Confused about Ebay shipping cost and USPS cost

[liawri-75]

When I go to choose shipping Ebay has a different rate (higher) than the USPS.  Here's the USPS for shipping priority:

Here's the Ebay shipping rate for priority (notice it doesn't have flat rate?)

When entering a shipping rate, do I use Ebay price or the USPS price?  The seller would save about $2 with the USPS price.

I don't want any packages returned.

Also, does the "commercial pricing" mean the person takes the package to the PO to mail and gets the lower price; or does it mean the person is a business (EBAY) and MUST pay the commercial rate.

Who in the name of Geezus at the USPS came up with these dam rates?

[nobody*s_perfect]

if you purchase postage at the Post Office counter, you pay the Retail Rate.  If you purchase a postage label online (through eBay or other online postage providers such as Pirateship or stamps.com), you get the rates that USPS calls Commercial, even if you are not a business.  In fact, for some services the eBay postage price as a little bit lower than the USPS published rates. (Exception: Media Mail which costs the same wherever you purchase it.) 

If you are setting up a listing with a flat price for shipping, rather than setting up calculated shipping, then you can choose to enter whatever price you want. If you want to be sure that you don't lose money on postage, you should enter the cost to ship to Zone 8.  For accuracy, I recommend that you use the eBay shipping calculator, which has options to view either the retail ("in store") or eBay rates; if you choose eBay rates, the retail rates are also shown, to illustrate the discount.

http://www.ebay.com/shp/Calculator

eBay's online postage prices are usually lower than what you'd pay at the PO counter, and are never higher.  So if you are seeing a higher price for the eBay postage, then something is wrong. Either you're using different inputs (weight, ZIP Code, etc.) or there's a glitch.

[monica-sells]

@nobody*s_perfect 

Does the calculated price for the service on the create listing page (admin side) always reflect the same price displayed on the listing (buyers side)....

if you have the "pass on the savings" option enabled?

The admin page always seems to show the retail (higher) price on my listings even though the proper price is displayed on the listing

[nobody*s_perfect]

I don't know; I have my preferences set to Retail. And I never pay any attention to those prices shown on the listing form, anyway.

[monica-sells]

OK...Thanks....mine are set to "pass on" the savings, and this is how it displays on the admin side compared to the actual listing. Note the pricing range on the admin side.

[elksmile]

Did you notice that under "Delivery" in your final shot, they all say Parcel Select/Ground Advantage with the same delivery dates?  My Priority calculated prices are all wrong on my listings.

[whitewaterford]

---

@monica-sells elizabeth@ebay 
@elksmile wrote:

Did you notice that under "Delivery" in your final shot, they all say Parcel Select/Ground Advantage with the same delivery dates?

---

I noticed that yesterday and today the delivery shown all showed "Parcel Select/Ground Advantage" in the "delivery*" column as shown in your pic above.  (As a retired programmer/tester, I still look for these things!)  It appears to be a programming error on eBay's part.    In my case though, the estimated dates in the column differed, so perhaps those are right and just the service is hard coded.  See below:

[qsmuse]

I have NEVER had Ebay shipping rates be cheaper than the post office. For instance, I am mailing a small cloth item in a 6x9 envelope. It's not 1" thick. Ebay wants $4.10 for the label and the post office is charging $2.10. I don't agree with everyone on here saying you are getting a better rate via Ebay.  I am going to pack my item and use stamps on it and put it out for my mail carrier to pick up today. Could that be because when I put in my envelopes size Ebay assumes it a box? I don't recall getting to choose a box or envelope when putting in the package size and weight.

[steady2304]

@qsmuse 

That is because you are sending your item as a letter or flat with stamps. There is no tracking available for that method. eBay shipping only has labels for packages w/tracking, thus the difference.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@qsmuse wrote:

I have NEVER had Ebay shipping rates be cheaper than the post office. For instance, I am mailing a small cloth item in a 6x9 envelope. It's not 1" thick. Ebay wants $4.10 for the label and the post office is charging $2.10. ....

---

Those rates are for two different services:  The $2.10 is for a First Class flat (AKA Large envelope) and $4.10 is the rate for a Ground Advantage package.   eBay does not sell postage labels for letters or flats, so if your piece is eligible to be mailed as a flat (i.e., dimensions, flexible, etc.) then go ahead and mail it at the PO or put stamps on it.

[kh-laura]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.