USPS Postage in Listing and Invoice Are Not The Same?

[thusspakezarathustra]

I have a postage scale that I've tested against my Post Office. It is accurate. I listed an item which had been packed and accurately weighed. I input the package's data when I created the listing. eBay listed the shipping cost as this: $6.52 Economy Shipping.

When the item was purchased, eBay's invoicing system listed the postage as $9.99. 

Why the discepancy?

This isn't fair to me or the buyer.

Thanks!

[pingpong517]

how do you determine the zipcode ..that it will be mailed to? for the listing before it's sold?

the place it goes to....matters.

[thusspakezarathustra]

That makes sense. So, what's the point of even putting the information in the listing if it is almost always going to be wrong? Can you even complete filling out the auction form without putting in a shipping method? 

The auction I'm talking about states the following:

Ships to: United States

So, wouldn't it always use the max possible amount of shipping? It always seems to UNDER price the shipping, causing me to eat the extra shipping. 

So, what do I list in the auction description? "The shipping cost is just an estimate, your shipping WILL BE higher"?

Thanks!

[myangelandmyprincess]

If you as you are inputting the package info. WHen you look at the listing it's going to show the shipping cost to you.  If a buyer from a different zone purchase the price can be higher 

[thusspakezarathustra]

So if ALL of my buyers are in a different zone, I have to eat the extra postage?

What's the point of the system if it is only correct when the buyer is in my zone? There are eight zones, so statistically, the listing could be wrong 7/8s of the time? 

I can't afford to eat postage on every sale. 

[myangelandmyprincess · Accepted solution]

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@thusspakezarathustra wrote:

So if ALL of my buyers are in a different zone, I have to eat the extra postage?

What's the point of the system if it is only correct when the buyer is in my zone? There are eight zones, so statistically, the listing could be wrong 7/8s of the time? 

I can't afford to eat postage on every sale. 

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No if you input the weight and dimension when you list the item it will show each buyer the calculated rate to their zip code.  When you look at it it will show the cost to yours.  If a buyer from another zone purchase the system has the buyer pay the cost to their zone.   

You were saying the invoice shows a higher amount right?  So it sounds like it's charging your buyer the cost to ship to them 

[sam9876]

You don't understand how shipping works.

[thusspakezarathustra]

Thank you for that explanation.

[thusspakezarathustra]

Thank for the useless post. Is your goal to get on the forum and NOT help people? I seem to recall the term for that... "**bleep**."

[postingid2017]

Yes Sam, you are correct, the OP does not understand shipping.  In looking at one of the items listed, no matter what zip is used, the shipping will be the same because this seller has FR Med box.

[lintbrush*]

It looks like you set your listings up correctly and are using Calculated Shipping with weights/dimensions entered

Looking at your most recent sold (the tape gun) - if your buyer was from Beverly Hills (90210), the shipping they would pay is $6.52.  If they lived in NY, they would pay $10.28

There is no reason to send a buyer an invoice unless they are combining items and you need to manually change the prices.  They already get a message from eBay telling them they won, now pay - and the amount will be based on the ZIP Code they use for shipping. 

If you send an invoice, you're locking in the shipping rate based on their registered address but that may not be the shipping address they use.  What if Cousin Ginny in CA wants to send Uncle Frank in NY a presesnt?  

[thusspakezarathustra]

Marked as answered. Stop wasting your time.

[thusspakezarathustra]

Thank you. Understood.