eBay’s shipping contract with the USPS is disastrous
Why on earth, would eBay sign a contract with the USPS that requires roughly a four dollar difference in shipping an item that is the same exact weight and dimensions of another item, when the difference in the item’s price is only a single cent?
For example, I sell an item for $20.00, the shipping is 0.74¢. I sell another copy of the same exact item for $20.01, and the shipping is at least $4 more in the same exact packaging. This is terrible business for both buyers and sellers. This forces me to make several decisions as a seller. 1) Reduce the cost of certain items that are $20.01-24.00+ so that customers aren’t paying an excessive amount of shipping, and take a hit 2) Sell only items that are $20 or less and approximately $40 or higher (so the shipping doesn’t feel like absolute robbery) 3) Leave the platform. I feel like I’m either losing or a piece scum whenever I’m teetering on that price threshold and having to make a decision that will only benefit either my customer or myself, respectively. As if the fees haven’t spiraled out of control enough, over the years. Get it together eBay, because I’m likely going to migrate my inventory to a completely different platform.
oregon_bins
·8 months agoIf I run comps on a pokemon card and they sell between $19-$25 that is an easy choice for me to skip the auction and just do a BIN price of 19.99
I will start auctions for some price under $16.99 (depending on comps) or over $26.99 (but usually over $29.99)
Listing so many cards for BIN $19.99 and sticking to these auction rules helps avoid the annoying feeling of selling an ESE item for $20.01-$25
tobaccocardyahoo
·8 months agoEbay Standard Envelope is a USPS kludge designed to utilize under utilized Letter Mail sorting equipment. Ebay adds its own insurance to the underlying USPS service.
A kludge or kluge is a workaround or makeshift solution that is clumsy, inelegant, inefficient, difficult to extend, and hard to maintain. Its only benefit is that it rapidly solves an important problem using available resources. A famous example is the improvised CO2 scrubber that kept the astronauts alive on Apollo 13. This term is used in diverse fields such as computer science, aerospace engineering.
It is offered because there are items which would not be worth selling online because they have little value.
Someone at Ebay has decided that offering this trouble-prone shipping service is good business.
Sellers who use it, believe it is good business for them. Some of us who have used it have decided it is not good business for us, and we lose money because of the large number of problem shipments we experience using it. Insurance does not pay for our lost time, and the items which it would help the sales of do not pay for our time either.
If it works for you on cheap stuff, use it, but do not expect it to get any better. Neither USPS or Ebay has any reason to invest in it.
kensgiftshop
·8 months agoThe total FVF in 2011 when I signed up was around 12.9% and now they are 13.25% in most categories.
I wouldn't say they spiraled out of control.
bonanza125
·8 months agoIf the buyer wants whatever you are selling then they will pay the extra in shipping cost. It's the cost of doing business. I deal with shipping cost differences with manuals. Buyers just have to pay the cost.
itsjustasprain
·8 months ago???
I am not understanding something here I guess. How is the shipping cost affected by whatever the selling price of the item was? The only way I can see is if you are buying insurance for it but the OP has not said anything about insurance. Is it something to do with Ebay Standard Envelope and its $20 limit for reimbursement?
lisa5768
·8 months ago@itsjustasprain
eBay standard envelope shipping has a $20 limit for single items and $50 for combined items. If the price is over that the seller can not use standard envelope shipping. So a $20 sale can but $20.01 can not. It is first class letter metered mail like your bills. eBay is providing the "insurance" should it get lost or damaged since letter mail has no insurance like packages do so they put limits on the value.
bonanza125
·8 months ago"I am not understanding something here I guess. How is the shipping cost affected by whatever the selling price of the item was? The only way I can see is if you are buying insurance for it but the OP has not said anything about insurance. Is it something to do with Ebay Standard Envelope and its $20 limit for reimbursement?"
OP is saying that because the item being sold is $20.01 then the shipping cost increases to $4. So what I am saying is if you have an item over $20 then charge the exact shipping cost and the buyer will have to pay for it. Regardless of what the OP thinks of it being robbery if the OP or any seller wants to sell items which normally go ESE for over $20 then charge the shipping cost.
stainlessenginecovers
·8 months agoSimple. Everything in life has limits.
File your taxes on April 16 at 12:01 am and you will pay a penalty. If you would have filed 1 minute earlier, you would save that $500.
Drive 56 in a 55 and a cop can give you a ticket that costs you $300. 1 mile over could cost you $300.
$20 is the limit for the 'special envelope'. Would it be different if it was $30? then those selling a 2nd one for $30.01 would complain.
njtoyreseller
·8 months agoEbay did that to help sellers save on shipping when selling cheaper items in certain categories. If you already understand the process, then all you need to do is price accordingly so your items qualify.