Add shipping fee after item sold

[beforedecay]

I sold an item today and had to package it in a larger box than the one I thought.

After I measured and weighted it, I wasn't able to create a shipping label from within the eBay tool (dimensions were 14x13x9 and weight 12.4Lbs). 
The label creation tool said "No services available" upon entering the weight and size. 

So I created the label on the USPS website and had to pay $25 dollars more than what the buyer paid for shipping.

I have been looking at a way to adjust the shipping price on the order, but I haven't found a way to do so.

Is there something I can do to fix this and avoid running into this issue next time an item sells?

[bamar-2142]

You're not allowed to charge more after the sale

[kensgiftshop · Accepted solution]

---

@beforedecay wrote:

I have been looking at a way to adjust the shipping price on the order, but I haven't found a way to do so.
Is there something I can do to fix this and avoid running into this issue next time an item sells?

---

You can't

The buyer is only required to pay what was in the listing for shipping, you can't ask them to pay more.

Know the size of the box and weight before setting up the listing.

[powell-memorabilia]

@beforedecay 

Honor the sale at the original price.  If you do try to charge more, I hope that there aren’t a lot of “next times.”

[bearswatching]

You can’t charge a buyer more for shipping after the fact. Not allowed. Be thankful it wasn’t more money. I use calculated shipping and input the exact dimensions to be sure the quote is correct.  If the weight is 2 lbs, 2 oz. you are looking at a 3 lb. cost. Always round up, never down.

[sassykzt]

How to avoid this in the future:  Have the item packaged and weighed before listing so you know exactly how much to charge.  Also use shipping rate tables.  Instead of using the USPS site, try Pirate Ship.  Their prices are the same as eBay's for sellers.

[Anonymous]

---

@beforedecay wrote:

I sold an item today and had to package it in a larger box than the one I thought.

---

Your fault, not the buyer's. Why you would even think that up charging the buyer is ok is beyond me.

In the future measure carefully before listing.

I nearly ALWAYS pre package large items and measure prior to listing to simulate costs.

Also be aware of dimensional weight. https://stamps.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6114/~/all-about-usps-dimensional-weight-pricing....

[luckythewinner]

---

@beforedecay wrote:

Is there something I can do to fix this and avoid running into this issue next time an item sells?

---

There is nothing you can do to force the buyer pay more. That would violate eBay rules, and be contrary to common sense and generally moral decency. Take your lumps, learn your lesson, and ship the item. 

To avoid it next time, need to determine the measurements and weigh the item and put this on the listing BEFORE you sell it, not afterward.

If you continue to try to "wing it" on eBay, you will contuinue to get burned. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

There should have been no problem generating an eBay postage label for that package. Try again.  A package 14x13x9 is well within USPS limits; it's not even big enough to incur their "dimensional surcharge" for large packages. I suspect that you made a typo when entering either the weight or dimensions, such as adding a digit, 114x13x9.  

Creating a label on the USPS web site incurs retail pricing vs paying the eBay discounted online rate.  But that difference would not have been $25.  Shipping a 13-pound package to Zone 8 at the retail price costs $59.80 and the eBay price is $50.94 (minus 3% if you're a Top Rated Seller).

Regardless of any actual pricing, errors, etc. it is your responsibility to ship the package and as noted in the other posts you should not ask the buyer to pay more for the shipping.

One final tip: If you need to purchase postage off-eBay in the future for any reason (e.g., eBay broken, sending a personal gift) you can purchase USPS postage at the online rates through PayPal at 

www.PayPal.com/shipnow

[kare-bearb]

You can't charge the buyer anything extra.

After I measured and weighted it, I wasn't able to create a shipping label from within the eBay tool (dimensions were 14x13x9 and weight 12.4Lbs). 
The label creation tool said "No services available" upon entering the weight and size. 

You can't purchase a Parcel Select label using eBay Shipping, but you should have been able to purchase a Priority Mail label.  14x13x9 would not be oversized, so PM should not have cost much more than Parcel Select.  I don't understand why you were told there were no services available, other than a glitch.

--------------------------------

For the future ....

The USPS website will charge you the more expensive retail rates.

If you find that you are unable to use eBay Shipping, then try Paypal Shipping (if you still have a Paypal account) .... www.paypal.com/shipnow

Paypal will charge you the discounted commercial rates.

[pjcdn2005]

sorry..ignore this

[dbfolks166mt]

You may want to try Pirate Ship. They offer discounted rates similar to eBay and/or PayPal and they also offer priority mail cubic which eBay does not. It is often cheaper for small heavier packages that will not fit into a regular priority mail flat rate box. Buying postage directly off the USPS website is always the most expensive route, next to taking it to the post office. 

[Anonymous]

Also mentioned in Post 6. I didn't realize the pun self contained in the name until just now, duh, I'm slow I guess.

[thespy77]

What do I do If I cannot see any shipping services under an item which I sold 45 of the same items without this trouble?  What is going on?