Postage just keeps increasing

[farnorthsid]

I just sold an order and asked for $7.95 flat rate postage, customer pays. Looks like the customer paid $10.65. When I go to buy the label, ebays total for the label is $12.44. In fact, it's going in a flat rate padded envelope for $8.75. Seems rather odd.

[kensgiftshop]

@farnorthsid 

Are you sure you selected the Flat Rate Envelope and not regular Priority Mail?

[santamonicajeweler]

It sounds like you bought an extra service, like insurance or signature on delivery 

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

Here are the reasons for that "odd" array of prices.

Your listing for the GMC emblems was set up with calculated shipping, not flat rate.  

You see $7.95 because that's the cost to ship to your ZIP Code; the buyer lives in your Zone 8 so they paid the Zone 8 price, which is $10.65.  

The shipping calculator in eBay listings defaults to show the retail price. But when you purchased the label, you were charged the online rate.  However, the listing was set up to charge for a 1-pound package and $12.44 is the online postage cost to ship 1+ to 2 pounds.

If you plan to ship in a flat rate envelope, then set up the listing to charge for that, either using calculated shipping or entering the postage  cost for the envelope ($8.75 online or $9.30 retail).

[redwingnut2007]

The same thing just happened to me. I had selected USPS Parcel Select Ground as the shipping option when I created my post. The buyer selected the same when they paid. Then when I tried to print the shipping label, USPS Parcel Select Ground is longer an option! The USPS options are Priority Mail only, and it defaults to the Flat Rate Envelope, which this item won't even fit into. I just wasted 2 hours on a chat with two "customer service" reps who each gave me several different answers as to why this could happen, none of them correct. They eventually told me that the service is no longer available. I asked why it was still showing on all of my posts, including the one that was just purchased. They told me that I would have to update every one of my posts for every item I have listed. And that every ebay seller would have to update every post that offers USPS Parcel Select Ground.

[nobody*s_perfect]

The thing that happened to you wasn't the same at all.  The OP was dealing entirely with Priority Mail in their listing as well as labels.

eBay also doesn't sell postage labels for Retail Ground, First Class letters, or First Class flats (AKA Large envelopes) yet lets sellers set up listings with those services.

Indeed, 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. When it's not offered, the shipping label page usually defaults to the first option on the list which is flat rate envelope. 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  less than a dollar more than Parcel Select Ground. If you're a TRS you get a 3% discount when purchasing Priority labels through eBay, which often makes it cheaper than 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).

Here's a post with a vague explanation from an eBay staffer, see post #15:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Weekly-Discussion-with-eBay/Community-Chat-December-9-1-00-pm-PT-Gener...

More recently, another eBay staff member said that it would be available for Top Rated Sellers only.

[farnorthsid]

flat rate padded envelope

[farnorthsid]

nope

[rdd2658]

postage by zones,,and postage increase started today,,,8.8%,,,,,postage now costs me more than what I'm selling by 30%.  sooo, after 23 years I just closed my store and ended all my listing,,,,because of the postage and the new 600.00 1099 rule...

[rdd2658]

Just FYI,,,usps priority mail is a big scam and not worth the xtra cost unless it's HEAVY.  Along with usps insurance.  1.  priority mail travels the same as first class and is also not a guaranteed delivery date.  2. insurance is all profit for the usps, you'll never get a claim paid, (as they'll find it was your fault, always) and you'll never talk to a person to get a status, designed that way.  3.  signature confirmation is a waste too,,,,all ebay cares about is tracking which is free.  Just fyi from an old mailman.

[nobody*s_perfect]

Most sellers use First Class package postage for weights up to 1 pound, but they can't choose it for weights above that.

There have been plenty of recent threads about difficulties with insurance claims for damage; but they still pay off for lost packages, and of course with Priority you get $50 of coverage for free ($100 if you're a TRS).

eBay cares about signature confirmation for transactions above $750; below that threshold, yes the regular tracking that is automatically included with package postage provides the same level of seller protection against fake "Item not received" claims.  Signature Confirmation can also significantly inconvenience a buyer so IMHO it should be used only when necessary.