If a buyer pays for Ground Advantage and it turns out that Priority would have been cheaper for them
because of their location only being a state or two away, a situation that I often run into after a buyer has paid me....
Is it allowable by eBay rules to upgrade their shipping to Priority, especially if you reimburse them for the difference in cost that you are saving by shipping Priority?
Or let's say that Priority would only cost 10 cents more than the Ground Advantage they paid for, and assuming that it's allowable to upgrade them to Priority on your own dime, is it a good idea or is it a bad idea to upgrade their shipping out of your own pocket? Like do you think there buyers out there who might get offended because you paid extra for a shipping option they didn't choose even though it's a better shipping option?
(This is my posting ID)
squinkercat59
·2 years agoI don't use Paypal any longer, just ebay. It's not that big of a deal. If I offer a choice, there won't be a problem. I can still do refunds $1 and over. I wouldn't even worried about the last two, except the buyer made such a fuss about 77 cents (and if I had needed to, I would've sent the dollar), and the other one was where I had the weight wrong on a small item, where they ended up paying correctly anyway because a clerk at my post office who didn't know the new rules charged me an extra 40 cents to mail a patch (this situation has been resolved).
squinkercat59
·2 years agoI came across a related situation a couple of weeks ago. A customer bought six items, and the combined shipping weight was over a pound, so out of habit I sent him an invoice for the Priority cost. He got the order, but then suggested (after the fact) that I should have offered Ground Advantage as an option as the choice should have been his to make. The difference was 77 cents more for Priority. (I tried to refund him the 77 cents, but the Ebay system doesn't allow refunds less than a dollar.) I will try to remember to offer Ground Advantage as an option. Some people don't care how long a package takes, they'd rather save a few cents, and I will let them choose.
adkhighker
OP2 years agoInteresting. I would think that eBay should allow any amount to be refunded. Did you enter it as $.77 or $0.77? Knowing how difficult things can get on eBay sometimes, maybe they want you to enter the 0 in front of the .77 if you didn't already try that.
squinkercat59
·2 years agoI tried every kind of decimal, not decimal, zeroes etc. I also tried to refund a different buyer for an amount less than a dollar also, and it would not work. I get the message "Refund amount is invalid".
adkhighker
OP2 years agoDid you try doing it through eBay or through PayPal? If you tried only one, maybe try doing it through the other?
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoA seller on ebay can't issue a refund through Paypal. Even if the buyer used PP, the seller can't access it.
ajs_coins_and_alchemy
·2 years agoYeah, if I were to upgrade a buyer to an option that happens to be cheaper, that buyer is not getting a refund for the difference.
That difference in cost is a TIP for you using your brain and providing better customer service 😉
adkhighker
OP2 years agoI think that's a good way to look at it.
fm2000
·2 years agoIf your item is under a cubic foot, you might want to check Ground Advantage Cubic (available on third party sites like Pirate Ship). Usually GA Cubic is cheaper than Priority even when Priority is about the same price as regular GA when the package is under a cubic foot (and you would be using the same service class as listed.)
adkhighker
OP2 years agoWith the discounts we get here for shipping, I often run into situations where Priority is cheaper than Ground, often by close to a dollar when I'm shipping a package that's no more than a cubic foot at any weight and its destination is no farther away than a zone or two from me.
Once the destination is farther away from me than a couple of zones, or once the package is over a cubic foot, Ground becomes significantly cheaper than Priority.
In cases where Priority might be cheaper for a buyer depending on the circumstances above for a package no more than a cubic foot , I'll often add Priority as a second shipping option on the listing with Ground as the first option. Rarely do those buyers choose Priority shipping at checkout when it could have been the cheapest and best option for them.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoWith the discounts we get here for shipping, I often run into situations where Priority is cheaper than Ground, often by close to a dollar when I'm shipping a package that's no more than a cubic foot at any weight and its destination is no farther away than a zone or two from me.
Once the destination is farther away from me than a couple of zones, or once the package is over a cubic foot, Ground becomes significantly cheaper than Priority.
In cases where Priority might be cheaper for a buyer depending on the circumstances above for a package no more than a cubic foot , I'll often add Priority as a second shipping option on the listing with Ground as the first option. Rarely do those buyers choose Priority shipping at checkout when it could have been the cheapest and best option for them.
I have also found that on occasion the USPS priority mail flat rate boxes and envelopes can be cheaper than either ground advantage or regular priority mail. I recently sent 44 pounds of lead in a USPS medium flat rate box from VA to CA at a cost of $14. The next cheapest options was UPS ground at $60.12, USPS ground advantage was $111.83.
Sent 22 pounds of sheet lead in a USPS legal flat rate envelope for $7.90 and not too long ago 20 some pounds of tools in a USPS padded flat rate envelope for $8.30. Since I am on the east coast the savings using the flat rate boxes and envelopes becomes greater the farther west the buyer is.
adkhighker
OP2 years agoNice savings. I can just imagine the look on the postal person in the back room who goes to lift that little package off the cart thinking it only weighs a couple of pounds.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoIf your item is under a cubic foot, you might want to check Ground Advantage Cubic (available on third party sites like Pirate Ship). Usually GA Cubic is cheaper than Priority even when Priority is about the same price as regular GA when the package is under a cubic foot (and you would be using the same service class as listed.)
Same applies with Priority Mail Cubic also only available on 3rd party sites.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoI do this all the time but only with USPS shipping. Depending on the difference I may or may not issue a partial shipping refund. Sometimes I just use Priority as the default simply because I know that no matter where the buyer is that there is no cheaper way to ship it. This usually happens with heavier items and the use of flat rate boxes or envelopes. I just dropped off 22 pounds of sheet lead at the PO this morning in a flat rate envelope that is shipping to MA. Shipping was $7.90 and would have been the same for anywhere in the US. .
mtgraves7984
·2 years ago"... a buyer pays for Ground Advantage and it turns out that Priority would have been cheaper for them..."
@adkhighker
^^^ In your scenario, it also turns out that Priority would be cheaper for you... the buyer paid a price reasonable to him/her, plus gets the shipping upgrade. I'd put all the buyer's cash in my hip pocket.
adkhighker
OP2 years agoðŸ‘yep, and especially when they aren't getting charged anything extra for packing supplies.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoYou can upgrade as long as you're using the same carrier (which you are). ðŸ‘
pcobra93
·2 years agoWhere does it say that a seller cannot switch shipping carriers? I switch quite often depending on where the buyer is and where I have other packages being dropped off that day. The way I see it is that as long as the buyer gets it when I say it will be there and I am responsible for it until delivered then I am the one that determines what service to use. I do occasionally have someone me and ask for a certain service as the "other" guy has a terrible delivery driver or something and I always comply with those. Just what I do.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoIf you offer "Standard" or "Economy" where a carrier/service is not specified then you can use whatever carrier/service you want that falls under the generic option chosen - or upgraded.
If a carrier is specified you should be shipping using that carrier and any switch of carrier should get buyer approval.
eBay reps on this board have relayed that in the past.
Switching carrier risks a SNAD.
slippinjimmy
·2 years agoSure, forget eBay rules, what matters is what your buyer would say....
Who would object to a shipping upgrade?
heckofagame
·2 years agoIt is ok to upgrade to faster shipping.
Whether or not you want to spend your money for that upgrade would be entirely up to you.
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoObviously yes; if your listing states GA, and then you decide to 'upgrade'- doesn't matter.
You just can't go 'the other way'.
( I do it all the time as ebay discounts Priority so 'more local sales' are cheaper than GA)