Final Value Fee includes shipping cost, Why?

[adsc_4322]

This is actually what I was writing e-bay about when I noticed I chose Forum by accident. So, I went ahead and posted it to see if you guys can explain this to me. If you don't mind. 😕

Hi, I recently started selling items on E-bay and I noticed that you are collecting a Final Value Fee that includes the shipping cost. How can you include the shipping cost? What does the shipping have to do with the cost of the item being sold which is usually half that? And not that it matters any but I don't even buy my labels or anything from e-bay. And It never even ends up being the same shipping price once I get down to the Post Office as what they paid. So I always end up giving them a 4-dollar or so shipping refund, sometimes more. This doesn't make sense to me at all. The last thing I sold was a $10 dollar toy that e-bay then took $3.87 of it. But if I up the price I would never be able to sell it because as it is the shipping on things is way too much! Can you explain this, please?

[mtgraves7984]

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@adsc_4322 wrote:

Postage scale?

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@adsc_4322 

Oh, yeah. Minimal investment, maximum gain.

[adsc_4322]

I'm sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about? Collecting? Never said anything about anyone here and what they do. So, I am quite confused by the remark.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@adsc_4322 wrote:

I'm sorry but I have no idea what you are talking about? Collecting? Never said anything about anyone here and what they do. So, I am quite confused by the remark.

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Your very first post said, "I noticed that you are collecting a Final Value Fee that includes the shipping cost."  @soh.maryl  just wanted to point out to you that on this board you are addressing fellow eBay members, not eBay (and it's eBay that collects the final value fees).

[soh.maryl]

So you asked for help or advice.  Then why that remark about someone that has to go and ruin it for the rest of us? 

[soh.maryl]

Ignore this -- I misunderstood your remark.  Sorry.

[nocoolnamejane]

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@adsc_4322 wrote:

 I had to use a box (a small box) and it says to put the measurements down and it will come up with the cost. I actually went under what the actual measurements were trying to save them some money.

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I don’t understand this: you used the shipping calculator with understated values “to save the customer money” but were surprised that it cost more?

[soh.maryl]

At some point, probably back a few pages, you made a statement somewhat like "you are collecting the final value fee".

My point was that you are addressing a very large group of fellow eBay buyers and sellers.

As such, none of us are collecting anything from you, no fees or anything else.

It seems like you thought you were addressing eBay or its management at that point and just wanted to clarify this for you.  

[monroe67]

"So you asked for help or advice.  Then why that remark about someone that has to go and ruin it for the rest of us?"

I think OP was referring to "Lincoln's" (if memory serves) explanation to the effect that eBay decided to start charging FVF on shipping after too many sellers engaged in fee avoidance by selling things for, say, $1.00 and $99.00 postage, and having to pay eBay a fee on only One Dollar.   

Which happened more than 10 years ago.  

So it wasn't just one "someone" but many people cheating eBay by a form of almost malicious compliance with eBay's original fee program.  

[adsc_4322]

What??!! I didn't know that. So, what I am seeing is a different number than what everyone else sees depending on where they live? So, if I mailed it to myself it would cost me over 9 dollars! That's what it says. Well, I decided I am doing a fixed shipping cost on most of my stuff. Because that is ridiculous.

[adsc_4322]

Yes, I have figured this out. I am trying to explain that to my son.

[bonjourami]

You could just use calculated shipping for these items, that way, no matter where the buyer lived,,,you would be collecting the exact amount for shipping, rather than this guessing game. All you have to do is package the item in the box or whatever, and weigh it before you list.You could also add a dollar or two for handling..bubble wrap, the box or envelope,etc.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@adsc_4322 wrote: ... what I am seeing is a different number than what everyone else sees depending on where they live? So, if I mailed it to myself it would cost me over 9 dollars! That's what it says. ...

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Because that is how calculated shipping works.  USPS postage prices are based on distance.  It costs more to send a package across the country than it would cost to ship to your next-door neighbor.  When you set up a listing with calculated shipping, the listing automatically shows the postage cost to ship from your ZIP Code to the ZIP Code of any member who looks at your listing.  When you look at your own listing, you see the cost to ship to your own ZIP Code.  When a farther buyer looks at your listing, they see the postage cost to ship to THEIR location; that's the whole point of setting up calculated shipping.

For instance, if you have set up your listing to offer Priority Mail and with a weight of 2 pounds, then it will show prices ranging from $9.25 (to your own Zone) up to $16.10 (to ship to a buyer in Zone 8, which would include anyplace on the east coast).

I don't know how you decided on $7.00 as a flat rate for shipping, but that will not pay for Priority Mail postage to anyplace.

[bonjourami]

What..explain calculated shipping to your son? Why?

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/shipping-items/setting-shipping-options/using-shipping-calculator?...

[monroe67]

"What??!! I didn't know that. So, what I am seeing is a different number than what everyone else sees depending on where they live?"

Yes.   
Not only has "wrong66" told you this, but several other posters have tried to explain this as well.
Including myself.  As I recall, I said something like -- "this is all computerized magic."
Guess what:  eBay's computers know the zip codes of every registered American eBay user.  

I began to question this thread -- in my own mind -- yesterday, but it seems more and more possible that - - 

The OP has been trying to punk the entire community.   It has all been an elaborate attempt at deception.  

I am done trying to explain to a potential eBay seller who is old enough to have a son who wants to sell his old toys that eBay does not set USPS mailing rates, and where to find an explanation of eBay's fees, and that the USPS charges more for postage when a mailed item goes farther away from the seller. 

It is very discouraging that a seller in 2022 doesn't (seem to) know how eBay can tell where a potential buyer lives, based on zip codes, so that eBay can give an educated estimate of postage, and that postage will vary based on how far, how many miles, it has to go before it is delivered to the buyer.  

Hope you had fun.  

[dbfolks166mt]

     As others have explained use the calculated shipping, especially for first class packages, and make sure the weights are correct along with the size of the package. I am not sure how you have the listings setup for the beanie baby but happy birthday bear shows a shipping cost from your location in CA to my location in VA using first class shipping as $12.35. 

the following listing shows a 

     I can ship a 6 x 6 x 6 envelope weighing up to 5 ounces for under $4. Even a 15 ounce package is only a little over $6. Not sure why you are not purchasing the labels off eBay or some other service provider like Pirate Ship but if you are purchasing the labels at the Post Office you are paying a lot more for the labels and it does nothing to reduce the FVF. 

     For the items where you are above the weight limit for first class there are a lot of options depending on what you are shipping. You can get free shipping envelopes and boxes from USPS and do some experimenting with what to use for the lowest rates. Padded flat rate and other flat rate envelops are still priority mail but often cheaper that using calculated priority mail. Regional boxes, also priority mail, are also often a better value than calculated priority mail. I have shipped 50+ pounds of lead sinkers in a padded flat rate envelope and have also used them for other heavy items. 

     The shipping cost is getting to be a crap shoot and with the frequency of the changes I have reverted from using free shipping, which of course has the shipping cost built into the price of the item, to calculated shipping. That way I don't have to adjust the price of items to factor in the new rate when it starts to impact my rate of return.