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Buyer selected different shippng
After seeing the shipping cost for most of my items (a lot are the same) I decided to change many to flat rate. Example two of the same items sold to the same person at two different times and the shipping each time was over $10. decided to change my listings to flat rate so the shipping is $8. The same buyer made a third purchase but when I went to print out the label I saw "buyer selected" a different option - parcel select. The cost was, I think 5 cents cheaper but the time for delivery was much longer. So I have two questions. First being why would someone pick that option when it's a longer delivery time for pretty much the same cost as flat? The second being - how is the buyer able to change the shipping option? Whenever I buy something I never see an option to change the shipping? This has happened to me twice now. Still new to this shipping thing so I am trying to figure out the best way to send my packages.
onlyavision
OP3 years agoThanks for your reply. I am not sure how I picked that when all my others are Flat rate. When I go into my business policies it shows how many listings are using which shipping. Does that number change (subtracting sold items) when you sold the item with that particular shipping policy? The Parcel Select policy shows zero listings. I have had in the past all calculated shipping. One day as I was checking my listings & I see several that said free shipping. I never (at the time) offered free shipping. I went back into the listings to change it back to calculated. The next day there were others that showed free shipping. Can/does Ebay change these thing either by accident or on purpose?
wooden_flower
Mentor3 years agoThe item was flat rate, but the service was parcel select.
I do not use business policies, but back when they were first introduced, they seems to multiply on their own, so I stayed away 🙂 eBay would not intentionally change your shipping settings.
I would assume the item is removed from the item count as soon as it sells, since you can no longer edit it.
onlyavision
OP3 years agoOK here is another "glitch". Yesterday I went through and picked Flat rate on more of my listings. Today check a few and when I click on the listing, Shipping shows $8.00 Economy Shipping. I thought it was supposed to say Flat rate? So I click on See details and under "service" it says Economy Shipping (USPS Parcel Select Ground). Is this the same as flat? If not, then Ebay's policies are incorrect. If I pick from their pick list which policies I might use and I pick flat rate, shouldn't that show on my listing and not Parcel Select which is a whole different pick. The other thing is the listing I was talking about earlier shows $8 - which the buyer paid yet Ebay charged me $10.85 for the label. Why? I am getting frustrated. I don't want to cheat my buyers and I certainly don't want to incur more shipping charges than I should.
onlyavision
OP3 years agoOk I think I figured out the shipping policies/services.
wooden_flower
Mentor3 years agoAny service can be flat rate. Flat rate refers to what you charge, not to the service. You either select flat rate - you decide a specific amount to charge, or calculated - where the price is based on weight size and distance.
You might be thinking of flat rate envelopes or flat rate boxes, which are specific priority mail products.
The actual shipping cost will always be calculated based on size weight and distance, except for the priority flat rate products, no matter what you charge your buyer.
Calculated is generally better than flat rate, except for very small items where you want to charge a nominal amount for additional items. Calculated shipping is charged at the retail rates unless you specify to share your discount with the buyer in your shipping preferences.
wooden_flower
Mentor3 years agoThe buyer can only select from the options you offer. Look at the shipping tab on the PJ set - you will see that you offered parcel select. Since it was the only service listed, it was the only one they could select.