Buyer Selected Shiping

[pooch422]

I keep running into problems where this shipping options given to me don't match what I selected.  And I keep seeing "Buyer Selected" Shipping that does not jive with the item and what I've already selected.  I measure and weight my package, 9lbs. 8 oz.  10"x10"'15" and selected USPS GROUND.  After the sale and payment is received I am ready to ship and see the shipping options are NOT GROUND.  It says "Buyer Selected" USPS priority flat rate envelope.  This item does not ship in an envelope and if I select that shipping, the post office will give me a problem.  Last time this happened they told me they will charge my account if there is a difference in weight and that it was a problem because the label was for an envelope and it was a box package.  Now I am ready to ship this package and do not see USPS parcel select Ground!

[wastingtime101]

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brian@ebay wrote:

Hi everyone. I received an update about this. Parcel Select Ground is only available for purchase at USPS physical locations, which is why there isn't an option to buy it through the eBay label platform. 

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brian@ebay - Parcel Select is available to purchase on eBay. Refer below to screenshots I just took from the eBay shipping label page and take that to the team who said it's not an option.

The problem (if you read through this entire discussion) is that while the option is  there for some of us, for other sellers the option isn't populating.

Bulk shipping screen:

Single order shipping screen: 

While you're reviewing this - take a look at that incredibly unrealistic shipping estimate on parcel select ground service.

[ellenkay55]

Me too.  I've had to change the shipping to UPS ground and it's still double the postage the buyer paid.  I just ate the difference because  I was in a hurry to get the package out.  This is only happening on my large "ground shipping" options not my smaller packages.  I put the correct dimensions and weight on the sell page, but the buyer selects "USPS envelope" and then PAYS the small postage amount (not for a package).  The problem is the buyer has already paid so the transaction is done on the buyer's end.

[evelyb30]

As long as it's a plain old ship by weight, they don't care.   Only flat rate shipping requires the associated Priority or Express packaging.   The regular Priority boxes are a convenience so that you don't have to measure anything.  I ship Priority with plain brown boxes all the time and so do most companies. No problem. Even when  a buyer selects a ground option I generally upgrade to Priority; it's often cheaper anyway!  (and no one has ever complained about a shipment coming faster than promised.)  

[lja440]

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@pooch422 wrote:

This is what I see. I suppose I could select Priority mail and eat the 10 cent difference from what the buyer paid.  The only problem is that the post office is very picky and priority shipments have to be in priority boxes, and if you have a priority box and don't pay for priority shipping they will not accept the package.  I am unsure about paying for priority postage that is in a regular brown box if they will accept it or not.

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LOL I have been working at USPS for 20 years. No way would USPS reject a brown box unless it had prohibited markings and then it would be accepted after those markings were covered. 

. Re-used boxes and containers that once held liquor, wine, beer, cosmetics or cleaning supplies must have markings completely removed or obliterated. If they still display markings associated with hazardous, prohibited or restricted materials, United States Postal Service® employees are required to handle the item as if the markings reflect the contents. For the safety of employees, customers and the public, such an item will be removed from the mailstream and the sender will be responsible for retrieving it.

[512bb]

It is now 8 months since this topic started and it obviously hasn't been addressed by eBay because I am having the same problem. I offered Parcel Select postage, the buyer paid for Parcel Select postage but when I go to print the label Parcel Select is not an option, so it has defaulted to the first Carrier Packaging option, which is USPS Flat Rate Envelope. This particular instance the cost difference between Parcel Select and Priority are minimal, but I am worried what will happen when I sell a heavy, large item that gets shipped across country, then I will lose much more money. I guess I'll have to use Etsy to list big, heavy items until this problem is solved. 

I just recently lost my top rated status because I didn't sell 100 items in the past 12 months. I wonder if that has anything to do with this problem, as I never saw this happen before. 

[mustang05charlie]

I started having the exact same problem yesterday.  It was fine up until then.  Now the last two items I sold had the same problem.  I paid the extra .20 for Priority for my buyer on the first item, but for the second item I went thru Paypal to buy the label, so both times I didn't get the Ebay discount.  What the heck is going on with this???

[mustang05charlie]

I'm having the same problem 8 months later.  Any fix????

[mustang05charlie]

I just started having this problem.  

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@mustang05charlie wrote:

I started having the exact same problem yesterday.  It was fine up until then.  Now the last two items I sold had the same problem.  I paid the extra .20 for Priority for my buyer on the first item, but for the second item I went thru Paypal to buy the label, so both times I didn't get the Ebay discount.  What the heck is going on with this???

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What eBay refers to as the "eBay discount" is nothing more than the difference between the regular retail price and the online price that you'd pay through any online postage provider including PayPal, stamps.com, endicia, etc.  You paid the same for Parcel Select on PayPal as you would have paid through eBay.

The absence of the option to purchase Parcel Select Ground is a glitch. It doesn't affect all sellers. It's unclear what priority , if any, eBay has assigned to fixing it.  You might want to consider just not offering Parcel Select, only offer Priority.

[wastingtime101]

Looks like you need to nudge (or shove) the shipping team on this, brian@ebay. This has been going on since March.

[marshamallow2-5]

When did they change to not shipping ground?  I've always done that. I tried to this morning, but it kept defaulting to priority flat rate envelope. So, I printed out the label and stuck it on a priority Tyvek mailer. Oops, those aren't flat rate. The item won't fit in a flat rate envelope, so now I have to figure out what to do before the mailman gets here. I'm getting so frustrated.

[nobody*s_perfect]

When Parcel Select Ground is missing from the list of options, it defaults to flat rate envelope because that's at the top of the list.

You could have changed to regular Priority Mail and it probably wouldn't have cost much more. Now, you might as well just let the carrier pick up your mislabeled envelope. Chances are that the cost difference will be caught by the APV system, and the difference will be charged to your eBay invoice.

eBay made no announcement about phasing out Parcel Select Ground.  A staff member recently mentioned this change on a discussion board, months after sellers started reporting it.  See post #15 on this thread:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Weekly-Chat-with-eBay-Staff/Community-Chat-December-9-1-00-pm-PT-Gener...

https://link.usps.com/2017/10/05/what-is-apv/

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/ebay-shipping-partners/avoid-extra-postage-costs....

[ralexis12]

The parcel option is not there .. THERE IS NO OPTION FOR PARCEL ANYMORE ...

today is 12/29/2020

[ralexis12]

its not there ... What is going on???? 

[nobody*s_perfect]

 eBay has decided to phase out access to Parcel Select Ground labels, even though USPS has made no changes in their services or policies, and it's offered by all other online postage sellers including PayPal, endicia, stamps.com, etc.