Ground advantage!
My 8 oz package sent first class currently costs 5.40-5.85; ground advantage for 8 oz package will cost 6.99-9.03. This is a huge increase! And I'm sure it will affect sales negatively again. Why can't eBay negotiate shipping prices like Poshmark? Give sellers and buyers a freaking break!
40 comments
browntigerdog
·3 years agoI am a small seller and cannot make anything with fees and increase in shipping! I am taking everything off that weighs over 8 ozs!! There are other places to sell!
laststopgeneralstore
·3 years agoYou're right because nothing has changed yet. Why would you change everything when none of it has been implemented yet? I would suggest going back and re-reading exactly what's happening, when it's happening & do not change anything until those changes take effect.
The prices for package from 1oz-15oz will essentially not change so stop worrying and don't change things when they aren't even implemented yet.
gloryglorygifts
·3 years agoI just posted this on another thread. Hopefully it will calm your racing heartbeat down. This is from the USPS site. The prices for 8 oz are not changing. Ebay just has to catch up with it with their label prices as they are currently reflecting the parcel prices of the old product. New pricing will be there on the 9th.
mybigsale
·3 years ago@besosboutique58
I primarily use eBay shipping with USPS. I also use Pirateship as a back-up and also for lower Cubic Rates.
If you are concerned about shipping costs between now and tomorrow, Pirateship appears to have alread been updated with Ground Advantage rates. I have a 15oz 1st class package. On Pirateship the shipping cost is displayed for 1st Class Package ($6.22) if I ship today. If I change shipping date to Monday, Pirateship shows Ground Advantage ($6.22 - but also includes the $100 of USPS insurance).
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoHave you tested that shipping-date change with eBay?
wastingtime101
·3 years agoYeah, you're not going to access GA through eBay labels before tomorrow. See below for an 8 oz package.
But interestingly, when you scroll down to see more shipping services, Parcel Select is showing GA rates on that 8 oz package. No insurance though. Reverting the date to today I see the higher $7.53 rate on Parcel.
mybigsale
·3 years agoThat WOULD be impressive and maybe change my confidence in eBay development.
Yes, I tested with eBay. eBay still shows the 1st Class Package if you choose Monday July 10th shipping (shows message shipping changes to Package Rate on the 9th of July).
From what I've seen, USPS would still accept the 1st Class Package postage on the 10th if you print today and ship Monday.
wastingtime101
·3 years agoAccording to an email blast I got from Stamps.com, labels for First Class Package, Parcel Select and Retail Ground, both outbound and return service, will be accepted through September 30.
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoHere's the official word from USPS:
During the grace period, the Postal Service will continue to accept, process, and deliver all legacy products that will merge to form USPS Ground Advantage without penalty or assessment. These products are:
•First-Class Package Service
•First-Class Package Return Service
•Parcel Select Ground
•Ground Returns
The Postal Service will allow this grace period following the implementation of USPS Ground Advantage on July 9, 2023. This grace period is effective until September 30, 2023. The grace period will also allow for the receipt of parcels already in transit for delivery at the time of the implementation of USPS Ground Advantage.The grace period will expire on September 30, 2023. At that time, mailers will be required to comply with the new mailing rules, and noncompliance fees will be applied appropriately. Mailers are encouraged to adopt the new rules as soon as possible.
https://postalpro.usps.com/node/12255?_gl=1*caiqpm*_gcl_au*MTI2Mjg5MzE5MS4xNjg4NzExNzk0*_ga*MjAyNzYzMTcyOS4xNjgwODUzMzEx*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V*MTY4ODg0NDY5Mi4xMzAuMS4xNjg4ODQ0NzUwLjAuMC4w
mybigsale
·3 years agoHopefully eBay's changeover to Ground Advantage will be smooth tomorrow. I will hit the floor running with Ground Advantage. If for no other reason to get the included $100 USPS Insurance (I have seen the complaints about USPS insurance; from my experience I have never had a claim denied).
Should just be a matter of a few shipping policy edits.
sextons-sweet-deals
·3 years agoI'm getting nervous over this and the possible time sellers will have to spend on this update.
I have already seen in some of my relisted items today that the Ground Advantage is in place.
I'm working on selling a button. 15 oz. or less easy in box sized 6x5x5. I'm scheduling to start on Sunday 7/9. I have entered the weight and dims and this is what I get for shipping selections:
Standard services
Rendered 4 out of 4 options in Standard services
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoGround Advantage is "in place" in name only; the prices you see today are the current rates for First Class packages and Parcel Select Ground.
If you choose Parcel Select/Ground Advantage now, it will show the current rates for up to 1 pound via Parcel Select (i.e., $6.99 - $9.03), but then tomorrow it will show the new rates for Ground Advantage.
The online Ground Advantage rates for weights up to 15.99 ounces will be the same as the current rates for First Class packages. Retail rates will be the same as now for weights up to 12 ounces, and 10 to 30 cents higher for the 12+ to 15.99 ounce bracket, which is a new expanded weight range for retail.
If you choose First Class package now, you'll have to update it tomorrow (or any time within the next 30 days) but you will be able to purchase a Parcel Select Ground label starting tomorrow even if you haven't yet updated the listing.
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@sextons-sweet-deals that looks rather ominous
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoI'm getting nervous over this and the possible time sellers will have to spend on this update.
I have already seen in some of my relisted items today that the Ground Advantage is in place.
I'm working on selling a button. 15 oz. or less easy in box sized 6x5x5. I'm scheduling to start on Sunday 7/9. I have entered the weight and dims and this is what I get for shipping selections:
Standard services
Rendered 4 out of 4 options in Standard services
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoGround Advantage is not yet in place; eBay has just started rolling out the name change, tacking on "Ground Advantage" wherever they already have "Parcel Select Ground."
First Class package rate is showing the retail price. The weight threshold for First Class packages is 13 ounces, so when you set up 15 ounces it ishows you the retail prices for Priority Mail. What a mess!
Bottom line: the shipping calculator is not showing Ground Advantage prices yet.
IMHO everybody should take a chill pill and try not to think about shipping until Sunday.
mtgraves7984
·3 years agoIMHO everybody should take a chill pill and try not to think about shipping until Sunday.
@nobody*s_perfect
^^^ After wrestling with (only) half of my listings this morning already... I would concur. 😑
sextons-sweet-deals
·3 years agoI hope things work out on the 9th and after.
We all know that eBay changes are usually followed by issues that cost sellers time and sales.
fern*wood
·3 years agoI’m sure you probably read the “comforting“ response by the eBay rep to a poster lamenting about the possible train wreck on July 9th. They responded it will probably be on August 9th. I guess since WE have thirty days to fix this mess.
sextons-sweet-deals
·3 years agoI did not see that.
I just did a bulk revise on all my listings for ground advantage and then checked about a dozen of them. I have not identified any issues yet.
Crossing my fingers and hope for the best for all sellers.
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoActually, the train wreck 30 days from July 9 is August 8, as the eBay staff accurately proclaimed:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/First-Class-Package-What-happens-to-listings-that-are-not/m-p/33840992#M2236360
fern*wood
·3 years agoOops, 8th!! My mistake. Either way, it was nice to see they were so concerned.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoAs others mentioned first class will not be incorporated into ground advantage until Sunday. I don't ship much through eBay but use Pirate Ship which has not yet setup the rates for incorporation of first class packages into ground advantage. However, that being said it does appear you have made adjustments to your listings and are showing ground advantage rates to the buyers already. Looked at one of your items, which I assume would ship first class, and it shows me $9.02 for shipping cost.
I am guessing that cost will go down on Sunday provided this item weighs less than a pound.
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoI am hoping that the rates will automatically be correct but I checked something the other day and came up with 6.99 if I shipped a 4 ounce box from 2 zipcodes in NY. The 2 zipcodes are about 45 miles apart. It was a link on one of these threads here. Hopefully, there is no price increase for first class below 15.9 ounces.
For now, I am not going to revise anything until the 9th.
coolections
·3 years agoThe post office will be running off about 1/4 of Ebay sellers soon. Media mail went up 10% too. Remember also that Ebay steals your $$ off your postage cost so the Ebay cost also went up. Very few will be able to list anything at all for less than $20 when it cost $11 just to sell a T-shirt before you even think about making a penny.
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoNo they won't. The post office is # 1 with packages. I can tell you that on 1 account, it shows over 11,000 sales. I can tell you that every single one of them except 1 was shipped USPS. That is over 11,000 packages since 1998. That is just 1 seller account. The other one has about 500 sales. ALL of those were shipped USPS.
When I buy, every purchase has been through USPS. I won't buy anything that is Fed Ex or UPS because I use a po box. So the post office is not going to drive me away nor my buyers.
I have been here since 1998 when priority mail was $3.20 for 2 lbs. anywhere in the USA, PR and any U.S. territory. People will still buy but yes, it will be harder to sell that cheap 5-10 dollar item when it's at least 5 dollars to ship. As the post office raises rates and ebay gets a slightly higher fee due to this, I will raise my starting prices and/or my shipping prices. People will adapt. If they want that item and/or need it, they will buy it.
Media mail is still too cheap. Buyers that buy books and other media items will also adapt. A 10% increase in the shipping is not going to stop them.
my_boston_baked_beans
·3 years agoBoth UPS and FEDEX allow you to use USPS boxes and have for some years now as I use both services frequently. They don't care only USPS cares about the use of their boxes that is why USPS even marks the inside of the boxes. Our government at work 🙂
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoThe post office will be running off about 1/4 of Ebay sellers soon. Media mail went up 10% too. Remember also that Ebay steals your $$ off your postage cost so the Ebay cost also went up. Very few will be able to list anything at all for less than $20 when it cost $11 just to sell a T-shirt before you even think about making a penny.
The shipping cost will more than likely dissuade more buyers than sellers since for most sellers the buyers are paying the shipping cost and some sellers even incorporate the fees into the costing so the buyer is also paying those.
I have no problem selling a $20 item on eBay and the buyer paying the shipping cost and fees. No way my cost for selling that $20 item are going to be anywhere close to $11. At most they are going to be in the $2-$4 range.
coolections
·3 years ago@dbfolks166mt You are one very lucky person. Most sellers sell things that weight more than a pound so $7.50 shipping plus another $3.00 from Ebay comes close to $11 each order.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years ago@dbfolks166mt You are one very lucky person. Most sellers sell things that weight more than a pound so $7.50 shipping plus another $3.00 from Ebay comes close to $11 each order.
No just smart about my cost model. I build the fees and shipping cost into the pricing which the buyer pays so eBay takes their 14-16% and the USPS gets the shipping both have been paid by the buyer so I am not really concerned about it. Both eBay and USPS are businesses that like me exists to make a profit, USPS is questionable at times. I am more focused on the other selling costs outside of eBay and also build those into the cost model to sustain an acceptable profit/ROI margin.
Those items that my cost model shows I cannot be competitive in the market place on eBay I sell elsewhere, usually local forums/venues that have no fees and the buyer doesn't have to worry about shipping costs.
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoGround Advantage will NOT cost more. Those prices of $6.99 - $9.03 are the current prices for 1 pound via Parcel Select Ground. eBay's shipping calculator will start showing the new rates tomorrow after they go into effect. Meanwhile, you can check the current and new rates here:
Current USPS rates:
http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf
USPS rates starting July 9, 2023:
https://pe.usps.com/resources/PriceChange/July%202023%20Price%20Change%2020230627%20-%20Notice123%20-%20PDF.pdf
wastingtime101
·3 years agoYou're working off a misunderstanding of rates @besosboutique58 @selsa84
Find the Ground Advantage price charts in the "best answer" on this thread:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/USPS-to-replace-First-Class-Package-Retail-Ground-Parcel-Select/td-p/33549365
Rates for packages under a pound are not changing from the current First Class rates.
If you're pulling current Ground Advantage rates from the eBay shipping calculator, you should be aware those rates are equivalent to the current Parcel Select rates - that's why it says "Parcel Select / Ground Advantage". You won't see true Ground Advantage rates through the eBay calculator until the service changes on Sunday the 9th.
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@wastingtime101 @dhbookds
Do u guys know if First Class will 'automatically' change to Ground Advantage?
Or will we have to go in and manually change it ourselves?
dhbookds
·3 years agoEbay states we must change First Class........(package, not letter)
wastingtime101
·3 years ago@stuff4divas All First Class and Retail Ground have to be updated manually by sellers. Biz policies make it easy. Bulk editor can also be used.
dhbookds
·3 years agodhbookds
·3 years ago@wastingtime101
Ah..............I see.......rather Better half figured it out for me........just didn't go far enough.....amazing how blind I can be at times.
wastingtime101
·3 years agoThat's correct. Good to hear you figured out the solution.
For others with this question, you have to click the additional service link to add a second shipping option. This info is in the bulk edit tutorial I'm putting together:
dhbookds
·3 years agothe prices won't be adjusted until 7/9..........THEN......first class will be "put into" Ground Advantage......which will expand from pound rates to include the 1-15 ounce rates of lst class........ so at that time (not before), the rates of first class should remain as the same as they are now..........only it will be called Ground advantage........
besosboutique58
OP3 years agoThank you! I was freaking out over this.
selsa84
·3 years agoGuess I'm revising istings all day. Thanks for the heads up. I keep asking my postman but can't get a straight answer