Bulk shipping limitations and how improvements could help sellers

[wants-upon-a-time]

I sometimes offer free shipping. Often times I can only afford to do this by selecting the lowest cost carrier (comparable services)  prior to shipping the item  - I clearly state this in my listings that offer free shipping. 

This works fine when I ship items individually, I am easily able to compare carriers prior to shipping, but the bulk shipping page does not allow sellers to compare rates from different carriers prior to shipment. 

so I called customer service....

After speaking to  3 or 4 customer service reps one of them offered a half way decent explination:  "you cant compare carriers with the bulk mailing option because buyers choose a specific carrier at the time of purchase".

A few points of contention I have:

This doesn't explain why I CAN compare rates between carriers if I choose to ship packages one at a time regardless of the primary shipping option.

and

I am prompted to choose the option for which carrier I use when I list an item for sale, not the buyer.

eBay only allows the option for sellers to select one carrier OR  another as the first shipping option.

Yes, a second (BUYER PAID)  shipping option is allowed, but does not allow the seller the flexibility to choose a second FREE shipping option. 

So I ask you this:

If you buy an item, the shipping is free, and you receive it in a specific guaranteed time frame, do you care who ships it?

I know there may be an occasional person here and there, but I personally haven't found anyone that does.

I also know there are 3rd party software providers that offer bulk mailing with multiple carriers, but this is less about me having to find workarounds for every one of these shortcomings, and more about me trying to  help (eBay) make my job easier and more profitable, therein also doing the same for themselves (in theory).  

If your a seller that has had this issue, please respond, or better yet if its a big enough obstacle, help me figure out a way to get this to someone who can change or address it properly.  Based on my experience selling over the years, positive changes come slow, few, and far between.

[rixstuff]

 I keep it simple - I offer the shipping that works for me and that's it, no other options.  If the buyer buys multiple items from me I will ship them all together for the lowest cost option of the total weight of the package.  If 5 items weigh less than a pound then I still use FC.  If buying more pushes it over, I use PM. BUT...I also cover the shipping on multiple items.  I don't use UPS or FedEx because they don't work in my neighborhood and I'm not gonna run all over town to track one down.

[berserkerplanet]

I can't make heads or tails of your problem here.

Bulk shipping is missing some easy button comparison feature like the new label flow single shipment interface has?

You can change the shipping method for a shipment in the classic bulk shipping interface, and get the amount for that new option same as in the classic label flow. Pretty sure the new bulk shipping flow is the same IIRC.

Most that use the bulk flows ship with the original stated method or buyer selected method and don't need an easy button comparison, nor is eBay going to create one.

If you have a problem shipment that needs an easy button compare, use the individual label flow for that shipment.

[wants-upon-a-time]

Thanks for your reply, the easy button issue I'm referring to is concerning switching the carrier, not the method.

I generally use the same METHOD as well but many times I can UPGRADE methods if I switch carriers for the same cost to the buyer (FREE). It can be necessary at many times, and beneficial to all, for many reasons, to have the flexibility to use multiple carriers when offering FREE shipping.

If thats not clear to most sellers and I'm the odd one out, then perhaps I'm doing something unique (pretty sure I'm not because even carriers contract each others services), or everyone is fine with drinking their coffee black in white 12oz styrofoam cups.

[wants-upon-a-time]

Makes total sense in your instance, I usually happen to be in the opposite position. I often ship large heavy items which can vary anywhere up to $100 difference in shipping costs if I don't select the right carrier. For example, I can send an item via Fedex ground (1-5 days) much faster and for much less money than parcel select (2-9 days). The end result is also better for the buyer who gets the item faster.

[berserkerplanet]

>>Thanks for your reply, the easy button issue I'm referring to is concerning switching the carrier, not the method.

Sorry, I skimmed over that and missed the carrier issue. And you are right, there is no option in the classic bulk flow to switch carriers (not sure about the new bulk flow- don't have any unshipped orders to verify with, but assume it's the same)

And sorry to say, there is little or no hope of that changing - eBay do what eBay do, and your single wheel ain't squeaky enough to get the grease. (I know you asked for other sellers with a similar viewpoint to chime in, but there aren't enough of youse to nudge the needle)

"I can say with absolute certainty, never having actually used them, that the eBay shipping flows are just fine the way we coded them"

Really, your best (and only option) is to process the carrier change likely orders individually.

Signed,
Eeyore.

[dasarock]

---

@wants-upon-a-time wrote:

I sometimes offer free shipping. Often times I can only afford to do this by  ...

---

i've learned to use the 'economy shipping' option when listing, not a carrier or service.  or 'standard' or 'expedited' as appropriate for 2nd and 3rd methods.  this allows me to choose.  it may cost me some sales but it is easier on my wallet and leaves me able to have a 'slushpuppy wiff rum!' once in a while hehe

...just a thought

[anthology-of-treasures]

How exactly does offering free shipping to customers deliver the lowest cost shipping to customers?

It can't.

eBay's heavy promotion of so called "free shipping" is NOT designed to deliver lower costs to buyers. Its designed to raise prices for buyers so eBay makes more off the shipping commission.

In order to charge free shipping you need to add the highest possible cost of shipping into the price of the item. If you have a 5 pound package that means adding at least the $28.84 commercial rate to the price of the item. But since eBay charges a 10% commission you would be losing money on that $28.84 so it really means adding the $34.80 retail price to the price of the item to cover the 10% commission and possibly a portion or all of PayPal's 2.9% commission.

If you were selling 10,000 the same widgets you could average the shipping cost into the price of the item. This would be a figure between zone 1 and zone 9 pricing. You would be losing money on some packages's shipping, breaking even on others, and making a tiny amount on others. Thats a gamble I would not take personally as you could loose money on the 10,000 units overall as your lowered shipping rates for farther away zones would likely attract more orders from those zones, resulting in more loses.

Then we have the whole issue of adjusting your entire stock of inventory every time carriers raises their rates.

On the other hand if you offered calculated shipping every buyer pays according to their location. You are not forcing a buyer in zone 1 to pay zone 9 pricing, which you would have to do with free shipping. You charge each customer retail while paying commercial rates. Aside from some very cheap goods you may offer you do not need to adjust the price of your items when carriers raise their rates as the retail rates you are charging customers will be auto adjusted by eBay.  This delivers lower costs to your buyers!

Retail:

Commercial: