Calculated Shipping..doing something wrong on my end

[bergmaningmarfan]

Hi..I am NOT new to eBay selling, but clearly, I have not been paying attention to shipping costs. I sell so little..I don't have a store and it's really a hobby. For instance, I had no idea for the longest time that the calculate shipping that you see on your own listing is the shipping for YOUR zip code. And everything I would ship out had THAT amount as a shipping cost to buyers. So when I recently sold something and the shipping was MORE, I was baffled. So I found out that the shipping cost was correct according to THEIR location. Today, again, I sold a small book at I saw that on MY listing for my zip code, it was 3.52 first class. But the buyer, from California also paid 3.52. I didn't think anything of it and thought the calculated tool had done its job. However, when I went to the post office, they calculated first class at 3.75. I didn't mind paying the extra twenty cents out of pocket, but I am still completely baffled about what I am doing wrong. I will be getting a scale to hopefully correct this, but any insights from others would be so appreciated!

[partial*eclipse · Accepted solution]

Postage costs for First Class  are the same for any destination; they are not zoned, they go just by weight.   But if you don't have a scale, then there's no way to be sure that you are charging the buyer the correct postage.

Also, in your case, you seem to have charged the buyer the postage rate for a flat (AKA Large envelope) rather than for a package.  When you set up the shipping calculator, be sure to choose "Package/thick envelope" in the drop-down menu for "package type". 

[bergmaningmarfan]

I think you are absolutely correct about that and you have given me the answer to my confusion! Thanks so much!

[gotta-get-stuff]

If you buy your labels through ebay/paypal you get a discount. If you go to the post office and buy them you don't get that discount. Sounds like that's why your shipping cost was different.