Ratings for shipping/handling...

[packratville]

I'm still not able to list a lot of items right now, but when I did have more consistent sales I always had a good rating on shipping/handling charges, usually 5.0 and I don't think ever lower than 4.9. Now I'm at 4.7 (and I think before my last feedback received today) it was 4.9. If this last person brought the rating down, in fact he paid $3.25 shipping but my actual postage cost turned out to be $3.36.

It's frustrating because in almost all my sales lately shipping has actually cost more than what I charged, and when it didn't it wasn't by much.

Is it just me, or is part of the problem the hike in USPS fees and people just aren't realizing that it costs a lot more to send things?

I've always used stealth shipping over the years but I'm thinking it's time to show the shipping cost on the package.

Any suggestions? I know shipping/handling doesn't count against sellers but it can't look too good to potential buyers. And irritating when I know I'm not overcharging.

[melsieh67]

IMO it could definitely be that people aren't aware of shipping hikes. I went to mail a not very big box the other day and was staggered by the hike in cost.

[anthology-of-treasures]

1. eBay's right hand heavily promotes free shipping and punishes sellers who do not offer it.

In reality free shipping increases shipping costs to buyers because sellers have to include the maximum possible shipping costs. Its forces sellers to charge ALL buyers zone 9 shipping.

2. eBay's left hand introduced buyer ratings on shipping so that eBay could use its buyers to punish sellers who do not offer free shipping. Many buyers think free shipping is a good deal due to #1.

both work together to increase costs to buyers and thus generate more income for eBay as eBay earns more FVF on the shipping.

How can you show the cost of shipping on the package? Will eBay's system add in your FVF fees on shipping, which is true cost of shipping. Most buyers are going to throw the package into the recycling bin as quickly as possible - most do not even read the full item description and examine all the pictures.

[packratville]

You're right about the free shipping and having to factor in the highest possible Zone cost. It essentially punishes buyers who live closer to the seller and discourages those sales due to the higher price.

Endicia allows me to choose stealth postage or to show the USPS postage price on the label. All other fees and packaging costs come from the item price. Obviously there's not much "profit" left on my low-cost items, but I'm not selling my higher-priced items yet. After experiencing fraudulent returns and reading others' stories, I won't sell any of the expensive items here that I'd originally planned, such as camera equipment, etc. Nor will I sell larger items that would involve USPS dimensional pricing.

I'm also up against other sellers in some of my categories that often considerably undercharge on postage; I don't understand how they can and make any profit whatsoever when they also sell dvd's, for instance, at rock-bottom prices as it is.

[packratville]

I'm shocked too every time I purchase postage, especially since the last postage hike and changes to Zone pricing. Since I'm still somewhat settling an estate and another matter and often sending packages or flat-rate envelopes to relatives or institutions, I've been floored by the increased costs compared to not so long ago. So buyers who don't ship or haven't for a long time probably don't realize just how expensive it is now.

[johnrj1226]

One thing for  certain shipping  costs  have gone  up for everyone with USPS, UPS & FedEx and rest assured  by mid  January 2020 all 3  carriers  will increase  their costs to  the  buyers via increase in  prices, reductions in discounts  from Retail to Commercial rate or both or, or, or.  I reset my watch by these events.  Rate  changes  have  happened every years since 2010 (by rate  changes I mean the  cost for a shipping label  bought through eBay which as a minimum is the  Commercial USPS rate)

I only  ship via USPS and  for my needs they are  the  least  expensive.

[myboardid]

First, the ratings no longer mean anything - eBay does not use them to judge your account at all. 

There are buyers who simply won't give a 5 rating to anyone who charges shipping at all, even if it is just a penny.  The way eBay has the rating system set up, a buyer who purchases an item with a choice of shipping options that includes a free option and one or more paid options can ding your ship cost star even if they chose the free shipping. 

Also, if you don't sell a whole lot, even one ding can make a huge difference in the way the star looks and the number with it.  However, no one is going to refuse to buy from you for anything as high as a 4.7.  You really don't need to spend time or energy concerning this issue. 

[anthology-of-treasures]

Once again you can blame eBay for increased postal rates on several counts:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-made-the-right-call-to-withdraw-from-the-universal-pos...

The above article discusses Trump's decision to start the 1 year withdrawal process from the UPU. A 1969 provision allowed poor countries to ship items into developed countries at discounted rates. In 2010 eBay decided to misuse this program and negotiated a deal between itself, USPS and China Post. This deal allows eBay's Chinese vendors to ship items here very cheaply. Both eBay and USPS told the public that USPS needed this deal to save USPS from falling domestic first class mail volumes. Both told the public USPS would be making money on these Chinese packages. THAT WAS A LIE!

USPS was losing money on each package. Soon other companies copied eBay. According to the article these packages cost USPS $300 million in one year. That translates to over $3 billion by the time the program will end its 10 year run. The previous administration ignored calls to end this abuse. Members of Congress, who take "political contributions" from Ebay, Amazon and other companies that abused this program, did nothing. Trump's administration did something about it within months of being contacted by me and others. How do you think USPS makes up for these loses? Its raises other rates which also happens to make more money for eBay via FVF on shipping.

eBay continues to sell private insurance. Insurance has always been a cash cow for USPS, but now its taking in less revenue verses payouts due to eBay. USPS once again will raise rates to make for this.

[anthology-of-treasures]

It does not matter if eBay is no longer using them as you claim.

1. eBay HEAVILY promotes free shipping (and punishes sellers or their listings in various ways for not using it).

2. Customers become indoctrinated by eBay's free shipping marketing into thinking its a better deal (when in fact it causes higher prices for the buyer).

3. Customer leaves lowered DSR for shipping.

4. Seller sells less on eBay due to lowered DSR ratings based upon false assumptions promoted by eBay.

5. Seller is forced to leave eBay due to lowered DSR ratings.

OR

6. Seller is forced to using free shipping, which makes eBay more money as it makes buyers pay more for for items verses calculated shipping.

--

This is the same eBay that told us they were introducing FVF on shipping fees to lower shipping costs for buyers. Yeah right!

--

If eBay really wants to be honest about DSR ratings then they should force buyers to first read a statement based upon the diagram below to understand why they are paying higher shipping rates.

[packratville]

I only ship USPS too, for the same reasons. Plus comparing packages I receive from various places, those shipped by USPS arrive in better condition. UPS used to be the worse, but now it's a toss up between UPS and FedEx.

[packratville]

I was just wondering if there were steps that might help, such as showing the postage costs on the label instead of stealth. And if others are noticing a change as well recently. Until I can sell more and more often, I know anything less than five will give me a bigger hit. It's just frustrating when I actually lose money, but I won't lose sleep over it.

[donthrowitaway]

I agree, sometimes postal charges appear to be taken out on the seller. I've had it happen to me. Selling with free shipping simplifies this. If you sell with free priority shipping, the total price paid  is insured up to $50.00. (The post office doesn't  reimburse  shipping costs.) Priority shipping supplies are free.

Shipping sure has gone up, it's a sale killer.

[donthrowitaway]

I've noticed this too. China ships a $1.00 item for FREE. That items costs me $3.75, bare minimum if you include packaging. That's not good for our economy.

Shipping costs are inflated and they impact sales. One thing about shipping that bothers me is the USPS 'bait and switch' tactic of charging much, much more for an item shipping to the other side of the US and then telling me it will ship in two days, whereas if it ships one or two states away, it's three day shipping. I'd rather pay a little less and have it take three days. No one says anything about this, but it's wrong!

It's crazy to have to calculate the highest price on shipping, especially when your paying twice as much for it to ship to Calif, or Boston. 

[johnrj1226]

@donthrowitaway 

1.  read this USPS report  for their 3rd quarter fiscal report.  https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2019/0809-usps-reports-third-quarter-fiscal-2019-r...

2  USPS $2.3 Billion thru the  3 rd qtr.

3.  Despite  USPS projecting a 3 billion dollar  savings by a stopping all Saturday deliveries they continue to refuse to do so.  I am  all for it - just  get  junk mail on most  Saturdays any way.

4.  All delivery  dates  given by USPS & other  carriers are ESTIMATED w/the exception of next day (business day) mail that is dropped off  by a very specific time and Saturdays don't count unless you want to pay more.  Yeah I had a Priority mail package that was to be  delivered 20 miles away- the label  said 1 day delivey - it took 3 business days all routing  was  by ground.  I get stuff delivered to Hawaii in 3 business days. - all depends  on how the routing go and routings  can  change from day to  day depending on volume.  USPS or any other carrier won't  ship a handful of  mail great  distances to meet a  delivery estimate

[packratville]

I use Priority whenever possible, but it's not practical for a lot of what I sell and will be selling (magazines, videos). Unfortunately with magazines actual shipping costs are misrepresented by sellers who illegally ship them via media mail, so shipping costs for those of us who follow USPS rules appear high.