Had return requests for two items today. Both items are 12.6lbs in a 14x12x4. We shipped those for $8.70 each via FedEx Home Delivery. If I were to have used eBay return labels I would have been charged $37.89 each. One would make a case, boy I get really good shipping rates, and we do. So I did some checking. The following is what I found for shipping one of the items:
www.FedEx.com (retail no discount) Delivery this Sunday for $11.61, Tuesday 11/10 $36.00 & Wednesday 11/11 $28.43. FedEx Standard Overnight (with my discount) was $50.48 & 2nd day was $23.79 and my Ground actual cost was $8.70.
This is not the first time I have complained about the cost of eBay shipping labels. Like today from CS all you get is, I'll past it along and see if something can be done. I was a BETA tester for Global Shipping years ago. Got off the system in two weeks, realized (as per usual) the only winner in that scenario is eBay. It was hawked as being better for the Buyer experience, wrong. How can a package first be sent to KY and then reshipped from there to its destination delaying the shipment, I guess that is better. Also all of the plus to the Seller was never there. We were told that GS would handle the transaction completely once they received it in KY. That just didn't happen. We were just as involved with the return process as if we never had GS involved.
The return items were sold at $54.99 & $55.99 each. If I would have used eBay for labels I would have lost large on these sales. The reason I'm talking about this is the rest of the eBay Community that purchases label from eBay is really being taken advantage of and that needs to stop. If I can negotiate a low reasonable rate for shipping that is lower by 4.5 times eBays label something is very wrong. eBay should have the power to get even better rates. Now eBay might say well we used USPS Priority. If that is the case my rate for the same package is $16.41 to the same location, same package, using USPS.
We have used a shipping program for many years, Shipworks. We have selected Stamps.com for USPS labels and direct label purchasing from FedEx, UPS and DHL through Shipworks. Shipworks cost me $14.00 a month to use. Here is what I get that eBay won't, not that they can't, supply. I have a record of every item I every sold for the past 10 years. That info includes name, phone number, email, listing ID, date of purchase, description of item, cost per item, cost of shipping, date paid, method of payment, all tracking numbers, paypal addresses, email addresses and eBay Buyer ID. You can get that from eBay for 90 days not 10 years. This information is invaluable.
There just is no improvement in sight with eBay. They have proven that they have no idea how shipping works. One example, for year and like today, eBay does not recognize Puerto Rico as part of the United States nor to they believe the same of the Trust Territories out in the Pacific Ocean. The only conclusion that can be drawn is eBay is making a fat hog on shipping, which they will deny.
Disenfranchised
