, regardless.  

[nobody*s_perfect]

On usps.com, users can opt into "Enhanced" Click N Ship, which charges a discounted rate that's lower than the retail price, but in the examples I've tested, it's still more than the cost of an eBay label.

[wastingtime101]

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@shelbydakota299 wrote:

I got an email from E-bay saying that I have to start buying my labels through them so the shipping cost will be cheaper to my buyers. Right now, I use Avery label 27900 and print my labels through USPS.

My question is will I be able to use the same Avery label and go through USPS?

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Hi @shelbydakota299 . You misunderstood the email. What is said is you currently charge buyers retail rates, but in May eBay is going to charge your buyers eBay discounted shipping prices. Since you pay fees on shipping, that means you automatically lose money on every sale. There are several pitfalls to offering buyers the discounted rate. For you one of the biggest issues will be eBay's cubic pricing (based on box size) that you're not getting through USPS. You need to either opt out, or charge the discount but add a handling fee or increase your item prices if you don't want to take a loss. I suggest reviewing the link in my signature below for a better understanding of this change.

You can buy labels anywhere you like and use whatever labels you typically use. You may find that buying labels through eBay gets you better rates than buying labels through USPS on packages over a pound, depending on size of the package.

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Not all sellers are being opted in to pass eBay discount shipping rates to buyers on May 15. If you receive the eBay message there will be an opt out link in the message, but to make it even easier:

If you are opting out before the May 13 deadline you can do so using the link on the Seller Center page:

https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/shipping/calculated-shipping-rates

Specifically: https://www.ebay.com/srv/survey/a/shipping.discount.optout

If you miss the May 13 deadline, then you will have to opt out after this goes into effect May 15 on your Shipping Preferences page: https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

[shelbydakota299]

I use Click n Ship and charge what USPS charges at the counter. Thats probably why I haven't been selling anything. Shipping is more than my starting price.