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eBay changed my chosen shipping method and cost. Why?
I just sold an item that I had planned to ship in a padded, flat-rate, USPS padded envelope. I see, though, that the buyer was charged, and paid, $15.70. I double-checked my listing and it does say $8.95 shipping there. I don’t know why the buyer was charged more.
26 comments
bayspud
OP2 years agop.s. FYI, apparently postage rates have very recently increased. The postage for a padded flat rate envelope is now $10.60. Thanks again.
bayspud
OP2 years agoIt is a very small cast iron pan. Thanks, everyone, for your input. I think we’re done here.
shipscript
·2 years ago@bayspud
Is the item that you want to ship via padded enveloper that cast iron pan????
Your listing states Ground Advantage, so that is the service the buyer purchased. The buyer was apparently willing to pay that price, or they would have contacted you for a discount.
To ship to Monterey CA via Ground Advantage is $8.95
To ship to New York via Ground Advantage is $15.70
If you wanted to upgrade to a Priority flat rate padded envelope (which I would do in a heartbeat), the price would be under $9. If you would like to upgrade and issue a $6 refund, I'm sure the buyer would be thrilled with the upgrade and even more thrilled with a partial refund.
Now, about that pan....
Be sure that you wrap it in tightly in cardboard or bubbles to prevent it from shifting around and clobbering neighboring packages or beating its way out of the padded bag. Loose cannons like that are notorious fighters that can destroy almost anything unless you put boxing gloves on them. 😄
bayspud
OP2 years agoThe mystery has been solved. Thank you.
bayspud
OP2 years agoPhooey. There must have been a box somewhere that I should have checked that I missed.
My main listing page shows the flat rate price I intended to charge, but further down I do see that although it shows the shipping price I meant to charge it indicates “Ground Advantage†rather than “Flat Rate†as the service. I will look for that next time I list something.
The buyer is okay with the higher shipping; I was just trying to look out for them and make sure that, somehow, the shipping didn’t get increased when it shouldn’t have. Thank you, Gator, I appreciate your help in solving the mystery!
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@lady_madonna
@bayspud
They are right.
You have your listing set as USPS GA, NOT Priority Flat rate. So it calculates the 15.70 based on location as mentioned. Problem is, this wasn't pointed out till this post.
My mistake was that I didn't pull up your sold listings and actually look at it.
I was totally wrong. Your listing is charging the buyer more because it was not set to use the flat rate, but a calculated USPS Ground Advantage.
@lady_madonna
My apologies. But I didn't know you were looking at the listing either. lol
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years agoThis has nothing to do with USPS rates.
In the OP, @bayspud asked why they saw $8.95 shipping charge when they looked at the listing and the buyer saw $15.70.
Location, location, location. 😉
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
@gator08041971
Please read my previous response in #2 & #11 regarding buyer location.
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@lady_madonna
I have tested to the farthest cites. All came back to the same price. 10.60, flat rate bubble mailer.
Then for giggles I did a test from LA to NY. Same price.
Where are you getting a price difference at? This is for a flat rate based Priority bubble mailer. They are currently 10.60 domestic.
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years agoI went to the listing page, entered in a random New York zip code and saw the shipping charge of $15.70.
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years ago@gator08041971
@bayspud
This is the screenshot showing the shipping charge:
bayspud
OP2 years agoI don’t think you understand. With USPS flat rate boxes and envelopes, whatever you can fit into that box or envelope will ship for one set price, no matter where in the US the package or envelope is being shipped to.
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
Look at your sold listing again:
What do you see for the shipping option? USPS Ground Advantage. This is what the buyer sees.
If I had caught this 10 posts ago, we wouldn't still be here. lol
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
But you did not list the item as flat rate box/envelope, you chose USPS Ground Advantage in the listing, so that is based on buyer location as I stated in post #2.
bayspud
OP2 years agoI just sent a message to the buyer to ask if they had opted to upgrade the shipping method from what I offered. Maybe that is something that buyers can do? I don’t know. If I get to the bottom of the mystery I will post the results here.
bayspud
OP2 years agoThe first thing I did when I saw how much the buyer had paid for shipping was to check my listing. It still shows $8.95 standard shipping—which was my error, because I didn’t realize that the postage for a padded flat rate envelope had gone up to $10.60. I didn’t give any other options for shipping because what I offered was what I believed to be the best, and most cost-effective, way. Where the $15.70 charge came from is a mystery to me.
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
Once again, where is the buyer located? I did a test and put in a zip code for New York and saw $15.70 for shipping charges.
The reason why you see $8.95 is the shipping charge to send it to your location, as I previously answered.
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
It's a difference of $5.10. And for some reason, that's sticking out to me. It sounds like a fee for something extra. Review the order details for what they paid for, see if your buyer had added any additional options!
bayspud
OP2 years agoI just looked at the USPS website to double-check how much it costs to ship something in one of their padded flat-rate envelopes, and the price has gone up; it is now $10.60. I don’t try to make extra money off of shipping charges, and so I was going to only charge the buyer what I paid. Seeing that the postal rates have gone up, the buyer would have gotten a deal at $8.95, but I still believe they were overcharged at $15.70—and I don’t understand how or why that happened.
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
You may want to review your shipping setup on that listing in case there was an error or something setup for handling or something. If you are seeing 10.60, that's the current retail flat rate for padded envelopes, and the discount rate you are being charged is correct for those. So that means something calculated it higher, either the method listed was incorrect or it had another option, such as extra insurance or signature required. Did you have choices to pick from in your listing?
bayspud
OP2 years agoMy listing showed the Flat Rate envelope price of $8.95. That’s nice for me if eBay charges me less, but if I were the buyer I would be very unhappy to have been charged $15.70 instead.
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
If you were to go to USPS and input the shipping options, you will get the same price the buyer is being charged.
Or if you go to the counter at your local post office. That 15.70 is what they will charge for your same shipment.
The discount was meant to help you the seller. But its up to you to offer a discount to the buyers if you feel its wrong.
Which exact envelope and flat rate are you using?
bayspud
OP2 years agoAs I understand it, and per my experience using USPS Flat Rate packaging to date, when using a Flat Rate envelope, the shipping should cost the same whether I am shipping to the next town or across the country.
gator08041971
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
Correct.
However they pay the retail rate, and you get a discounted rate thanks to eBay. So in those cases, unless you pass that savings on to your buyers, you will see a difference. Currently buyer's get priced the retail rate by default. The seller can offer a discount on that rate, or offer the eBay discounted rate that they charge the seller normally if they want. But many sellers don't, as that difference helps offset fees and shipping materials cost, things like that.
https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf/carrier
bayspud
OP2 years agoBut I was planning on using a USPS Flat Rate envelope.
lady_madonna
Mentor2 years ago@bayspud
What YOU see on the listing is the shipping charge to ship to YOUR location. What the buyer sees (and pays) is the shipping charge to THEIR location.