Extra shipping cost

[kilakitt]

I had just shipped out my items to the buyers and I had to pay extra for shipping because the postage I bought from ebay didn't cover the entire cost. I honestly think it's stupid that I had to pay more because of the packaging I used for my items. I was just curious if I could be reimbursed for any extra shipping fees.

[glyph01]

I highly doubt it.

[kilakitt]

Sadly, I think so too. This experience has me doubting whether or not I will sell my items again on ebay in the future.

[orangehound]

---

@kilakitt wrote:

I was just curious if I could be reimbursed for any extra shipping fees.

---

Packaging and proper postage is your responsibility ... not eBay's or your customer's fault.

---

@kilakitt wrote:

I had to pay extra for shipping because the postage I bought from ebay didn't cover the entire cost. I honestly think it's stupid that I had to pay more because of the packaging I used for my items.

---

Did you use a USPS flat rate box?  Knowing how to package items, and the restrictions on various shipping methods, is part of the learning curve with selling on eBay.

[kilakitt]

No. I used envelopes to send my items out. I guess that was my mistake.

[bluelinemetalsllc]

---

@kilakitt wrote:

No. I used envelopes to send my items out. I guess that was my mistake.

---

Do you mean you shipped a video game in an envelope? As in a paper envelope, or a padded mailer or what? Some may ship that way and remain intact, but IMO I wouldn't ship them without a box. 

[kilakitt]

It was a padded envelope.

[rixstuff]

I got my start in DVDs and video games.  A DVD weighs 6 ounces so FC shipping is $3.25.  You may be putting in the wrong weight or not charging enough to offer free shipping.

[orangehound · Accepted solution]

---

@kilakitt wrote:

It was a padded envelope.

---

If you paid postage for a "flat" or large envelope then, yeah you underpaid because a DVD is too thick for a flat ... it has to be sent First Class Package rather than First Class.

Or, if you tried to put first class postage on a USPS padded envelope, then you underpaid ... the USPS padded envelope is a flat rate price, and more expensive than First Class package.

As I wrote earlier, there's a learning curve to selling on eBay.  Most of us made those same errors when we were inexperienced ... but, we usually only make those mistakes once. 🙂

[orangehound]

---

@rixstuff wrote:

I got my start in DVDs and video games.  A DVD weighs 6 ounces so FC shipping is $3.25.  You may be putting in the wrong weight or not charging enough to offer free shipping.

---

It is not a flat amount any longer ... First Class Package pricing is now zone-based as of about a month ago.

[ohyesidid]

Don't DVDs fall under media rates?

[pauls-parts]

I hope you are not paying for your envelopes. Even if you use a envelope that is thick you still have to measure the size of it. I use shoe boxes from a local sporting good store now.  They are only too happy to get rid of their empty boxes. And they even save them for me. For the ounce or two difference it is worth it to put it in a box with bubble wrap. Even though the shipping has gone to zone rates. If you keep your weight under a pound then you should not pay more than $5.50 or so for first class package.

When I was starting out. I would change the address of something that sold to different area's so I could get a feel for what things where going to cost. Shipping to west coast, rocky mountain region, Midwest, east, North east and south east.  put in different dimensions and weights so you can see what you are up against. Compare FedEx to USPS for boxes bigger than a shoe box and use different zip codes. It will start to give you a little bit of heads up if you want to start shipping larger items. Hope this helps.

Paul

[lja440]

---

@ohyesidid wrote:

Don't DVDs fall under media rates?

---

Items shown are not DVD's 

DVD's do qualify for Media Mail, Video Games DO NOT.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@orangehound wrote:

---

@kilakitt wrote:

It was a padded envelope.

---

If you paid postage for a "flat" or large envelope then, yeah you underpaid because a DVD is too thick for a flat ... it has to be sent First Class Package rather than First Class....

---

It's also not flexible.  An item can't be mailed as a flat (AKA Large envelope) if it's rigid, even if it's less than 3/4 inch thick.

[bryan8707]

I have sold 2 different things lately, A Trombone and a chamber pot, They both were in boxes that I weighed and accurately measured. I even added length if it was 15 and 1/2 inches I would call it 16 inches, if it weighed 5 pounds 8 ounces I rounded it up to 6 pounds. The pot went from ebays shipping calculator cost before the sale of $12.85 up to $19.90. The Trombone went from ebays calculated costs of $33.95 to $49.95. I ate the shipping on the pot because I thought I had made a mistake somewhere. I know the trombone was accurately measured and weighed.