Question about first class shipping charges

[zarchy]

I recently set up an auction with calculated first class shipping.  When the auction closed, I saw that the buyer was charged $1.70 for shipping, yet when I went to purchase and print the label, the cost to me was $3.18.  How can this be?   I'm not clicking on the 'Purchase' button until I can make some sense of this.

[mtgraves7984]

Sounds like you miscalculated the weight.

[hurryagain]

@zarchy 

$1.70 sounds extremely low.  Did you pick media mail?  If you are shipping books, it's cheaper than first class mail.

[candd205]

Sounds like you put incorrect information on the ebay listing. Sounds like you listed it as an envelope, when it is actually a package. Nothing you can do with this now. You can cancel the sale, but it will be a negative on your performance rating. One cancellation probably won't hurt you too bad, but if you cancel sales multiple times it will damage your performance rating.  But, you need to correct your other listings to make sure the specifics are all accurate for what you are selling.

[candd205]

If you are talking about that brochure, that actually can be mailed in an envelope, not as a package. Probably can be mailed with a couple of stamps. In this case, or in the case of a 1.70 envelope, you can mail it that way at the post office, but there will be no tracking.

[zarchy]

It's a lightweight item shipped in a 9' x 6" envelope.  It the whole thing weighs less than 2 oz.   I selected first class shipping => Large Envelope, and set the weight to 2 oz and dimensions to 9" x 6" x 1".  Then I clicked on"offer shipping services", with "first class package" selected.    Regardless of what I selected, how can the buyer be charged a lower rate than I'm being charged?

[candd205]

You can mail that with a 70 cent postage at the post office. Just no tracking.

[candd205]

When I looked through your items for sale, you have other items that show $1.70 or $2 something shipping too. You need to fix those items too. If you want, as you correct them, I will be glad to check for you and let you know what shows up for me if you respond to this e-mail thread as you correct each one.

[candd205]

Another problem you have I see is that bushing set. It shows as postage of 1.50. That won't ship in a flat envelope, that will require a package so will cost you 3 something, and you have it priced so low, you will lose money. Also, you have that item listed in the incorrect category.

[myangelandmyprincess · Accepted solution]

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@zarchy wrote:

It's a lightweight item shipped in a 9' x 6" envelope.  It the whole thing weighs less than 2 oz.   I selected first class shipping => Large Envelope, and set the weight to 2 oz and dimensions to 9" x 6" x 1".  Then I clicked on"offer shipping services", with "first class package" selected.    Regardless of what I selected, how can the buyer be charged a lower rate than I'm being charged?

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Because what the buyer and paid for and what your purchasing postage for are two different mail services.  The one the buyer paid for does not include tracking and you can just mail it in a envelope but you can't print a label on eBay for this service.  The one you are trying to purchase includes tracking and requires it to be thick or rigid.  In the future if you want the buyer to pay for this method you have to choose package as the package type 

[zarchy]

Thanks so much for your help!  I will go through my items now and make the necessary changes.

Here's the situation.  I wanted to offer some items at the lowest possible shipping cost to the buyer, but I wanted something with tracking.  Some of my items can be easily shipped in a large envelope, so that's what I selected.   Now I'm coming to the conclusion that if you select this option, you don't get the tracking.  Is that correct?  You would think that the ebay shipping calculator form would me more helpful in preventing you from making this mistake.

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@zarchy wrote:

Thanks so much for your help!  I will go through my items now and make the necessary changes.

Here's the situation.  I wanted to offer some items at the lowest possible shipping cost to the buyer, but I wanted something with tracking.  Some of my items can be easily shipped in a large envelope, so that's what I selected.   Now I'm coming to the conclusion that if you select this option, you don't get the tracking.  Is that correct?  You would think that the ebay shipping calculator form would me more helpful in preventing you from making this mistake.

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This is correct you need to select package 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@zarchy wrote:

It's a lightweight item shipped in a 9' x 6" envelope.  It the whole thing weighs less than 2 oz.   I selected first class shipping => Large Envelope, and set the weight to 2 oz ...

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Your buyer was charged the postage cost for a 2-ounce flat (AKA Large envelope) because that's the service that you chose when  you set up the listing. If your envelope is under 3/4 inch thick and flexible, then it IS a flat rather than  a package.  eBay doesn't sell labels for letters and flats, probably because they lack tracking and eBay feels very strongly that "Buyers want tracking."

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@candd205 wrote:

You can mail that with a 70 cent postage at the post office. Just no tracking.

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The piece is too big to mail as a letter, which USPS says is "Not more than 11-1/2 inches long, or more than 6-1/8 inches high, or more than 1/4-inch thick."

https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/101.htm#ep1047495

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@zarchy wrote: ....   .  Some of my items can be easily shipped in a large envelope, so that's what I selected.   ...

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The USPS requirements for shipping an item as a "large envelope" (formally known as a flat) limit it to pieces that are flexible, of even thickness (which they define as a variation not more than 1/4 inch), and maximum dimensions of  "Not more than 15 inches long, or more than 12 inches high, or more than 3/4 inch thick."  So any envelope that's lumpy, rigid, or more than 3/4 inch thick has to pay postage at the package rate.

USPS avoids using the term "envelope" because an envelope could fall into any of the 3 types of First Class mail (letter, flat, or package) depending on factors like weight, dimensions (including thickness), rigidity, etc.