Got CHARGED to PRINT a shippinglabel

[cprn44]

Has anyone else had this issue with ebay?   I pulled ALL my listings as they have messed up shipping fees 4 times now.  I just got charged to PRINT a UPS shipping label.  The buyer PAID for the shipping and then I get CHARGED to print it?   I spoke with customer service and he was LESS than helpful--just kept saying there's a charge to print the label.

NO THERE IS NOT!!!

I don't know WHO to turn to now.  I am BEYOND frustrated.

[veronicabooksandart]

That precludes locking in economy final value fees on shipping and shopping for fastest service at lowest price.

But yes, eBays shipping policy is incoherent, obfuscatory, and unhelpful.

The consensus here is that FedEx sucks, a strong opinion not shared by buyers in general biting on best price.  Listing FX Smartpost and notifying the buyer in the item description you reserve the right to upgrade shipping is the only coherent approach short of eBay revisiting shipping systems and policy.

The example given here leaves $6 with the carrier. Add that up over time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spreadsheets don't make math errors.

[veronicabooksandart]

We're not in Kansas anymore.

FedEx wants to get out from under FX Smartpost and move that business to its ground service. FX Home Delivery is, in most cases, more expensive for the buyer; and much cheaper for the seller than it's own economy service. So much cheaper that USPS can no longer compete in the marketplace. Add to this eBay doesn't want grief this holiday season and wants to move you to faster delivery times. The options are now FX Home Delivery, FX Ground, UPS Ground and USPS Priority Mail. Listing FX Smartpost protects the buyer from inflated shipping and the seller from inflated final values fees on shipping. But it's a non-starter, in most cases, when it comes time to ship. So, eBay shipping policy, taken a face value, is no longer coherent or serves anyone's interest save eBay and the carrier.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow the yellow-brick road.

[redmodelt]

How did this go from what the person was posting about to a UPS/FedEx war of words? None of which has anything to do with the original question.

[veronicabooksandart]

It's called "drift"; a natural process.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

[redmodelt]

I know what it is called but has drifted way past where is should be. I called attention to the fact that it had and is getting a little out of control.

[lja440]

---

@veronicabooksandart wrote:

For that package, FedEx Home Delivery cost to ship would be $8 - 9; UPS Ground, $11 - 12.

Are you so allergic to FedEx you refuse to even bother to check? It's just a motion away...

But yes, USPS Parcel Select/Ground is eBay tagged an economy service with better delivery times than FX Smartpost, which is USPS by any other name.  My bad.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trust but verify.

---

Like I have stated before I have over the years shipped FedEx, ALL RETURNS TO VERIZON not really my choice. Out of 4 packages 3 never showed delivered and I had to pay full price for the phones.

Beside the basic shipping cost you listed for FedEx and UPS I would have to pay for pick-up for both of those carriers. With FedEx that is with my rural address an extra $11.45, I do not know the charge with UPS and the FedEx charge is several years old.  With USPS all I need to do is stick it in my mailbox and raise the flag.  If you are on a city route it is preferable to schedual a FREE carrier pick up. (by the way when I did schedual a pick-up with FedEx it took between 2 and 4 days for them to come and get the packages),(Like I said FedEx sucks in my area).

Back when I was going whole hog on eBay and shipping care packages through www.booksforsoldiers.com I often parked my Kubota down by the mailbox with packages stacked in the bucket. At that point as a curtsy I did schedual carrier pick-ups just so I didn't blind side my mail carrier.

With my schedual the only other option I would have would be to wait to ship on my day off. How well do you think that would go over? Messaging your buyer "Hey, I know you paid for this last night but it's deer season next week and all my co-workers have claimed the available days off, I can't run this in to the terminal to ship until my next day off which will be Dec 7th. 

[veronicabooksandart]

Or why shopping for best service post sale is sine qua non. If the listing steps on a rural trap door - with FedEx ostensibly obviating the eBay calculator - the package must go USPS.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

[myangelandmyprincess]

Why would you think the people who are on the boards wouldn't represent the average buyer.  1.  Many of us are buyers  2. Many of us have posted here for years and seen the average buyer come and complain about carriers being switched and/or the type being shipped.    

With first class to priority you won't see much complaining from buyers I mean if it ends up too heavy for first class you kind of have to upgrade.  Of course that doesn't save you money....which is something you keep talking about spending less for better service.  You'll lose money having the buyer pay first class and then shipping priority.  Fed ex smart post is in no way an upgrade from anything I hate it as much as fed ex itself.  I also hate ups version of that.  Slowest service in existence I don't buy from sellers who show they ship that way.  So even if you upgrade from slow services you could potentially lose buyers who are turned off from the slow services that your listing claims you'll use.   Just find the best service at the best price to begin with instead of changing the service later and the buyer who wants what your offering will purchase

[veronicabooksandart]

Best service pre-sale to list is not the same as post sale to ship. Nobody doesn't like USPS. FedEx is the service eBayer's love to hate. So list FX Smartpost - best pre-sale BECAUSE it's the worst service and can only act as a firewall against these sorts of shipping sensitivities; IOW, if a buyer bites on a listing that only offers FX Smartpost, and you upgrade the shipping (as every other service is an upgrade), you leave the buyer with zero to complain about.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Logic is a little tweeting bird chirping in a meadow. Logic is a wreath of pretty flowers which smell bad.

[monster-deals]

---

@cprn44 wrote:

I don't know WHO to turn to now.  I am BEYOND frustrated.

---

I would suggest reading the help pages explaining how ebay works.

[veronicabooksandart]

The larger issue is eBay shipping policy, taken at face value, pickpockets both buyer and seller to the tune of hand over fist.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objects in the mirror are larger then they appear. Your mileage may vary.

[goldguy22k]

---

@veronicabooksandart wrote:

These posts only drive home the logic behind listing FX Smartpost if you're going to optimize shipping and discounts...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It acts as a firewall.

---

You use FexExSmart Post or the UPS equivalent and I won't buy from you!  That is the risk of being pennywise and pound foolish.  Just saying.

[veronicabooksandart]

Yes. That is the rub; only, for some reason I sleep better at night knowing the buyer is easy. And I like the freedom to choose to keep needless expense between me and the buyer and not have to gift wrap it and send it off to the carrier and eBay.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you, Sir. Can I have another?

[pjcdn2005]

If you don’t want to be locked into the carrier in the listing then you should list using one of the generic options such as ‘economy shipping’?  Then it will just state economy shipping  in the shipping tab and on the invoice rather than a specific service or carrier.  Of course then you can’t use calculated shipping but you won’t be  promising to use a specific carrier so you can choose the one you want.

Or give your buyers the different options on the listing,  if you are flexible and able to ship using USPS or a courier, let your buyer choose.

[pjcdn2005]

You do realize that the fvf you pay is based on what the buyer pays?  If you change to a less expensive service after payment your fvf is not going to change.