Does everyone live on the East Coast?

[par1065]

I live in a Western state and it seems 90 percent of my sales have gone back east with the corresponding ridiculously high shipping costs.  Even USPS Ground is exorbitant now. More often than not I'm paying more on shipping than what the item I've sold is worth and never make it back completely. It's becoming a losing proposition for me, monetarily and I don't have a high enough inventory to counter it, either. I understand more people live east of the Mississippi than everywhere else in the US, but it still seems an unusually high percentage for buyers.

[rosachs]

There are basically two solutions to this issue:

- raise the included cost of shipping in your prices.  Take a 30 day period, total up what you estimated postage should be (what you included in your item price) and what you actually paid.  Subtract total estimated from total collected and divide by the number of shipments in that period.  Then add that amount to every listing - this should bring your net shipping expense back to zero, or close enough to be acceptable.

- switch to calculated shipping and let the east coasters pay their own freight.  Yes, it may/probably affect your sales volume, but it's much easier to do than the first option.  Just be sure you properly calculate the final package size and weight when listing, so eBay will calculate the correct charge.

I'm lucky - Memphis is almost dead-center for 90% or more of the US population.  Still don't like the coasts (California is -really- pricey), and the upper NorthEast and upper NorthWest (think rural Maine and rural Washington state) are even worse.  I can only imagine coast-to-coast shipping expense.

-Bob.

[richard1rst]

Are you using Calculated shipping, or are you using a Flat Rate?.

If calculated then you should never lose money on the shipping as eBay will bill each buyer based on their location. If you are using flat rate STOP doing that and switch to calculated.

[johnrj1226]

FYI when I sold on eBay (stopped selling over a  year ago)  45% of our shipments from 45 miles east of  Atlanta, GA  shipped to the Western region states including Hawaii and Alaska and US Protectorates - shipped primarily via USPS Priority mail -very few flat rate except small boxes and first class  package.  Never once used USPS Ground service and seldom shipped any thing over 5 lbs or offered "free shipping" (aka "sorta fee"  Shipped 1665 items - primarily clothing, hand bags and footwear.

Yeah about 76% of the US population live  east of the Big Muddy.

[nobody*s_perfect]

1.  Use calculated shipping, not a flat rate.

2. Offer First Class Package postage for packages up to 1 pound.  Enter the weight as no more than 13 ounces, so buyers aren't charged for Priority Mail.

3. If you offer Parcel Select Ground, add a handling fee to cover expenses such as packaging materials and fees.

[inhawaii]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

2. Offer First Class Package postage for packages up to 1 pound.  Enter the weight as no more than 13 ounces, so buyers aren't charged for Priority Mail.

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Aren't you able to go up to 15 oz. and still ship First Class Mail?

[whorunbartertown]

Interesting point. I live on the East Coast and over 60% of my sales are West of the Mississip, usually Cali, Idaho, Washington, and Missouri.

[mike_jayroe]

I kinda have the opposite problem. I live on the east coast and 90% of what I shipped has gone to the west coast. Luckily I got the calculated shipping cost entered in to my pricing and am doing pretty good s far.

[soh.maryl]

1. Aren't your buyers paying for shipping?

2. Do you realize you're complaining about having buyers? 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@inhawaii wrote:

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

2. Offer First Class Package postage for packages up to 1 pound.  Enter the weight as no more than 13 ounces, so buyers aren't charged for Priority Mail.

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Aren't you able to go up to 15 oz. and still ship First Class Mail?

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Yes, the weight limit for an online postage label for First Class packages is 15.99 ounces.

But the shipping calculator in eBay listings is set to show the retail postage cost, so if you enter a weight above 13 ounces, it will do the same as what the clerk at the PO counter would do: Upgrade your postage to Priority Mail.   

You can change the setting in your site preferences so buyers are charged the online rate; then you could set up the shipping calculator in your listing with any weight up to 16 ounces.

[natoman777]

I live in the midwest (IL).  Ironically, I sell quite a bit out west.  I constantly have buyers complain about shipping costs.  Not sure if you have tried UPS Ground or Fed Ex Home/Ground, but often they are cheaper for heavier/bigger items.  Not just a little bit but sometimes significantly.  To make sure that you do not loose out on money it's best to have correct weight on your listings.  Hope that helps!

[pennysdream]

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@inhawaii wrote:

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

2. Offer First Class Package postage for packages up to 1 pound.  Enter the weight as no more than 13 ounces, so buyers aren't charged for Priority Mail.

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Aren't you able to go up to 15 oz. and still ship First Class Mail?

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Hay,  Yes.  However, from my house to yours, it is cheaper to send priority mail.  Especially for small stuff. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@pennysdream wrote:

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@inhawaii wrote:

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

2. Offer First Class Package postage for packages up to 1 pound.  Enter the weight as no more than 13 ounces, so buyers aren't charged for Priority Mail.

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Aren't you able to go up to 15 oz. and still ship First Class Mail?

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Hay,  Yes.  However, from my house to yours, it is cheaper to send priority mail.  Especially for small stuff. 

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I don't think so.  

At current prices, the postage cost for a First Class package ranges from $3.62 to $6.68, whereas the cheapest available eBay rate for Priority Mail is $7.09.