Buyer selected USPS Retail Ground for shipment, but I can't select that for shipping.

[klue4442]

Buyer paid for an item on the 24th, selected Retail Ground for shipping option and paid the amount for that. But when I go to buy the label, USPS Retail Ground is not presented as an option to select. Just Priority Mail and Flat Rate box options. This item won't fit in any of the flat rate boxes, and Priority Mail for it is twice the cost of what they paid to use that would eat up the profit from the whole purchase, so I'd be losing money. Retail Ground was a viable option when I listed this item, that's what the buy picked, I don't want to invoice them for twice as much now. I do I select Retail Ground again?

[santamonicajeweler]

It should be there. Did you scroll all the way down? If you can't find it, use UPS Ground, it's about $11 for up to 3 pounds with larger dimensions 

[lamber9347]

@klue4442 You cannot invoice the buyer for more money, that is against policy and would lead to a very bad review by the buyer. You are correct that the option is available when listing certain items but goes away afterwards because eBay is no longer supporting retail ground. 

What I have done is used Pirate Shipping, which is free to open an account on. There you can purchase a retail ground shipping label for close to what you would have gotten here. Then you enter that tracking number on the order and mark it as shipped. Works just fine for everyone. Moving forward now you are aware of the trappings in shipping and know how to work around that. Best of luck to you....

[lacemaker3]

@klue4442 

That is correct. USPS Retail Ground is only available for purchase Retail, meaning at the counter in your post office. You can't buy a Retail Ground shipping label online, you have to buy it at the post office.

You can try USPS Parcel Select, which is the same class of service, but this is the service that can be purchased online. Or,  you can buy the shipping label at the post office and upload the tracking # manually.

[wastingtime101]

Retail Ground is a service that's available only at the retail counter. The online equivalent is Parcel Select Ground. You can offer ground service through the listing @klue4442, but eBay is restricting most sellers from purchasing USPS ground labels through eBay. You can purchase the label at pirateship.com or paypal.com/shipnow and upload the tracking number to eBay.

Unless the package is oversized, unusually heavy or containing hazmat material, it's generally a better option to ship Priority. It's about the same price (within about $1 or so), it's faster and comes with a certain amount of insurance.

[albertabrightalberta]

I'm pretty sure that paypal.com/shipnow still offers parcel select (previously known as Parcel post.)

@klue4442 

If you do purchase shipping elsewhere, be sure to copy and paste the tracking number into the transaction.

[nobody*s_perfect]

"USPS Retail Ground is not presented as an option to select. Just Priority Mail and Flat Rate box options. This item won't fit in any of the flat rate boxes, and Priority Mail for it is twice the cost of what they paid "

As noted above, Retail Ground is a retail service which cannot be purchased online.  The online equivalent is called Parcel Select Ground; you can't purhase it through eBay but it's available through other online postage sellers including PayPal.

An eBay postage label for Priority Mail will cost less than purchasing Retail Ground for the same package weight, dimensions, and Zone at the Post Office except for very heavy packages. Perhaps you entered the wrong dimensions either in your listing or on the label form. What are the actual weight and dimensions of the package, and the buyer's ZIP Code? That sleeping bag looks bulky, so I am wondering whether you entered incorrect dimensions in the listing and then encountered the dreaded "dimensional weight" for your label because the actual package is over  1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches).