My choices for shipping now include Parcel Select--is this now available is PA--or nationally?

[mczombies]

These new shipping increases are causing me to lose sleep--I have something for sale right now that is going to cost me 50 dollars to send to CA. However, when I went to print the label, I noticed that I now have an option to use Parcel Select--and the item would only be 20 dollars to ship.

I have not noticed that option previously--as far as I knew Pennsylvania did not offer economy shipping. Does anyone know if this is an option now for sellers in PA? Is it a national change? Or, is this just a matter of bad programming on eBay's part, and Parcel Select shipping is showing up as an option--but won't be accepted at the post office?

I know I can't use the economy shipping on the item that I need to send now, as I've already promised Priority--but if they are letting us use economy shipping in PA now, that would be such good news--my shipping costs (and what it will cost the buyers) have been a huge reason why buyers pass my items by--and has prevented me from listing quite a few things.  Anyone know for sure if something has changed?

I looked everywhere on-line, but I can't find any information as to whether or not something has changed--so confused here--anyone know 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Parcel Select has been available through eBay and other online shippers in all US locations for 10 years; before that, it was known as Parcel Post. I don't know how you've overlooked it.

 The 2018 rates for Parcel Select were identical to those for Priority Mail, or literally one cent less, so there was no point in considering it unless your package was over 1 cubic foot and going to Zones 5 - 9 so it encountered the dreaded "dimensional weight" for Priority.  The 2019 rates are different, but still the savings is very small except for those dimensional-weight shipments, which seems to be what you have right now.  

[sam9876]

What does Pennsylvania have to do with anything?

[mczombies]

Pennsylvania did not have economy shipping--there might have been a choice available for other states, but as far as I knew PA did NOT offer it. 

[mczombies]

But these rates are WAY less--and not just for large dimension packages--I don't remember even being offered such a steep discount on shipping.

This choice for economy shipping didn't used to be offered to me--that's why I wondering if something has changed either in PA or nationally?

[nobody*s_perfect]

USPS just doesn't do things on a state-by-state basis. Parcel Post (now known as Parcel Select Ground and Retail Ground) has always been available to all USPS customers.  

The term "economy" is used in a general way by eBay; it's not a term that USPS would use when referring to this service, so if you walked up to the counter at the PO and asked for "economy shipping" they might have no idea what you meant.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@mczombies wrote:

But these rates are WAY less--and not just for large dimension packages ...

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Please give a specific example and tell us where you looked up the price.  If you're looking at Notice 123, you might be looking at the deeply-discounted version of Parcel Select (known as Destination Entry) that is used by high-volume sellers.  Here are the current prices that you'd pay for an eBay label:

Notice 123:  http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf

[cream_couture]

Parcel select, previously called parcel post, have been available for many years. USPS doesn't offer different services by state, so being in PA wouldn't matter. When you set up your listings, you can offer Parcel Select, Priority, etc for buyers to choose from.

You can try shipping your current package with a flat rate priority mail box to save on shipping, if the item fits in one of the flat rate box options.  

[cecilyalexander]

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@mczombies wrote:

These new shipping increases are causing me to lose sleep--I have something for sale right now that is going to cost me 50 dollars to send to CA. However, when I went to print the label, I noticed that I now have an option to use Parcel Select--and the item would only be 20 dollars to ship.

I have not noticed that option previously--as far as I knew Pennsylvania did not offer economy shipping. Does anyone know if this is an option now for sellers in PA? Is it a national change? Or, is this just a matter of bad programming on eBay's part, and Parcel Select shipping is showing up as an option--but won't be accepted at the post office?

I know I can't use the economy shipping on the item that I need to send now, as I've already promised Priority--but if they are letting us use economy shipping in PA now, that would be such good news--my shipping costs (and what it will cost the buyers) have been a huge reason why buyers pass my items by--and has prevented me from listing quite a few things.  Anyone know for sure if something has changed?

I looked everywhere on-line, but I can't find any information as to whether or not something has changed--so confused here--anyone know 

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Hi, 

I live in PA and have been offering Parcel Select as a shipping option for years. It's a good option for larger, heavier packages going from PA to CA, for example. Other times, Priority Mail is the same price. It really depends on the size and weight of the package and where it's going. I list it as a secondary shipping option when it makes sense to do so.  I check with eBay's shipping calculator to check if it's worth listing it or not as an option when I'm not sure. 

Good luck 😊

[mczombies]

I think I figured this out--when eBay renewed my store, I was no longer enrolled in the guaranteed delivery program--so previously economy shipping was not offered as an option for me when I was printing labels. And fine by me...that program did nothing but cost me sales.

Either that or I'm losing my mind--and I am not ruling out that possibility....... Someone needs to write an "Ebay for Dummies" book--of course, by the time it went to print, eBay would have already changed everything around for umpteenth time. Thanks everyone, for the answers.

[dtexley3]

For the future when you have large or heavy items that don't fit in the flat rate boxes, look at including FedEx Ground or even SmartPost as an option for the buyer.  It's not unusual for FedEx Ground to be quite a bit cheaper than both USPS Priority and Parcel Select for coast to coast shipment.