USPS First Class International Shipping Costs Shown Incorrect

[gee_toys_and_games]

So I listed some small toys the other day, and today someone from Italy bought one.

The problem? Ebay listed the USPS First Class International Shipping at $4.16.

The ACTUAL shipping cost is $14.25 (or, $13.54 with the ebay shipping discount)!

Apparently, since the package weighs a mere 2 ounces, ebay decided to apply the LETTER rates instead of the PACKAGE rates. I went to the post office to confirm that I couldn't use the letter rates and they said I couldn't; it would indeed cost me $14.25 to ship this thing to Italy.

Now I need to tell the buyer to pay the difference or I can give them a refund. Not cool. If the cost difference weren't so huge, I would just eat the costs, but at this rate, I'm practically paying the buyer to take the item.

Ebay needs to make separate shipping options for International First Class Letter and International First Class Package to avoid this. 

[loveyourimagination49]

You would of needed to choose package not envelope. You shouldn’t ask your buyer for more money. I believe that is against policy.

[berserkerplanet · Accepted solution]

You set the listing up incorrectly.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@gee_toys_and_games wrote: ... Ebay needs to make separate shipping options for International First Class Letter and International First Class Package to avoid this. 

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They do.  There are 3 categories of First Class mail: Letter, Flat (AKA Large envelope) and package. Your shipping calculator was set up to charge the postage cost for a flat.  But eBay only prints labels for flats and your mini-fig isn't eligible to be mailed as a flat anyway.

If you had had a US buyer, they would have been undercharged, too: the listing shows domestic shipping cost as  $1.30, which is the postage cost for a 3-ounce flat.

[green-night]

This is a $10 decision (or possibly much more).   I don't like shipping to Italy.   Personally I'd cancel the sale.  You have nothing much to gain and more to lose. 

[gee_toys_and_games]

I think I was thrown off, because when listing via desktop, you can select domestic first class package as a shipping option before you even get to the package type, so I didn't even pay attention to it. However, international first class only lets you choose large envelope or not when you get to international shipping.

Listing via the app is more straightforward, since it lists them all separately as options both domestically and internationally. I usually don't use the app though.