Community Chat, Dec 5 from 1:00 pm PT - Expedited Shipping

[alan@ebay]

Hi Sellers, 

Happy Wednesday! 

Join us from 1-2pm Pacific today for our Community Chat. Today's guests are our Shipping team. Getting items out the door fast and offering expedited shipping options will extend the shopping window for buyers browsing your items this holiday season.

The Shipping team will be here for an hour to answer your questions and share their advice on shipping items fast, and offering expedited shipping. 

Please come prepared with questions on today's topic.

Chat with you at 1. 

Thanks! 

[alan@ebay]

The thread is now open. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

USPS has 3 pricing systems: Flat rate, Regional rate, and regular rates based on weight and distance.  Specific USPS-issued packaging must used for the first two services, and the regular rates are used for the other USPS packaging and for seller-provided boxes.

Currently when setting up the shipping calculator in a listing, we can choose to offer regular rates and/or flat rate packaging.  This is helpful because frequently there will be some buyers for whom the flat-rate box is cheaper, and others for whom the regular rates are less (for the Medium FRB, this includes packages between 3 and 14 pounds).

However, we need to also be able to set up the Regional rates in the shipping calculator when setting up a listing. Under the new USPS rates that go into effect in January, there will be some buyers for whom a flat-rate box is cheapest; for others, it’s the Regional-rate box; and for others, the regular weight-based rate would be lowest. The whole point of having calculated shipping is to offer the buyer an accurate shipping cost, and without Regional boxes that can’t happen.

Currently buyers seem to be capable of choosing between the regular and flat-rate packaging when both are offered.  If you think that buyers would be confused when seeing 3 different Priority Mail options, then do the programming to choose the cheapest combination of Zone and packaging for them, and  show them just one Priority Mail rate.

For years and years, sellers have been coping with the absence of Regional boxes in the shipping calculator setup by entering a package weight, because the rates for the Regional A boxes were the same as the Commercial Base rate for 2 pounds, and the Regional B boxes shipped at the 5-pound rate.  But starting in January there will be no handy price match so we won’t be able to fudge it any more.

With 8 postal zones and a maximum package weight of 20 pounds for the Regional B box, there are 160 points that each have a best option: Flat rate, Regional A, Regional B, or regular rate (well, no Regional A for weights over 15 pounds). Surely you have an intern who can spend an afternoon setting that chart up. It will be up to the seller to have appropriate packaging on hand and to determine whether his item will fit in it, before making his choices when setting up the listing.

EDIT: Oops, I'm supposed to ask a question. Um, How can we use expedited shipping efectively if we can't factor-in the Regional boxes when setting up our listings? Thanks.

[vrykalak]

Where can we see a comprehensive table of cut-off dates for various shipping modes, to be received in time for Christmas?

[greatlifedeals]

Hello Alan, Can you direct me to an explanation of when and how to implement this feature? "private listing -- buyers' identities protected"

[nobody*s_perfect]

It's a checkbox on the Advanced listing form.

[alan@ebay]

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@vrykalak wrote:

Where can we see a comprehensive table of cut-off dates for various shipping modes, to be received in time for Christmas?

---

Hi @vrykalak, 

Here you go: 

[gracieallen01]

I think your answer is perhaps being sent in by Media Mail.

[dhbookds]

If this doesn't apply to today's topic enough, please ignore.......  Is ebay going to give any guidance as to what happens when USPS rates change and supposedly Commercial Plus rates go away?  This would effect TRS Plus. Has there been any negotiations with USPS to help all or any sellers with lesser rates?  Frankly, I  see shipping companies popping up that seem to be offer much less rates even without large shipping volume.  

[alan@ebay]

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@greatlifedeals wrote:

Hello Alan, Can you direct me to an explanation of when and how to implement this feature? "private listing -- buyers' identities protected"

---

Thanks to @nobody*s_perfect for sharing the answer on this. @greatlifedeals just a reminder that today's set topic is expedited/holiday shipping. 

[ship_like_a_pro]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

USPS has 3 pricing systems: Flat rate, Regional rate, and regular rates based on weight and distance.  Specific USPS-issued packaging must used for the first two services, and the regular rates are used for the other USPS packaging and for seller-provided boxes.

Currently when setting up the shipping calculator in a listing, we can choose to offer regular rates and/or flat rate packaging.  This is helpful because frequently there will be some buyers for whom the flat-rate box is cheaper, and others for whom the regular rates are less (for the Medium FRB, this includes packages between 3 and 14 pounds).

However, we need to also be able to set up the Regional rates in the shipping calculator when setting up a listing. Under the new USPS rates that go into effect in January, there will be some buyers for whom a flat-rate box is cheapest; for others, it’s the Regional-rate box; and for others, the regular weight-based rate would be lowest. The whole point of having calculated shipping is to offer the buyer an accurate shipping cost, and without Regional boxes that can’t happen.

Currently buyers seem to be capable of choosing between the regular and flat-rate packaging when both are offered.  If you think that buyers would be confused when seeing 3 different Priority Mail options, then do the programming to choose the cheapest combination of Zone and packaging for them, and  show them just one Priority Mail rate.

For years and years, sellers have been coping with the absence of Regional boxes in the shipping calculator setup by entering a package weight, because the rates for the Regional A boxes were the same as the Commercial Base rate for 2 pounds, and the Regional B boxes shipped at the 5-pound rate.  But starting in January there will be no handy price match so we won’t be able to fudge it any more.

With 8 postal zones and a maximum package weight of 20 pounds for the Regional B box, there are 160 points that each have a best option: Flat rate, Regional A, Regional B, or regular rate (well, no Regional A for weights over 15 pounds). Surely you have an intern who can spend an afternoon setting that chart up. It will be up to the seller to have appropriate packaging on hand and to determine whether his item will fit in it, before making his choices when setting up the listing.

EDIT: Oops, I'm supposed to ask a question. Um, How can we use expedited shipping efectively if we can't factor-in the Regional boxes when setting up our listings? Thanks.

---

Hi @nobody*s_perfect, 

Thanks for the question, and the detail. We understand your ask, and while it is valid, I don't think we will be addressing this suggestion in 2019 to add Regional Rate Box shipping options in the listing flow, as they are not used significantly enough on the site. (Limited engineers, and priority of work that serves the most of the community of sellers the best)

I can suggest that you would potentially use rate tables for the inventory that you wish to have 'regional rates' in listing. It is more set up work for you, but if interested to do so, you could set up a rate table at www.ebay.com/ratetable and put the Regional Rate A prices in under a table called Regional Rate A, and the same for Regional Rate B. 

I understand this likely isnt the answer you are looking for, but I dont want to set expectations in a way that will disappoint you. 

Alternatively, you could explore if a 'Free Shipping' stategy will work for your business, and the as the seller be the one who can choose the most optimal shipping service (between flat, regional, and regular) that would meet the delivery expectations of the buyer. 

~Nate

[ship_like_a_pro]

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@dhbookds wrote:

If this doesn't apply to today's topic enough, please ignore.......  Is ebay going to give any guidance as to what happens when USPS rates change and supposedly Commercial Plus rates go away?  This would effect TRS Plus. Has there been any negotiations with USPS to help all or any sellers with lesser rates?  Frankly, I  see shipping companies popping up that seem to be offer much less rates even without large shipping volume.  

---

@dhbookds, We will provide some guidance, but not until early January. USPS is making Commercial Plus Pricing on Priority Mail the same as Commercial Base, which does impact TRS sellers. We are working now with USPS on how we can continue to offer advantaged pricing for the whole of eBay selling community and will share what we are able to achieve with the community early in the new year. Glad you are on it now, and watching...We will keep you posted!

~Nate

[ship_like_a_pro]

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alan@ebay wrote:

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@vrykalak wrote:

Where can we see a comprehensive table of cut-off dates for various shipping modes, to be received in time for Christmas?

---

Hi @vrykalak, 

Here you go: 

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You can also find this here, about halfway down the page: 

http://ebay.com/holidayplaybook

~Nate

[mam98031]

I heard / read a rumor that I'd like a little clarification on.  If we ship via expedited shipping or if we ship with Guaranteed delivery on our items, can a buyer file a SNAD if the item does not arrive when it is expected?  If this is correct, what reason would they use to accomplish this as I see nothing on the list of reasons to accomodate this?  I'm just curious as this is not anything I've ever consider before and I don't have an answer.

[alan@ebay]

Hi Nate, 

What's your top tip for sellers this holiday season? 

Thanks!