Shipping Fees

[kennyjo]

Being a relative newbie on ebay, this situation just happened to me and I was wondering if this was user error on my part or did I miss something on how to calculate shipping costs correctly.

I listed an item and used the "recommended" option for shipping. I made sure that my item was within the limits as shown on the shipping option and posted shipping was to be paid by the buyer. So far, so good.

The sale was made and I packed up the item and made a label for it. It was then that I noticed that the buyer was from Puerto Rico; didn't think anything of it since PR is a US territory. After I shipped the item off, I received notification from ebay when the package was going to be delivered. I checked My ebay account and then discovered that I was being charged an additional $12.00 because it was being shipped to PR!

I'm assuming I got charged for international shipping above and beyond the normal, regular fees.

My question is: Is there a way to be notified or to find out the additional costs/fees before the sale is finalized so I or ebay can notify the purchaser of the additional charge(s) to make sure they are willing to pay them?

My margins are very small, as are probably most small sellers, and that additional charge ate up any profit I was going to make on this sale.

Or did I miss something when I listed the item?

Thanks!

[deserdog]

That will work for small items. I sell items that ship from 3 ounces to over 5 lbs. I just use 2 business profiles, on with shipping either ga or priority, and the other media mail, ga and priority. I no longer do any international shipping.

So in each listing, I choose the right business policy, and then enter the corret box size and weight. this is important because on items that ship over 1 lb., cubic pricing could come into play.

[kennyjo]

Thanks, that makes sense! A lot to learn with this; your answers make it a little easier!

Thanks again!

[stephenmorgan]

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@kennyjo wrote:

The receipt I got from the Post Office doesn't show any figures on it at all. 

Could it have been my fault for putting the item in a box that was too large? 

I guess the obvious solution would be to get the shipping container for the item before I list the item for sale. I think I may have answered my own question!

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The receipt from the Post office should show the weight of the package.  It will not show the package size.  Does you receipt look similar to this one?  What is the weight stated on it?

The best rates are for boxes under a cubic foot.  When the size goes over a cubic foot and or over 22 inches the price increases significantly.

What size package did you put in your listing?  What size package did you actually send?

You can open the sold listing by selecting Relist.  You do not have to relist but it will open the listing and you can see the information you put for the shipping.

Best practice is to always know the shipping information prior to listing a item.

[varietysells · Accepted solution]

    Hello.   First, let me say that as a seller who has shipped everything from jewelry to motorcycle seats, shipping is the most challenging part of the selling process! Second, it's easy to get burned on shipping, because it IS complicated, especially if one sells all kinds of different things.

     As far as your question, if I understand correctly, you chose a flat shipping rate, rather than utilizing e-bay's Calculate Shipping option.  When you choose the Calc'd Shipping, you'll need to know the size and weight of the shipping box, including the item and packing materials, when you list your item. So, once listed, it will show potential buyers what the actual shipping cost is.  For most of my items, I've learned it's  "safer" to use Calc'd Shipping. "Safer", meaning I don't get burned on unexpected shipping rates!

      Basically, I pack things ahead of time (leaving one side open in case there are questions on the item that may require you look at the item to answer). It saves time when the item is sold, too, which is important when you're in a hurry.  

        Another thing that you can do, is once you've saved the listing,  open the listing, and go to the right hand side where it looks something like the below*:  Click on the "See details" link.  Within that, it will have your zip code.  Try putting in a few different zip codes for A) Big cities, like L.A. or NYC, B) Small, remote towns, and C) Alaska, PR, etc.  That will give you a good sample of what the calculator will charge for different locations. This can help you determine if your item is competitively priced when the total includes shipping.  I hope this is helpful.  Best of luck on your e-bay journey!

*Shipping: US $(shipping calc shown here) UPS Ground Saver. See details for shipping