Missing First Class Mail Designation

[chapeau-noir]

I asked about this earlier - I'm missing the USPS First Class mail designation on any listings I make from scratch, or for any templates that I have to change from Priority to First Class.  I don't have any other problems with this new listing form, but this one is confusing.  I swear I'm missing something - it's probably right in front of me.  Can somebody he'p me out?

Signed, Helpless Henry

First image - what I see on first opening Edit All (this is the section before one gets into alternate shipping methods and priority).

Second image - what I see when I try to find "USPS First Class" - I tried several different iterations to see if I just didn't have the words right - same result.

 

 

[slippinjimmy]

@chapeau-noir 

First thing, I using one of your listings and clicking on the "have one for sale?" link below the images. Perhaps eBay modifies that and it's not an exact copy of your listing (without the pics) and it only keeps certain parts and defaults to other stuff.

Every listing of your I've tried this on seems to default to 2lbs and 12 x 12 x 4 dimensions in the shipping section, I was assuming these were your input but maybe not.

Are you saying that if you do a Sell Similar on your listings (which should make an exact copy) are not showing any weight or dimensions and yet you still don't see First Class? If so that is odd.......

I have to add that I use third-party tools for almost everything on eBay, I have not used Sell Your Item since early 2001 so I'm really working in the dark and don't know how it normally functions (but I like to see if I can figure out issues other sellers have).

Oh yeah, about flat rate, I totally understand your usage of the word, I am another seller that has never used calculated shipping (although I'm considering Rate Tables for First Class packages as the spread between zones is getting to be a bit wide for my liking.

[chapeau-noir]

@slippinjimmy   Every listing of your I've tried this on seems to default to 2lbs and 12 x 12 x 4 dimensions in the shipping section, I was assuming these were your input but maybe not.

It's not my input, and that is very strange.  I wonder if it's the root of this problem?  I'm going to do some listings from scratch and see what happens.  But at least I now know why you're getting the results you are. 

[a_c_green]

---

@chapeau-noir wrote:

@slippinjimmy   Every listing of your I've tried this on seems to default to 2lbs and 12 x 12 x 4 dimensions in the shipping section, I was assuming these were your input but maybe not.

It's not my input, and that is very strange.  I wonder if it's the root of this problem?  I'm going to do some listings from scratch and see what happens.  But at least I now know why you're getting the results you are. 

---

This might be relevant: copying one of your own listings via Sell Similar will bring in everything from the previous listing, including the Shipping details. Copying someone else's listing via links for "Sell One Like This" or "Have One to Sell?" brings in only some values from their listing, including Title, Category and Item Specifics, but nothing at all for the package details; it's all zeroes to begin with.

I did my own copying of a couple of randomly-chosen listings by @chapeau-noir, but could not bring up anything in the package details. Again I saw all zeroes there. (Interestingly, it was showing First Class Package as the default shipping method even though FCP was not shown as a choice in the popup menu. It only emerged as an available choice when I entered a qualifying package weight. I assume that was brought in from the live listing as the primary Shipping method, even though the weight value was not, leaving the code for choosing a Shipping method with no guidance on whether to remove the existing FCP method and pick something else as a default, or just hang until the user entered a package weight.)

[chapeau-noir]

@a_c_green   I work exclusively from templates - so yes, that would happen as many of them already have first class (I had shipping methods in my templates as they were often similar weight).  Any of my own IS's drop out, though (garment measurements) when they transfer from a template, though when I launch another listing from one I have just created (I tend to daisy chain them), the garment measurement IS remains.  IAC, insofar as shipping goes, that's how I have first class in those. The first class remains on the template and is carried over.  I can change the amount.   Priority and the other methods come up whether or not I have any sort of package dimensions or weight listed, but first class doesn't.

[slippinjimmy]

well that is odd because when I use "have one to sell?" on #265641349334 (Microsoft keyboard) I see this in the shipping area:

I take it the green check mark and "recommendation applied" means it's been altered by eBay.

I have no idea how eBay calculates this recommendation, I figured maybe they take some of the info that is included in the listing being copied but @chapeau-noir says those fields are empty in all their Flat Rate listings.

[chapeau-noir]

Wow - eBay is doing some pretty fancy extrapolation - you saw, of course, that it's $17.50 to ship that bundle anywhere in the US (my capped flat rate shipping).   So the copy listing states a 7 x 4 x 4 box? ROFL - which is not going to fit that keyboard bundle, though they had a good stab at the 3 lb weight, and it's not going to cost $41.15 to send anywhere, though they did get the in-zone shipping right (I end up refunding when that happens, but tech sales here happen so rarely because we have enough tech as it is).

This pretty much aligns with their stabs-in-the-dark guesses at some of the item specifics we fill in for, in my case, clothing, where the most ridiculous guesses are populated and we have to continually change them, though in other respects they capture terms from the title pretty well.

I appreciate your helping with trouble shooting - this is enlightening.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@a_c_green wrote:

---

@iart wrote:

There's also the length limit. I think it's 22 inches but might be 18.

---

Nonstandard fees do apply for a package greater than 22 inches in length (among other things), but you can still send it as First Class Package.

Ref: https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/133.htm?_gl=1*phm47b*_ga*MzkwNTgyMzA5LjE2MzgwNDM1ODg.*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V... 

---

Your link goes to the retail criteria, where the size limit for First Class packages is a length-plus-girth of 108 inches.  

For online postage for a First Class package, the package "does not exceed 22 inches in length, or 18 inches in width, or 15 inches in thickness."  This criterion has been around for ages; it's not related to the new surcharges.

See section 8.3.2.d:

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm#ep1097318

[blingfling123]

@slippinjimmy 

Lord I hope they are not doing that.  Another site does that and the amount of wrong information is laughable.  

Take a Pyrex bowl for example. There is a huge difference between 1 and a set of 4, both in size and weight. 

So many sellers have been back charged for using the recommended information on the other site and that site is no where near as on the ball as eBay is with Shipping Adjustments. 

This is going to be a huge mess if people are not paying attention to what is in the recommendation and just leave it as is.  eBay should not be doing this. The Seller should be required to enter in all of the information. 

I am willing to bet that if a seller is later charged with an adjustment based on a recommendation by eBay, eBay is not going to refund the seller 

[a_c_green]

---

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

---

@a_c_green wrote:

---

@iart wrote:

There's also the length limit. I think it's 22 inches but might be 18.

---

Nonstandard fees do apply for a package greater than 22 inches in length (among other things), but you can still send it as First Class Package.

Ref: https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/133.htm?_gl=1*phm47b*_ga*MzkwNTgyMzA5LjE2MzgwNDM1ODg.*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V... 

---

Your link goes to the retail criteria, where the size limit for First Class packages is a length-plus-girth of 108 inches.  

For online postage for a First Class package, the package "does not exceed 22 inches in length, or 18 inches in width, or 15 inches in thickness."  This criterion has been around for ages; it's not related to the new surcharges.

See section 8.3.2.d:

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/201.htm#ep1097318

---

Okay, I see that, but I'm not sure where you're going with this, because I can certainly purchase on-line postage for a First Class Package that's longer than 22", for example. I tried the eBay shipping form just now, using an old Sold item as if I was purchasing a label again, and dialing up the length to 22" didn't show any difference in pricing ($3.88), but as soon as I added one more inch, the price jumped to $9.30 as expected.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@a_c_green wrote: ...  I can certainly purchase on-line postage for a First Class Package that's longer than 22", for example. I tried the eBay shipping form just now, using an old Sold item as if I was purchasing a label again, and dialing up the length to 22" didn't show any difference in pricing ($3.88), but as soon as I added one more inch, the price jumped to $9.30 as expected.

---

$3.88 is the online cost to mail a package 5 - 8 ounces to Zone 6.

$5.30 is the retail cost to mail a package 5-8 ounces to Zone 6.

$9.30 would be the retail cost to mail a package 5-8 ounces to Zone 6 if it incurred the $4 surcharge due to a length over 22 inches but not over 30 inches.  The online price with  a $4 surcharge would be $7.88.

I can't figure out why eBay would show you a retail price.

[a_c_green]

---

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

---

@a_c_green wrote: ...  I can certainly purchase on-line postage for a First Class Package that's longer than 22", for example. I tried the eBay shipping form just now, using an old Sold item as if I was purchasing a label again, and dialing up the length to 22" didn't show any difference in pricing ($3.88), but as soon as I added one more inch, the price jumped to $9.30 as expected.

---

$3.88 is the online cost to mail a package 5 - 8 ounces to Zone 6.

$5.30 is the retail cost to mail a package 5-8 ounces to Zone 6.

$9.30 would be the retail cost to mail a package 5-8 ounces to Zone 6 if it incurred the $4 surcharge due to a length over 22 inches but not over 30 inches.  The online price with  a $4 surcharge would be $7.88.

I can't figure out why eBay would show you a retail price.

---

Maybe the USPS wants to use retail pricing when imposing a surcharge. If so, I guess that's their prerogative. At least eBay managed to code their Shipping form to be aware of the surcharges for oversize dimensions, so that the seller doesn't get burned with another charge further down the line.