eBay

cathydale · ‎06-01-2019

June 1st the USPS is charging NOT just by weight, but by the size of the box. Has anyone figured out exactly how to calculate this? Went on USPS sight and putting in dimensions and coming up with some crazy amount ! If it is THAT high I will have to just stop buying anything larger than a coffee mug to sell. People will just not accept shipping that high ! I have a latch hook rug kit and the box is LARGE and will have to go into another box. Going by the formula on the post office sight it would cost more to ship than I would charge for it !!!

cathydale · ‎06-01-2019

Now I see the new rates start June 23rd. Basically if a 1 lb package is larger than 1 cubic foot (multiply lenghthXwidthXheight and if that total is over 1728 -- lets say it totals 2500 -- you divide that by a diviser of 166 which comes out to 15. You will be charged like it is a 15 lb package -- not 1 lb !!! They will only go by the actual weight only if the box is under a total of 1 cubic foot. So how much room your box takes up on the truck is more of a factor for them than what it weighs.

Small boxes people ! Or stick to smalls OR raises prices to cover because buyers will flinch at real shipping costs.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-01-2019

USPS has been applying a dimensional rate to boxes over 1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches) for over 10 years. Currently the policy only applies to Priority Mail packages that are going to Zones 5 - 9.

There are 3 changes that go into effect on June 23:

1. Dimensional weight will apply to all zones, not just 5 - 9.

2. Dimensional weight will apply to Parcel Select Ground as well as to Priority Mail.

3. The divisor will decrease, from 194 to 166.

susscharmu-0 · ‎06-01-2019

Hi, When we pick calculate price for customers, I thought that would be figured in the shipping price. I have been changing all my dimensions since the letter came out. I was just on the phone with E-Bay & wanted to ask them, but the lady hung up before I was able to. Maybe if someone else talks to E-bay they can ask. Thanks...

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-01-2019

The eBay shipping calculator and label form currently are accurate when figuring dimensional weight rates for the packages that it already applies to (i.e., Priority going to Zones 5 - 9). So it seems reasonable to expect that on June 23 they will also be able to do it for the new expanded application of the dimensional weight.

orangehound · ‎06-01-2019

@cathydale wrote:

Small boxes people ! Or stick to smalls OR raises prices to cover because buyers will flinch at real shipping costs.

Or ... wait in line and buy Retail Ground at the USPS counter ... though it could be tricky for zones 1-4. Pretty sure the dimensional rates don't apply to that service.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-01-2019

@orangehound wrote: ... wait in line and buy Retail Ground at the USPS counter ... though it could be tricky for zones 1-4. Pretty sure the dimensional rates don't apply to that service.

Yes, in the new version of Notice 123 that goes into effect on June 23, the page about Retail Ground still has the regular descriptions of balloon and oversize rates, with no reference to dimensional weight (which CAN be seen on the page about Parcel Select Ground).

https://pe.usps.com/resources/PriceChange/June%202019%20-%20Notice123.pdf

caldreamer · ‎06-01-2019

Lightweight items that come in huge retail box...discard retail box and put in smaller box. Explain to customer "no retail box" included because it would be very expensive to ship because of large size.

When listing you need to know "dimension of box" and "weight" (allow extra 2 ounces for tape & label). USPS will automatically show customer shipping cost (based on their zone).

Or you could just switch to FLAT RATE boxes and then you don't have to worry about any of this.

orangehound · ‎06-01-2019

@caldreamer wrote:

Or you could just switch to FLAT RATE boxes and then you don't have to worry about any of this.

Flat rate boxes are all under 1/2 cubic foot ... so, that's even close to a solution.

fern*wood · ‎06-01-2019

Do you have the latch hook kit listed now? If so, do you have the correct dimensions listed? If it sells now to California from your location, you will already be charged the higher postage if it is larger than one cubic foot.

vintagehoundsantiques · ‎06-01-2019

Every time postage rates go up, eBay gets a bigger chunk in fees, also. So they certainly have no interest in looking out for the sellers. I guess this little hobby of mine has run it's course. Maybe I'll get into the delivery business instead 😄

pargran3 · ‎06-01-2019

In spite of the fact that the USPS has for a long time just said any dimension over 12 inches goes dimensional, this is not accurate. The problem is that people have trouble figuring out square inches.

It really is simple.

One cubic foot is a box 12 inches square. 12+12+12=36

to figure if you box is too big just add length+width+height (any partial inch is an inch)

Example. A box 14x14x8 would be 14+14+8+=36

It would not be subject to dimensional rate.

Yes, the new regs will affect large light weight items. Every new postal rate has affected what will sell for how much for years!

So, if you sell a lot of large lamp shades that might mean finding something else to sell. Nothing you can do about USPS except adjust to it.

Radine

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-01-2019

@pargran3 wrote:
In spite of the fact that the USPS has for a long time just said any dimension over 12 inches goes dimensional ...

I don't think USPS has ever said that.

The shipping calculator at usps.com asks whether your package has any dimension greater than 12 inches. But that's only so they can allow sellers of smaller packages to skip the step of entering the package dimensions (since a package with all dimensions at 12 inches or less can't encounter a dimensional rate). The 12 inches isn't a threshold for the fee itself.

vintagehoundsantiques · ‎06-01-2019

The formula is LXWXH/166, not L+W+H/166. So a 12x12x12 box is 1728 cu in. 1728/166 = 10.4 So if you ship 2 lbs in a 12x12x12 box, you're going to be charged for 10 lbs. That lampshade to Zone 9 just got a WHOLE lot pricier, and you're going to get crushed on fees.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎06-01-2019

The 12-inch cube ships at the weight-based rate, and anything OVER that goes for the dimensional weight.

Yes, the dimensional weight is based on package volume rather than on the sum of its 3 dimensions. But, like the USPS's shipping calculator's exemption for packages with all dimensions at 12 inches or less, the test for whether the sum of the 3 dimensions is 36 inches or less will also rule out packages that mathematically cannot have a volume over 1728 cubic inches.