Ebay miscalculated shipping cost on USPS

[cinny*lou]

Please see the information I have copied below.  The buyer paid $7.40 for postage, and I am being charged $8.15.  Granted it's only a $0.75 difference, but I also accepted the buyers offer and will not receive much after all of the fees.

So the size and weight of the package is correct and unchanged since the item was originally listed.  My zip code (shippers zip code) is also correct.  I entered the information in the USPS website directly, and the calculation is $8.15 to ship.

Obviously I cannot charge the purchaser for the additional cost, but I'm trying to figure out why there's a difference.  I want to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

Any ideas?  Thanks in advance.

 

[divwido]

Did you check to see how much Priority mail is?  Sometimes it's cheaper and faster.

[cinny*lou]

It is also $8.15 with my Ebay discount.  I will use this when I ship the item, but it isn't less expensive.

[divwido]

Usually, in my been here since the start of the earth, Priority is cheaper by about a dollar.  I cannot tell you why your issue is different since I cannot access your account.  But eBay is spot on 99.9% of the time because their data comes from USPS.

[marrie-69]

Have you looked into UPS. they seem to be a lot simpler than USPS which is who I use now.

[nobody*s_perfect]

$8.15 is the Zone 5 price, and $7.40 is the Zone 4 price. A check on the ZIP Code zone chart shows that zone 5 is correct, so the question becomes how did the buyer pay the zone 4 postage?  Did you invoice this buyer or did they pay directly through the ebay transaction with no invoice from you?

Why are you using Parcel Select? Priority Mail would cost the same as Parcel Select, except for packages that are over 1 cubic foot going to Zones 5 - 9.  For fragile items, Priority Mail would be a much better choice; your buyer's note indicates that she is concerned about these fragile items.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@divwido wrote:

Usually, in my been here since the start of the earth, Priority is cheaper by about a dollar. ....

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No, it isn't.  At current rates, they're the same or Parcel Select is literally one cent less.  USPS rates change every year so being here since the before postal system began doesn't help. You need to check on these things before posting. 

[lintbrush*]

I was just thinking the same thing... that the OP might've invoiced the buyer before they paid, and the buyer's shipping address might've been different when they paid.

[divwido]

First, I don't ship Parcel Select.  It is beyond slow.

Second, Since I am forced to use this Parcel Select /Priority Shipping  I see the price difference every single day.   

[cinny*lou]

NOTE:  I am not a professional seller, so please take my "inexperience" into consideration!!

Normally I don't send an invoice, except when I am accepting an offer.  When accepting an offer, I send an invoice so the buyer knows that I have accepted the offer.  

In this case, I accepted the offer, sent an invoice, and an "instant payment" was made 20 minutes later.  I don't see how it's possible for the buyer to have changed their address (IE, the zone to which I am sending the package).  

With respect to typical shipping, whenever I list an item, I compare the parcel select price against the Priority Mail price.  If the the two prices are similar, I go with Priority Mail.  If the difference is more, I go with Parcel Select in order to save the buyer money.  Or if the item is "valuable" I will also use Priority Mail - but very few things that I sell are valued more than $50. 

Sometimes I receive an "Ebay discount" on shipping, but not always.  I am never able to tell in advance whether the package will be eligible for a discount or not, and how much the discount will be.

Again, I'm not a professional seller.  I'm just trying to downsize my home and earn a little money while I'm at it.  If I am able to sell more than 3-4 items per month, I think that I'm doing well.  Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks everyone!

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

Sending an invoice is not necessary. It locks in the shipping cost. The buyer is notified that you have accepted their offer, just as they would be if they won an auction.  When the buyer pays for an item through the eBay checkout process, they can change their address the calculated postage is adjusted to that address, unless the seller has sent an. invoice; in that case the invoice postage overrides the calculator because it's generally used when it's needed, such as a discount for combined purchases.   You're lucky that the locked-in postage  was only one zone different -- they could have changed it to a location in California.  Solution: Stop sending invoices.

As the charts shown above demonstrate, there is no need to compare Priority prices against Parcel Select.  If your package is not over 1 cubic foot or is going to Zones 1 - 4, then the prices will be the same.

When you ship via Media Mail or Parcel Select, the eBay shipping label doesn't show any "eBay discount." For MM, it's because there isn't one.  For Parcel Select, it's because Parcel Select IS the online discounted rate; the comparable service that you'd buy over-the-counter at the Post Office is called Retail Ground and it's more expensive.  If you ship via Priority Mail or First Class package, you will see the "eBay discount" which is actually just the difference between USPS's retail price and their online (commercial) price.

[lintbrush*]

Buyers can have multiple addresses on file.  One is set as primary.  It can be changed at checkout.

When you use Calculated Shipping and send an invoice, it fills the info in based upon the primary address.  However, it locks the shipping rate as it now deemed a set amount.  The buyer may live in PA but winter in FL.  If I'm not mistaken, when the offer came in, you were shown the primary location of the buyer.  I bet it wasn't FL.

There is no need to send an invoice when you accept a best offer.  eBay notifies the buyer and they'll be sent a You Won Pay Now link and the shipping will be caculated based upon the checkout address.

(Think snowbirds, gifts, travellers, etc)

[cinny*lou]

Thank you lintbrush* and nobody*s_perfect.  I think I understand better now!!!