03/22/19 New eBay Ship Calculator at 16 oz forces Priority Mail on Sellers, No 1st Class Option

[2nicepeople]

Hi Fellow eBay Sellers (eBay Staff)

ISSUE WE ENCOUNTERED: At 16 oz. USPS First Class, the eBay shipping calculator as of this morning (03/22/19) forces Priority Mail on Sellers (No First Class Option was offered or accessible). The default at 16 oz. was Priority Mail.

We immediately called eBay, they said there was nothing they could do, that is what the Post Office sent back to them at 16 oz. We then called our local Postmaster and he told us 16 oz. is still 1st Class. And that he has had several calls today from postal customers that sell on eBay with the same issue. The Postmaster said eBay needs to fix the issue.

Any other sellers having this eBay shipping calculator problem with 16 oz. forced to Priority Mail (no option for First Class)???

We were told by eBay on the phone "effective today" they did away completely with classic ship calculator (no link back to it starting to day, with a survey). The new calculator had multiple issues in its development, we kept going back to the classic calculator. Today, we filled out the survey and were expecting to be transferred back to the classic calculator. WRONG.

eBay please advise. Please fix the new calculator to show First Class at 16 Oz.

Or, is there a work around to get First Class in the eBay calculator at 16 oz.?

This morning we had to other option than to pay the large extra cost for Priority (on the 15.4 oz. and 15.8 oz. items for the two packages we had to get out timely today). Please eBay, fix the calculator to 16 oz. First Class. Over 16 oz. would be Parcel or Priority.

Today a short while ago we sold another 15. oz. item that is First Class. HELP!!

(we have posted maybe two times in 15 years), but we are posting today.

[berserkerplanet]

1) The new label flow works fine for me with 1lb 0oz for the weight on a pkg. First class is an option.
2) The classic label flow still works fine for me also - via the "Go back to classic label printing" link on the label creation page or via the automatic redirection rules I have in place.

You recent sold listings all show retail rates, and in those listings the First Class shipping you specified was bumped to Priority (same price as the Priority option you offered there). That's what happens when you have your "pass discount to buyers" setting set to not pass on discounts - it charges buyers retail rates, and bumps First class over the 13oz retail rate maximum to Priority.

It appears that that carried over to the label flow when you went to print the labels for some reason, even though the rates charged for a label in the label flow are commercial and 15.999 oz is a permissible weight for FCP.

I printed a 16oz FCP label on Tuesday just fine, but I do pass discount on, and I also used the classic flow. When I revisit that sale in the new or old label flows to print another 16oz label, it still works fine for me.


What do you have selected for the "Package Type" in the shipping section of one of the the problem listings? (start a sell similar and look)

If it's "Package (or thick envelope)" then nevermind. If "Envelope" then that may also be part of the cause - Envelope is for First Class Retail Flat mailings, is limited to 13oz, and labels can not be printed for that option.


This rings a bell, but I can't recall or locate the thread where I think I saw something like this. Maybe nobody*s_perfect can help.

[nobody*s_perfect]

The weight limit for First Class packages is technically 15.999 ounces.

Postage cost for 15 ounces is the same as for 16 so I'd just enter that as the package weight.

[berserkerplanet]

Good point, but something with OP's deal isn't right.

The new label flow will let me create a 1 lb 0 oz FCP label (I enter 16oz and it repopulated the form with 1lb 0oz and FCP is an option.)

Only difference I can see is that OP has retail rates and over 13 oz FCP in the listings.

[2nicepeople]

Thanks for the replies.

eBays Shipping Calculator itself you can use to get an idea of what things will be (at the link below)  shows 16 oz. is First Class (and gives the option for First Class), including 16 oz.

https://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

But when going to print a shipping label from a sold item, it does not give that.

Try entering if you would:

Your shipping details

Type

Package Dimensions  8 in. x 6 in. x 4 in.

Weight (16 oz.) 1 lbs. 0 oz.

Handling fees $0

See if you get the shipping option (on a pending sold First Class item you may have pending to print a label, see what you come up with (if you would check it) Does your screen show you can choose First class at 15.4 oz. or 16 oz. weight, or does it default to Priority Mail (with no first class option) as it does in our eBay account when we go to ship a sold item.

Thanks for your feedback

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@2nicepeople wrote:

... eBays Shipping Calculator itself you can use to get an idea of what things will be (at the link below)  shows 16 oz. is First Class (and gives the option for First Class), including 16 oz.

https://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

...

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Actually, it doesn't.  Your image of the eBay shipping calculator shows a "First Class package" postage cost of $7.70, which is not a price for First Class package postage; it's the Priority Mail postage cost to ship 1 pound to Zone 3.

http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf

This is what happens when you set the shipping calculator tool, or the shipping calculator in a listing, to "in store" rate (i.e., retail pricing):  If you go over 13 ounces, it shows the Priority Mail postage cost.

[shipscript]

Since 16 ounces is technically one pound, and Priority mail begins at one pound, 16 ounces can not be used to describe a First Class Package.  Look at the chart below.  I recommend the same as the others -- that you use 13oz for any First Class Package from 13 to 15.999 ounces if you are asking eBay to quote retail rates in your listing.

[oldold-timer]

My package weighs 15.8 ounces and would like to use 1st Class postage since it costs less, but Ebay forces me to use Priority Mail with the new flow. Can I just enter 15 ounces as the shipping weight, since 13-15.9 ounces is supposed to be the same rate?

[shipscript]

@oldold-timer 

Yes, since the rate is the same for both weights, just enter the lower weight that generates the same rate.

[oldold-timer]

Thanks for the reply!  We offer free shipping and 1st class is specified in the listing.  Margins are a bit tight and that is why we try to be conservative when it comes to shipping cost.  

[3eyedfishcatcher]

I used one of my listings to test and with Package or thick envelope I was able to get the first class option on the shipping calculator, The I also got the service with large package. For envelope and letter I did not get the usps first class package option. It looks like you may have the wrong package type selected.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

The classic shipping calculator is still in each listing. There is a blue link above the shipping service drop down. This is accessible when filling out the listing or editing it. However if they are going to drop it down the line these links may also go away. Also that rep may not have known what he or she was saying. Under the help section if you search Calculate Shipping it pulls up a article about their calculator called Using our shipping calculator. At the bottom there is also a link to the calculator. I tested this link and it pulled it up. Probably they just moved the link and the rep misunderstood. Or they moved the link and their reps not being informed took the stance that it is gone and no longer going to be used. This happens a lot and at times it can be hard to get them to recognize issues or even report problems as they usually know about as much as buyers and sellers when it comes to changes being made on ebay.

[salvage-1_electronics]

Been having the same issue since Friday along with a failure to print shipping labels accompanied by an error message from Ebay in red along the top of the screen. I have emailed them back & forth probably 8 different times and included screenshots of the classic page, (which worked fine), and the new page which doesn't.

I don't know if real people are even looking at these emails because they completely ignore what I'm saying & showing them and sign off with, "Have a nice day", like they have performed some great service when in fact they have done nothing.

Since I couldn't print my shipping label on Friday on the Ebay page, I went to the PayPal shipping page. Not only did it work as it is supposed to for a 16oz package, it was only $5.12 instead of the $5.53 Ebay has been charging me with the 41% discount.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

The new shipping page tries to push flat rate envelope for some reason and perhaps it is changing the package type to envelope. For me I have not run into this issue when printing as I only have sold items bellow 15 ounces usps fcp and items over 1 lbs usps priority.  You would think that both of the label pages would be pulling up the shipping information selected in the listing. Then applying the price base off the same price sheet. This is yet another example of ebay not fallowing the basic break fix guidelines. Do not break something that is not broken. Do not blindly try to fix something. Take examples and reproduce the issue then let a qualified tech look over everything to determine what is wrong. Clearly when creating the new page they did not use a virtual environment to test all possible labels and weights. After all the end users can test it for them however as the end users are sellers trying to process orders which can cause shipping delays testing is not really a corner you would want to cut.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@salvage-1_electronics wrote: ... I went to the PayPal shipping page. Not only did it work as it is supposed to for a 16oz package, it was only $5.12 instead of the $5.53 Ebay has been charging me with the 41% discount.

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eBay and PayPal both charge the regular online Commercial rates for First Class packages.  As the chart shows, $5.12 is the cost to Zone 5 and $5.53 is the cost to Zone 8.  The only way that would happen is if the pairs of ZIP Codes were different.