08-16-2020 01:39 PM
I recently sold an item. In my ad the shipping cost was shown as $8.25. But when the sold confirmation email arrived it had a shipping cost of $14.90. Then, when I proceeded to print the shipping label, the cost changed to $11.19. That's 3 different price changes. How in the world, does any of this add up? Who is getting the remainder, $3.71 (14.90 - 11.19)? And why is ad showing a price of $8.25? This looks like a scam. Or definitely a bait and switch.
08-16-2020 01:53 PM
That's normal. You see the price in the listing for shipping to your own zip code. Are you sure the 3.71 is not tax?
08-16-2020 01:55 PM
@moretoys6
The $8.25 is what it would cost to ship the item to someone in your zip code.
The $14.90 is what it cost to ship to the buyers zip code.
When you buy postage through Ebay, you get a little discount, that's why it only cost you $11.19.
The $3.71 is yours.
08-16-2020 02:06 PM
kensgiftshop is absolutely correct!
When you personally click on the listing it shows what it would cost to ship it to your address $8.25, when the buyer clicks on the listing it shows what it would cost to ship it to their address, so they saw the $14.90 shipping before they ever even purchased the item from you.
When you buy your postage on Ebay you get "commercial" pricing which is cheaper than what you would pay if you just went into the post office and bought your postage there. The buyer doesn't see the commercial price on your listing, they see the post office price.
You get to keep the remaining $3.71
08-16-2020 05:03 PM
If you plan to sell a lot you can pass on the shipping discount to your buyers in preferences. I don't want the price on the label to be to different from what was paid. I take my profit on the item itself not the postage, it's easier at tax time.
08-16-2020 05:06 PM
@toysaver wrote:If you plan to sell a lot you can pass on the shipping discount to your buyers in preferences. I don't want the price on the label to be to different from what was paid. I take my profit on the item itself not the postage, it's easier at tax time.
Postage amount never displays on the items that I ship.
08-16-2020 05:23 PM
I want my buyers to know exactly where the money went.
08-16-2020 05:30 PM
I stopped displaying postage when a buyer dinged me because the postage was 25 cents more than the charge for shipping & handling.
Also less of a problem now, but when some USPS employees did not know the difference between "retail" pricing", and "commercial based" pricing it caused problems.
08-16-2020 05:35 PM
You don't have to put the price on the label ... it's been called "stealth" shipping.
You have that option when you go to print your label.
So if you want to keep the difference, like to compensate for time spent packing, shipping materials costs, etc., you can certainly do that without feeling guilty.
It's yours to keep and you're welcome to it.
I know I earn every penny between the USPS counter price and the commercial price. I maintain a printer and buy labeling materials, I buy packing materials and I use gas taking packages to the P.O. There are all kinds of reasons why we should keep it besides the fact that eBay and USPS has made it available to us.
There's nothing to feel guilty about!
08-16-2020 05:43 PM
@buyselljack2016 wrote:I stopped displaying postage when a buyer dinged me because the
postage was 25 cents more than the charge for shipping & handling.
Also less of a problem now, but when some USPS employees did not know the difference between "retail" pricing", and "commercial based" pricing it caused problems.
Correction.
because the shipping & handling was 25 cents more than the postage displayed.