Seems that USPS is pricing is service like the airlines, hotel, etc. When peak/high demand season starts, increase the price. Others will probably follow as well.
I also cringe when I get an order for the west coast. Even if the customer pays for shipping its somewhat difficult to gage shipping costs. It's a crap shoot if something can't fit into a regional USPS box/padded envelope or any of the priority mail boxes versus regular carriers. Apparently, USPS is temporarily raising prices for the holidays. Bet they don't move them back after January, we'll see.
@traditonalproducts wrote: ... its somewhat difficult to gage shipping costs. It's a crap shoot if something can't fit into a regional USPS box/padded envelope or any of the priority mail boxes versus regular carriers. ...
The eBay shipping calculator is quite accurate if you just feed it accurate package weight and dimensions; this includes the calculator in listings, on the label page, and also the separate one:
I utilize the shipping calculator. Alot of my items are staged at free shipping which to be competitive I offer the same option. What I refer to is the cost to the west coast meaning I have no idea who and where someone is located when they purchase a product. I try to balance the shipping cost based on Seattle and New York when adding in a shipping cost. Trust me here, I understand shipping as we owned a pack and mail business for years so it's not new to me and there are tricks and being creative to lower shipping costs. All I am saying is that the west coast shipping costs have seemed to elevate faster than certain other regions.
I read something yesterday where they will go down on Jan. 23 but a few days later, they go up again for the yearly price increase. The other carriers are raising it too. No choice but to keep raising it.
I read something yesterday where they will go down on Jan. 23 but a few days later, they go up again for the yearly price increase....
The new rates will probably go into effect on the very same day that the Holiday rates end. According to the document with proposed changes, the changes go into effect on January 22, 2023.
There have been postal and other carrier increases EVERY YEAR since I have been selling on eBay. Every increase has seen seller after seller crying DOOM! We will all go under.
Granted, sometimes increased cost of shipping does make some things impractical to sell here. There is nothing new about that. One has to constantly adjust what is being offered for sale. It is simply part of doing business. We would like to think that everything should be adjusted just for us but it has never worked that way.
KrazzyKats • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1998
