Another customer gouged by eBay on shipping, enough already

[dtexley3]

Another customer ONLY shown the MOST EXPENSIVE option (FedEx SmartPost) for shipping at over $18.  But wait!  USPS Priority for the SAME box is only $10.23!!!    This has been broken for MONTHS!!! I checked with the customer, only one option was shown, the most expensive.  But that's ok, do that on a few thousand orders and look at all the extra fees eBay is making!  What a wonderful way to make more money on the backs of sellers AND buyers.  Criminal in my opinion.

Is it no wonder sellers continue to leave this sinking ship?  I'm up to 95% of my business coming from sales on other platforms now.  eBay has no real discounts compared to many of the other platforms, only Etsy is the same or worse.

[mudshark61369]

If a seller offers more than one shipping options, the one they select first and its cost will be the one displayed in the shipping line on the listing.    If you click on the Shipping and Payments tab on the listing the other shipping methods and costs will be shown if the seller offers more options.  Sometimes if a seller has a terms of sale section they will mention they use more than one shipping method.

[dtexley3]

What are you talking about?   I offer multiple shipping options.  For the last several months the majority of my customers that have ordered items that weigh > 2lbs have ordered with SmartPost as the shipping method.  Invariably this is the MOST EXPENSIVE of the options offered.  When asked, those buyers who did look for alternative shipping rates told me that they were only offered 1.

I'm fairly convinced this is deliberate to increase eBay's bottom line.  On the sale above it would have netted them an additional ~15% on an $8 overcharge.  That adds up when they seem to be doing it frequently (at least on my sales).

[inceptions]

eBay shows the first option you provide to the buyer's default zip code. If you set up the most expensive option to show first, that's what they'll see.

When the buyer clicks Checkout, he can then select other options if available (calculated for the address the buyer selects for that transaction).

Many buyers race through checkout and don't pay attention to the other shipping options. (As sellers, we all know this based on the number of buyers who contact us AFTER they pay asking to change the shipping address.)

[shado-x]

Another customer ONLY shown the MOST EXPENSIVE option (FedEx SmartPost) for shipping at over $18. But wait! USPS Priority for the SAME box is only $10.23!!! This has been broken for MONTHS!!! I checked with the customer, only one option was shown, the most expensive.

Let me guess, you offer FedEx (or UPS), but the customer only provides a P.O. Box, never changed it, and FedEx doesn't deliver to a P.O. Box inside a US Post Office, thus FedEx has to give the last leg of the delivery to the USPS to get it inside a Post Office, am I right?  Yes, the USPS offers a cheaper service for a P.O. Box inside their property, but you did not choose USPS on your sales page; instead, you want to deliver it FedEx (or UPS).

You have 2 options.  1) Send it FedEx SmartPost, eat the cost, and warn the buyer that FedEx doesn't ship to P.O. Boxes inside the US Post Office, or 2) Cancel the sale for the same issue and state that P.O. Boxes are not allowed on sales pages when you only choose FedEx (or UPS) as a shipping option.  If you are offering free postage or calculated postage, choose the USPS as a second option when setting up your page so that you can make the USPS available to you when an issue like this arises.

[khiab-64]

See all shipping choices in the Shipping & Payments tab, not just the first one listed. Sellers might mention multiple methods in their terms of sale, too. Explore your options to find the best fit for your needs and budget!

[kh-phdan]

Hello Everyone,

Due to the age of the thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thanks for understanding!