USPS Parcel Select Ground Not Showing Up as Option when Shipping

[clubhistorian]

What am I doing wrong??  I sell magazines on eBay.  It can be tricky because I want to offer the lowest shipping costs available especially when selling several magazines at once.

Media mail is not an option (USPS doesn't consider magazines as eligible).  So I offer a choice of USPS priority mail and/or USPS Parcel Select Ground.

Today I worked with a buyer to get him the lowest possible shipping for a year's worth of magazines.  I used the eBay shipping calculator and put both of our zip codes in; the correct weight & box dimensions.  The best option eBay offered was USPS Parcel Select Ground for $11.55.  We closed the deal - he paid for them.

Now, when I go to print the label, eBay only offers Media Mail or the priority options.  Why isn't it listing Parcel Select when printing the label? The calculator said Parcel; the invoice said Parcel.  What's going on?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Sally

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

eBay has decided to phase out access to Parcel Select Ground labels, even though USPS has made no changes in their services or policies, and it's offered by all other online postage sellers including PayPal, endicia, stamps.com, etc. You can purchase Parcel Select Ground postage through PayPal at

www.PayPal.com/shipnow

But do compare prices before you do that. For Zones 1 - 4, the USPS online price for Priority Mail is  less than a dollar more than Parcel Select Ground. If you're a TRS you get a 3% discount when purchasing Priority labels through eBay, which often makes it cheaper than Parcel Select

IMHO Parcel Select ground should only be offered when necessary such as for hazmat or Oversize packages (i.e., length-plus-girth above the Priority limit of 108 inches).

[evry1nositswindy]

If the magazine goes over first class, I ship priority flat rate envelope or padded envelope.

[mollyandtrixie]

I know this is a few months later, but the same thing just happened to me today. A buyer purchased 5 different lots of (Fisher Price) parts, and I put them all in one box and gave her the Ground Select fee. When I went to purchase the shipping label, it routed me to UPS Ground, which was a different fee. The Priority option was only $1 more than what she paid us, so I just used that. 
But, I used Ebay's 2021 shipping calculator! I wouldn't have chosen that option had I known I would not be able to purchase the correct label. Do you all just charge them USPS rates, then send it UPS? That doesn't seem honest, plus the UPS store isn't as convenient as my neighborhood USPS. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

I expect that very few sellers switch from USPS to UPS when encountering this situation. Most will switch to Priority Mail as you did.

[blainebug]

I find it extremely unusual that eBay offers Parcel Select Ground as a shipping option but then it is absent from all of the shipping services one can provide when purchasing postage through eBay.

By the way I'd just go ahead and ship those magazines via media mail.  "tis better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission"  Afterall it is reading material and I highly doubt they'll be opening any packages to make sure you didn't send a magazine instead of a book, movie, or CD.  *How dare you.*

[velvet@ebay]

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@blainebug wrote:

I find it extremely unusual that eBay offers Parcel Select Ground as a shipping option but then it is absent from all of the shipping services one can provide when purchasing postage through eBay.

By the way I'd just go ahead and ship those magazines via media mail.  "tis better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission"  Afterall it is reading material and I highly doubt they'll be opening any packages to make sure you didn't send a magazine instead of a book, movie, or CD.  *How dare you.*

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Hey @blainebug! While we offer a lot of shipping options within the listing form, we don't offer them all on eBay for purchase. This is due to a number of reasons. There are other places and ways to purchase many forms of shipment though, as was mentioned above, so we want sellers to be able to offer those options to their buyers where necessary. 

As far as using a shipping option that's not meant for the item being sold, like Media Mail for a magazine, we don't encourage that. Not only do sellers risk having action taken against them should it be made known to us, but their buyers will most likely be charged additional funds to pick the item up when the shipping carrier ultimately figures out the misuse of shipping method selected. Carriers spot check packages and have things they look for, so it's not uncommon to be found out. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

"While we offer a lot of shipping options within the listing form, we don't offer them all on eBay for purchase. This is due to a number of reasons. There are other places and ways to purchase many forms of shipment though, as was mentioned above,

Good grief.

[lightlily_arts]

I wouldn't do that because on the off chance a USPS employee decides to open that package that seller will be sent their adjustment fee.  Magazines don't qualify for Media Mail.

[bjbm1074]

I have this same problem . Shipping cost so much ,we need to offer Parcel Select ground too..and its still listed when we set shipping options as you stated. Instead its been replaced by UPS ground which is a lot more expensive. I called EBay the help guy had no idea why it was not there, he said a glitch. I said its been a couple weeks. A couple packages due to my ship discount, I was able to send Priority mail for a few coins more. But one package was about $4 more even with my discount. I can't take that kind of lost.

Ebay needs to reinstate the USPS Ground service. 

I tried to write to help and the send button was not working. Ebay really ! Get it together for your sellers.

[suzy60us]

I offered USPS Parcel Select Ground in a listing for magazines as well as Priority.  The buyer chose Parcel Select.   

When buying postage Media Mail showed up.  Somehow USP Parcel Select came up and stupid me printed it.  Attached it to the package, took it to the Post Office only to be told I has a UPS Label and had to go down the road to the Hardware Store.  I shipped it UPS.

Why I live in a rural area, the PO closes early, to return home and try to sort it out would mean I could not mail it until tomorrow.  The buyer had been notified it was shipped before I went to Post Office.  Maybe I will go back to PayPal for all postage purchases. Is it a glitch or what ??

[jooki22]

Thanks for that info, as I didn't know we now had a PayPal shipping option. AND just encountered the NO GROUND option as well. However....I do prefer the fact that Ebay gives the option for receiving a QR code for the label, which is great if you happen to not have a printer to use. I also like that the shipping fee is taken from the item purchase price right away. Ugh..but so many of us are dealing with these changes now---after not having sales for so long!!

[markie34cats]

"While we offer a lot of shipping options within the listing form, we don't offer them all on eBay for purchase."

Here is a suggestion to eBay.  Do not offer shipping options that aren't available.  How's that for basic simplicity?

[kh-leslie]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.