Regional rate shipping gone

[bashort]

Just found this out when a buyer told me that they could not make a purchase, the problem was that we had it set up with regional rate shipping that has been discontinued. First that I have heard of it

[titipeo]

USPS discontinued this service starting Jan 22 if I remember correctly. You can still use Pirateship or Paypal to purchase the label, since they are still valid. eBay seems to have removed this service a bit early. 

[wastingtime101]

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@bashort wrote:

Just found this out when a buyer told me that they could not make a purchase, the problem was that we had it set up with regional rate shipping that has been discontinued. 

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Hey @bashort - every Fall the USPS January price changes & service changes are announced. This change was a pretty big deal and widely publicized so it's probably a good idea to keep track of these things. There will be another change announced in the Spring that will go into effect over the Summer. USPS has made some significant changes in recent years with package size surcharges, discontinued boxes and services, and price changes. Here's a page that will show you the new rates going into effect over the weekend: https://pe.usps.com/PriceChange

Hey devon@ebay - can you check with the shipping team and find out how listings that currently have regional rate shipping options are going to be managed?

USPS is discontinuing Regional Rate A & B boxes in a few days. eBay has already removed the service from the shipping labels page, but now sellers are running in to problems where buyers cannot make purchases because RR is still applied to many listings.

Is eBay going to send an e-mail to affected sellers or flag their listings in some way? Is eBay leaving it up to the seller so buyers will face errors until sellers become informed and make changes?

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@titipeo wrote:

USPS discontinued this service starting Jan 22 if I remember correctly. You can still use Pirateship or Paypal to purchase the label, since they are still valid. eBay seems to have removed this service a bit early. 

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@titipeo 

PayPal doesn't offer labels for the Regional boxes.  But you can still purchase Regional postage through USPS's own Click N Ship.

[carolynnq]

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@titipeo wrote:

USPS discontinued this service starting Jan 22 if I remember correctly. You can still use Pirateship or Paypal to purchase the label, since they are still valid. eBay seems to have removed this service a bit early. 

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Thank you! I had no idea. I had noticed the regional rate shipping option had disappeared from ebay's shipping menu, but figured it was a gllitch. I'm going to have to look at some of my listings. For batches of magazines, the regional rate boxes were frequently the best option.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I ordered and received more regional rate boxes. I guess they can be used as regular priority boxes after Jan 22.

[pargran3]

Yes, if the sizes do anything for you.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Not that it matters now, but I have not seen anyplace to 'set up' a 'particular' type of shipping (Medium Flat Rate; Regional A) etc. 

Items are either 'standard shipping' or 'expedited shipping' so wondering how that would have stopped a buyer??

(and for GSP- you would input the size/weight only??)

[1tuna]

its sort of older news on the boards

many sellers are talking about it like its the end of the world or something

I dont mean to make light of it

I wish ebay could just have some code or something to make it default to plain old priority

it makes me feel stupid that sellers cant get a sale because of outdated shipping

I was never good with bulk revisions or that sort of thing

does this mean that sellers have to go and revise a bunch of listings?

@bashort 

[itsjustasprain]

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@pargran3 wrote:

Yes, if the sizes do anything for you.

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I always liked the rectangular proportions of the RRA box. Random stuff tends to be a better fit in the RRA than in the #4 cube(-ish) shape (7''x7''x6''). I'll just go with standard Priority postage on those from now on until I use up my supply.

[wastingtime101]

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@1tuna wrote:

I wish ebay could just have some code or something to make it default to plain old priority

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I would vote for that option if the seller had calculated shipping set up. But if the seller uses flat rate or rate tables, then the seller should be deciding for themselves what they're going to do.

Preventing sales is a bad buyer experience, but changing a seller's designated shipping without informing them would not be good, either.

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does this mean that sellers have to go and revise a bunch of listings?

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Yes, of course sellers offering RR need to revise their listings. Shipping changes happen all the time. Sellers offering services need to stay informed when there are changes to those services so they can make adjustments. To not keep on top of it is to the seller's own detriment, costing them sales and/or  $$.

[ebooksdiva]

Knowledge: Regional Rate Boxes (usps.com)

[bashort]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@bashort wrote:

Just found this out when a buyer told me that they could not make a purchase, the problem was that we had it set up with regional rate shipping that has been discontinued. 

---

Hey @bashort - every Fall the USPS January price changes & service changes are announced. This change was a pretty big deal and widely publicized so it's probably a good idea to keep track of these things. There will be another change announced in the Spring that will go into effect over the Summer. USPS has made some significant changes in recent years with package size surcharges, discontinued boxes and services, and price changes. Here's a page that will show you the new rates going into effect over the weekend: https://pe.usps.com/PriceChange

Hey devon@ebay - can you check with the shipping team and find out how listings that currently have regional rate shipping options are going to be managed?

USPS is discontinuing Regional Rate A & B boxes in a few days. eBay has already removed the service from the shipping labels page, but now sellers are running in to problems where buyers cannot make purchases because RR is still applied to many listings.

Is eBay going to send an e-mail to affected sellers or flag their listings in some way? Is eBay leaving it up to the seller so buyers will face errors until sellers become informed and make changes?

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Yea, should probable pay more attention, one reason I quit "free" shipping was the constant changes in shipping cost and then the constant repricing

[johnrj1226]

Was announced in the ANNOUNCEMENT box on your eBay Overview page on January 9, 2023 and prior to that on USPS .

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/2023-Shipping-Carrier-Rate-Changes/ba-p/33473166

[m60driver]

This was announced quite awhile ago.  Just another strike in the coffin for Ebay has yet another range of items becomes non-competitive on Ebay without the regional rates.  I have had to place a number of older items into my designated garage sale box.

[devon@ebay]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@bashort wrote:

Just found this out when a buyer told me that they could not make a purchase, the problem was that we had it set up with regional rate shipping that has been discontinued. 

---

Hey @bashort - every Fall the USPS January price changes & service changes are announced. This change was a pretty big deal and widely publicized so it's probably a good idea to keep track of these things. There will be another change announced in the Spring that will go into effect over the Summer. USPS has made some significant changes in recent years with package size surcharges, discontinued boxes and services, and price changes. Here's a page that will show you the new rates going into effect over the weekend: https://pe.usps.com/PriceChange

Hey devon@ebay - can you check with the shipping team and find out how listings that currently have regional rate shipping options are going to be managed?

USPS is discontinuing Regional Rate A & B boxes in a few days. eBay has already removed the service from the shipping labels page, but now sellers are running in to problems where buyers cannot make purchases because RR is still applied to many listings.

Is eBay going to send an e-mail to affected sellers or flag their listings in some way? Is eBay leaving it up to the seller so buyers will face errors until sellers become informed and make changes?

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Hey @wastingtime101! I reached out to our Shipping Team and this is what they said:

"The Shipping product team verified that they removed Regional Box A & Regional Box B as a shipping service on December 30, 2022. For sellers who currently have Regional Boxes as shipping service within the listing, if they don’t change the shipping service at the listing label, the default shipment at label printing will be Priority Mail."