Shipping Fees

[littlehouseofplenty]

I always give shipping refunds if someone pays too much for shipping.  Of course, while ebay includes shipping fees as part of the total for final value fees, they don't credit it back.  For the past few months, I have seen shipping charges billed way higher than they should be despite the fact that I measure and weigh accurately.  So ebay gets to keep the fee on the overage but doesn't give it back.  Seems rather unfair

[nobody*s_perfect]

You need to figure out why your listings are chronically overcharging on shipping.  

Did you know that the shipping calculator in eBay listings defaults to show the retail postage cost?  In your site preferences, you can change it to show the online ("eBay") rate.  Most sellers leave it set to retail so the difference covers expenses like packaging and the final value fee on the shipping cost.

[mr_lincoln]

@littlehouseofplenty   When you refund for a Shipping discount make sure you deduct the eBay fees before issuing the refund.  If eBay would credit Sellers their fees you would not have to do this.

Sellers ONLY get discounts on shipping costs for First Class and Priority Mail with USPS.  A while ago, the discount was sufficient to offset eBay fees, that's no longer true unless Sellers add additional weight, meaning Buyers pay more for shipping but it allows Sellers to recover the fees they pay on shipping.

[nobody*s_perfect]

"A while ago, the discount was sufficient to offset eBay fees, that's no longer true unless Sellers add additional weight"

The price to ship 8 ounces to Zone 8 via First Class packages is $5.50 retail and $4.15 online; that's a savings of 32% which is enough to offset eBay fees on shipping even if you're paying the 5% penalty for being "Below standard".  

[littlehouseofplenty]

i do add the fees to the actual cost before refunding.  i just think it’s a lousy system. Also with managed payments i have noticed discrepancies with shipping costs and that they manage to charge for as many shipping labels as possible to reduce the amount of the payouts.  i liked it much better before when i was able to get my money immediately through paypal and have more control over my money

[littlehouseofplenty]

i don’t ship first class.  the weight of my items don’t qualify and i stopped using usps when they started damaging and losing my packages 

[nobody*s_perfect]

My comment with an example about First Class was in response to another poster's assertion about the scope of online savings.

The point isn't about which service you use; it's about the listing charging the buyer the retail price.

[allthosetreasures]

I've had the same problem

 Shipping calculated about $13 but I was charged almost $70.

[mr_lincoln]

---

@littlehouseofplenty wrote:

i do add the fees to the actual cost before refunding.  i just think it’s a lousy system. Also with managed payments i have noticed discrepancies with shipping costs and that they manage to charge for as many shipping labels as possible to reduce the amount of the payouts.  i liked it much better before when i was able to get my money immediately through paypal and have more control over my money

---

@allthosetreasures   I'm a bit confused by the comment, " ... they manage to charge for as many shipping labels as possible to reduce the amount of the payouts . ..."  If you mean your items are set for Immediate payment required and on a multiple purchase from the same Buyer each order is placed with a paid label then that is one scenario ... I don't think you mean eBay is charging you more than one label per individual sale ...

[mr_lincoln]

---

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

"A while ago, the discount was sufficient to offset eBay fees, that's no longer true unless Sellers add additional weight"

The price to ship 8 ounces to Zone 8 via First Class packages is $5.50 retail and $4.15 online; that's a savings of 32% which is enough to offset eBay fees on shipping even if you're paying the 5% penalty for being "Below standard".  

---

If you want to use one single solitary example that's your business ... who said anything about an account being "Below standard"?   

[nobody*s_perfect]

Nobody did, I was just pointing out how high the percentage difference was.   There are plenty of examples: for Priority Mail, shipping 3 pounds to Zone 8 costs $21.15 retail and $17.20 online; that's a savings of 19%.

5 pounds to Zone 5 costs $15.40 retail and $12.45 online; that's also a savings of 19%.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@allthosetreasures wrote:

I've had the same problem

 Shipping calculated about $13 but I was charged almost $70.

---

Yikes, that has to be due to an error such as a typo on the label form that led to you being charged for a dimensional weight for the label.  

[littlehouseofplenty]

my issue is that supposedly, when using calculate shipping, it is calculated by ebay’s software based on package weight, dimensions and destination location.  That being said, the shipping should be accurate yet my buyers are always charged way over the actual shipping charge.  This results in me giving my buyer a refund.  and it just feels that since ebay doesn’t refund the final value fees that they are making money in the shipping charges.  why do they need to take fees for the shipping? i know that there are those sellers who used to charge pennies for an item then charge exorbitant shipping to avoid final value fees, but i would think that those high shipping fees could somehow be red flagged by ebay instead of charging fees on shipping 

[buyselljack2016]

---

@littlehouseofplenty wrote:

my issue is that supposedly, when using calculate shipping, it is calculated by ebay’s software based on package weight, dimensions and destination location.  That being said, the shipping should be accurate yet my buyers are always charged way over the actual shipping charge.  This results in me giving my buyer a refund.  and it just feels that since ebay doesn’t refund the final value fees that they are making money in the shipping charges.  why do they need to take fees for the shipping? i know that there are those sellers who used to charge pennies for an item then charge exorbitant shipping to avoid final value fees, but i would think that those high shipping fees could somehow be red flagged by ebay instead of charging fees on shipping 

---

Not up to eBay to set "fixed" shipping & handling amount charges. Not eBay's job to "red flag".  Where would the cut off be?

eBay took the logical (easiest for them) route to combat the $1 item with $99 shipping culprits.

Fee on total levels the playing field for those that use free shipping(shipping included).

There should be no reason other than those already suggested, for buyers to pay "way over" for shipping than the shipping cost is calculated to be.

My buyers pay pretty much what is expected when I list.  Only time I see a big difference is if I end up being able to reduce size, or weight after listing.

[buyselljack2016]

$21 to ship a dozen golf ball to zone 4?  Seems a bit steep. Does not appear to be an eBay error.