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Understanding Shipping Fees Responsibility
Summary: sixcents initiated a discussion on the confusion surrounding shipping fees, specifically when sellers expect buyers to cover the costs but end up being charged. monroe67 shared their experience of using eBay's system to allocate shipping costs to buyers. They highlighted the importance of accurately listing weights and dimensions to prevent discrepancies, and noted that any shortfall due to postal rate increases should be covered by the seller, as per eBay's policies. They advised consistently listing items with buyer-paid shipping and emphasized the importance of clear communication and understanding of eBay's policies to prevent misunderstandings. Additionally, monroe67 pointed out that sellers should not ask buyers for extra postage after a purchase.
Discussion Topic: Why am I getting charged for shipping fees when my buyer is supposed to pay?
Prompt: Shipping fees and their allocation can be a source of confusion and frustration for sellers. In situations where you're supposed to have the buyer cover shipping costs, you might still find yourself being charged. Let's dive into this issue:
Have you ever been charged for shipping when you expected the buyer to pay? What was the situation, and how did you handle it?
What are some best practices or tips you have discovered to ensure the shipping costs are appropriately allocated to the buyer?
Are there specific platforms or services that you’ve found handle these issues better than others?
How can communication between sellers and buyers be improved to prevent misunderstandings about shipping fees?
Share your experiences, insights, and any questions you might have about navigating shipping charges.
monroe67
Mentor3 weeks ago · Edited"Have you ever been charged for shipping when you expected the buyer to pay?"
No*. As my selling ID, I create my listings with buyer-paid shipping, via USPS Ground Advantage, using eBay's calculated shipping system(s).
I am also very careful to weigh my listed items inside the size and type of padded envelope or small box that will be used to mail the item to the buyer.
The weight and size measurements of that envelope or box are the numbers that I enter during the listing process.
"What was the situation, and how did you handle it?"
*Actually, let me add a little something to my first "No" above.
Yes. There have been times in which the USPS has raised their postage rates and it did make a difference between what the buyer paid toward the shipping price and the postage amount that the USPS was asking for.
In those cases, I paid that additional, raised postage rate. It would not have been ethical for me, the eBay seller, to ask the eBay buyer to pay additional postage.
Moreover, asking an eBay buyer to pay more postage than the listing requested -- is a violation of eBay's policies.
"What are some best practices or tips you have discovered to ensure the shipping costs are appropriately allocated to the buyer?
First: ALWAYS -- every single time -- on every single listing --
list the item with Buyer Paid shipping.
AND -- eBay sellers must understand that they -- sellers -- are ultimately responsible for paying the sufficient dollar amount(s) for delivery of their sold items to the buyer, the new owner. Regardless of whether the US Postal Service (USPS delivers the item, or the United Parcel Service (UPS), or Federal Express (FedEx), etc., etc.
"Are there specific platforms or services that you’ve found handle these issues better than others?"
I have only sold on eBay. eBay's shipping services work pretty well for me.
Could be that I understand them better than many other sellers.
I will admit I did make a couple of mistakes in my first few sales, at least 15 years ago, that did cost me more money on postage and wrecked my small profit.
But I have NEVER asked an eBay buyer to cough up even another penny for the shipping cost.
"How can communication between sellers and buyers be improved to prevent misunderstandings about shipping fees?"
Having read these Ask A Mentor questions for 10-12 years, and been an eBay Community Mentor for about a year and a half, it seems to me that the main thing ----
is for New Sellers to understand this --
-- there is no such thing as Free Shipping.
The USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc., etc., etc. -- they all want to be paid before they accept a package for delivery.
A very close second most important thing for new eBay sellers to understand is that --
it is against eBay policy for a seller to request that a buyer pay any additional postage or delivery charges after that buyer has purchased an item through eBay.