Switched from SmartPost but USPS not being calculated right either... sorta

[mikescuriouscurios]

Had an item costing about $12 and weighing about 1.9lb that I used to ship cheap with SmartPost (buyer paying shipping). When they got more expensive now switched to offering USPS Priority. Found that ONE just barely fits in a Flat rate priority padded pouch and ships for $7. Great! Well today someone ordered TWO. Ebay, instead of either charging the buyer twice for shipping in a padded flat rate, or totaling to 3.8lb and charging the priority mail package rate, or asking me for a correct rate, it simply billed a SINGLE padded flat rate price for shipping to the buyer and, I guess, expected me to ship both in the flat rate. I had proper size (12"x9"x2") and weight entered. This sounds like a bug to me. They should have caluclated the overall size and realized it would not fit in the padded envelope anymore with 2. Is there a work-around that doesn't penalize the buyer on shipping who only orders one, or that doesn't penalize ME for shipping costs when someone orders two? I could never figure out how to do multiple shipping rates data tables (or whatever they call it on Eb). If I put the regular priority option first will it calculate properly for multiples, without using the more expensive non-flat rate for single items? Anyone know a work-around, or where to get help setting up the shipping rates table for a single item?

Thanks

[sam9876]

You didn't set the listing up properly.

You need to fill in the box for the shipping cost of additional items.

[mikescuriouscurios]

Thanks, That makes sense and probably would be really helpful, but.
Okay, I give up. Where is this additional item shipping cost box? It's not under the listing. It's not under the shipping policy. Can't find it anywhere in the profile settings. I have the following set in shipping preferences:
Offer combined payments and shipping Yes
Offer flat shipping No
Offer calculated shipping Yes

Are you referring to the "Shipping rate tables" section? Do you have to set that for each and every listed item, or at least group of like items and name a table and then a shipping policy for them?
It could be me, but always in the past, Eb just seemed to accurately add up multiple items for a correct combined shipping cost.I don't think I'm doing anything differently?

[lintbrush*]

You would need to use the Flat - Same Cost to All in order to set up a charge for each additional item.

If you use Calculated by weight - it will add the two weights together.

If you use Calculated with a Flat Rate Package selected - the price remains the same regardless of quantity.

Have you looked into the Regional Rate Boxes?  The sideloader Regional A might fit 2 (if it's not puffy) and ships at the 2 lb rate.  Size: 10-15/16 in x 2-3/8 in x 12-13/16 in.  It ships at the 2 lb calculate rate and can weigh up to 15 lbs.  Unfortunately, you can't pick it as a box type when you set up the listing but it's available when you purchase.   If you're going to use Calculated, you have to enter 2 lbs simple Priority (but remember to change it when you purchase the label)

[mikescuriouscurios]

The only place I see something resembling this is

Flat shipping rule - Not applicable. Must allow combined payments.

Under  "My eBay: Combined Payments and Shipping Discounts"

But 1. This requires "combined payments" to be checked which we do not allow since we aim to ship same or next day and the minimum period allowed is 3 days. If they had a 1 day option this would be a possibility.

2. Regardless, it would not apply since the purchase I'm referring to was a single item with quantity purchased = 2. Not mutiple items.

There simply seems to be no way around this short of NOT offering padded flat rate when there is ANY chance for a multiple purchase of the same item, the combination of which  wont fit into the flat rate container whether it is 2, 3 ,4 or more. i.e. even if 2 will fit, but you have a quantity of 3 available, if they purchase all 3 together you'll have to bite the bullet on the cost of shipping the 3rd one separately yourself.

[mikescuriouscurios]

Hi lintbrush,

  Sorry, was editing my other response while you were replying.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Looking into the "Flat - Same Cost to All" option.

Maybe along with The new SmartPost changes in Volume, they now need a "Calculate by Volume" option too. 🙂

I wound up going to a flatrate medium box which was just a little larger than necessary. But the price was something like $12+ I think, or just slightly lower than 2 x padded. Checked the regionals, and while they would fit it was going clear across country, so was not a good option.

[sam9876]

Are you looking at your listing with a computer?

[mikescuriouscurios]

Yes - always?

Where should the additional item shipping cost box be? Maybe I'm just missing it. Sure would solve a lot.

[lintbrush*]

When you actually make the listing.  It should be there in Shipping Details.  It's not a setting in preferences.

[berserkerplanet]

As lintbrush pointed out, you had to set the shipping as Flat Rate not calculated for the additional item shipping item cost option to be available.

And that if you had it set as calculated, it just added up the weights, and as long as total weight was less than 70# PFRE max, it just charged one PFRE price (eBay calcs don't do any volume checking on combined shipping or anything else - they only look at dimensions for dim weight calcs)

[mikescuriouscurios]

  Aha! I figured it was something like that - needing to set something else properly first. Otherwise the box simply isn't there. I think they need a volume option in addition. Would prob be tough to do though. If ONE item barely fits into a padded flat rate (or for that matter any USPS provided flat rate container), then two are either going to have to ship separately for twice the price or go a different route (regular priority,  multiple pkgs or larger flat rate.)

  Didn't I see somewhere once that it calculated and asked the seller for a final total? Oh yeah, I think it was when I had 1st class set and they ordered 2-3 and it brought the total weight to over 16oz. I got some sort of message from Ebay saying it needed a total weight and/or alternate shipping method to print the postage. I think that was on free shipping though. I wonder what it would have done if the buyer had to pay shipping?

  Guess I need to figure out the best route to use on these type items.

Thanks for the guidance.