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Higher shipping is killing my business
Is there anyway to let ebay know they should be offering some sort of shipping coupon? The post office rate increases on July 9 really brought my small business to a standstill. My seller discounts are not reflected in the cost to the buyer. I can’t lower my rates to a flat fee because I don’t know where that person is going to want the package shipped and I don’t want to lose money. I try to refund money I don’t need but it’s an extra chore. Hard part is getting customers to make a purchase in the first place. Advice? Thanks.
4 comments
evry1nositswindy
Mentor3 years agoNo need to refund. Charging the USPS rate and paying the eBay discounted rate helps cover the fee that eBay charges on the shipping/tax/item.
inceptions
Mentor3 years agoI know it seems that way when you just think about your own business, but high postage rates apply to EVERY seller. It's not like you're the only one charging them. The buyer will pay the going rates one way or another no matter who they buy from.
There is no incentive or reason for eBay offering a shipping coupon. They already give you discounted rates. The buyer pays shipping to you and you use it to buy your postage.
Using calculated shipping is far better than flat rate for most items so the buyer pays the correct amount to his location.
Why are you refunding so much money? You are charging for shipping and handling, not postage. Handling can include your packaging costs and the fees you pay on shipping. You can pass some of your discount onto the buyers if you choose to. Maybe passing along 5% will take care of your excessive refunding. You can try it out and change it back if you want to here:
https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf
land_of_lincoln_treasures
OP3 years agoI probably didn't explain this well. My inventory is unique. My prices have taxes and fees mostly baked in. It is not like they can go somewhere else and find what I'm selling easily. I'm not selling bedsheets. If the shipping is too high, collectors decide to not make the purchase online AT ALL FROM ANYONE. Five dollars more to California for the same item last month due to shipping is enough for them to say no. They don't feel they need it that bad. I wouldn't be asking this question if customers hadn't already been complaining to me. I get a 25 to 50% discount SOMETIMES from eBay (it varies) but that is not shown to the customer. I don't feel right gouging people unnecessarily. A couple bucks extra profit is one thing, $5 is unjustified IMO. The taxes and fees I pay are a part of business and not up to my customers to make up for. That is why I think eBay should give buyers a little break on the shipping, to help them pull the trigger on the purchase. Which helps all of us in the long run.
inceptions
Mentor3 years agoIf you have less competition for your items then that puts you at an advantage to sellers who have more competition - not a disadvantage.
Buyers have always complained about shipping costs (just as sellers do). Buyers ALWAYS pay for fees and taxes. If you don't include that in your pricing, then you are choosing to take a smaller profit. That's your decision, but it's certainly not "gouging unnecessary." Every business person in the world includes their costs of doing business in their pricing.
cost of goods + expenses + profit = total selling price
That's how selling works.
As you already know, you are already getting your postage at a discount. If eBay were to give you more out of their revenue, where do you think that would come from? It would come from increased selling fees. Every time eBay gives you something, selling fees have to go up to cover it. Personally, I don't want selling fees to go up...