Don't forget USPS adding a $4 to $15 surcharge on packages tomorrow April 3rd

[tsme35]

Starting tomorrow the USPS is adding a surcharge on packages

over 22" its $4

over 30" its $15

over 2 cu ft its $15

 and ebay is not giving a shipping label discount on the surcharges

[d.amber]

I have a question on the large flat rate game boxes.   The ones that are, if you round, 12x3x24.  Will they still be the flat rate?  I hardly use them and keep everything to flat rate boxes or A and B boxes, but I was wondering about those larger 'game' boxes.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@d.amber USPS has discontinued those flat rate game boxes, but if you still have some, you can use them and USPS will honor the flat rate and will not add the non-standard fee.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@tsme35  Thanks! That's good to know---and it's good to see ebay got that right. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@tsme35  Oh, wait...LOL...I'm guessing the buyer wasn't shown the extra fee before paying?  In other words, anything that sells tonight and gets a Monday label, the seller is paying the extra, but the buyer isn't?  If so, I wonder if there's a point today at which ebay just assumes packages will go out Monday, and so starts showing the buyer the shipping amount with the non-standard fee included?  Or will that not happen until 12:01 PT? 

[tsme35]

Ebay's moderators said it would be included when showing the buyer the shipping price but I doubt it will show until ebay updates it calculator at 12:01 PT or when ever they update it. That's why I posted again today to remind others if they forgot. My PO is closed now so anything I would have sold today, I'd be out the $15 surcharge, I pulled all my fishing rods this morning. I have printed labels Saturday for Monday's pick up but that's only been for a few pennies, Not taking a chance on $15 lol.

 INA on eCommerce bytes posted a really good article yesterday

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@tsme35 wrote:

Ebay's moderators said it would be included when showing the buyer the shipping price but I doubt it will show until ebay updates it calculator at 12:01 PT or when ever they update it. ...

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With every other past USPS rate change, the shipping calculators in eBay listings and for eBay labels updated immediately when the new rates went into effect.  Even an auction-format listing will show the current pricing, not the price that will be applicable on the date that the auction ends.

[tsme35]

I was wondering about auctions, if it has a bid on it today, will it change the shipping price tomorrow if the auction doesn't end until later next week or does the seller have to eat it. I did a search and saw a lot not ending until next week.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@tsme35  yes, I took all my listings down that I thought could get hit with the $15 (or more) add-on. Some might get put back up at a later date, but for now, they are gone.

The $4.00 stuff I've kept up....if it sells today and I have to eat the $4 for Monday shipping, I can live with it....and if it sells tomorrow, the cost gets passed on to the buyer.

I'm not sending any offers today for anything that could trigger the $4.00. 

So, I'm about as prepared for this as I can be I think. I just hope other sellers have been paying attention to these threads, because otherwise we're going to be seeing a lot of " Is eBay CRAZY????? They charged me...."

[tsme35]

Oh you know the post will show up tomorrow or Monday lol

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@tsme35    True.  We can do our best to inform sellers here, but it often feels like a losing battle.....

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

It's 7:54 PM PT and I see ebay has incorporated the non standard fee into the calculated shipping for my listings that are over 22" long. So, it looks like if a buyer buys tonight, the buyer will be charged the non standard fee for my Monday shipping. 

[anasazirose]

Ebay isn't discounting them, but are they charging their FVF on them?

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@anasazirose as far as I know. Yes 

[tsme35]

Ouch just relisted a $9.99 fishing rod, shipping to myself $28.95

[glasser]

So, I sold an item that will go out in a 24 x 16 x 12 box transcon east to west. The calculator shows $107 for priority and $39 for UPS ground and $44 for FedEx Home. For USPS it just showed the total not any surcharges.  Since I did a flat fee I will only lose a few bucks on UPS or FedEx ($1000+ item so not a big deal). However, my eBay fees will also  be lower based on the flat rate so a little les of a hit. If I had used the calculator and and USPS my eBay fees on shipping alone would be over $12! That's highway robbery in my mind.

Is that how it's working?  Are should the surcharges be delineated?

FYI, no way is this going USPS.  They have basically priced themselves out of the shipping market. For me, I have slightly preferred USPS because a bit easier parking in my urban environment