Shipping calculator error for multiple items. It multiplied the weight by 3, but not the size.

[bonusenjoy]

Hello eBay Forum,

My auction was for exterior light fixtures.

The listing was setup with a quantify of 3, each one being 25" x 12" x 12" and 10 pounds 4 ounces.

Someone purchased all 3 and the shipping calculator charged them shipping for 1 item that was 32 pounds (combined weight of the 3 of them), but only 25" x 12" x 12".

So, the size of 1 of them!

When I taped the 3 boxes together, it became Oversize for USPS (even more money...).

I've looked at the auction setup and I'm 99% sure it was setup correctly.

I've asked the buyer to pay the difference (about $15...), but I'm guessing I'll lose the sale due to an issue with eBay, not with me.

Suggestions?

If there somewhere to report this to eBay?

Thank you.

Tom

[sam9876]

"I've asked the buyer to pay the difference (about $15...)"

You might get a neg for that.

[orangehound]

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@bonusenjoy wrote:

Hello eBay Forum,

My auction was for exterior light fixtures.

The listing was setup with a quantify of 3, each one being 25" x 12" x 12" and 10 pounds 4 ounces.

Someone purchased all 3 and the shipping calculator charged them shipping for 1 item that was 32 pounds (combined weight of the 3 of them), but only 25" x 12" x 12".

So, the size of 1 of them!

When I taped the 3 boxes together, it became Oversize for USPS (even more money...).

I've looked at the auction setup and I'm 99% sure it was setup correctly.

I've asked the buyer to pay the difference (about $15...), but I'm guessing I'll lose the sale due to an issue with eBay, not with me.

Suggestions?

If there somewhere to report this to eBay?

Thank you.

Tom

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I think it would be a better decisions to eat the cost difference ... if the added cost is too much to swallow, I think you would stand a better chance of not upsetting the customer if you used a slower shipping service that does not kill you with the dimensional up-charges.

As for the eBay shipping calculator, that's the way it has always (not) worked.   When I have large multi-quantity items, I either limit the number available for purchase at one time, or I list them with some forethought into surcharges for multiple quantities.

[berserkerplanet]

To re-iterate:

The eBay shipping calculator will combine weights if told to, but will not adjust for package sizes. Been that way as long as I',m aware of. There is nothing to fix or report.

The only absolute way to prevent buyers being undercharged when purchasing multiple quantities of an item, that when combined incur dimensional weight, is to use a calculated shipping rule on that listing that apples no combined discount.

And then if desired, deal with partial shipping refunds and the fun that entails later, or try to get buyers to wait to be invoiced before paying if seller/eBay IPR doesn't prevent that.

[richard1rst]

At 25x12x12 it is already USPS oversized. And at 10 pounds why did you specify USPS without also offering either UPS or FedEx as alternatives. Surely for a box of that size and weight UPS or FedEx would have been cheaper.