buyer specifies more expensive shipping, eBay does not invoice it
I know this must be old hat for many sellers, but I just became aware of it.
On a recent sale the buyer specified a shipping service not included in the listing (cost $7.08) but was invoiced for the shipping included in the listing ($4.47).
How does the buyer not get charged for the shipping service they pick? Seems like e-commerce 101.
What am I missing?
Mike
8 comments
argus_museum
OP4 months ago@christworks @gator08041971
You have both figured it out: the buyer selected Media Mail but eBay assumed I was selling hardware that didn't qualify. EBay selected FedEx Ground Economy, which (as @gator08041971 said) not worth what you pay.
I'm going to change all my other similar listings to USPS Ground Advantage.
Thanks
argus_museum
OP4 months ago@gator08041971 @albertabrightalberta
I think I may have figured part of it out. The black dot does NOT mean that the buyer selected that service. The buyer selected Media Mail but that service was greyed out by eBay (the screen shot below shows what you get if you click "compare all services").
Apparently "FedEx Ground Ecconomy" was selected by eBay. The small print at the end of the "compare all services" link says "items in this category are not eligible for Media Mail." The "find out more" link in the warning goes to a USPS page (which gives no indication that technical manuals with no advertising are not Media Mail).
This policy explains why many other such manuals are listed in generic "book" categories. I think I'll just go with Ground Advantage with my similar listings.
Mike
christworks
·4 months ago@argus_museum - @gator08041971 is correct. Your buyer selected USPS Media Mail and that is what they paid for. You will not be able to buy that label on eBay, however. You had that manual listed in two categories, one of which is an equipment category. Since the item was listed in an equipment category, eBay assumes it does not qualify for Media Mail so they gray out the option. If you want to ship it using Media Mail, you will need to buy that label elsewhere, then upload the tracking number to eBay on-time.
Media Mail insurance is only $20. Given that your manual sold for more than $20, I'd just ship it USPS Ground Advantage. It's not going to be but a couple of dollars more, if that. You have already wasted enough time over $3.
I've made similar mistakes in the past, and I just go ahead and do Ground Advantage and be done with it. If it is under a pound, there is not a big difference in price and in sometimes Ground Advantage is cheaper.
itsjustasprain
·4 months agoMedia Mail does not have insurance. Might you be thinking of the $20 coverage from Ebay for their Ebay Standard Envelope service?
gator08041971
·4 months ago@argus_museum
Answer is in the picture. They paid for USPS Media Mail and that is what was chosen for the order.
You need to choose USPS media mail. You are currently on FedEx GE which is terrible anyway. Here's the real issue. You need to see if you even have the option to CHOOSE media mail. It should have been listed first, but its not. Which means it probably hidden, possibly because your item/category doesn't allow media mail as an option.
But your buyer paid for USPS Media Mail and that is the service shown. If you can't purchase it here, use pirateship.com to get a label. It should end up being the same price. You can also get a label direct at the post office, and there it should also be the same price. Assuming your package dimensions and weight are correct.
As for the item being allowed.
I'm not sure. Usually its publications like books, movies, music, stuff that was created by a publisher with copyright. With a military designated manual? I'm not sure on that one. I suppose any manuals can be a grey area. I doubt the post office will frown on it, but I can't say for certain its permitted either. I know newspapers and magazines are not permitted.
argus_museum
OP4 months ago@albertabrightalberta @gator08041971
Thanks for your detailed replies on this.
I have inserted a jpg of the Order Details page and the Buy Shipping Label page for the sale. Unless I am missing something, it looks like the buyer paid for Media Mail but chose FedEx Ground Ecconomy.
The item was a WW2 technical manual for a radio (no advertisements). Let me know if this does not qualify for Media Mail! (I've got several similar listings up.)
Mike
gator08041971
·4 months ago@argus_museum
I would go to the details on the order (you can get there by looking at the list of orders, and clicking the order itself) it should break down all the costs paid and charged.
If you are seeing that they had paid the 4.47 and not the 7.08, then it should also list the actual shipping service paid for which in this case should be the media mail for that price. Otherwise, you would need to pay the difference and hopefully prevent an issue. I have had to do this in years past, when I made the same mistake of having options. I made sure to use the option that was shown on the order, unless I was upgrading them to a better option.
The other thing, hopefully your item qualifies for media mail, as there are restrictions as to what can be shipped through that option.
Personally I have stopped using multiple services, and just setup for one or set a free shipping when dealing with small or lightweight items. That way I can pick the service that might offer me the best cost savings and/or the best delivery success to the buyer and then their expectations aren't set in stone either.
albertabrightalberta
·4 months agoYour listing offered a choice of Media Mail or Ground Advantage.
If the order says that the buyer specified GA, they DID pay $7.52.
Go to the details and you'll see the amount they made for the shipping payment.