USPS carrier rate discount specified but not applied. Constantly having to refund shipping...
In our Shipping Preferences in our account, we have the carrier discount rates applied to USPS and UPS. When a customer buys something and selects UPS, all is fine. When they select USPS, however, the discount is NOT applied. So we are constantly having to refund the customer the 'overcharge'. (Because we're nice guys.) This creates a LOT of extra work.
The Help page link from the Shipping Preferences tab specifically says: "the changes you make will be applied to all active and new listings where a shipping cost applies." --So it is not a case of the listings needing to be expired and renewed before that setting is applied. (Unless their own Help doc is wrong...)
Anyone else experience this? If so, what did you do to solve it? (FYI: We have had UPS carrier rate discounts selected for years. We just checked the box next to USPS a month or two ago.)
replacementradios
OP2 years agoUPDATE: The carrier discounts have FINALLY started being applied to our USPS options!! I am guessing it was prompted by updates for the shipping changes they recently announced, where the buyer will be presented with the discounted rates in addition to what the seller is charging them. (That or eBay finally worked our trouble ticket, 3+ months later...)
monster-deals
·2 years agoHow about just letting the customer spend their money?
It took me years upon years to just let them.
It is the hardest lesson to learn in this gig.
replacementradios
OP2 years agoOur policy on eBay has always (member since 1998) been: we don't intentionally try to profit on shipping. We believe the price should be the price and the shipping amount should be the shipping amount... I can see why you would say what you did, and there is an argument to be made for it in many cases. Maybe I would be inclined to let it be and say "oh well, we tried"... IF the shipping discounts were (or were not) being applied consistently. But they aren't. And their own help doc (and the agents I spoke to) confirm they should be. That it is not working as intended... It isn't a case of "if it's not broken, don't fix it." It's broken... So it needs fixed...
monster-deals
·2 years agoDoubtful it is going to get fixed, it isn't part of ebay's revenue stream, no time soon anyway.
It will just get added to the decades long list.
Sounds like your policy might be costing you more money in time you could be spending otherwise.
Might be time to re-think it in context with ebay's inability to help you charge what you are intending.
Flat rate, free shipping, change carriers...something to think about.
replacementradios
OP2 years agoWe're actually considering switching our 'Preferred Method' back to UPS. Which stinks.... because it is NOT our preferred method. We've found the damage/loss claims process with eBay generated UPS labels severely lacking. (As in, good luck getting UPS to find in a seller's favor since the seller doesn't 'own' the UPS account being used and therefor has no leverage with them...)
The other options you mentioned (flat rate and free shipping) definitely do not work for us. Been there, done that...
fern*wood
·2 years agoI never try to profit off shipping either, but passing on the discounts would mean I would lose money on shipping for each item. That would quickly add up.
replacementradios
OP2 years agoUSPS discounted rates still not applied and still no word from eBay...
I even tried switching discounts OFF for all carriers and then back ON after a few days. Nothing changed. In fact, it didn't even change the UPS rates to the non-discounted amounts for orders placed during that timeframe. So their update functionality for existing listings is broken, broken, broken. Someone should report this. Oh wait. I did... Almost 2 months ago... I don't know why I expected anything different...
replacementradios
OP2 years agoStill broken and still no word from eBay. Setting new standards of care...
replacementradios
OP2 years agoWell... I called back in to eBay Support last week because they had not sent me an update (as they said would happen within 48 hours) and the problem still exists. The rep looked up the ticket, agreed it was past due for a response and said she would escalate it.
But.... once again I find myself 3+ business days past that call and I have still received NO UPDATE from eBay and the problem still exists!! So I have to keep spending extra time refunding some customers (and wondering how many others are being scared off because of the unnecessarily high USPS shipping quotes they are receiving...)
Not only that but we've had at least two customers express concern (or anger) because they saw the refund and thought we cancelled their order. (I guess reading is not their forte, because each refund includes the note: "eBay calculated shipping too high", but that's besides the point. This should not even be happening...)
Come on eBay. There is clearly a problem. You've admitted it. Now it's time to fix it. This is costing us money!!
replacementradios
OP2 years agoOne other note: there were two USPS shipments calculated correctly yesterday. Both were listings that have been added since we 'enabled' carrier discount for USPS.
So it is working as it should for new listings but not established listings... Which is in direct contradiction to what eBay's own Help doc says should happen: "the changes you make will be applied to all active and new listings where a shipping cost applies."
pjcdn2005
·2 years agoI wonder if the fact that you are using the term first class which changed to ground advantage has something to do with that? Just a guess but you could try changing one listing to ground advantage and see if that made a difference.
wastingtime101
·2 years agoNot updating their listings from First Class to Ground Advantage is a problem, but I don't think it's related to the OP's issue as far as I can tell, because that's not the only service affected. But it could be the problem.
The listings I looked at, for example item 273040984194, show retail pricing plus a 50 cent handling fee - even for Priority Mail.
I've seen a couple sellers report issues with carrier discounts recently where they activated them but their listings never updated, even weeks later. When I asked those sellers for more info or to change settings to try and troubleshoot, they never returned to the discussion, so I don't yet have a clear answer on how to fix it.
If the seller is using biz policies, create a new policy to replace the old one and see if that makes a difference.
One thing that often "resets" any shipping issues, is to change listings to local pickup exclusively using bulk edit. Then go back in and reset to preferred shipping. If there's bad data on the back end (which there may be with First Class still chosen), then that might help clear it out. 🤷
If none of that works, I encourage this seller to report the problem to customer service.
replacementradios
OP2 years ago@wastingtime101
The listings that still say First Class aren't actually causing us difficulties. Because the carrier discount on small, light packages is minimal. So we don't bother refunding anything on those. The listings that are causing us grief are the ones that have already been changed to Ground Advantage.
I just switched a group of 24 popular items (steering wheels) to Local Pickup Only, as you suggested, then went back to revert them to Calculated... There has to be a better alternative... because, when I went to switch them back to Calculated I found all the shipping methods, handling time, handling costs, package dimensions and weights had to be re-entered. eBay did not save any of those in the background. That would have been a LOT of work if I had selected more (or substantially different) items. I'll hold out for a better way to solve the issue. But at least we'll be able to test your theory and see if that did, in fact, reset them and force the Apply Carrier Discount setting to 'take' this time.
I need to reiterate that the Apply Carrier Discount option is working for UPS. This is unique to USPS shipping. What makes that especially problematic is USPS is set as the 'Primary' option for virtually all of our listings. Which means the amount being quoted is probably scaring some buyers off. So we really need to solve this. (And, no, we do not want to switch the listings to make UPS 'Primary'. We had a situation with UPS not covering two damaged, and OBVIOUSLY mistreated, shipments for which we used eBay generated labels, so we are upset with UPS right now...)
I'll post updates here.
Thanks
replacementradios
OP2 years agoI forgot to mention that we are not using Business Policies...
replacementradios
OP2 years agoWe have now had a couple purchases from the listings I changed to 'Local Pickup Only' and then back to 'Calculated'. Neither one received the carrier discount. So I think it is safe to say that possible solution does not work... Anyone else have any other ideas, short of contacting technical/customer support?
replacementradios
OP2 years agoI spoke to Customer Support, then to second level Customer Support. They reviewed my shipping settings and several USPS orders and confirmed the carrier discount is not working as intended. They have forwarded the ticket to Tech Support. I am supposed to hear something within 48 hours. I will post an update when I have one so that anyone else who is experiencing this issue knows what to refer to...
replacementradios
OP2 years ago@pjcdn2005
The vast majority of our listings are set up for Ground Advantage already. Those are the listings we are most concerned about, as the First Class listings are for smaller, lighter packages which don't get much of a discount anyway. So we haven't bothered to change them. (Speaking of bother, it actually bothers me that eBay has not automated a change of all First Class selections to Ground Advantage for all sellers. It seems like a no-brainer. Am I missing something?)
buyselljack2016
·2 years agoSpeaking of bother, it actually bothers me that eBay has not automated a change of all First Class selections to Ground Advantage for all sellers. It seems like a no-brainer. Am I missing something?)
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Could be because First Class is still available as a service from USPS that sellers can choose when they list items.
It of course does not apply to "packages" for which eBay labels can be purchased but 1st Class is still an available service for items that qualify.
replacementradios
OP2 years ago@buyselljack2016
Makes sense. USPS took the packages out of First Class. It is envelopes and postcards only now. Yes, sellers could be sending items in envelopes, so your point is well taken. I guess eBay couldn't just change First Class to Ground Advantage for every situation. But... package dimensions are in the listings, so you could make an argument eBay can tell which ones are not envelopes... Regardless, if eBay has no problem with letting me choose First Class and it is still an acceptable option, I guess the theory others have presented that my First Class listings might be causing a problem probably isn't valid... which is what started me on the tangent...
I guess I'll focus on the actual problem now.
monica-sells
·2 years agoI am assuming
A. All have calculated shipping...
B. Weights and Measurements are accurate
C. They are not multiples or variations.
D. You check your listings in an incognito browser to see if any were accepting your new policy.
It happened to me on a couple of listings once. (nowhere near what I assume, based on your feedback number)you have listed number wise)
I tried "bulk-editing" my shipping method to "change to" calculated (even though they all were already calculated) and ran an update. The new discounted prices viewable to the buyer kicked in on the few that were stubborn.
also...calling in the cavalry to try and help you....
@wastingtime101