Shipping fees calculated by ebay don't match what ebay charges for the label.
Summary: Participants discussed discrepancies between eBay's calculated shipping fees and the actual charges sellers incur when purchasing labels. djs_treasure mentioned a consistent issue where buyers were paying less than the shipping cost for various items like t-shirts, pants, and books, even though the correct weights and dimensions were entered. baltimoreosprey shared a similar experience, stating that they had not encountered this issue before but noticed differences in shipping costs through USPS when using eBay's label purchase system.
I started a conversation in a different post, but the wording was incorrect, so re-posting!
Sold an item, ebay's shipping calculator calculated shipping cost, but when ebay charged me for the label the prices did not match. This has happened on multiple items over the past several weeks, for example:
buyer paid $23.72 for shipping, that is what there calculator calculated, but when I was charged for the shipping label it was $26.92. Will call ebay tomorrow!
hona36
·1 month agoDid you ever get this issue resolved for you? I am new to selling on eBay but the calculated shipping they charge the customer is significantly less than what I am charged when I “purchase” the label from eBay. This is before even going to the carrier with the package so it makes no sense to me.
baltimoreosprey
·1 month agoWondering if you ever got a resolution on this. I have had the same issue in one case the charged shipping was roughly $12 and the purchaser paid $6 (roughly). I used eBay calculated shipping based on purchasers location and enter the correct weight and dimensions. I use USPS and purchase the label through eBay. I have not had this issue with eBay before.
dolphintale154
OP4 months agoUPDATE: They are contacting there IT department for resolution, once I find out what is going on I will post it!
djs_treasure
·2 months agoWas there a reason for the shipping difference? I just discovered that my calculated shipping is incorrect as well. Since 7/25/26 my customer is paying approximately $1.5-1.7 less than I am paying for the same weights and measures. Were talking t-shirts, pants, boxes and books. All of the weights and DIM's put into the listing are correct at the time of drafting.
ryry-jj
·4 months ago$23.72 will cost you $26.92 when you account for the FVF associated with shipping
gator08041971
·4 months ago@dolphintale154
The other factor is location. If you are looking at prices shipping from you to you (which when you look at your own active listings for example) then the values will be different depending on the purchaser's actual location.
You can't really account for every place.
What I do:
I either offer free shipping on items that cost very little to ship and bump the cost of the item to cover it, or I use calculated shipping, but I charge the retail rate, while paying the discounted rate. That gives me a bit of a buffer in case I make a mistake with my packaging and final dimensions/weight when actually purchasing the label.
I also use USPS primarily as UPS and especially FedEx can hit you with surcharges far too often for my liking.
@dolphintale154
Since that really isn't an actual answer to the original thread title...
No, they are very likely to never match on every sale. The calculator is at best an approximation. I would use that as an indicator of lowest possible cost, but never assume its going to be that cheap. Hence while I highly suggest using calculated with retail rates, but then buying the label via eBay or PirateShip.
I sell a lot of movies for example. Those go out Media Mail. I know those will cost me 4-6 bucks, depending on weight. So I list the movies with free shipping, and factor in the shipping cost as part of the price.
albertabrightalberta
·4 months ago@dolphintale154
Ebay's shipping calculator bases prices on the weights and measurements you put in when you're preparing your listing.
If the actual weight and/or measurements differ from the original numbers you input, the price will change.
This is most likely user error.
christworks
·4 months ago@dolphintale154
I see you are using calculated shipping. The shipping charged to the buyer is based on the weight and dimensions you entered into the listing. Unless you took time to weigh and measure the packed box at the time of listing, I assume you gave an estimate. Is this correct? Then, when you bought the label, presumably you entered the actual weight and measurements of the final package. If you underestimated your weight and measurements in the listing, you have to pay out of pocket for any difference. This is not an eBay issue. This is not a buyer issue. This is an issue with a seller who does not know what they are doing. Now you know, so fix your listings so you aren't undercharging buyers. I'm in Virginia and the shipping charged to me if I bought your items would not be enough. Fix your weights and dimensions.
P.S. There is no phone number to call eBay.
dolphintale154
OP4 months agoI do measure and weigh the item then enter those numbers into the shipping calculator.
bdmh-enterprises
·4 months agoWhat rates do you have your account set to charge buyers for calculated shipping? If you are using 'retail minus % discount' and giving 20% or more off, there are size/zip combos where the eBay discount will be less for you than that.
dolphintale154
OP4 months agoActually I know what I am doing!