How to get the true shipping cost to show when shipping multiple packages using eBay's calculator??

[adkhighker]

I will be doing a listing soon that because of the weight will have to be shipped in 4 boxes. Each box is going to weigh approximately 30 pounds for a total weight of approximately 120 pounds. I want to do this by USPS parcel select ground.

However, USPS parcel select ground has a maximum weight of 70 pounds and a size limit of 130 inches in combined length and distance around the thickest part.  If I was to get this all in one theoretical box for the purpose of having eBay's calculated shipping showing the cost to ship, the calculator would not accept the dimensions for parcel select ground since the size of that one package would exceed the maximum dimensions for that service.

I don't want to use a flat rate shipping cost.  I would like to do this by calculated.  So is there any way to get eBay's calculated shipping to show the true cost of shipping to different sections of the country when you are shipping in multiple packages such as one like this?  

[nobody*s_perfect]

Alas, the eBay shipping calculator doesn't have the ability to calculate the costs for multiple separate packages.

When setting up the listing, you can choose "Freight" as the option. Then in the listing Description, prominently describe the shipping situation, as you have here, and invite potential buyers to contact you with their ZIP Code for a shipping cost quote.

You might want to rethink your decision to use Parcel Select Ground rather than Priority Mail. In this weight range, the savings isn't much.  Depending on distance (Zone), the cost to ship 30 pounds via Parcel Select Ground would be $29.25 - $93.18, and Priority would be $30.56 - $103.82, and of course Priority includes insurance and would travel faster.

[adkhighker]

Thank you, np, especially for letting me know that there is no way for eBay to calculate such a cost or not, but also for your other advice as well.  I didn't know I could do something like you suggested with the freight option, and that will come in handy.  I do usually use priority mail instead of parcel select for the reason you mentioned, but in this case, the packages are going to exceed the maximum size/girth requirement for priority.  Thanks again for the help!

[nobody*s_perfect]

If they have a length-plus-girth over 108 inches, then you are going to end up incurring the dreaded "dimensional weight" that is imposed on packages that are over 1 cubic foot, though perhaps the dimensional weight won't be over 30 pounds.  There are also other surcharges (volume over 2 cubic feet, length over 22 inches) which can add up quickly.  The eBay shipping calculator does factor-in all of these contingencies:

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

[adkhighker]

I might end up doing this as a best offer with free shipping, pricing it high enough to include shipping cost and with the shipping location of the buyer being a determining factor of how much I would be able to negotiate with them as far as what they might offer me.  Then again, the more I think about making boxes and packing this stuff, the more inclined I might be to just dump it at a local auction house and get less for it.  Sometimes the hassles and time involved of doing a complicated listing like this one  isn't worth the extra money that can be attained by doing it here. I love eBay except for listings like this one, lol.

[rfmtm]

As noted the calculator can not handle this, nor will the virtual box workaround.  However, you might want to consider setting up a Shipping Rate Table for your item.   Then you can set a different flat rate for each shipping Zone or State.  This will allow buyers to immediately see their shipping cost adjusted for their area, rather than having to use the freight option and have every buyer contact you.