Parcel Select USPS or standard shipping not available $$

[us2013_copc]

Wow, this is the third time in a couple months that I lost all profit from my hard work because of USPS Parcel Select being available to the buyer but then not available to the seller when it's time to print a label.  Imagine an item you are selling for $18.00 and it's a fair price. Shipping will make it much more expensive so you must include that in the price, right? Pretty basic economics here. Either raise the price and include free shipping or lower the price (take a loss) on the item and have the buyer pay shipping. In this case, it's (free shipping) and it is calculated that shipping will be around $7-$9 so half the value of the item is already gone but you've made a good sale and items are moving. That is until the buyer chooses (specifically) USPS  parcel select 2-9 days. And then the seller opens the label printing page and (parcel select is not available)  Priority mail at $18.00+ IS available though. Or UPS ground at $14.00 !! So everyone is getting paid except for the seller that does all of the work, takes all the risk and makes this whole thing possible to begin with. I got about $1.50 for my hard work, now I'm no genius but one more of these without total compensation and I have to move my store to another platform. This just isn't working.

[nobody*s_perfect]

eBay has decided to phase out access to Parcel Select Ground labels, even though USPS has made no changes in their services or policies, and it's offered by all other online postage sellers including PayPal, endicia, stamps.com, etc.  You can purchase Parcel Select Ground postage through PayPal at

www.PayPal.com/shipnow

But do compare prices before you do that. For Zones 1 - 4, the USPS online price for Priority Mail is literally 10 cents more than Parcel Select Ground, and for Zones 5 - 8 the difference is less than a dollar. If you're a TRS you get a 3% discount when purchasing Priority labels through eBay, which makes it cheaper than Parcel Select. I don't know where you got your figures of $18 for Priority vs $7-9 for Parcel Select.

IMHO Parcel Select ground should only be offered when necessary such as for hazmat or Oversize packages (i.e., length-plus-girth above the Priority limit of 108 inches).

[buyselljack2016]

Imagine an item you are selling for $18.00 and it's a fair price. Shipping will make it much more expensive so you must include that in the price, right?

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No, when shipping is going to vary greatly by Zip Zone I use "calculated shipping", and the buyer pays more, or less for shipping, depending upon how far away they are.  They can decide if the total price is too much before purchasing, and find a closer seller if they so choose.

Coast to coast shipping can vary greatly.

I only roll the shipping into the asking price for 1st Class where I roll in the average cost (make a few pennies here, lose a few pennies there), or when I can use "flat rate" with the same charge for all zones.