eBay

webuyitt · ‎12-06-2020

I used the shipping calculator for an item and it said $15.76 for economy shipping.

That is what the buyer paid.

First of all, when I went to print the shipping label -- it said Priority Flat Rate Envelope, which was ludicrous because the item was too big for ANY flat rate envelope or box.

I called ebay and they apologized and told me to print an economy label with PP.

When I went to PP the cheapest label (economy) was $31.96!

And I had to pay it.

Ebay's calculated figure of $15.76 was clearly very wrong.

And what can I do about it? Nothing. I can't ask the buyer for more money.

The takeaway? Don't use ebay calculated shipping.

And I would love to

recover my $17. loss. Not to mention the loss of more than an hour of my time dealing with this.

Anyone have any suggestions?

buyselljack2016 · ‎12-06-2020

Other shipping choices may appear by clicking on "compare all services".

As too the cost. .................................. maybe the weight/dimensions in the listing needs to be double checked.

mtgraves7984 · ‎12-06-2020

If 'Priority Flat Rate Envelope' popped up, that's how it was set up in the listing.

You can go to your Labels page and void the shipping label. It will be credited back, but that takes a couple of weeks. If you void it, do it quickly before the window closes. Good luck.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-06-2020

Yes, for TWO MONTHS now eBay has failed to fix a glitch in which some sellers are not shown the option to purchase Parcel Select labels through eBay and the workaround has been to purchase through PayPal.

The shipping calculator error is a separate issue. Was this for the handbag? I suspect that you ran into the dreaded "dimensional weight" for your package. Did you enter the same dimensions for the label as you did when setting up the listing's shipping calculator?

Another potential source of confusion is if the ZIP Code for the item location in the listing doesn't match the "Shipping from" ZIP Code on the label. The "Shipping from" ZIP Code is separate from the ZIP Code for your return address. It's an option that sellers can use if they are shipping from a location other than their home Post Office, and sometimes the eBay gremlins change it to a completely different location which of course will yield a completely different postage cost.

buyselljack2016 · ‎12-06-2020

@mtgraves7984 wrote:
If 'Priority Flat Rate Envelope' popped up, that's how it was set up in the listing.

You can go to your Labels page and void the shipping label. It will be credited back, but that takes a couple of weeks. If you void it, do it quickly before the window closes. Good luck.

Flat Rate Envelop pops up as the choice a lot with my listings.

I can assure you that it was not a choice offered in the listings😁

What it is, is that is what eBay is showing that they deem to be the "best choice" , closest (by their opinion) good choice.

mtgraves7984 · ‎12-06-2020

Gotcha... @webuyitt, my previous post might just be incorrect. Apologies, if so.

@buyselljack2016... I set up some of my listings and select Flat Rate Envelope (jeans, usually) while listing, but I see how this could pop up while shipping if they were listed as simply 'Priority Mail'.

buyselljack2016 · ‎12-06-2020

@mtgraves7984 wrote:
Gotcha... @webuyitt, my previous post might just be incorrect. Apologies, if so.

@buyselljack2016... I set up some of my listings and select Flat Rate Envelope (jeans, usually) while listing, but I see how this could pop up while shipping if they were listed as simply 'Priority Mail'.

Not only then😁

To deter "guaranteed delivery", and buyer disappointment we have many items listed "Economy with 1 cent" shipping.

The labels do not come up as "PFRE", but they do come up with Priority selected, and only Priority shown. Items listed with 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, 11oz

mstcwrld7 · ‎12-06-2020

Nobodyspefect has it right here.

What I think webuyitt objects to is the shipping calculator said $15.76 when in reality there was no cheaper shipping option than $31.96.

I think that is the worst problem here! OP was able to print a Parcel Select label from Paypal, that was merely a nuisance. But what an expensive label!

But the fact that OP was effectively cheated by ebay charging the buyer much less than the item actually cost to ship --- that is the worst problem.

I can see no way for a seller to protect himself from not being able to charge the buyer the real cost of shipping -- is to list with a flat shipping charge. If the item would cost $12. to ship locally and $35. to ship across the country -- then charge a flat cost of $35. to all buyers.

You (seller) will lose some buyers but hey,

would you rather get cheated on the shipping?

I see another post here from a seller who apparently listed an item with economy shipping and had the same thing happen -- the shipping option came up Flat Rate Envelope! Especially if the item is too large for this envelope -- it's ridiculous!

It happens that we sell mostly small items. But I think we will increase the shipping charges for the larger items we have listed -- as ebay is apparently going to keep undercharging buyers for Calculated Shipping.

No more calculated shipping for us.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-06-2020

"What I think webuyitt objects to is the shipping calculator said $15.76 when in reality there was no cheaper shipping option than $31.96. "

The reality is that the seller probably set up the shipping calculator incorrectly. If the shipping calculator had been set up correctly the buyer would have been charged the correct "real" cost for the postage. He wasn't cheated by eBay, he made a mistake in the listing.

Yes, there is a persistent and unacceptable glitch in which some sellers aren't offered the option to purchase a Parcel Select label through PayPal and the workaround is to purchase through PayPal. And yes, the sellers who are subject to this glitch find that on the shipping label page eBay has just checked off the first option in the list, which is the flat rate envelope. So the seller has to check off something else or go to PayPal. But that's not a reason to abandon the shipping calculator, nor to set an artificially inflated flat shipping price in your listing.

webuyitt · ‎12-06-2020

Nobody's perfect and others --

Excuuuuse me -- but I did not set up the shipping calculator incorrectly,

and DID key in Ecomony Shipping.

I keyed in Economy Shipping on another listing recently, calculated -- I did not make a mistake on this --

but the ebay calculating program did not give me the option to purchase economy shipping.

Nor did ebay's "other options". I grumbled and paid about $5. more for Priority, and lost money on the shipping.

So do not be so quick to accuse people of incompetence, or of error.

I suggest you look at other posts on his Shipping board. The same thing has happened to other sellers recently. They have not been able to purchase economy shipping, though they tried, and thus lost money on shipping.

And there does seem to be no defense except to list with flat rate shipping.

If you charge someone $35. and the buyer burns out to be local and the shipping costs you less, you can refund them the overpayment and they will be happy. No need to cheat anyone -- but there is a need to avoid being cheated by using calculated shipping.