Just had a 1-2 pound Item priority USPS mail quoting customer 33.00 ?????

[2ndchancegoodies]

Just received an email from a customer questioning why I am trying to charge over 30 dollars for shipping for an Item I'm selling. I checked said item and realized this was incorrect. I have it setup as 1 to 2 pounds priority USPS calculated shipping and the customer is in the lower 48. Worst case a package of this weight (a woman's purse) should be no more than 10.00 regardless of zip code. 

alan@ebay ; trinton@ebay If you can please review to see if maybe there is a possible issue with shipping calculations 

[kensgiftshop]

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@2ndchancegoodies

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What size box are you shipping it in?

[2ndchancegoodies]

Thankf for your assistance see attached how I have it setup 

[2ndchancegoodies]

Shipping from AZ to TN

[acrc3113]

The problem you are having is that one dimension is greater than 12 inches, which moves it to the "large package" category. Even if the package weighs one pound. It's called dimensional weight. Not only does USPS charge this way, so does UPS and FEDEX. $33 would be about right for a large package from AZ to TN.

[2ndchancegoodies]

thanks for your help, I have removed those specifications and verified it pulled correct pricing.

[dtexley3]

@2ndchancegoodies  will the item ship in a box smaller than 18 x 10 x 10?  If not you're going to get hit with an upcharge when this goes through USPS.  If it's smaller than 12 x 12 x 12 then you're good.

[obtanium_enterprises]

Let's say that your buyer bought two different items each with the dimensions 7x7x7, then your buyer will be "overcharged" for dimensional weight if the two items combine into a 12x12x12 or smaller box. This is because eBay's shipping calculator uses PACKAGE dimensions ONLY, rather than item AND package dimensions. And the more they buy, the more they're overcharged.

[mauitinkerbel]

As long as the cubic inches are not over 1728 it doesn't matter if one of the deminsions is over 12 inches.  Cubic inches are = length x width x height.  I ship boxes that are 20 x 10 x 8 all the time and do not get charged as oversized.

[dtexley3]

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@obtanium_enterprises wrote:

Let's say that your buyer bought two different items each with the dimensions 7x7x7, then your buyer will be "overcharged" for dimensional weight if the two items combine into a 12x12x12 or smaller box. This is because eBay's shipping calculator uses PACKAGE dimensions ONLY, rather than item AND package dimensions. And the more they buy, the more they're overcharged.

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The last I checked eBay's shipping calculator will only combine weights, not size.  I've been complaining about this for some time.  FedEx added dimensional weights to all sizes of Smart Post shipping and USPS charges more when the box volume exceeds 1728 cubic inches (as you stated).   There's really no valid way for the shipping calculator to "compute" how big a box will be required for multiple items.  

[obtanium_enterprises]

"There's really no valid way for the shipping calculator to "compute" how big a box will be required for multiple items."

There certainly is... If dimensions of each item are known, then the deimensional total can be calculated. Then, reserved space for padding can be added, between items and surrounding items, and then from that dimensional total the best fit container can be selected. Finally, the calculated weight of the padding plus container weight can be added to the sum of the items weights. This is how truly-professional shipping calculators work, and the math and geometry involved is trivial.

[obtanium_enterprises]

Here's my post about what seems to be a similar issue with the shipping calculator:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Technical-Issues/eBay-Shipping-Calculator-is-hopelessly-broken/m-p/286...

I haven't reverse-engineered how exactly that PM postage amount was derived, but I haven't yet put a lot of time into it. It's probably a similarly-moronic process to the First Class postage. A few million years ago when I was in school, anyone turning in code that works like eBay's shipping calculator would have gotten a big huge "F" for the entire course.

[chinafindermichael]

Another possibility is a bug that has been plagueing Ebay for  the last two years. The shipping calculator somehow gets a ficticous zip code for you and then calculates the invoiced shipping using that zip code. In Jan - Mar 2017 they had mine set for Alaska so all my customers were shown one amount before checkout and then were invoiced an outrageous amount. My sales were down over 50%. Then in Feb of this year I was getting those calls from customers again and i called Ebay they found the zip code was in Kentucky. Both times they told me they can't find where it is getting it so they cant correct it. Luckily Kentucky zipcode has come out even for me. Sometimes I lose sometimes I win.

[dtexley3]

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@obtanium_enterprises wrote:

"There's really no valid way for the shipping calculator to "compute" how big a box will be required for multiple items."

There certainly is... If dimensions of each item are known, then the deimensional total can be calculated. Then, reserved space for padding can be added, between items and surrounding items, and then from that dimensional total the best fit container can be selected. Finally, the calculated weight of the padding plus container weight can be added to the sum of the items weights. This is how truly-professional shipping calculators work, and the math and geometry involved is trivial.

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But the dimensions of the item are NOT known by eBay!!!  eBay only knows what we put in, and that's the size of the SHIPPING container being used.  If you put in the actual size of the item more often than not you will get hosed on the shipping.  If I have a fragile item that's 12 x 11 x 8, it's NOT shipping in a 12x12x10 box!  It's likely in a 14x12x10 and those are going to be the dimensions I put into eBay.  If the buyer gets 2 of these, I'm NOT shipping in a 28x12x10 box, it's most likely to ship in an 18x14x12.  There's a signficant difference in the cost of the box and the shipping between those two boxes.  There's no way for eBay to know that these items fit in a smaller box when combined.

[mauitinkerbel]

I'm not sure what the problem is.  If you print your labels on ebay you have the option to change the size of the box and also the wieght.  The only way you will get charged a higher price is if the box is oversized, i.e over 1726 cubic inches.