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Using a different shipping service when giving out return shipping labels.

Lately with ebay's "migration" to fedex for return labels, I've gotten the opportunity to self-generate and provide return labels through pirateship and I just thought of a few things.

We don't necessarily have to give the same shipping speed or service for the return label as we used to ship it out, do we?

This was the case before the "migration" with certain packages on ebay generated labels. Some items I had shipped out with Priority only to have ebay generate a first class label for the buyer then other times ebay would generate a Priority label for a different buyer who bought a duplicate item. I never was able to understand why. Also there was the issue that ebay return labels never dealt with flat rate packages. I.e. You send something out via Padded Priority Envelope for $8, ebay charges you $15 for the return label via Weighted Priority Mail.

At least with self-generating these labels, I can send labels using flat rate services like Padded Priority. But I also realized I now have the opportunity to issue Parcel Select or Cubic Services that most likely be cheaper but will take longer to return to me. Have many of you done that yet? An increased length of return time shouldn't matter to ebay since the refund time clock only starts when the package is scanned at my door step, right? And I'm in no rush to receive these returned items anyway.

The only concern I can think of is if the buyer uses the wrong package material. Like if it's to come back Priority Cubic but the buyer puts it in a Medium Flat rate box, or it's a Parcel Select label and the buyer uses any USPS Priority packaging. But this packaging issue has already always been around. Would there be a need to notify the buyer and tell them what packaging to use? Lol, I once sent a Padded Priority return label to a buyer and also had one of those envelopes sent to them since they don't offer those at most PO's.

 

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Using a different shipping service when giving out return shipping labels.


@iamalwaysright wrote:

 

The only concern I can think of is if the buyer uses the wrong package material. Like if it's to come back Priority Cubic but the buyer puts it in a Medium Flat rate box, or it's a Parcel Select label and the buyer uses any USPS Priority packaging. But this packaging issue has already always been around. Would there be a need to notify the buyer and tell them what packaging to use? 


Nate Heyward @ship_like_a_pro the owner of the USPS, FedEx, and UPS accounts at eBay explained that the eBay-issued return label is just a placeholder, regardless it says First-class or Priority, because a return is an unhappy situation and the buyer just wants to send the item back, so they can use any packaging available and then the carrier will weigh and measure the label when they get it.

 

As it turns out, the USPS Return Service is an average price product, so all labels cost the same whether they are 1 ounce or 70 pounds, as long as the contracted commitment for 10,000 or 50,000 returns per year is met.

 

What you're seeing is eBay then turns around and charges the seller as much as possible for that fixed-cost return label, pricing your bill according to your cost when you shipped the item out to the buyer.

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Using a different shipping service when giving out return shipping labels.

I understand the eBay Returns' shipping labels as @sdneped does. I've never really overthought it, though... 🤔

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Using a different shipping service when giving out return shipping labels.

You're talking about the USPS contract with ebay though.

However as mentioned in my OP and in this thread https://community.ebay.com/t5/Returns/Return-auto-default-to-Fedex/td-p/33728450 , some sellers are only seeing Fedex return labels with highly inflated prices so we have to go to another third party for return labels (pirateship). And there is no contracted agreement or commitment for these other parties, thus packaging will be an issue.

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Using a different shipping service when giving out return shipping labels.

I use the RMA return option as I ship quite a few UPS Ground. When a return is filed, I message the buyer and add my own UPS label from PirateShip to the message and also enter it into the return case. I tell the buyer to use the same packaging.

 

If it is a 1st Class USPS shipment, I choose the 1st Class USPS label provided by eBay if that choice is available.  If not, I send my own label. 

 

I would not allow eBay to provide a USPS Priority label or anything from FedEx.  Quite costly.

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