Krooks
Summary: al199840 shares their experience as a new seller on eBay, where they encountered unexpectedly high shipping charges of $204 for sending a receiver, more than the item's value. Despite talking to an agent, no solution was provided. Other participants advise against offering free shipping, particularly for heavy or large items, as it requires sellers to cover the shipping costs. Suggestions include using calculated shipping and limiting sales to local pickup for bulky items. Participants also discuss the broader misunderstandings about 'free shipping' on eBay and offer tips on how to avoid similar issues in the future.
I sent off a receiver, and im a new seller.
i chose to offer free shipping to buyer,
and ebay charged me 204 dollars
for shipping label
more than my item.
soh.maryl
·2 days agoSorry you didn't know this: When a seller offers free shipping, that doesn't mean that no one pays for shipping, but that the seller has, hopefully, built the shipping cost into the price of the item. If free shipping meant that NO ONE had to pay the USPS, or FedEx etc, then wouldn't every single seller on eBay list with free shipping?
janet9988
·2 days agoShipping costs are never based on the amount the item sold for or costs.
It is based on accurate weight and size.
Sellers are the only ones who are responsible for being able to supply the correct information.
al199840
OP2 days agoit doesnt make sense ebay said just wait 14-20 days and everythings gonna work itself out, cant payout cant sell account locked
al199840
OP2 days agoas i said im new on here, so its just a learning curve. when you choose free shipping they go off your exact dimensions for the cost not what it actually cost to ship it. so its 103 dollars over the amount they would of charged me to ship it. i just figured put in close to dimensions it wont matter cause itll be what ever actual cost is, stupid me... anyways i have 357.00 in four listings ive sold and my balance is neg -33 dollars still im starting to loose my drive to keep doing this. bummer deal
stuff*and*nonsense
·Jul 12, 2026 at 12:29 AM · EditedI never offer free shipping. If the buyer returns the item for a reason that isn't your fault, (changed mind, doesn't fit, etc.), you must return full purchase price, and that includes what you've "built-in" for the shipping.... so, even though the buyer may be responsible for return shipping, you are still out the cost of the original shipping and will lose money on the transaction.
If you make the buyer pay for the initial shipping and they are returning for a reason that is not your fault, you don't have to return the initial shipping cost and therefore don't lose any money on the transaction.
You can also avoid losing money on shipping by choosing, "calculated" for your shipping charge... that way, the buyer will see the actual cost to their location.
judy1503
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:27 PMSo sorry this happened to you. I use the eBay shipping calculator a lot. Put in your shipping weight and dimensions and pick a far away zip code. I do not recommend shipping out side the Continental United States. Once you master that, then I would add eBay international. https://www.ebay.com/shp/calc/rates
ryry-jj
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:24 PMAt least come back and tell us how you shipped it ?
soh.maryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:16 PMJust curious: When you offered F/S, who did you think would be paying for the shipping?
And if you thought the answer to that question was "no one", did you not wonder why every single eBay seller isn't offering free shipping?
al199840
OP2 days agoi was going to pay for it, but it was a home sterio receiver, 203 dollar shipping? insane
onefootflipper
·Jul 11, 2026 at 7:42 PMDid you overnight it to Hawaii in a box that was twice as big as needed or something? How in the world did you manage to get the shipping cost that high? Did you not even look at the other services you could have chosen?
I have sold plenty of very similar items in the past (perhaps that exact same one even), and never paid anything close to that shipping price. Heck, I have shipped CRT tvs in recent memory for under $40.
jdbelt1960
·Jul 12, 2026 at 1:10 AMThe OP had no concerns of who or how it was shipped. It was free.
soh.maryl
·2 days agoSurely you don't believe that a seller can list with F/S and NO ONE has to pay for shipping? Most smart sellers who list with F/S have built the shipping cost into their item price.
monroe67
·Jul 11, 2026 at 5:34 PM · Edited" . . .ebay charged me 204 dollars for shipping label . . ."
There may be a silver lining to your "situation."
When you are preparing your 2026 income tax return next year, you may be able to deduct that
$240-- ooops: $204, thereby reducing your income tax liability on your eBay earnings. Shipping charges are business expenses, like purchases of boxes, bubble wrap, blank shipping labels, etc., etc.inhawaii
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:11 PMI commend you.
Always finding the GOOD in situations.
al199840
OP2 days ago · Editedsomething actually worth to read, thanks for that
twistedmelondesigns
·Jul 11, 2026 at 6:12 AMThere is no such thing as free,it's an illusion,someone somewhere pays.
If the buyer see the word free then it's likely on the item price.
I signed up foe ebay GSP,they said its free! it's not,firstly i have to pay for shipping to the packing center and ebay were charging the customer over DOUBLE for the same label,my world trade died from that moment,NO ONE is going to pay £25 total for a £5 item.
The new EU charges made it even worse
1786davycrockett
·Jul 11, 2026 at 4:40 AM@al199840
As nearly everybody else has informed you by now, "free shipping" is ONLY "free" for the buyer -- the seller is responsible for purchasing the shipping.
Every retailer who offers "free shipping" to their customers actually pays for the shipping themselves -- that's how it works, and that's how it has always worked, since mail order business began, well over 100 years ago.
Did you really believe that eBay was going to pay for the shipping charges?
soh.maryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 4:24 AMYou've misinterpreted the term "free shipping" on eBay. Free shipping means that the seller has built the shipping cost into the item price. You haven't. You're about to lose a bundle. Take down those bike listings, do some reading and do not list anything more til you've learned how eBay works.
inhawaii
·Jul 11, 2026 at 4:06 AM · EditedEbay is not a crook.
"Free shipping" means it's free for the BUYER.
The seller still has to pay for the shipping.
You should learn about these things before you resume selling on ebay.
You owe ebay an apology.
whiteparrot2003
·Jul 11, 2026 at 4:02 AMI am so sorry this happened. An expensive lesson for sure. Besides learning more about shipping, be careful about your descriptions; you can't call an 80s bike "brand new condition" (at least IMO). You might get away with "like new" etc. or just find other superlatives that apply (great, etc.). Shipping can be complicated. As a new seller, you might want to consider selling some smaller, less expensive items just for practice and hopefully positive feedback. Trust me, most of us have learned hard lessons when starting out. Another thing, Ebay likes to see auctions with very low starting bids ($.99) but unless you have a following, a unique item, or maybe a reserve price for bidding, new sellers often lose money on those listings. Best of luck in future sales!
luckythewinner
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:40 AM · EditedeBay charged you what the USPS charged them for the label you purchased. Why did you choose to offer free shipping to your buyer for an item that cost that much to ship?
bonanza125
·Jul 11, 2026 at 2:57 AMYou need to really do some evaluations on what you are selling and get correct shipping cost for each item. Yes Ebay charges you for a label. That's the way "free shipping" works. You pay for the shipping. Anything heavy don't offer free shipping. You are going to take a loss on some of these items cause it will cost you more to ship then what you have calculated. Your weight and dimensions are off.
kensgiftshop
·Jul 11, 2026 at 2:04 AMYou're going to be screwed on the shipping for that bicycle also.
inhawaii
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:14 PM$35 via GA.
Sweet!
funfactorychannel
·Jul 11, 2026 at 1:30 AM90% of sellers believe free shipping means ebay pay for shipping. So it is advantages to offer free shipping. Only to find out free shipping means seller pays.
Another site actually use the term buyer pays or seller pays for shipping. Instead of a check mark saying free shipping.
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:35 PM90% ?
Do you mean 90% of eBay sellers are that ignorant? Yikes!!
soh.maryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:20 PMWouldn't put the figure that high overall, but probably pretty close to that for new sellers, or at least that's the conclusion that can be drawn by reading messages here.
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 11:32 PMBut we only hear from a tiny percentage of the eBay population here. If a newbie came here to assess eBay before registering, I doubt if s/he would sign up after reading about all the bad stuff buyers and sellers have to deal with.
Nice to hear from you 😎
ryry-jj
·Jul 11, 2026 at 1:24 AMYou will be paying dimensional weight on all those bikes. Calculate that first and use calculated shipping as your option. Double check that ebay's shipping calculator picks up the proper DW, otherwise insert the DW as the actual weight. You will be billed/charged for the greater of the two, the actual weight or the DW
darn_yankee
·Jul 11, 2026 at 12:41 AMI haven't looked at all your listings. I stopped looking when I hit the "Vintage Mountain Sport Montagna Six Bicycle" that you have listed for $325 with FREE SHIPPING (Item #366505674288).
Yikes!
As other posters have indicated, FREE shipping means that you are not collecting anything from the buyer to cover the cost of shipping. It means that you will end up paying for shipping out of the $325 sales price and after eBay collects its fees.
You have the bike located in Sandpoint, ID. What if someone from Miami buys your bike? Do you have any idea how you are going to ship the bike? Do you have any idea on the size of the carton/box it will go in? Are you going to attempt to ship it via USPS? If so are you aware of the fact that the USPS charges a dimensional weight for a large box? Or do you intend to ship it via FedEx?
If you don't have a clear answer to any of these questions, I highly recommend you take down this listing and any others that might earn you another round of postage you are not expecting. Consider using calculated shipping for these items.
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:37 PMHe could ride it there and pay no shipping ... just return air or Uber fare.
annadryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 12:21 AMYou can still edit your listings to either charge for shipping or add it into the price. Free Shipping usually means the buyer pays for it, they just like to think it's free. Somebody has to pay for it. Ebay isn't, the carrier isn't. Same for any fees, packing materials etc involved. Big heavy stuff like a bike will cost a LOT to ship and might not be worth selling online.
(Auctions with bids cannot be revised, fixed price can.)
stainlessenginecovers
·Jul 11, 2026 at 12:17 AM · EditedKrooks? Really? Did you know that Krooks is spelled CROOKS??
Don't mix it up with CROKS as that is a pair of sandals.
Anyway, Did you REALLY think that 'Free Shipping' meant that ebay or Santa Claus was paying USPS or UPS or Fedex.......the shipping fee???
You just found out the hardest way possible that is NOT how it works.
muddylas
·Jul 11, 2026 at 12:56 AM · Edited@stainlessenginecovers Ahhh, if we are talking spelling faux pas the sandals are Crocs............just saying...........
annadryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 5:26 AMCrocs and pajama pants... why do so many people wear them to Walmart?
chapeau-noir
·Jul 11, 2026 at 6:44 AM · EditedI was on a forum where every other post ended with 'just saying' (or 'just sayin'). It's as bad as the ellipse. Or those Krocks.
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:39 PMor 'at the end of the day' ....
chapeau-noir
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:50 PM'Buckle up'
'But I digress'
'Amirite?'
Maybe they'll follow 'Kthanksbye' off the public stage.
muddylas
·Jul 11, 2026 at 4:33 PMPlease excuse me. I had no idea I was being so offensive!
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 6:34 PMIn most of safety meetings I went to when stuff needed to get done, the usual thing said at the end of the meeting was 'tabled to the next meeting'. I got really tired of hearing that from the other 'team' members who had a different agenda.
toomuchstuffagain35
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:48 PMBecause it's comfy? (or they're old and don't give a rat's anymore lol)
chapeau-noir
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:53 PMThe platform crocs are pretty cute.
shire123
·Jul 11, 2026 at 5:37 PMAmen! I'm old enough to not care about things like that. Comfort beats style every time.
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 6:36 PMHear, Hear!
I wish those cool kids we see standing at the bus stop in the middle of winter with open jackets would realize that ... it could cost them a lot of hurt as they age.
chapeau-noir
·Jul 11, 2026 at 7:22 PMI was one of those kids - higher BTU production at that age and they don't really feel it. It made no difference, though, as I got older, I just zipped up my coat lol.
soh.maryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:22 PMThat's right up there with the eternal questions, I guess. Just saw a young woman in a local grocery wearing a bikini bathing suit under a lace coverup that did not really cover anything up.
stainlessenginecovers
·Jul 11, 2026 at 7:25 PMGot me- but you can tell I don't own any of those things......
al199840
OP2 days agothanks for the helpful information
fm2000
·Jul 11, 2026 at 12:11 AM · EditedNever, ever offer free shipping on an item like that unless you are an advanced seller. An AV receiver can cost a bundle to ship cross country, they are heavy, and also fragile and must be packed very carefully. They can weight 20+ pounds boxed up and crack over a cubic foot in dimension, triggering all kinds of potential surcharges and "balloon" (dimensional) pricing.
Use calculated shipping next time. Pack the item up FIRST and take weight and measurements of the packed up box. Then add a couple pounds and inches to the dimensions to cover FVFs on the shipping and any possible minor mistakes. Free shipping on items like that (unless you are an expert) is an accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately, you are out the money you spend on the shipping, it is a very costly and painful lesson.
I just noticed you are selling bicycles. You need to pull those down now before you lose any more money. Take your bikes to a FedEx Office or UPS Store, ask them 1) how much it will be to professionally pack them and 2) what the dimensions will be. And then charge CALCULATED shipping. The shipping on those could be a literal fortune and you could end up losing even more money.
chapeau-noir
·Jul 11, 2026 at 6:38 AMFedex or UPS won't be of any help at all in boxing up those bikes - the pedals need to be pulled, the cables loosened and the handlebars turned, etc. etc. You need either someone experienced or a bike shop to box those up...in a regular bicycle shipping box which Fedex/UPS will probably not have.
I've sold bicycles on here - look at about $350 to ship them using a bike shop and a service like Bike Flights.
That bike brings back lots of great memories of riding no-name stuff off road in the 80s, heavy but sturdy and fun, and it'll provide someone with a reliable steed, but I'd sell that locally.
grann-4629
·Jul 11, 2026 at 6:44 PMIs it possible on eBay to say something like "Crating and Shipping not included. Buyer to advise seller of preferred shipping method and actual shipping cost will be an additional charge to the buyer.'
It sounds sketchy but if the buyer really wants the bike, s/he may be willing to buy it after doing some research on shipping costs.
soh.maryl
·2 days agoHey, I would've bought it -- after all, the seller offers free shipping.
soh.maryl
·Jul 11, 2026 at 9:24 PMOr limit sales of such items to local pickup only.
gone.c-33
·Jul 11, 2026 at 12:09 AMFree shipping isn’t free. It just means cost is built in the price of the item.
You still have to pay for it.
If you sell that bike, you’ll have to pay of of pocket to ship it.
al199840
OPJul 11, 2026 at 12:00 AMtalked to agent wont do anything to help
bonanza125
·Jul 11, 2026 at 2:59 AMCorrect. Agents can't fix your problem. Only you can. Calculate your shipping cost right. In fact remove your heavy items like bicycles and sell those locally. You will be better off.
luckythewinner
·Jul 11, 2026 at 3:43 AMeBay agents cannot change the USPS shipping rates. Nor can they force the USPS to ship your item for free.
janet9988
·Jul 11, 2026 at 4:00 AMEbay does not subsidize a seller's mistake.
soh.maryl
·2 days agoExactly what did you expect the agent to do? You made a huge mistake. Then, before you list anything else, take some time to read everything you missed about selling on eBay.