eBay calculated wrong shipping

[inquiringmindswanttoknow]

I am totally beside myself.  Ebay shipping matrix is way off, and has been for the past 2 weeks or so.

I use calculated shipping, with box dimensions and weight provided.

Ebay charges my buyer the calculated shipping, and then when I go to print the shipping label it is charging me anywhere from $2.00 to $12.00 more than my buyer paid for the shipping charges.

I do have a $1 or $2 handling fee to cover a portion of my expenses and insurance, as well, so there is something very wrong here.

I thought maybe I had somehow put in incorrect information, but in checking , found everything was entered correctly.

Have been in corrospondece via phone with eBay regarding this problen 3 different times in the past 24 hours and have gotten different responses each time.

Today its "EBay does not have anything to do with the amount quoted for shipping."

Wants me to deal with FedEx and/or USPS

Anyone else experiencing this at this time?  I refuse to ask my customers to pay extra shipping, as they purchased according to what they were quoted for shipping charges.  This is not their problem.

Help... I am going broke!!

[partial*eclipse]

It's very difficult to help since you haven't given any specifics.

[ed8108]

Undercharging results in giving buyers more value for their buck.

Inquire when the system was last tested for accuracy. Speak with someone in a supervisory level or above if possible.

[terrycanarsky]

We've only been hit with this once in the past month.  Our weight was correct, but when I was sending the invoice, I double-checked the shipping estimate, just on a lark.  We ship primarily through the eBay system, so it's easier.  I checked three times and three different amounts were returned as an estimate - with all the same exact information!  I used the highest of the the three which turned out to be the closest to the actual.

Steps you can take to help:  Estimate your shipping weights a bit high in  your listings.  If you are manually sending the invoices, double-check the shipping amount.  Go to usps.com if need.

If eBay refuses to do due diligence, take whatever steps you can on your end to mitigate the problem.  At the end of the day, it is your own "best business practice" which will allow you to succeed.  It is your business, after all. 

Good luck!

~M

[partial*eclipse]

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 ... Steps you can take to help:  Estimate your shipping weights a bit high in  your listings.  If you are manually sending the invoices, double-check the shipping amount.  Go to usps.com if need....

None of that is necessary. The eBay shipping calculator is 99.99% accurate when it is set up correctly.  

It's not possible to enter the same information 3 times and get 3 different results. It's not necessary to "estimate your weights a bit high;" use accurate weights! It's also not necessary to send an invoice unless there are special circumstances like combined shipping for multiple purchases.    

If you go to usps.com for prices, you will be shown the retail prices, not the prices that eBay charges. 

As noted above, it's impossible to analyze the situation without specifics.

[golfnut51758]

I notice when using the eBay shipping calculator and selecting Fedex a the carrier for my past couple of items sold, the calculator has been WAY off the mark. I ended up paying WAY MORE than what I charged my customer for shipping (whcih is based on the calculator). Fortunately I was still able to make a profit but the fact that eBay's calculator is inaccurate cuts very deeply into my profit margin and if this continues I am not going to be as profitable. I notice th calculator is very inacdurate with Fedex shipments only. I have not noticed any inaccuracies with USPS calculations. It's as if eBay has not made any adjustments in their calculator software to compensate for the Fedex rate increasesw for 2018.

[ron13106]

Would disagree with your statement that eBay shipping is 99.99% accurate. Sold an item yesterday, 2/5/18, and the shipping calculator had charged $9.26 for shipping a package USPS Parcel select from zip 85374 to 95946. The shipping service, package dimensions & weight (2 lbs, 10 oz) had been entered correctly when the listing was generated.

When I went to print the shipping label I changed the weight from 2 lbs 10 oz. to 2 lbs. 12 oz. The same USPS Parcel Select fee went from $9.26 to $15.15. Nothing I could then do would reset the cost back to the original $9.26.

Was able to find a FedEx rate of $10.05 but still lost money on the shipping.

[partial*eclipse]

Yes, I replied to your other post about that, with a question and a suggestion.  A screen shot of the label prep page would be helpful.

[dtexley3]

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wrote:

I notice when using the eBay shipping calculator and selecting Fedex a the carrier for my past couple of items sold, the calculator has been WAY off the mark. I ended up paying WAY MORE than what I charged my customer for shipping (whcih is based on the calculator). Fortunately I was still able to make a profit but the fact that eBay's calculator is inaccurate cuts very deeply into my profit margin and if this continues I am not going to be as profitable. I notice th calculator is very inacdurate with Fedex shipments only. I have not noticed any inaccuracies with USPS calculations. It's as if eBay has not made any adjustments in their calculator software to compensate for the Fedex rate increasesw for 2018.

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Look for the other posts regarding the issues with FedEx shipping rates, especially those for SmartPost.  FedEx added dimensional rates to SmartPost on 1/22 which sharply increased the cost of shipping using SmartPost.  It's no longer the low cost alternative.

However, eBay has not yet corrected the shipping calculators that show the seller what they will be charged when creating a listing, the calculator that shows the buyer what they will be charged, or the calculator that adds the shipping charge to the payment.  All show an unadjusted FedEx rate.  The seller is charged the rate, adjusted by the dimensional rate, and is much higher than what the buyer sees or pays.

EBays is aware of this and is "working" on fixing it.  The only notice of this issue is a few posts in various threads by eBay staff recommending that buyers not use FedEx (esp SmartPost) until it's corrected.

At this time we believe that FedEx Ground/Home Deliviery is now accurate but no independant confirmation based on charges that appear on an eBay invoice have been posted. (At least I haven't seen any yet).

[couldabeenworse]

When I went to print the shipping label I changed the weight from 2 lbs 10 oz. to 2 lbs. 12 oz. The same USPS Parcel Select fee went from $9.26 to $15.15. Nothing I could then do would reset the cost back to the original $9.26.

Kinda sounds like one of the ZIPs is different.

[cndgirl91]

I agree.  This is the second time the buyer has selected fedex smart post.  They paid $7.84 for shipping and when I went to print the label without changing anything, the fedex quote was $12.73 for shipping plus $1.85 for other chages and there is an ebay discount of $2.47 giving a total of $12.11.  I have called on a similar instance and was told that it is just a calculator and they can't help Fedex's rates.  I think there is something incorrect in their system as the Post Office quotes are spot on.  It is hard to stomach being almost $5 out on shipping.  If the buyer had picked USPS, it would have been much more but at least in line with my cost.  Frustrating.

[sybl]

We sell antique items which require extra packing.  Many are fragile and I strongly believe that insurance is necessary.  I have to estimate well-over the actual weight to even get close to the shipping cost.  I do not understand why Ebay's shipping figures are so "off".  They don't take into account how far the item has to travel either.  Evidently, Ebay doesn't figure in insurance either.  We have lost $10+ many times.  It used to be that you contacted the buyer and gave actual cost of shipping and insurance before they paid.  I do not want to pre-pack items because, if they don't sell, I will have to unpack them and put them into a mall or such.  Ebay needs to specify that their shipping is an "Estimate".  Very frustrated.

[sam9876]

Why do you think that insurance is necessary?

[missjen831]

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@sybl wrote:

We sell antique items which require extra packing.  Many are fragile and I strongly believe that insurance is necessary.  I have to estimate well-over the actual weight to even get close to the shipping cost.  I do not understand why Ebay's shipping figures are so "off".  They don't take into account how far the item has to travel either.  Evidently, Ebay doesn't figure in insurance either.  We have lost $10+ many times.  It used to be that you contacted the buyer and gave actual cost of shipping and insurance before they paid.  I do not want to pre-pack items because, if they don't sell, I will have to unpack them and put them into a mall or such.  Ebay needs to specify that their shipping is an "Estimate".  Very frustrated.

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Its up to you to specify a handling fee to cover the cost of insurance if you plan to purchase it.

[divwido]

You are leaving out an important fact-How big was the box?  That matters.