eBay

xeniavintage · ‎12-09-2022

I am totally confused as to why my packages have such high shipping costs for larger heavier items than other sellers??? For example, I get carrier quotes for an item at $125.00 and another seller has it for $23.75 for the exact same thing???

I know shipping through ebay "I" get a discounted rate but the buyers don't see that. All they see is the high shipping cost and then move on! It is very frustrating!

Does anyone use shipping services outside of ebay like Parcel Monkey etc.?

Any insight is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-09-2022

@xeniavintage wrote: ... I know shipping through ebay "I" get a discounted rate but the buyers don't see that. All they see is the high shipping cost and then move on! It is very frustrating!...

You can change your site preferences so that buyers see the online ("eBay") rate, but then you're stuck with absorbing the final value fee on that amount as well a you packaging expenses unless you add a handling fee when you set up the shipping calculator. The option is called "share carrier discounts".

https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

For the example you provided, is the other seller offering the same carrier and service? Other postage services (such as Pirateship) sometimes offer specific services that aren't available through eBay such as Priority Mail cubic.

dbfolks166mt · ‎12-09-2022

I don't know which item you are referring to or what other seller you are comparing to but if I look at your Gingerbread house shown below it shows $152.62 for shipping USPS parcel Select Ground with some other cheaper shipping options if I were to select one.

I am going to assume you are using calculated shipping since if I change my zip code the rates also change. The rates the buyers see when looking at the item reflect the shipping cost based on the dimensions of the package as well as the weight.

You are in Xenia, Ohio and while I am not sure of the size of the package you are shipping once the item is packed your listing indicates the package weighs 21 pounds. I estimated a 20" x 20" x 18" package and punched that into Pirate Ship using shipping from your zip code to a LA zip code which would be one of the farther distances and got the rates shown below. You could modify your shipping from calculated to a flat rate based on best estimate and method to ship and do away with the calculated shipping cost in the listing. Remember you pay FVF on shipping so set the shipping cost to cover that expense. You could also offer free shipping and incorporate the shipping cost and fees into your price.

If you use UPS ground to ship I would recommend purchasing the labels outside of eBay and uploading the tracking information as UPS is infamous for unilateral surcharges on labels purchased through eBay.

aeparts1 · ‎12-09-2022

Shipping via UPS is shown as $90 when I looked at your listing. So a little lower than your USPS Parcel rate of $130.

Double check the measurements you have entered in the shipping section of your listing. It is very easy to hit a 5 when you meant to hit a 2 & get a crazy shipping charge. Make sure all measurements are correct.

If you ship a lot of volume UPS & Fed Ex will give you a super discount. Here at work, we pay about 1/4 of what UPS charges thru eBay. So, some sellers may be able to ship the item for $30 when you are charged $90.

You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.

dbfolks166mt · ‎12-09-2022

For the example you provided, is the other seller offering the same carrier and service? Other postage services (such as Pirateship) sometimes offer specific services that aren't available through eBay such as Priority Mail cubic.

I often use Pirate Ship for that very reason and have saved several buyers postage costs using Priority Mail Cubic. It is limited to .5 cubic feet and 20 pounds max and is not often viable since I can usually fit the items into a flat rate envelope which has a 70 pound weight limit but on occasion it is cheaper.

mybigsale · ‎12-09-2022

@xeniavintage

Not long ago the USPS changed how they calculate their rates for some cases.

1. If the Length X Width X Height of your box is greater than 1728, the Post Office adds "Imaginary Weight" to your item to calculate the charge based on the cubic dimensions of your box.

Have 12X12X12 boxes and 18X12X8 on hand. If items fit, you are good to ship. Any dimension under .5 can be rounded down. So, a 12.4" X 12.4" X 12.2" box is ok (12x12x12). A 12.4"X12.x4"X 12.5" box is not good (12X12X13). Any dimension .5 or higher is rounded up to the next inch by USPS.

If you have a box where LXWXH is over 1728, try to find a box of 1728 cubic inches or smaller (or face higher postage by USPS adding dimensional weight).

2. USPS has started adding Non-Standard Fees if your package is greater than a certain length. If one side is over 22", they add $5. Over 30", they add $15. Other fees as described in link below.

Have a 23" narrow item to ship. Use a bigger box under 1728 cu in where your item fits "at an angle" and save on postage (22X12X4 box instead of a 24X4X4 box for example).

USPS Non-Standard Fees | A Guide to Understanding the New USPS Surcharges - Shipping School

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-09-2022

Those are some great tips, especially on packing diagonally to avoid the surcharge for an item that has a length over 22 inches. But I want to add a couple of clarifications; The surcharge for length over 22 inches is $4. There is also a $15 surcharge for packages with a volume over 2 cubic feet.

And the term that USPS uses for volume over 1 cubic foot is called "dimensional weight". The USPS formula for determining dimensional wight is volume (in cubic inches) divided by 166.

asset_liquidators · ‎12-09-2022

You are doing something wrong. I am not sure what but your calculated shipping for a 15" tall (21 pound) gingerbread house is showing $223+ for shipping to Arizona from Ohio.

I don't use calculated shipping. I only use fixed rate and free shipping so I can't tell you what you are entering incorrectly. Hopefully someone with experience at using the calculator can offer some better insight.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-09-2022

@xeniavintage wrote: ... I get carrier quotes for an item at $125.00 and another seller has it for $23.75 for the exact same thing??? ...

Go to the listing, click on "revise," and check on the package dimensions.

Don't overlook the possibility that the other seller has made an error in their shipping setup!

ms.rodriguez* · ‎12-09-2022

It could be a mistake. Sometimes, sellers can add part of the shipping to the starting price. Is that item much more money than yours? Remember, when you weigh anything, you have to round up. 16.1 ounces MUST travel at the 2 lb. rate. If measuring something and it's 8 1/2 inches, you round up to 9. There are surcharges too for longer packages .

buybuy42 · ‎12-09-2022

If you were only shipping this to the next town over from you, it would be broken somewhere.

If you think this item will arrive as you sent it, think again.

Good Luck

Loose Cannon

xeniavintage · ‎12-09-2022

What sparked this question to ebay was that someone from Las Vegas contacted me about the Gingerbread House (eBay number: 285065780222) and said that my shipping to her location was $223! This has happened before with other larger packages and I'd just had enough of this and needed to figure out what is going on!

As you can see from the Gingerbread House photo it can definitely be breakable prone and I packaged it very well so as not to break. It comes with its own styrofoam container it sits in which made the package larger than just the house itself. With that being said the package is 23x23x23 and weighs 21 lbs.

When it comes to these larger heavier pieces I always offer ground from Fedex, UPS and USPS. I need my potential buyers to be able to see the discounted rates that ebay gives but I do not know how to do that.

Shipping rates for house:

USPS - Not disc $222 / disc $222

UPS - Not disc $150 / disc $75

Fedex - not disc $168 / disc $83

If they could see the discounted rates then I know I could be more competitive!

Thanks!

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-09-2022

@xeniavintage wrote: ... When it comes to these larger heavier pieces I always offer ground from Fedex, UPS and USPS. I need my potential buyers to be able to see the discounted rates that ebay gives but I do not know how to do that....If they could see the discounted rates then I know I could be more competitive!

Thanks!

You can choose to show buyers the discounted rate in your listings. I explained this and even provided a link to the appropriate site preferences page, in the very first reply in this thread.

Parcel Select Ground IS the USPS online ("discounted") rate; the retail equivalent is called Retail Ground. Both services used to be known as Parcel Post. Your package is shipping at the Parcel Select "Oversize" rate because its length-plus-girth is over 108 inches. It is also incurring the $4 surcharge for length over 22 inches.

redlinear · ‎12-09-2022

How?? It's not the weight, it's the size of the package. Even at THAT, I'm seeing $60 on UPS and $78 on FedEx....(If I was to ship that package from AR to FL....which is a high average shipping cost for me)
Do you have handling? OR insurance being added?