eBay

orangehound · ‎06-25-2019

I just finished talking with my local postmaster regarding shipping Retail Ground under the new price tables. As we've speculated from reading Publication 123 prior to the dimensional rate change (6/23/2019), the Retail Ground service is not subject to dimensional weights.

For example a 14x14x14 package weighing 3 pounds to zone 8 is 16.17 ... the same as 12x12x12. We went through a number of weight/size combinations and zones, and none of them had the dimensional weight adjustment.

So, this means ...

You can ship larger packages over 1 cubic foot to Zones 5-9 at prices according to actual weight (no surcharge for size unless you get into the sizes exceeding 84 length by girth dimensions) but you must purchase Retail Ground postage at the USPS counter to avoid the dimensional weights.
You can also ship Retail Ground according to actual weight to Zones 1-4, but the package must contain some hazardous material (maybe an isopropyl alcohol wipe) ... the package would need an ORM-D label on it and identification of the hazardous material.

ittybitnot · ‎06-25-2019

Thanks for posting that. However, there is some confusion regarding "Parcel Select" and "Retail Ground". It is my understanding that you have to actually go to the Post Office to get "retail ground" shipping, and it is not available online.

I just mention that because on other forums to which I belong there has been a lot of discussion today.

orangehound · ‎06-25-2019

@ittybitnot wrote:
Thanks for posting that. However, there is some confusion regarding "Parcel Select" and "Retail Ground". It is my understanding that you have to actually go to the Post Office to get "retail ground" shipping, and it is not available online.

Retail ground and Parcel Select are the same shipping service, but the difference is the point of sale.

Parcel select is purchased on-line. You weigh and measure the box, you print out a label, you attach it to the box and you drop it off at a USPS facility.
Retail ground is purchased at the counter at a USPS location. After standing in line, you hand the package to the postal clerk. The postal clerk weighs and measures the box, the postal clerk prints out a label and affixes it to the package ... you then pay.

dhbookds · ‎06-25-2019

I'm having a hard time getting my head around this.........so forgive stupid question......

Please correct this:

Selling/mailing a non hazaradous but oversize (less than the 84") package, we must use parcel select in the listing (since we can't tell what zone it's going to)......so buyer pays parcel which is far above retail rate. IF it is to zone 5-9, we can take it to the PO and buy the label at retail rate........ netting us quite a bit "extra".......????

orangehound · ‎06-25-2019

@dhbookds wrote:
I'm having a hard time getting my head around this.........so forgive stupid question......

Please correct this:
Selling/mailing a non hazaradous but oversize (less than the 84") package, we must use parcel select in the listing (since we can't tell what zone it's going to)......so buyer pays parcel which is far above retail rate. IF it is to zone 5-9, we can take it to the PO and buy the label at retail rate........ netting us quite a bit "extra".......????

@dhbookds

I think if a seller wants to take advantage of the shipping cost savings of Retail Ground without doing gymnastics with hazardous materials, then there are two options.

The first is a major pain. It would be to set up a domestic shipping rate table for your item's weight and size characteristics. You could quote Retail Ground rates for Zones 5-9, and Parcel Select (or Priority Mail) for Zones 1-4.

A second, easier method, would be to charge a flat rate on the package based on guessing average shipping costs. As an example, say you had a 5 pound package with a dimensional weight of 15 pounds. You would ship it Priority Mail to zones 1-4, and Retail Ground to zones 5-8. Your possible costs would be 13.01 (1&2), 15.94 (3), 18.42 (4), 13.14 (5), 16.44 (6), 19.73 (7), and 23.02 (8) ... which might average to $17. So, list it with flat rate economy shipping and charge $16.95 for shipping and handling ... worst case you lose $6 in shipping, but you might come ahead $4 in shipping. If you have enough of these types of sales, your average shipping cost will simply average out.

dhbookds · ‎06-25-2019

Hound..........not really trying to take advantage....... but without the gymnastics.........offering parcel will save the buyer some $$ over priority....... they will ask for that........ and the cheapskate in me is not going to let me just give the PO the excess for the zones 5-9......... My conscience may force me to refund much of it to the buyer, retaining some for the trouble of going to the PO, but I really don't see much other option..............

Should have said earlier...........thanks for posting this..........I was in knots trying to figure it out...........

orangehound · ‎06-26-2019

@dhbookds wrote:
offering parcel will save the buyer some $$ over priority

With TRS discounts, I've found Priority Mail always cheaper than Parcel Select for packages under 1 cubic foot. Now that dimensional prices would be applied to both Priority Mail and Parcel Select for all zones, I can't imagine a scenario where I would choose Parcel Select over Priority Mail.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎06-26-2019

Is retail ground even an option on the listing form? I haven't mailed anything that way in over a decade.

dasarock · ‎06-26-2019

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Is retail ground even an option on the listing form? I haven't mailed anything that way in over a decade.

retail ground is still available if you edit from ebay listing form or turbo lister

uniwarehousewares · ‎06-26-2019

Thank you for bringing informative stuff 🙂

orangehound · ‎06-26-2019

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Is retail ground even an option on the listing form? I haven't mailed anything that way in over a decade.

It is available, but it has an error in that it is showing dimensional charges for Retail Ground rates.

You can get around this by having the package 12x12x12 in the dimensions area.

buyselljack2016 · ‎06-26-2019

@orangehound wrote:
@dhbookds wrote:
offering parcel will save the buyer some $$ over priority
With TRS discounts, I've found Priority Mail always cheaper than Parcel Select for packages under 1 cubic foot. Now that dimensional prices would be applied to both Priority Mail and Parcel Select for all zones, I can't imagine a scenario where I would choose Parcel Select over Priority Mail.

We are again going to run into instances where eBay, under new policy, is not even showing the buyer all the shipping options when they determine that the buyer does not even need to see them based on cost/delivery time.

On anything that I have now with "calculated" shipping, that being anything not 1st Class, or able to fit "flat rate", I have "retail ground" as the 1st choice even if under 1728". I also offer "Priority", but it may not be seen. If the pricing works out, it gets sent Priority no matter what the buyer pays for.

I always understood the dimweight pricing for Priority knowing that as USPS has no aircraft they pay for space for those items to be transported by another carrier, but the ground parcel increase is just a road to lost business when it costs $40+ to get a 3# package coast to coast by truck.

ersatz_sobriquet · ‎06-26-2019

@orangehound wrote:
@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Is retail ground even an option on the listing form? I haven't mailed anything that way in over a decade.
It is available, but it has an error in that it is showing dimensional charges for Retail Ground rates.

You can get around this by having the package 12x12x12 in the dimensions area.

Thanks for that info.

Error or purposeful glitch? Ebay doesn't want sellers using slow shipping....

dasarock · ‎06-26-2019

@buyselljack2016 wrote:
@orangehound wrote:
@dhbookds wrote:
offering parcel will save the buyer some $$ over priority
With TRS discounts, I've found Priority Mail always cheaper than Parcel Select for packages under 1 cubic foot. Now that dimensional prices would be applied to both Priority Mail and Parcel Select for all zones, I can't imagine a scenario where I would choose Parcel Select over Priority Mail.
We are again going to run into instances where eBay, under new policy, is not even showing the buyer all the shipping options when they determine that the buyer does not even need to see them based on cost/delivery time.

On anything that I have now with "calculated" shipping, that being anything not 1st Class, or able to fit "flat rate", I have "retail ground" as the 1st choice even if under 1728". I also offer "Priority", but it may not be seen. If the pricing works out, it gets sent Priority no matter what the buyer pays for.

I always understood the dimweight pricing for Priority knowing that as USPS has no aircraft they pay for space for those items to be transported by another carrier, but the ground parcel increase is just a road to lost business when it costs $40+ to get a 3# package coast to coast by truck.

so list the slowest shipping first, re 'usps retail ground' (ebay says they will not remove the 1st shipping option). then list the others re priority etc. however if you change the retail dimension to 12x12x12 and they are smaller than the actual packge, you could wind up eating the loss with priority mail. (unless ebay puts a separate set of dimension for each shipping option, which i doubt will occur.)

orangehound · ‎06-26-2019

@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
@orangehound wrote:
@ersatz_sobriquet wrote:
Is retail ground even an option on the listing form? I haven't mailed anything that way in over a decade.
It is available, but it has an error in that it is showing dimensional charges for Retail Ground rates.

You can get around this by having the package 12x12x12 in the dimensions area.
Thanks for that info.
Error or purposeful glitch? Ebay doesn't want sellers using slow shipping....

It may be purposeful ... most sellers do not know the difference between Retail Ground and Parcel Select, or the restrictions that are on Retail Ground.