Insane shipping and ebay fees
Summary: jollyroger14 expressed frustration over increasing shipping costs and fees on eBay, making it difficult to profit from selling items priced under $20. Suggestions included eliminating free shipping, adjusting pricing strategies, or exploring alternative platforms. Participants like albertabrightalberta and beezi-17 recommended using calculated shipping or bundling items to reduce costs. Others suggested improving inventory selection and raising prices to ensure profitability. Concerns were raised about eBay's promotion strategies and USPS's shipping rates, with jollyroger14 considering leaving eBay for a more profitable solution.
How are the TRS sellers handling the new crazy shipping prices? I have a lot of items..maybe 100-200. NOS items, hard to find., But after shipping and fees, Im lucky if its a 1.00 profit. This is ridiculous. All sub $20 items. I cant fathom burning $15 bucks in fees and shipping to make nothing. Im thinking of pushing to another vendor or listing in lots. Like I sold a $18.00 air filter. It went to WA. After fees and shipping, I made $2.39. I cant handle these losses. What do you think or are doing? Im thinking of burning my TRS status and just ship cheapest method I can find via stamps no tracking and hope the best. I opened my own quasi store locally online, my own website etc pointed to home base. My business is actually pointed direct at my house now in google business. But I cant get the traffic like I can with ebay. Suggestions>? Or just go bankrupt ? ANd dont even get me started on the promoted rate ebay is shoving down our throats to double dip on seller fees, Come on 15% promoted to drive traffic to store plus 13% seller FVF?
theteamsetguy
·2 weeks ago · Edited@jollyroger14 ,
If they are hard to find why are they only $18.00? I would double the price to $36.00. You can't give away hard to find items.
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoHere is the OP's wonderful AI pricing tool in action. Anybody else see what I see?
Now I will say it's good that it spells out why you can't use Media Mail for ignition coils. But it should also explain that slamming your fist on the counter at the post office is the key to unlocking the Priority pricing cheaper than Ground Advantage. So it really dropped the ball there, I'm afraid.
Also @jollyroger14 as per the Community policy, when you post any screenshots that show the buyer's name, you must blur it out. I have done so with your screenshot here.
drnusbaum
·3 weeks agoAre you offering free shipping, is that the problem ?
I don't know how/why anyone bothers with free shipping, it seems impossible to manage. Buyers seem to accept calculated shipping, they pretty much have to (or not buy on Ebay). If you need low cost shipping economics to profit, then Amazon might be a better fit.
It's not like you are competing with sellers with different economics. (Unless your items compete directly with Chinese Ebay sellers, who have totally different economics+shipping AND don't have to deal with returns or INAD, in which case I would give up on selling such items.)
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoYou're right about most of this^.
But all eBay purchases are backed by the Money Back Guarantee, regardless of what country the seller is in. If a buyer files an INAD on an item from China, and that seller doesn't want to deal with a return, he/she has only 1 other option: to refund the buyer without getting the item returned. Same as any other seller.
And Chinese sellers may have ways to get special shipping deals but not WITH eBay, just whatever deals they have with carrier companies.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks ago · EditedWell all of you wrong, it is eBay screwing us. Boom. Ran a cross comparison between my shipping tool and eBay. Significantly lower than eBay claiming. SO MR eBay are you gonna refund the all the shipping costs u ripped from us? FedEx is even worse 2 dollar difference.. And note this shipping account is only 2% lower than pirate ship under my real business., SO y'all owe me a apology and need to stop drinking the kool aid. eBay is bugged..pocketing the money probably. I have a shipping tool...I just was blinded by the fact that ebay favor not received claims more if u use their garbage than your own. No more. Great thing is I can load my software with predetermined weights and dimensions...min something sells...it will print a label. SO this thread is closed. I proved it.. Same item same rates and shipping. Everything cheaper, Thanks doe accusing me of things I was or was not doing, when in fact is is ebay....
eBay for ripping me off several hundred dollars ,,,
gurlcat
·3 weeks ago@jollyroger14 So, you seriously believe AI that says you can ship that item cheaper with Priority than with Ground Advantage?
Boom indeed. Be sure to show this to the clerk at the post office. I heard pounding your fist on the counter is the key to getting the secret AI prices.
Oh and to answer your question: No refund. Also no apology.
Sincerely,
Mr. eBay
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoYes because its tied into a shipping api....the tool is listed. That is direct from my shipping tool. Im sorry my computer program is more advanced than your cell phone. and today ebay said same package was 9.54. So wtf indeed I used shipengine. Ebay price changed almost 50x lower in 12 hours..... I have a GUI to run the same api.... look it up. Way mroe adnavced than your using.
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoLet's make your chart a new comment, see if anyone else agrees.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoUSPS GA rates depend on what the weight of the package is and what ZONE it is going to, as well as if the zip code is considered Rural or not. So yes, you will see differences in the rate for same size and weight packages that ship to different zones and/or to a rural zip code.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agojollyroger14
OP3 weeks agohttps://docs.shipstation.com/apis/shipengine/openapi
gloryglorygifts
·3 weeks agoI'm now considering doing the ebay calculated shipping because of the last increase. Fixing the shipping cost for 100 items isn't bad but I'm exhausted just thinking about adjusting my 1,900 listings. I need a nap now.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoI have automation software. I can log into ur account for a fee with my system and Ai...change everything u want in 5-10 mins. Pull entire inventory lists etc. Quite easy actually. I just chnged 400 today to a new policy in 10 mins. Or download the spreadsheet of your entire inventory and I can have my bots fix it up. Then you reupload. Very simple.
gloryglorygifts
·3 weeks agoThanks for the offer, but no thanks.
gurlcat
·3 weeks ago · EditedI just can't imagine why you wouldn't want help from this OP and his magic machine. Especially when it can get you cheaper labels with Priority than with GA.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoThis is what Im using..same as pirate ship but slightly cheaper...
https://docs.shipstation.com/apis/shipengine/openapi
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@gloryglorygifts That is why I don't use Free Shipping anymore or I rarely use it. It is simply way too much work because USPS raises rates 3+ times in the average year. This year, I think it will end up being 5+.
For the listings I do with a fixed price for shipping, I edit those using the Bulk Editor. It makes it very easy as many of my listings are set at the same price. I think for me 6 or so is likely close to how many rates I have. So I sort my active listings by shipping rate and then edit those as needed by groups. I typically spend about 5-10 minutes on this when rates increase.
gloryglorygifts
·2 weeks agoI stick with the free shipping because of my competitors but it's only on my items priced over $25. Buyers want to see that on pricier items I think.
Yes! The bulk editor is a great tool. I use it all the time but never knew that you could sort by shipping rate. I will 100% have to try that. I have many items that are 4 oz, so that would make life so much easier. I usually go by store category. Thanks for the tip!
mam98031
·2 weeks agoWhile I pay some attention to my competitors, I don't find that when I do something differently than they do that it costs me sales. Meaning, many of my competitors use free shipping, but I don't. It does not appear to hurt me. And it saves me lots and lots of time by not using it.
Not all buyers like free shipping anyway. Some actually want to see it separately.
gloryglorygifts
·2 weeks agoI guess it depends on the markets we are in. I'm up against stores with thousands of followers and sponsored listings that have been here for two decades. I do what I can to make my listings more attractive to buyers. Free shipping and returns, as well as guarantees on our sterling products is how I do that, along with coupons. My more expensive items are free shipping. Not my lower priced ones.
bjbint
·3 weeks ago · EditedI about fell off my chair today to pay EBAY $7.69 USPS Ground Advantage today!!!!!!! All my similar items on Etsy with Ground Advantage cost $5.40 & $5.62...... Ebay just decided to feed their bank account once again, always ripping off the seller...THIS IS CRAZY INCREASES!!! We are getting wise, Ebay has now dropped to 3rd place on all my platforms for sales & profits... They are killing themselves slowly but surely... companies raise prices when there failing elsewhere.. mark my words.. The USPS should investigate them, but they won't.. Just came here to see what you all had to say! And I see it right away!!!!
cityslickercreations2004
·3 weeks ago"I about fell off my chair today to pay EBAY $7.69 USPS Ground Advantage today!!!!!!! All my similar items on Etsy with Ground Advantage cost $5.40 & $5.62...... Ebay just decided to feed their bank account once again, always ripping off the seller..."
The above just happened to me this week. I sell cosmetics and most of my packages weigh 4 oz. or less.
USPS, not ebay has started charging the 15 oz. fee if destination address is considered "rural." So, I paid $7.69 shipping and lost my shirt. There was no way of knowing until after a sale. At least it was only one package.
I will be looking at calculated shipping to see if that is a viable alternative.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoEbay ONLY raised the rates because USPS raised the rates. @bjbint This wasn't something Ebay just decided to do, they had to because USPS significantly raised rates for certain Zones and if the package is going to a rural zip code. You won't get a cheaper rate by going to other online providers of postage either. And the rates on similar sites like Etsy, Amazon [3rd party sellers that ship their own stuff], etc. All pay these rates too.
robcorncob
·3 weeks ago · EditedI got completely ripped off on my first ebay sale .... I sold a cymbal for $90 plus the buyer paid an extra $20 for shipping to NV from NY .... the USPS charged me $135 !!! I lost $25 and gave away the item for free... no ebay support at all ... ebay I'm never selling through them again
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@robcorncob You were NOT "ripped off", sellers MUST stay current on Carrier rate increases. Otherwise, as you found out, it can cost you real money. You are blaming Ebay for something they do not control. The Seller is in control of how much they charge for shipping, but it is so important to stay current on the rates. When you are unsure, check, ask here or do something to be proactive so you can learn.
shire123
·3 weeks ago@robcorncob The price you paid for shipping has NOTHING to do with ebay. That is totally on the USPS. All of my listings state "standard shipping" so that I can choose the most economical shipping for my sales. With the USPS shipping larger/heavier packages often approaches $100.
As others have stated, either keep updated on shipping charges or start using calculated shipping.
Again. Nothing to do with ebay.
mordecai8614
·3 weeks agoSo you naively guessed that $20 would cover shipping for an item with large dimensions to anywhere in the United States, you were completely wrong because you didn't research shipping costs for large items prior to listing, and that's eBay's fault?
Also, you could have just cancelled the sale, refunded the buyer, taken the likely negative feedback, & kept the cymbal. No one forced you to take the loss.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoSome of the items I had a rough idea I wanted to make after shipper. But I noticed ebay system is bugged. IM starting to catch discrepancies. Liek today 2 items wee cheaper than my commercial account. SO ebay is indeed ripping people off. Today a item that was 5.90 2 days ago..was 5.28. Same item, same weight, same box. No decrease at post office. MY shipping tool priced it at 5.143. So ebay is messed. Im just going to use my shipping tool for now. I can do it right from CLI. Enter weight and dimensions...spits otu a label. Ebay not needed. Cheaper than pirate ship. I just was pro ebay label generator, because they can see it was generated on their site to their address which helps in not recieved cases. They dont seem to honor not recieved cases if nto generated on their system. problem solved. It is indeed ebay fault..their shipping program is bugged intentionally or uninetionally. I just ran through a week worth of shipments compared to my tool and way way overpriced. I onyl get a extra 5% discount over ebay...so definetly. ebay is screwiung peopel.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoNope, not the Ebay system. It is in line with the rates USPS are currently charging.
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-usps-rates-shift-again-august-22/
grann-4629
·3 weeks agoeBay has connections with the USPS ... they get special rates from them.
eBay collects a % on the cost of shipping.
USPS has regular price increases throughout the year.
eBay makes more money everytime the shipping costs go up.
Conspiracy maybe?
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoIt is, they can negotiate rates like amazon if they choose. IWe all use the same account...
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@jollyroger14 Amazon can NOT negotiate GA or MM for 3rd party sellers that ship their own items. USPS doesn't allow it. Amazon's rates for GA and MM are the exact same rates as on Ebay, Etsy, Pirate Ship, Stamps.com, etc.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoNope, Amazon can NOT negotiate USPS GA or MM for sellers on their site that ship their own stuff. The Amazon rates are the exact same as they are here on Ebay. I sell on 3 sites for many years. Amazon being one of them. The rates are the SAME on all these sites. And that is because USPS does not allow negotiations for GA or MM for sites like this. They never have.
Now you would be correct that Amazon can negotiate rates with USPS for shipments from their Warehouse locations. Those they can and would have bulk shipping. Likely Pallet on a daily basis. And for places that ship huge quantities can get some negotiated rates. But that is NOT Ebay as Ebay doesn't do the shipping, each individual seller does from across the nation.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoNot on GA or MM. Ebay can't negotiate those rates with USPS @grann-4629 . We get the Commercial rates for these, which is the same rates as are given to Etsy, Amazon 3rd party sellers, Pirate Ship, etc.
redlinear
·3 weeks ago · Edited@jollyroger14
Set you a minimum price, update those cheap listings to your minimum price... and next time you are sourcing, just remember you can't buy and sell like you used to.
I have a salvage yard, 30 years ago we had quite a few "walk-in" customers. For us to go out and get them a part, the minimum was $10. Lots of customers just needed a bolt or lugnut or something similar. Turned a lot of customers off, but....it was what it was....$10 was mostly the labor it cost to go out in the yard and pull "anything".
Now, our minimum is $20...although, nobody comes in the front door anymore.
NOT because of that, but because it's just a different world now...things change. We do salvage way different than we used to. Customers buy way different than they used to.
I have an eBay minimum also. Been revising listing prices quite a bit in the last few weeks. Those items may not sell (for awhile), but eventually, every seller will follow suit and raise their prices. Those that are not doing that now, just haven't realized what's going on yet.
Once you get your prices updated. Then you can start going through a few listings every now and then and ADDING another item to them. (two gasket sets instead of one...or something like that). Add some value and change the price accordingly.
Instead of selling that special control arm bolt that everybody needs for $10. You now need to creat a listing for all four control arm bolts for $25
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoDude, I am that old. I started out in junkyards. I remember making 40 bucks a day and scrapping cars, not understanding why I was pulling rads and such. Back then scrap was so low, we usually got paid to take it. We used to shovel escrap in the cars and let the cars go with cats. Me and a few other wish we had a 1/2 of what went in the crusher. We wou;ld be millionares. None of us imagined what scrap would become. But back then 150 cars for a 20k check was decent money..... and they brought their own crusher.... Ebay was never primary. i only invested in it last few months building a system automation, because I was wheelchair bound for months after fallign in a hole and busting ym ankle. Its not my primary forte nor job. I just havnt recovered fully to go back main jobs. I much rather fire my wrecker up and go car hunting, than this.. Most likely Im gonna sell my automtion system, because its probaly worth way more than my stock is.
redlinear
·3 weeks ago@jollyroger14
Most everyday I re-do three or four listings. It's all I have time for due to working on new listings.
But, I will end those $15 door handles, window cranks, bolts, etc. And put them in pairs or sets and up the price to $22.50. (or something like that).
I'm having to get really picky about buying vehicles any more for eBay.
I bought some little factory go fast VW a few months ago, and discovered it's LOADED with $10 parts. That's an eBay mistake now that shipping cost on the little stuff has gotten so high.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoI do 50-100 listings a day[probaly more. With my automation system, I can build listings and push quick. Complete vehicle catlogs, research, bins from local retailers, sold listings on ebay. The works. I have entire manufacturer catalogs dumped on system that ca recover fitment. Only thing i cant do is find fitment for parts made before digital was a thing with paper catalogs. If you need help, get in touch lol.
grann-4629
·3 weeks agoJust curious ... did the $10 charge cover the cost of an employee to do the work? Removing a bolt is quick and easy, but what if a walk-in customer wanted a transmission or other major component removed from a vehicle and brought to the front?
tks
luckythewinner
·3 weeks ago · EditedProbably the saame as non-TRS sellers.
I only list items that make a healthy profit after shipping and fees. Why are you listing unprofitable items?
bubs1085
·3 weeks agoebay and usps need to get their !@#$%^ act together. most places under 4 oz postage under 6 bucks. I send a 3 oz package to WV for over 7 usps. most of us sellers i figure are taking a big loss on shipping. really getting tired of ebay
stainlessenginecovers
·3 weeks ago@bubs1085 what's wrong with you?? Most places??
Those 'increases' are USPS and have NOTHING to do with ebay and those fees are everywhere.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoebay can renegotiate if they wanted too. They been using the same account for years., Imagine how many millions went through that account? They can negotiate better rates since technical with all of us using the same account, ebay volume is way more than amazon....
grann-4629
·3 weeks agoebay volume is way more than amazon....
Actually, Amazon has over twice the number of active users than eBay.
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@grann-4629
Amazon has about 1.7 to 1.9 active 3rd party sellers, those sellers that ship their own stuff, out of almost 10 million selling accounts.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoAgain, no they can't as I previously stated, nor can Amazon for their sellers that ship their own stuff.
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@bubs1085 How is this Ebay's fault. They do not run the Federal Government nor do they run USPS which is a federal agency. Ebay has ZERO say so in what USPS charges for GA.
Most sellers are NOT taking a big loss on shipping UNLESS they are not staying informed as to when USPS raises rates. The fault for that is the responsibility of the seller, not Ebay. Ebay notifies us, but they can't make us read the emails. So sellers that aren't aware of the increases, most years it happens every January, July and October, this year so far we got another increase in August, then those uninformed sellers are likely losing money. But most sellers stay informed as they know how important this information is to their ability to make money on the internet.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoI figured it out. Last night package was 10.05 on ebay. 12 hrs later same package was 9.54 in a 12 hr span on eBay . That's a eBay shipping calculation error. Another package was 87 ups. Check my third party shipper and UPS was 67. Their tool is bugged.. My third party tool ship engine is consistently better pricing and every few hours eBay shipping tool displays different pricing. So the answer is use a third party tool not eBay. Their shipping tool is broken.
bubs1085
·3 weeks agoI send a 4oz package to california for about 5.50. I send the same pack to texas, just south of my border for over 7.50. tell me that makes since. I thought we had special rates through eBay. But if that okay with you, good. No need to reply. I'm retiring from all this
mam98031
·3 weeks agoUSPS started using Zones a while back. So California and Texas are two different Zones and therefore the rates are different. Also USPS now considers zip codes that are in a Rural area as more expensive too. IMHO it is a hot mess, but we do have to deal with it.
You may find this helpful.
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-usps-rates-shift-again-august-22/
onefootflipper
·3 weeks agoIf you can't make a profit on your inventory then you have bad inventory. What is good and bad can change slowly over time but can also change very fast. That out of production part suddenly loses most of the value if some factory in china runs off another batch, or that impossible to find oil filter goes bad because someone started selling an adapter to let the vehicle use a common one.
Free shipping is a game that should only be played by sellers with essentially infinite supplies of identical items that they know their expenses to down to the penny. One-off item sellers should never be doing free shipping, cost of shipping goes up, your item stays the same price. Goes to rural area in the furthest zip code, your item stays the same price.
I don't think untracked packages with stamps on them have existed for a very long time.
I think Auto Parts is a terrible category on ebay. They keep making it worse and I don't think I have ever seen an auto parts seller show up on these forums who was happy with anything.
grann-4629
·3 weeks agoI don't think untracked packages with stamps on them have existed for a very long time.
Not sure what you mean by that. I was sending and receiving untracked packages with postage stamps back in the early 60's and it was probably being done 100 years before that.
onefootflipper
·3 weeks agoThat is the opposite of what I meant. There is no longer any sort of way the original poster can slap some stamps on an oil filter and ship it cheaper untracked. Sure, there was for a very long time, but not anymore.
To quote google.
"True domestic untracked package shipping no longer existst hrough major US carriers like USPS, UPS, or FedEx. If a piece of mail exceeds the dimensions or rigidity of a letter or a flat (large envelope), it is automatically classified as a package, and all standard domestic package services now include automatic tracking at no extra cost."
Yes, he could do the thing that stamp sellers (and only stamp sellers do) which is plaster a package with dozens of old stamps and then carry it into the post office and get them to print the label at the counter. But you need both the old stamps to do that, and to value your time at zero, and it is still tracked.
grann-4629
·3 weeks ago · EditedIt looks like USPS and Canada Post have different policies. Tracking is not automatically included here and I can stick a few stamps on that oil filter and drop it in the mailbox to anyone in Canada. A pre-printed label with postage on it is obviously the best way to do it ... I'm just saying you don't have to (in Canada). Labels are hand written by the poster ... not the post office.
As I stated earlier, the majority of DVD's I have purchased on eBay from Canadian sellers
hashave come in a package with a stamp or two and a hand written label.Is the 0.85 stamp the only one available in the US?
onefootflipper
·3 weeks agoI am not sure. I have not purchased a stamp in 5 years. I bought a sheet of 20 forever stamps in 2019 and I still have half of it left.
I know a DVD in the case can only be shipped as a package or as a large flat. Most people are not set up to ship large flats and it isn't much cheaper than media mail so not worth the effort of anyone who isn't a specialist and the specialists generally get a presort media mail rate instead. You can ship them in one of those little cardboard sleeves with stamps but they need to pay the extra for non-machineable and the amounts that get damaged definitely go up if you do that.
fm2000
·3 weeks ago · EditedFlats can't be rigid, so a DVD in a case is a no-go despite being acceptable by dimensions.
For lightweight items, a flat can be almost half the cost of media mail, if the item is a thin softcover book or booklet. And flats can make non-media mail items like low value magazines and comics sellable, can be half or less than the cost of GA and technically faster too.
I was at my local post office the other day buying stamps for this purpose, the clerk told me I was the only one who bought those odd denomination stamps and I was reminded of your videos talking about stamps. Made me laugh!
onefootflipper
·3 weeks agoI just never use stamps for anything anymore. I stopped using them the second ESE envelope came out and never ever have any reason to send other mail.
Good to know that flats can't be rigid, I was mistaken about that, but I also never sent anything that way.
mam98031
·3 weeks ago@jollyroger14 This affects ALL sellers that use USPS Ground Advantage, NOT just TRS.
If you are only making $1 on your listings, then you are pricing your items WAY WAY too low. That wouldn't even pay for your time to design the listing.
Buyers know they have to pay for the shipping whether it is included in the price or separately stated. You really need to pay attention to your listings ASAP if not sooner as on many, you won't even break even on shipping much less paying for fees, the product, shipping supplies, etc. Your price with free shipping doesn't even cover the shipping.
I would suggest repricing your items and do separately stated shipping. You can even use the Calculator if you want instead of just setting a flat rate.
IDK why you are blaming this on being TRS. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the shipping rate increases with USPS recently. Why you are thinking of "burning my [your] status as TRS" doesn't make any sense at all. You are blaming something that has nothing to do with anything regarding TRS.
Setting a 15% promotional rate is a SELLER's CHOICE, NOT a requirement. But if you feel you are getting the sales to accommodate that additional fee, then it may be worth it. However that is not something Ebay forces you into, it is something you have decided to do all on your own.
albertabrightalberta
·3 weeks ago@jollyroger14 From your OP:
"Come on 15% promoted to drive traffic to store plus 13% seller FVF?"
My comment in response to your OP:
"And don't promote your items and that'll save 15%."
@jollyroger14 in response to my reply about promoting:
"I never set mine at 15% .. I was doing 5% promoted and now down 2% promoted."
Where do you think I got the "15%" promoted cost? I was merely advising you based on what YOU wrote in the OP. Why would I have commented on 15% if you hadn't said that you promoted at that rate?
Your pricing, your choice to offer "free" shipping on items that can cost more to ship than the BIN prices you're selling for, your choice to promote your listings, etc. are why you're unhappy. Accept that you've made mistakes and it's not ebay's fault nor USPS's shipping prices.
lakefor94
·3 weeks ago@jollyroger14 I have done 2 updates in the last month or so, to adjust shipping prices on the inexpensive items. I will allow the buyers to pay the shipping cost increases.
I actually make a little more money on those transactions than I did earlier in the year.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoYeah thats what Im starting to do. I been running my program and finiding out a lot of what I have is unobtanium. Which is bad, it may never sell. But if I have the last widget in the world and someone needs it, they wont mind paying the postage. SO Im changing my system to start incorporating 6.99 charge to usps hikes. That way they still get a deal and i only eat a little. But ebay should stop double dipping FVF on shipping and item bin,.,,,, Hell ebay should get off their duster with all the money they make off us and negotiate a better rate through usps. They can. We all use the same shipping account number . So they can negotiate better rates liek amazon , but refuse.
lakefor94
·3 weeks agoThey have to have FVF on the shipping or sellers would have a $100 item listed as $1 plus $99 shipping.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoNo your wrong. Quite simple to put in a guardrail in the scrypting to prevent. A cap so to speak.... the system would know widget x cant be 50 lbs and reasonable rate is 25. So it caps it at that.... Simple....
lakefor94
·3 weeks agoNo, not wrong in the least. Would cost eBay way too much money as sellers will exploit that one way or the other, @jollyroger14
FVF will now and forevermore be a percentage of the total cost of the sale, including shipping and tax.
And eBay will not do away with allowing sellers to purchase shipping elsewhere and uploading tracking.
You may be experiencing a pipedream. ;)
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoNo if ebay wanted too, they can fix. Do you know I can pull up weights and shipping cost in less than 5 mins? I know rough cost of every item. Ebay can implement the same system so only reasonable charges could be applied to shipping
fabrics24
·3 weeks agoWhy would eBay want to, though? You're expected to cover your costs, whether you use calculated, flat rate, or "free" shipping. They're not going to fix anything because it's not broken.
If you aren't charging your buyers enough to cover shipping, that's on you.
grann-4629
·3 weeks ago@lakefor94
That's exactly what happened before eBay added a fee to the shipping costs. I think it was a good move.
steve_stuff
·3 weeks ago"ebay should stop double dipping FVF on shipping and item"
Ebay didn't invent what you call 'double dipping' - all merchant processing services, which is what manage payments is, have based their fees on the total amount of money processed. But ebay does do a sort of double dipping - some percentage of the 45 cents/13.6 goes to ebay.
Now ebay could, if it wanted to, charge sellers a lower % fee on the cost of shipping bought on ebay ...
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoThey charge FBF on both shipping and item sold cost.......thats double dipping. They were forced into it when guys started selling 99c items with 100 shipping, Buty they can fix it if they really wanted to and put caps in place...
shire123
·3 weeks agoI think you are referring to putting a cap on shipping fees? But I don't think it's that simple. With the MILLIONS of products listed on ebay that are all kinds of sizes and weights they can't put a cap on everything.
a_c_green
·3 weeks agoNo, it's two separate fees, one applied to the sale price and one applied to the Shipping charge.
grann-4629
·3 weeks agoeBay charges a fee on the total cost of the transaction ... it doesn't matter what the item or shipping cost. You might not like it, but it is not double-dipping.
bonanza125
·3 weeks agoCost of doing business has gone up. If something is not worth selling as in items where they sell for $20 and the comparisons are cheaper even with shipping I don't list it on Ebay. I personally have raised my prices and adjusted certain items to calculated shipping. Comes down to knowing what Ebay charges and USPS charges before listing an item for sale. We get many complaints here about fees yet it's very easy to calculate how much everything will cost prior to listing. Yes sellers will go bankrupt or basically losing money on every sale they make if they don't do the bookwork correctly.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoHere is actually useful opinion. BTW my pricing is scrypted to pull Terrapeak and sold listings on the fly direct off ebay. I can search 50 sold items and have a summary what other sellers sold in 10 seconds.. So everything priced at what everyone else is selling. So anything under 20 bucks is just not worth it. Im gonna push everyone to my physical store location and close ebay out on small stuff. I rather make 12 bucks at my retail store at my house than 3 dollars after shipping and eBay fees. Only way this will improve is if other online sellers raise their pricing. As well as major retailers. Because I do a cross comparison to major retailers like Auto zone and such. I have everything scripted to pull comps in seconds to mins from major retailers as well as ebay. So Im right in par with what the stuff is worth. USPS essentially killed the small seller.... Perhaps I will just move everything to AMazon and let them handle it...shipping and such. Amazon did this...they killed it. Their contract with insane shipping rates to USPS killed everything else. If usps never made the deal with the devil, we all probaly still have cheap rates.
Why it jumped: USPS July 12, 2026 Notice 123 killed the cheap 4 oz / 8 oz Ground Advantage tiers. Commercial under 1 lb is now one bucket ($6.93 published). eBay’s 7.30 is that + marketplace/fuel. Counter retail for the same piece is 9.55 — the “28% savings” badge is vs that, not vs 2024 rates.
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoSo you're saying USPS's contract (made ages ago) with Amazon is what caused the 2026 rate jumps? Nothing at all to do with the 2026 jumps in the cost of fuel, which is used to transport packages?
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoYes amazon broke usps. Their infrasttucture couldnt handle amazon especially sunday deliveries,,,,
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoI was about to ask what makes you even think USPS is "broken" -then I remembered you're the person who thought there was such a thing as "$1.50 bag" shipping.
I just can't with you anymore. If you think USPS is broken, cool. -Try UPS and FedEx for a while -see how far your dollar stretches with those, and what kinds of problems they have. Then come back and talk about "broken." 🤣
tobaccocardyahoo
·3 weeks agoIf there is enough Terapeak data to be consistent, your definition of hard to find is flawed.
Hard to find items on Ebay generally have inconsistent pricing due to periods of no product available which lead sellers who are not as reliant on poorly defined software tools to price their offers at prices which reflect scarcity.
I regularly price my hard to find items above other sellers because I allow additional time for those other sellers who have nothing going for them but the lowest price to sell out. I do not require fast turns. Not that hard to find items are always in demand and turn quickly when available.
When I worked for a software company in the late 1970s which did custom applications, the development timeline was divided in thirds. The first third was the detailed specification of the software. The second third was coding. The third was testing.
The internet was developed with shortened specification and testing. And it shows. Today AI is at its best at coding, and both specification and testing have not improved to back when people who understood the goal and how to meet it wrote the spec, and the same people tested it to insure it functioned as intended.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 weeks agoand that's the problem....stop using Terrablah to 'check' pricing.
I input your first 4 items. 2 have free shipping, 2 have shipping costs (you are all over the place)
2 are cheaper than the couple that are listed. 2 are more.
Doesn't matter what something 'sold' for- it's what it is listed at now. Compare when pricing (to what is ACTIVELY selling today).
MOST of what you have is old stock, new autoparts that may take a while to sell- but without research you are flogging away.
jollyroger14
OP3 weeks agoEverything has vehicle catalog....trust me. If somethign is missed, happily bring to my attention and I will fx it. Mistakes do happen..
squinkercat59
·3 weeks agoI use calculated shipping on everything. I don't have merchandise in over-saturated categories, so I'm not really competing with that many people (therefore, I NEVER promote). If they want it, they will buy it. I always print the cost of the postage on the label so they can see they're not being overcharged. I pass on my shipping discount. I have a source for shipping materials that is very low so I don't tack on for that (but still deduct the cost on my taxes). If they question the cost ahead of time, I tell them to go to the USPS web site and plug in the weight and the to & from zip codes, and they see that my cost is lower. I have always handled shipping this way, and it works for me. Beside, with calculated shipping you don't have to go and change your shipping cost on everything every time there is a postage hike.
adamcartwright
·3 weeks agoI wish buyers appreciated that by charging them your eBay discounted shipping you are actually losing money on shipping.
squinkercat59
·3 weeks agoNegligible. I don't work on such a close margin that it would matter.
pinebreeze
·3 weeks agoJust finished editing 100+ items to change from FR shipping to calculated shipping. Weight below 1 lb is now $8.40 from east coast to many zip codes, doesn't matter if its 3 oz or 15.999 ozs. Let ebay calc do the work,
stainlessenginecovers
·3 weeks ago · EditedHow to handle? VERY simple.
Don't sell a Filter for $18 if you are not happy with $2.39 profit.
STOP doing 'free shipping' and do 'calculated. For what you sell, a bunch of 'all that stuff' you can EASILY charge shipping.
Want to make $5, sell that filter for $20
Want to make $10?? Sell for $28.... or $19.99 and $8 shipping (or again, use 'calculated' and add $1 or $2 handlng fee.
This is all VERY simple math and you can EASILY pre-figure what you will make on every item.
bonanza125
·3 weeks agoThis is pretty much the answer.
m60driver
·3 weeks agoThe increase in shipping has led me to several actions. Many older low cost items I am simply tossing into the recycle bin or trash can. I also am now using calculated shipping for even the small items. I want the buyer to know the cost. Alas Ebay's business model, when it comes to shipping, is simply not as efficient as Amazon's with Amazon having morphed into a highly efficient logistics company. As per the USPS increases, Ebay acts has a classic rentier with its FVF placed upon shipping and getting an increase in revenue with every USPS increase without having do to anything. Google Adam Smith and rentiers to better understand this issue.
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoWhat I like about your comment is that it shows there isn't any 'one size fits all' solution to spiking shipping rates; every seller has to decide for their own store, their own categories, and even on an individual level, a "stratified" approach is wise.
The only thing I would add is that it's worth trying bundled lots of low-price items, before chucking them in the trash. I have gotten lots of dead stock sold that way. They don't even have to be similar items. -Check out search results for 'junk lot' or 'junk drawer.' Those can do incredibly well!!
steve_stuff
·3 weeks ago"I base my business around needed NOS parts that you can't find anymore."
To paraphrase the line from Shoeless Joe/Field of dream
"If they need it, they will buy"
If what you sell are really 'needed' and hard to find then people who need them will buy them no matter what the price is. So get rid of the fake free shipping bit and start making money.
inhawaii
·3 weeks agoDo you know who determines how much profit a seller is going to make on a sale?
The seller does.
yeswayrecords
·3 weeks ago@inhawaii This is absolutely correct.
The seller has total control over the pricing of an item, and the shipping amount charged as well. If an item isn't selling for enough profit, then sell a different type of item.
@jollyroger14 There is a 'sweet spot' of items that you will most likely find over time with a little patience and perserverance. It may take a while to get there - so don't get discouraged.