eBay underpriced shipping estimates
Has anyone noticed how eBay is making us lose tons of money on shipping? I should have caught this long ago. I go by the size & weight of the item and list it. When it sells, the actual shipping cost is far higher to ship. Is this by eBay design? Anyone else having this problem? It is mainly Advantage & Priority. I was using eBay's shipping Labels but I was still having funs taken out for not paying enough.
5 comments
hogchk
·4 days agoYes. I just took a net loss of $7 on a cheap item due to extra, added shipping charge after the item was shipped.
bdmh-enterprises
·4 days agoIn your shipping settings, are you giving buyers 'retail rate w/discount'? If the discount is more than 15% then there are some zip code/size combinations that eBay gives less than that in label discount.
whrldpeas
·4 days agoYou're supposed to input the measurements of the shipping package, not the item alone. Input the weight as the item PLUS the packaging. You are being charged for those extra inches and ounces.
klst72
OP4 days agoI do all of those
christworks
·4 days ago@klst72
You are correct, you should have "caught this long ago." Where we'd disagree is what the 'this' is.
If you input the size and weight of the item, rather than the size and weight of the packaged sealed shipping box with the item in it, that would be your issue.
The buyer is only going to be charged by what you input if you use calculated shipping.
The other possibility is that USPS has adjusted rates 8 or 9 times since May. If an item sells to the buyer before a rate adjustment, the buyer pays cost at the time of the purchase. If you purchase the shipping label on a different day, after a rate change, you pay the new price. This could easily be more expensive.
If you are using FedEx or UPS, those carriers rates change every week because their fuel surcharge is adjusted on a weekly basis. The same problem can happen. Buyer pays under one rate, but by the time you by the label, the rate has been adjusted and you must pay whatever the new rate is, which may be higher or lower than what the buyer paid. FedEx and UPS will also charge you the new rate if you are tardy with dropping off your package. You can't print a label and let it set 2 or 3 days and then drop it off. If the rate has changed, they will come back for their money. Not saying that is your problem, but am letting you know.
This is not an eBay or carrier problem. This is a problem with an absent seller not keeping up with changes.