Has anyone else noticed that sellers are increasing there shipping charges?

[tunicaslot]

But being many buyers don't know the current rates - even when I charge the exact or even lower my shipping and raise my price that few cents - they think it's too much.

Unless people on a regular basis do something - they have no idea of the actual cost. When the grocery stores raise their prices - I know it because I'm familiar with what I was paying - when the hairdresser raises her rates - I can see that - but someone who buys sporadically or alot of items with free shipping and doesn't mail out packages themselves - doesn't know more than the cost of a postage stamp and with all the online bill paying - I bet some people don't even know what a stamp costs. Then you'll have those that no matter what the price - it's too much!

[bpr103]

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@jason_incognitowrote:

it's frustrating from both sides. 

As a buyer, someone please explain to me how sending the equivilent of a quarter. A literal quarter, costs $3.50, $4.00 even $5.00 from some sellers?

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Keep in mind that for eBay every package needs tracking at the bare minimum, so you're looking at $2.66 minimum for First Class USPS with tracking for that quarter-sized item. That's without packing materials, which can add up. I've received some packages from sellers that clearly don't care or don't get this as they have way more packing material than is needed. 

So, the actual costs coupled with the seller's ability to minimize them is a factor in this. Then, of course, some folks will pad shipping costs.

[rolenboy01]

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@jason_incognitowrote:

it's frustrating from both sides. 

As a buyer, someone please explain to me how sending the equivilent of a quarter. A literal quarter, costs $3.50, $4.00 even $5.00 from some sellers? I just paid $12.90 and it came in a small flat rate box with cut up flat rate envelopes for fill...... She paid at most $7.15. So $5.75 plus any discount she got as a seller was pocketed.

I list something that weighs 5 pounds, can't fit in a cubic foot and get an endless stream of emails about the cost of shipping. ....

It costs $18.90 to ship a large flat rate box. I had a cream and sugar set that won't fit into a smaller box and so that is the best rate for shipping. I stopped bothering with the lady who wanted to buy them but thought they should ship for no more than $8..... Maybe if I smashed them and put that in an envelope.

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I don't know if some people are just that clueless or feining ignorance, facepalm when someone claims they can't figure out why a 16 pound bowling ball costs so much to ship from California to New York.

[tunicaslot]

I really think people are clueless - they have no idea if they don't ship items how expensive it is! I'm surprised by some of the rates when I ship cross country but try to keep my inventory to items 3 lbs or less or able to be shipped in a PPBM.

[rolenboy01]

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@tunicaslotwrote:

I really think people are clueless - they have no idea if they don't ship items how expensive it is! I'm surprised by some of the rates when I ship cross country but try to keep my inventory to items 3 lbs or less or able to be shipped in a PPBM.

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I mean I get it on lower weight items some what but everyone knows bowling balls are heavy or other commonly heavy objects are heavy and compounding that with the fact that it's travelling thousands of miles there has to be some common sense put into play, I don't know if people don't take distance into account or what, is it unclear to buyers where the seller is?

[tunicaslot]

I don't think that buyers even look at the location a lot of times and I think some buyers think that because flat rate is advertised so much - everything is flat rate and one cost.

[jason_incognito]

I had someone argue with me that 4 dinner plates could fit in the flat rate box. 

Well, yeah if you don't pad them at all. I set them in and there was literally less than a 1/2" clearance. Then the 4 stacked gave under an inch top and bottom for packing materials.

And when they break, well that's my fault.

[mistwomandancing]

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@jason_incognitowrote:

I had someone argue with me that 4 dinner plates could fit in the flat rate box. 

Well, yeah if you don't pad them at all. I set them in and there was literally less than a 1/2" clearance. Then the 4 stacked gave under an inch top and bottom for packing materials.

And when they break, well that's my fault.

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It's long past the days when Old Mrs. McGillicutty could chase the bad customers out of her shop with a broom and tell them to never come back!   Now we have to deal with most, and with gritted teeth hiding behind a forced smile.      Luckily, it usually works out OK. 

[nowthatsjustducky]

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@findyouryouthagainwrote:

I dont understand how sellers can charge $2.99 shipping on a $.99 cent item and it doesnt sell or gets only 1 bid.. the cost of eBay fee's and packing material is enought to charge $5 for just shipping alone not including the item.

ignorance is bliss I guess 

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For a 99 cent item with only a single bid; that would be the gumball machine stickers and the American Spirit Tribute to the Endangered cards I do auction format here instead of using one of my 250 FP listings on, that distills to the following total...

Item price:  $0.99

Shipping:  $3.50 (the minimum I charge to ship)

Total from Buyer:  $4.49

eBay Fee:  $0.75 (9.15%)

PayPal Fee:  $0.24 (5%+.05)

Actual Postage:  $2.66

So out of that $4.49 received from the buyer, it costs me $3.65 to sell and get it to them, leaving me 84 cents, which theoretically is not bad for a 99 cent item, and the margin gets better when they buy multiples (and they have), since the combined shipping discounts I set up for these are anywhere from 5 cents to 25 cents.

It was actually even more impressive before this year's postage hike.  Previously, I was having a net earnings on these items higher than the sale price.  😄

I don't add envelopes, tape, paper, toner, or transport costs into the mix since they are practically nonexistant.  Padded envelopes are from the quarterly store sub fee which gets logged on that account's spreadsheet entry as its own expense.  Tape and paper go on the expense sheet and are simply deducted from the monthly grand totals.  I have enough toner that was given to me to last a lifetime; and I usually walk the 10 blocks each way to the PO and back as part of my daily exercise.  And when I do have to drive, it is because I have shopping to do across town anyway and the PO is on my route.

[bigchief2472000]

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@jason_incognitowrote:

it's frustrating from both sides. 

As a buyer, someone please explain to me how sending the equivilent of a quarter. A literal quarter, costs $3.50, $4.00 even $5.00 from some sellers? I just paid $12.90 and it came in a small flat rate box with cut up flat rate envelopes for fill...... She paid at most $7.15. So $5.75 plus any discount she got as a seller was pocketed.

I list something that weighs 5 pounds, can't fit in a cubic foot and get an endless stream of emails about the cost of shipping. ....

It costs $18.90 to ship a large flat rate box. I had a cream and sugar set that won't fit into a smaller box and so that is the best rate for shipping. I stopped bothering with the lady who wanted to buy them but thought they should ship for no more than $8..... Maybe if I smashed them and put that in an envelope.

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Depending on the value of the item you purchased, the insurance for the package could have easily brought the shipping cost up to that $12.90 you paid.  Also, as someone else already mentioned, in order for a seller to be protected from false INR claims, they must have a tracking number.  That's why the minimum shipping cost you typically see is still high on small lightweight items.

[jps-creations]

$.75 eBay fees?

[nowthatsjustducky]

Oops.  That should have been $.41, not $.75.  Blame only one cup of J and doing too many things at once on that error.  😄

$4.49 * .0915 = $0.410835 (aka 41 cents)

I was wondering why when I posted my net earnings were looking way off from the last time I did this calculation.  So that makes my net earnings on a 99 cent item $1.18.  Mind blown!  😄

I am thinking that for the next listing cycle on the American Spirit cards, I may go ahead and offer an untracked stamps postage option and see if that helps the rest sell.  Because even though I would have no INR protection, this comes across as a class of items that are low risk and largely safe to ship untracked.

[mistwomandancing]

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@nowthatsjustduckywrote:

I am thinking that for the next listing cycle on the American Spirit cards, I may go ahead and offer an untracked stamps postage option and see if that helps the rest sell.  Because even though I would have no INR protection, this comes across as a class of items that are low risk and largely safe to ship untracked.

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I don't think you'll have many problems sending them without tracking either.   Mostly those folks just want their cards and are happy with them.   And don't want to make the effort to do a big scam on not receiving and all that.

I'd bet for all the money you'll save, it will pay to not send with tracking many, many times over.   And if you suddenly seem to have run into a den of thieves with this plan, you can always change back to shipping with tracking.   Good luck with your sales!

[shopkiger2]

USPS are increasing their shipping charges. There's nothing we can do about it.