eBay

greatlakesretailplus · ‎10-04-2021

How are you guys handling the shipping cost increases?

Are you just eating the extra cost or raising your shipping prices?

Yes I know eating costs are not the best business practices but since it is supposedly "temporary" figured I would ask.

My priority mail flat rate jumped from 7.76 to 8.50 which can add up pretty fast.

tori_729 · ‎10-04-2021

Hmmm - I didn't think the flat rates were going up that much. I thought it was .25? Ugh.
So that means my flat rate shipping rule will have to increase to $9 instead of $8.
My free shipping listings will stay as is; I don't have very many and they are priced competitively.

The others will automatically adjust as they are calculated shipping.

I would suggest you not use free shipping too often for this reason - shipping will continue to go up and the best way to tackle that is to just have calculated shipping on your listings.

greatlakesretailplus · ‎10-04-2021

95% of our items go out Priority mail flat rates

I don't do free shipping unless the item is very light or on stuff like video games, blurays etc

We get a ton of orders from California, Texas Etc so flat rate really is the best option since we are on the otherside of the country.

Guess I will be raising my shipping rates, I really don't see much of a option sadly.

hurryagain · ‎10-04-2021

@greatlakesretailplus

They did this last year and just to let you know...yes, it was "temporary" and they did drop the cost back down ONLY TO RAISE THEM right back up two or three weeks later with their annual price increases.

It happens every January so if I were you, I would not drop that price increase until February if/when you know for sure that USPS isn't going to do another annual price increase.

I increased my shipping costs to my buyers.

glasser · ‎10-04-2021

I encourage people to explore other carries. Today, for example, I have a 10x 10 X 10 3 pound box to east coast to west. FedEx 2 day via eBay is $2 cheaper than USPS priority and ground even less (UPS too). Shop around.

tori_729 · ‎10-04-2021

@glasser wrote:
I encourage people to explore other carries. Today, for example, I have a 10x 10 X 10 3 pound box to east coast to west. FedEx 2 day via eBay is $2 cheaper than USPS priority and ground even less (UPS too). Shop around.

I really think we will be seeing more of this if USPS continues to increase their rates. I think a lot of us just go to USPS b/c we think it will be cheaper but yes, we should all be checking rates on items especially over 2-3 lbs.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎10-04-2021

@greatlakesretailplus wrote: ... My priority mail flat rate jumped from 7.76 to 8.50 which can add up pretty fast.

According to the announcement, rates for First Class packages will increase by 30 cents and Priority flat-rate packaging will increase by 75 cents. If you're a TRS who gets the 3% discount on Priority Mail, that could be of by a penny or two. The announcement has a chart showing other Priority rate changes.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Shipping-carrier-peak-season-rate-and-surcharge-update/b...

I always use calculated shipping, so the increase will show in my listings automatically.

tori_729 · ‎10-04-2021

I just went through and changed my flat rate priority shipping rate (for shipping in envelopes) from $8 to $9 to offset the costs. That was the only flat rate shipping I had.

ryanrobyn · ‎10-04-2021

nothing is temporary with the PO. Remember that it always asks for new higher rates at the end of the year. It's not the increase that's so bad but (1) first class has actually changed to parcel mail and takes longer and (2) Ebay just takes more in fees based on the new rates.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎10-04-2021

@ryanrobyn wrote:
nothing is temporary with the PO. ...

Last year's temporary holiday increase ended on schedule (Dec. 26 IIRC) so there's no reason to think that this year's won't. Then of course there will be the annual new rates in late January.

tori_729 · ‎10-04-2021

Ebay just takes more in fees based on the new rates.

Yeah this makes me mad. They take fees based on shipping so when shipping goes up, they get more $$ in fees. That's pretty shady IMO.

fashionsandbeauty4u · ‎10-04-2021

The USPS holiday surcharge will last now until Dec. 26.

FedEx and UPS surcharges are soon to follow.

I offer free shipping on almost all my listings. My plan is as I list new items, I will factor in the increased costs. Also before my listings come up on their 30-day renewal, when I go to Sell Similar I will factor in the increased costs.

Come January, right now I have no plans to remove the increased shipping costs if any of that makes sense. 🙂

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nickelsanddimes2015 · ‎10-04-2021

But you have to be careful using Fedex because they have hidden surcharge fees for residential and gas that aren't added to the amount ebay shows you.

coffeebean832 · ‎10-04-2021

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
According to the announcement, rates for First Class packages will increase by 30 cents and Priority flat-rate packaging will increase by 75 cents. If you're a TRS who gets the 3% discount on Priority Mail, that could be of by a penny or two. The announcement has a chart showing other Priority rate changes.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Shipping-carrier-peak-season-rate-and-surcharge-update/b...

I always use calculated shipping, so the increase will show in my listings automatically.

Which is a difference between this year and last year. Last year's holiday increase was online-only. This year's increase affects retail rates, too- so the shipping calculator will take care of it. Sellers only need to make adjustments if they offer flat or free shipping.