Shipping costs increased at time of sale...why?

[kadsrd]

I listed and item and weighed it in the package, as I have done for many items, and it said shipping would be $8.65 for priority.   But when the person made the purchase, shipping went up to $13 +.  They did not change the shipping method, that I can tell by the label. But they did "select" priority and it indicated the shipping would be the $13 plus, so she must have seen that when she purchased.  Am I responsible for the additional shipping cost and  Can anyone tell me why this must have happened.

Thanks

[goldguy22k]

Maybe I'm confusing myself? Can't tell exactly as you started with  you listed and weighed and item, but ended with are you responsible for additional shipping charges, so it is unclear if you are the buyer or seller?

That said, it could be a couple of things.

First, USPS bumped the shipping charges up for the holiday rush.  If you measured shipping costs before that increase the old price would be lower than the current price.

Also, you said, "But when the person made the purchase, shipping went up to $13 +."  What person?  Did they buy the postage at a retail counter and thus paid the retail rate, not the online rate or not the eBay label rate?  

Did you use a flat rate box of some kind when you measured the postage for the listing?  Then the item was shipped 'regular' PM not in a flat rate PM box?

[nobody*s_perfect]

The cost of Priority Mail depends on how far it is shipped.  When you look at your own listing, you see the cost to ship to a buyer in your own ZIP Code.  Apparently your buyer lives far away so the cost is higher.  But that should also be the cost that she paid for shipping when she paid for the item.   

[nobody*s_perfect]

"First, USPS bumped the shipping charges up for the holiday rush. "

The temporary postage increase for the holiday season added 40 cents to the cost of Priority Mail and Parcel Select; and 25 cents onto the cost for First Class packages.

[goldguy22k]

Yes, so could that temporary increase account for some of the increase in postage?

[nobody*s_perfect]

No, because (1) the rates changes in October and were immediately reflected in eBay's shipping calculator, and (2) as noted in my earlier post the increase was 40 cents.

[goldguy22k]

What if the seller calculated shipping while making their listing PRIOR to the October change?  You need to read my post carefully as I said it could have been "some of the increase in postage" not all of it! 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Then the seller would have entered a flat price for shipping, whereas clearly this is a problem with the seller's understanding of calculated shipping.

[tsme35]

Like posted earlier, she lives far away, priority and 1st class mail are zone rated, the higher the zone number, the higher the postage. You listed the package by calculated shipping, that's why she saw(paid) the $13+ cost. You only owe her if for some reason you listed at a flat shipping rate of $8.65. You should really look up postage rates on USPS before you lose serious money.  Shipping on a 2lb package one state over from me is $8-9, shipping to CA, WA or OR is almost $14, can make a huge difference.

[kadsrd]

Please let me clarify.  I am an ebay seller.  I have been doing it for a year and have never had this issue before now.  When I listed and item I noted package dimensions and weight, with the packing included.  On this sale, ebay estimated the cost at $8.25 shipping, so that is what was noted on the posting.  But when the buyer bought the item and "checked out" the shipping increased to $13.50. BTW, I only ship within the US.  I double checked to see if she had chosen an upgraded/expedited shipping method that might have increased the cost....but she had not.

Listed it as priority mail, in my own container.  

Since I had to absorb the additional shipping cost which took the majority of my profit (not a high dollar seller), I would like to know how to prevent this from happening again.   Thank you for your help!

[nobody*s_perfect]

When you set up a listing with calculated shipping, it automatically shows the correct postage cost from your ZIP Code to the ZIP Code of any member who looks at your listing.  So when you look at your own listing, you see the postage cost to ship to somebody in your own ZIP Code.  

If you're referring to the Flashback jacket, it does indeed show $8.25 when I enter your ZIP Code in the shipping section:

But when I change the ZIP Code in the shipping section of that same listing, to a ZIP Code in Massachusetts, the shipping cost increases to $13.65:

 

This is how the shipping calculator is supposed to work.  You see $8.25 but buyers in other Zones see (and pay) a higher price for postage.  If your buyer paid for thipping to a location where the postage costs $13, then their payment should have included the $13.  Did you check in PayPal to see what was the full amount of their payment? Then PayPal would have deducted the PayPal fee from that.

[kadsrd]

Thank you for helping me to understand. and taking the time to explain. I did not know that the buyer would actually see the higher shipping rate and would then have the opportunity to accept that charge at purchase or decline to buy, based on the postage costs. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Yes, the shipping calculator works completely automatically. The buyer doesn't even know that you or anybody else sees a different shipping cost than what they see.