Calculated Shipping

[juflick_0]

I just watched the video on Calculated Shipping. Honestly, could she talk any faster?  Also, her screen doesn't show up good enough to help at all. I am more frustrated with the shipping processes than I can say.  I constantly lose money, while giving customer the lowest prices that Ebay wants me to give. .  How does someone sell something for $10.50 and give free shipping of , let's say $5.66, then pay shipping fees, Ebay fees and paypal fees and make any money at all. Then, Ebay wants me to sell it cheaper if it is not complying with their timeline. I have seen videos that have top Ebay sellers saying don't complain, but work harder.  How hard should I work for a  $3.00 profit.  

Question:  Is there another video that I can watch that makes sense.

[myboardid]

First of all, learn to ignore "what eBay wants you to do".  YOU know what your items cost, YOU can do research to see what others are charging for them, YOU know how much it weighs when packaged.  If you can't make a profit - DO NOT SELL IT!!!!

Calculated shipping is easy.  Go to the shipping calculator.  Enter the weight and dimensions of the package.  Dimensions are critical!  Enter your Zip Code and the buyer's Zip Code.  Or if you are just setting up a listing,  apply it to your listing, using the ADVANCED listing form. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Pay no attention to that video. It had errors in it from the day it came out, and now some of the information is just plain obsolete.

If you set up your listing with calculated shipping that is based on the actual weight and dimensions of your package, then your buyer will be charged the correct amount.  If you believe that an error has occurred, give us the details and maybe we can help you figure out what went wrong.  We can probably help if you provide specific details, including package weight and dimensions, service used (e.g., Priority Mail?), both ZIP Codes, and both exact prices.

Some things are just not worth selling on eBay.  Each seller has to work out the cost-effectiveness for themselves based on factors like merchandise weight, size, and demand, location, etc.

[anthology-of-treasures]

#1 Don't believe anything eBay or PayPal says.

#2 eBay does not eat its own dog food. Everything they do is not to help you, but to tighten the thumb screws on you to prop up their long failing market place short term so that eBay managers get their bonus pay.

Free shipping is a SCAM!

FVF fees were added to shipping because eBay claimed that FVF fees on shipping would reduce shipping costs. Yet, what does eBay do? They put in place policies which punish sellers for not using free shipping. Buyers can leave bad DSR rating for sellers for not using shipping under the false guise they are somehow free shipping gives them a better deal, thus eventually forcing such sellers off eBay. In order to offer free shipping the seller must bake into the price of items the maximum possible price of shipping, which makes more money for eBay. FVF on shipping & free shipping result in massive increases in shipping. Yes, eBay's elite do think you are that stupid.

In addition to this test chart eBay also:

Sells private insurance, which denies USPS of revenue, which in turn causes USPS to raise rates more - which of course makes eBay more money.

eBay now hides shipping options from buyers. Their own example hid the lowest cost FedEx option based upon a completely false shipping time for that service - the shipping time was literally made up by eBay as it does not match FedEx guides.

[wavef_65]

Calculated shipping has been wrong many times but I never complained over a few bucks, this time it is off by $28.92. Details - package size was 20"x20"x7" and weight is 5 lbs. (I checked and this is the info I gave) Ebay charged the customer $23.02 for shipping. When I went to print the shipping label the price I'm being charged is $51.94 and that's for USPS Parcel Select Package not Priority Mail Package which was a couple dollars more. Im shipping from 13031 and its going to 90278. The item only sold for $23.50 so im going to loose $5.38 Then more when Ebay takes there commission. I will look into other shipping options Monday morning. any suggestions? 

[lintbrush*]

@wavef_65 

You listed with Retail Ground.  You are trying to purchase Parcel Select - the online equivalent but actually has a different DimWeight application.  

Your buyer is in Zone 8  and was charged the 5 lb Zone Rate $23.02 based on your chosen shipping option.

The Parcel Select Rate applied to that is 17 lbs. ($51.94)

The Retail Rate is actually $23.02

BUY AT COUNTER!!!!

This is a weird thing USPS has done, but it's what it is.  DimWeight applies to Parcel Select but not Retail Ground - but you can only use Retail Ground for Zones 5+ for most items unless it's a Hazardous/Special Handling (Live Animals) situation and then it applies to all Zones.

[wavef_65]

Thanks for the info.

[myangelandmyprincess]

“FVF fees were added to shipping because eBay claimed that FVF fees on shipping would reduce shipping costs. Yet, what does eBay do? They put in place policies which punish sellers for not using free shipping. Buyers can leave bad DSR rating for sellers for not using shipping under the false guise they are somehow free shipping gives them a better deal, thus eventually forcing such sellers off eBay. In order to offer free shipping the seller must bake into the price of items the maximum possible price of shipping, which makes more money for eBay. FVF on shipping & free shipping result in massive increases in shipping. Yes, eBay's elite do think you are that stupid.”

when eBay said “it would reduce shipping costs” they meant it would reduce what’s sellers were charging for shipping.  In other words sellers wouldn’t charge more for shipping in order to pay less in fees.  So the costs buyers see would start to be more reasonable since the cheating the system was removed.  

After DSRS were put in place eBay made it where free shipping couldn’t be rated less than five stars not to punish sellers who charge shipping but to keep buyers from hurting sellers when clearly the shipping charge wasn’t high if it was free.    I started doing free shipping once they offered that protection because I had already been getting DSRS if 1 when my prices would be right on with the cost.  For some items where the costs vary so much it’s best not to use free shipping.  Since the DSRS don’t give defects anymore I would highly recommend calculated shipping for those type items.  

[orangehound]

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@juflick_0 wrote:

I constantly lose money, while giving customer the lowest prices that Ebay wants me to give. .  How does someone sell something for $10.50 and give free shipping of , let's say $5.66, then pay shipping fees, Ebay fees and paypal fees and make any money at all.

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They don't.   Some sellers are "hobby sellers" who simply get a thrill out of making a sale, regardless of profit or loss.

Generally speaking, if you want to make more than minimum wage on eBay, you have to source and sell one-of-a-kind items that sell for more than $20.