USPS Priority Mail rates going DOWN (who doesn't like some good news)

[richard1rst]

This showed up in my Seller Hub Overview page. I wonder how many didn't see it simply because they weren't looking:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/New-lower-rates-for-USPS-Priority-Mail-labels-effective/...

It should be noted that I got a somewhat similar post sometime ago from Pirateship.

Interestingly both notices mention specifically $1.02

https://support.pirateship.com/en/articles/6214384-pirate-ship-now-offers-priority-mail-rates-below-...

[nobody*s_perfect]

I saw that announcement, but it doesn't seem worth celebrating or even commenting on until we see what the rates actually are.  "Sellers using eBay Labels will save even more on Priority Mail labels for select weights and zones, with new rates up to $1.02 lower than Commercial Pricing."   Makes me wonder whether the savings will be limited such as only really heavy items going to Zone 8, etc.  I want a chart, not a suggestion to go play around with the shipping calculator!

[richard1rst]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

I saw that announcement, but it doesn't seem worth celebrating or even commenting on until we see what the rates actually are.  "Sellers using eBay Labels will save even more on Priority Mail labels for select weights and zones, with new rates up to $1.02 lower than Commercial Pricing."   Makes me wonder whether the savings will be limited such as only really heavy items going to Zone 8, etc.  I want a chart, not a suggestion to go play around with the shipping calculator!

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In that case click on the second link I provided. Pirateship has a clear chart that not only explains the new rates but also shows which ZIP codes do NOT benefit.

It helps if you have an account with Purateship as they are showing the most information to registered users.

[nobody*s_perfect]

That chart helpfully shows which zone/weight combos will decrease, but can't we please have actual prices? And are you sure that the new eBay rates are the same as Pirateship's? I suppose it won't take that long to cobble together a chart for the lower weights, where I ship, especially using P's chart showing which combo's not to bother checking up on.

[richard1rst]

By the way Pirateship instituted the rates about a month ago so I have some real world experience with it.

I am a TRS+ which means, as I am sure you know, that I get generally an extra 3% discount on Priority Mail. BUT the new Pirateship rates have been even cheaper than that. Now once eBay institutes it, and assuming we still get the extra 3%, then it will reverse the advantage.

But for now at least the prices on Pirateship have been sufficiently better so that the 3% discount on eBay is meaningless.

[nobody*s_perfect]

But then the USPS rates go up again a few days later. I think I'll hold off on making my little cheat sheet.

[deserdog]

Pirate Ship has cubic priority and cubic parcel select, which Ebay does not. 

[richard1rst]

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@deserdog wrote:

Pirate Ship has cubic priority and cubic parcel select, which Ebay does not. 

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Being a long time Pirateship user I am well aware of that. But, of course, not everything fits into a cubic rate sized box. And a box at .2 to .5 cubic feet but only weighing 1-2 pounds cubic pricing is actually more expensive than regular mail. Although cubic pricing is a Godsend for small heavy packages.

None of which alters the validity of my original post.