Combined Shipping with Calculated Shipping Price is wrong

[rdjsystemservices]

This is the first time I have bumped into this particular issue but a buyer purchased two items from me.

Both were 8 & 7 lbs respectively and both needed to be shipped in a 26x5x15 box.

Ebay calculated shipping and combined the WEIGHT but they left the box size the same. Well both won't fit in one box and I ended up paying double the shipping price that was charged because it needed a much larger box or to ship in two different boxes.

I have searched the forum and found a similar complaint in june of last year with no resolution. Does anyone know what has been done to resolve this issue if I have missed that solution.

[kristinawilliam]

I have had the same issue, called and hunted down a resolution with no avail. 

End result, every time it happens, I eat the shipping cost.  I have adjusted a few items that are likely getting combined in purchases to give me more buffer, but there is still no perfect solution.  

[mtgraves7984]

@rdjsystemservices 

"Ebay calculated shipping and combined the WEIGHT but they left the box size the same."

I'm a bit confused by your post, but I'm sure eBay didn't leave the box size the same. On the label page, those fields require you  to enter the information... weight and package dimensions. If that's done, eBay's calculator will know to charge you the amount it'll take for USPS to deliver it.

Hope that helps...

[orangehound]

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@rdjsystemservices wrote:

This is the first time I have bumped into this particular issue but a buyer purchased two items from me.

Both were 8 & 7 lbs respectively and both needed to be shipped in a 26x5x15 box.

Ebay calculated shipping and combined the WEIGHT but they left the box size the same. Well both won't fit in one box and I ended up paying double the shipping price that was charged because it needed a much larger box or to ship in two different boxes.

I have searched the forum and found a similar complaint in june of last year with no resolution. Does anyone know what has been done to resolve this issue if I have missed that solution.

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This problem has been around since disco ... eBay has known about it for 5-10 years and is apparently never going to fix it.  So you need to fix it yourself.  How?

You have to set your shipping weight according to whatever will be the actual shipping weight (larger of actual weight or dimensional weight).  For example, if you are shipping the item above, then the actual weight is 8 pounds and the dimensional weight is 12 pounds.  Thus, in setting up your listing, you need to specify the weight as 12 pounds (26x5x15/166), and then if multiple quantities are ordered, the calculated shipping will work.

[orangehound]

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@mtgraves7984 wrote:

If that's done, eBay's calculator will know to charge you the amount it'll take for USPS to deliver it.

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Nope.  eBay will double the weight on a quantity of 2, but they keep the dimensions the same ... they will triple the weight on a quantity of 3, but they keep the dimensions the same ... etc.

[mtgraves7984]

Thanks, @rdjsystemservices  and @orangehound !!  I always welcome free lessons!

[vimart_7814]

I'm experiencing a variant of the same problem. After selling an item, eBay instructed me to print out a label. I followed their prompt, paid for it, printed it out, slapped the label on the package, and dropped it into a USPS mailbox. Easy, right? Not exactly. I sold a second item and was about to click to buy the mailing label when I noticed that eBay had filled in the weight and dimensions for the package with incorrect information. I fixed it and sent the package. Well, the second package arrived just fine, but the first one is in limbo with the USPS tracking link providing no information. I'm assuming that the problem is that the postage label was wrong.

1) eBay should not attempt to fill in the weight and dimensions of your package if it's going to get them wrong. They should leave that info blank unless they have made sure it's 100% correct. There is also no prompt reminding you to provide the information. They simply instruct you to print your label and like Pavlov's dog you do so without thinking you have to correct anything.

2) Where does eBay get incorrect size and dimensions? What I sold is a relatively popular product with bar code. They must have sold hundreds if not thousands of them. I did not provide the item's weight when I set up the auction (nor was I prompted to). eBay had pre-filled a lot of the information for me. My best guess is that when you're looking at a product, they provide a link that says something like "sell one like this" or "have one to sell?" and when you hit the link I guess they fill in using the information that the previous seller provided. Don't know. 

Anyhow, it seems like eBay tries to make things easier and quicker for sellers but sometimes complicates things for you. I'm probably going to have to contact the buyer and refund his money. This has been a frustrating experience. To eBay: Don't try to make things easier if you're going to get things wrong and complicate them for the seller. Based on this experience, I would not recommend eBay to anyone. Maybe there are better options.

[rdjsystemservices]

@orangehound  Thanks for the reply.  I'm surprised that this is still an ongoing issue.  I will have to try to figure out something.  

[orangehound]

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@vimart_7814 

eBay should not attempt to fill in the weight and dimensions of your package if it's going to get them wrong.

eBay fills in the weight and dimensions on the shipping label according to what you specified in the listing ... you are responsible for the accuracy of all information in the listing.

They should leave that info blank unless they have made sure it's 100% correct.

eBay does not come to your house/business, put your item on a scale, and pull out a measuring tape to find your package's shipping measurements ... you are the one that has to make sure it is 100% correct.

There is also no prompt reminding you to provide the information.

The fields for specifying the weight and dimensions are in the interface for creating a listing. 

Where does eBay get incorrect size and dimensions?

You specify it when you create the listing.   If some information has been pre-filled because you are using "sell similar", then it is your responsibility to ensure those fields are correct.

I did not provide the item's weight when I set up the auction (nor was I prompted to).

You missed it, or skipped it.

My best guess is that when you're looking at a product, they provide a link that says something like "sell one like this" or "have one to sell?" and when you hit the link I guess they fill in using the information that the previous seller provided. Don't know. 

The only time that the weight and dimensions are pre-populated when creating a listing, is when you use the "sell similar" feature.  All other times, the weight is 0 and the dimensions are 0x0x0

[vimart_7814]

I know "it's my responsibility." That's why I am now probably going to have to give the buyer a full refund. But I think you're missing the point. Why should I have to correct anything simply because eBay decided to fill in the wrong information? Better to leave it blank and prompt the user to fill in the information or, if you are going to fill in the information, remind me to check to make sure it's correct. But in my opinion there simply should never be any incorrect information filled in for you ever. Much better to leave it blank so you know you have to fill it in. Next time I have something to sell, I'm going to try another marketplace to see if their system is more intuitive than eBay's.