USPS Commercial Plus Rates 2019 / eBay Labels

[beardedbovine]

@Anonymous, I hope it's OK to re-post this question here... it did not get a response in the chat.

With the new USPS rates there is no longer a price difference between Commercial Base and Commercial Plus. Will eBay offer a discount to sellers who qualify for CommPlus that will be a cost-savings over the USPS published rates?

That is was one of the perks of being a TRS and it would be a good way for eBay to regain shipping label business that sellers have taken to 3rd party shipping services.

CommPlus was not eliminated as Base and Plus are both on the DMM. CommPlus and CommBase rates are going to be the same though.

[labs118]

Yep Still confused on insurance


USPS says this

4.2 Insurance Coverage — Priority Mail
Priority Mail pieces bearing an Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) or USPS retail tracking barcode (see 4.3.4) are insured against loss, damage, or missing contents, up to a maximum of $50.00 or $100.00, subject to the following:
Insurance coverage is provided against loss, damage, or missing contents and is limited to a maximum liability of $100.00 when the Priority Mail pieces bear an Intelligent Mail package barcode (IMpb) and if the mailer pays Commercial Plus prices.

[nobody*s_perfect]

I wonder if we'll wake up to different text in that section on Sunday morning.  

If eBay is providing TRS with a postage discount below the going USPS rates, they can certainly also choose to provide additional insurance coverage as a benefit for TRS.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

I guess we'll find out come Monday.

It was my understanding that it was USPS who offered the additional insurance though.

[nobody*s_perfect]

The additional insurance coverage ($100 vs $50) currently does automatically come with Commercial Plus rates.  

As USPS continues its process of merging Commercial Base and Commercial Plus rates, it's still unclear (to me, at least)  whether they'll have different insurance benefits starting on Sunday when the price difference disappears, or whether they'll become essentially the same service.  If USPS no longer offers $100 with Commercial Plus, then the difference in coverage for TRS would apparently be covered by eBay, as implied by Brian in post #12.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Not quite sure how that's going to work tbh as you put a claim into usps.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

Brian, My guess is, ebay has a contract with the USPS which provides for the EQUIVALENT of CP pricing AS OF THE TIME OF THE CONTRACT . CP might go away, but as long as ebay's contract is still in effect, we will continue to get whatever was negotiated at that time. So, the discount isn't tied to the changed rate changes. it's tied to whatever the contract calls for.

Just a guess on my part.

[berserkerplanet]

I'm pretty sure the built in $50/$100 Priority Mail insurance will remain the same.

It is part of Commercial Plus price structure, and although Comm Plus prices are going up to match Commercial Base, Comm Plus is not going away, is still in 2019 Notice123, and there is no mention of any changes to PM insurance in the Federal Register that I can find. Any changes would have to be there for the DMM to be changed, It isn't in any of the more recent FR notices, and isn't where I'd expect it to be if there were any changes here:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2018-10-17/html/2018-22474.htm
https://pe.usps.com/FederalRegisterNotice

Really doesn't matter what eBay does unless they take Com Plus label capability away, which it doesn't sound like they are planning on doing. The insurance is tied to the label indicia, so as long as eBay provides continued capability to print USPS PM Com Plus labels (and even better if eBay discounts it themselves to mimic old Com Plus lower rates), the insurance is USPS "baked in" into the label itself if the label is Com Plus.

As was already said, we'll see for sure on Sunday or whenever USPS gets around to releasing the 2019 DMM.

[lintbrush*]

Not really sure about the answer we're getting.  The "eBay" discount we've always received is the benefit of Commercial Plus pricing.   My labels say CommPlus, and it comes with up to $100 insurance.

If they are saying we're going to maintain the % discount as it's an eBay discount, then why wasn't that done when the % off from Comm Plus to Comm Base dropped drastically to a whopping 3% two years ago?

[lintbrush*]

A light bulb went off and I remembered this page:

https://pages.ebay.com/usps/USPSsavings.html

which clearly states that the USPS rates given to TRS and 300+/mo shippers for Priority is the Commercial Plus rate and NOT an eBay discount.   

Thus, if Brian is correct with his first response, and we'll still continue to receive the benefits as currently given, that means there will be no additional discount for TRS as Comm Plus and Comm Base are the same price.   But if he's correct in his second, that we'll get savings above the CommPlus pricing, I'm good with that (even though I'll believe it when I see it because I don't now).

But I wonder... if eBay will now provide an additional rate off the new CommPlus, why wouldn't we have been told the pricing?  It's hard to set up a listing without vital information - like shipping costs.

brian@ebay  You know I think you're grand and all , but the page provided contradicts what you are saying - which I strongly believe is what you've been improperly fed.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@lintbrush* wrote: ...     It's hard to set up a listing without vital information - like shipping costs.....

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If your listing has calculated shipping, you don't have to do anything.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Are you channeling sam? = )

[sam9876]

I think Brian is confused.

[lintbrush*]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

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@lintbrush* wrote: ...     It's hard to set up a listing without vital information - like shipping costs.....

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If your listing has calculated shipping, you don't have to do anything.

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I could and I do for Priority Mail, but what about those who offer Free Shipping and take into account the highest potential cost.

I believe it's moot anyway.    I doubt there are any additional discounts for TRS above and beyond the posted rates in Notice 123. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@lintbrush* wrote: ...  I doubt there are any additional discounts for TRS above and beyond the posted rates in Notice 123. 

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In post #12, Brian said there will be.

Well, the suspense will all be over in just a few hours.

Sellers who offer free or flat rate shipping have to go through this rates-adjustment exercise every year. The only difference this year is that First Class has that extra Zone layer in the decision-making, as Priority always has.

[sharingtheland]

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@my-cottage-books-and-antiques wrote:
Brian, My guess is, ebay has a contract with the USPS which provides for the EQUIVALENT of CP pricing AS OF THE TIME OF THE CONTRACT . CP might go away, but as long as ebay's contract is still in effect, we will continue to get whatever was negotiated at that time. So, the discount isn't tied to the changed rate changes. it's tied to whatever the contract calls for.

Just a guess on my part.

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I'm going to put my guess waaaaay out on a limb (<---jaded font) and say ebay's contract with USPS, or what USPS charges ebay for shipping, is far less than we small sellers pay.