Change to First Class Shipping Pricing for 13oz+

[jmacds]

I just noticed this morning that one of my 15oz First Class items calculated the shipping at the Priority Mail rate.  I poked around with a similar unsold item and various weight/ZIP scenarios.  It appears that we no longer can ship at First Class rates for 15oz......Well, I guess we can, but the 14-16oz rate is now the Priority rate.  I never noted an announcement about this from eBay.

I this item's case, I refunded about $4 after cutting the packaging volume way back.  The calculated price was high enough that I could have used a Priority Flat Rate Envelope and saved the buyer money.  This is obviously very significant for lower priced items. 

I don't have an issue with First Class rates ending at 13oz.  It just would have been nice to be able to adjust my listings ahead of time so as to not lose sales due to the shipping cost.

[flo_mingo]

you can still ship first class through stamps.com. you can open a free discounted account through ebay. 

[mudshark61369]

@jmacds,

The USPS changed the weight limit for 1st class about two years ago, unless one had a USPS business account, which still has a 15.99oz. limit.

[nobody*s_perfect]

There has been no change in USPS policy or weight limits; the weight limit for First Class packages is still 15.99 ounces if purchasing postage online, but it's 13 ounces retail.  The shipping calculator in eBay listings defaults to show the retail pricing. So when you put in a weight above 13 ounces, it does what the clerk at the PO counter would do: upgrade to Priority Mail.

To correct this, go to your site preferences and activate the option to "share carrier discounts."  But this will affect all your listings.  Alternatively, you could just enter a weight of 13 ounces for items up to 15.99 ounces, because the online postage cost is the same.

[jmacds]

There HAS been a change. Whether it's a glitch within eBay or if the latest USPS rate increases knocked out our 14-16oz savings I don't know. I do know that I've been shipping 15oz for a long time and it's always been less expensive than Priority.  I have made no account or setting changes to account for this shipping charge change.

No offense to those trying to explain this to me, but I've been doing this quite a while and understand the differences between the eBay First Class options and what I'd get if I walked into the Post Office. I'm simply pointing out that I noticed a shipping calculation change that wasn't there the last time I mailed a 14 or 15oz package.

There HAS been a change with First Class pricing within USPS recently, including potential surcharges for the upcoming holidays.  I don't know if the changed pricing my buyers see is due to the USPS change or due to something eBay changed, but it's there.

As far as the suggestion to share carrier discounts, I don't share the discounts as I feel the small amount of additional profit I get goes towards my packaging costs.  Maybe "share carrier discounts" will correct the 15oz pricing issue, but I'll then have to raise my listing prices by a comparable amount.

Thanks to all.

[glenvonnie]

I don't share discounts and I shipped items where I entered 16 ounces as the weight last night, it automatically changes to 1 LB, but the first class shipping rate stays the same as 13 ounces would. I just checked by trying to reprint a label, changed the 13 ounces to 16, it moved to 1 Lb and still showed me the 1st Class rate for 13 Ounces.

Did you list the item at 14 to 16 ounces ?, I've found that doing that automatically changes the shipping shown on the listing to Parcel Post of FR Priority, to show 1st Class shipping rates you can't put more than 13 ounces in the listing.

[jmacds · Accepted solution]

Hi Glenvonnie.

I just went back to the problem shipment and tried to Print Another Label.  When the label opened up it had the original 15oz value in the Shipping Weight and showed the CORRECT First Class rate.  Whatever I experienced earlier has been cleared up.
Just for further clarification, when I was having the issue with the original label I changed the shipping weight in one ounce increments between 12oz and 16oz.  Only 13 and less calculated correctly, 14-16 calculated a First Class rate that was equal to the one pound Priority rate.  Whatever was causing this at the time, it's no longer an issue, thank goodness.  Hopefully this won't pop up again.

I have never had a First Class shipping calculation problem before with items listed at 15oz, so I haven't shared your experience incorrect calculations.

Thanks,

John