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Shipping costs
Summary: rmunson1 expressed confusion over eBay's shipping cost calculations, noting they ended up paying significantly more than expected. golfingaddict, myangelandmyprincess, disneyshopper, and inceptions explained that sellers need to accurately input package dimensions and weights for precise estimates and that eBay does not automatically adjust for real-time costs. Suggestions included using calculated shipping instead of flat rates to ensure accuracy in cost transfer to buyers. rmunson1 remained frustrated, expecting zero cost on their end, but acknowledged the communication gap.
When a listed item says buyer pays for shipping why do I pay $4.03 and he pays $5.68
I didn’t estimate the shipping cost. eBay did. And then when it sells I end up with almost half the cost??????
rmunson1
OP1 month agoWow. Failure to communicate
I was charged $9.71.
Of that the buyer paid $5.68
I paid $4.03
My expectation was buyer pays 100% and I pay zero.
But eBay did all of the computations.
I just thought that buyer pays shipping meant buyer pays shipping. Obviously not.
lady_madonna
Mentor1 month agoThe buyer DOES pay your shipping charges as shown on the listing page. The money they pay (through Ebay) will be part of your Ebay payout after the transaction has been successfully completed.
YOU pay to physically ship the item to the buyer. You are "reimbursed" when you receive the Ebay payout.
inceptions
Mentor1 month agoHi @rmunson1
Your post isn't clear.
The buyer pays YOU for shipping, and you use that money to purchase your label. If the buyer paid $5.68 and you paid $4.03, then you paid less than the buyer paid, not more.
The item you sold yesterday was set up with a flat cost, meaning you set one price that the buyer pays no matter where the item is going. Since the cost to ship is based on package size and weight and the ship-to zip code, you will lose money on some sales. It's better to use eBay's calculated shipping so that the buyer pays the correct cost based on his location. You lucked out on this sale.
Learn more here:
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/using-shipping-calculator?id=4178
disneyshopper
Mentor1 month agoWhen a listed item says buyer pays for shipping why do I pay $4.03 and he pays $5.68
If the buyer is paying $5.68, but when you purchase the label, you are charged $4.03, that means you get $1.65 extra, enough to pay for the packaging materials.
rmunson1
OP1 month agoWell nothing changed. eBay estimated the price. Then they charged a different price. I was simply using the eBay USPS discount for ground advantage. They charged the buyer 1 price and then charged me $4.03 more. Why didn’t they charge the seller the correct amount ?
myangelandmyprincess
Mentor1 month agoThe sold listing shows me a price of 5.58 no matter the zip code I put in. Did you use fixed price instead of calculated?
golfingaddict
Mentor1 month agoI am not completely understanding what you are asking.
But, eBay does not set your shipping, you do.
When you create a listing you add the size and weight of the package you plan to ship and if you use the calculated shipping, the buyer will pay for the appropriate postage to his/her location.
In the shipping options, you can choose to charge retail/counter rates or discounted online rates. It cost less to buy the label online and more if you take it to the USPS counter and have them create a shipping label.
Shipping Preferences
On the above page, select if you want to charge buyers for counter rates or online rates.
If you want to be accurate and collect the correct amount for postage, it is best to package the item in appropriate boxes or mailers and measure the size and weight in the listing as you create the listing. eBay will give you an estimate, but those are not always right and may cause you to not collect enough for shipping