USPS dimensional weight rate change in June

[tsme35]

I hope I did it wrong but I just looked into USPS dimensional weight rate change in June, I sell fishing rods using USPS box that is 38"x6"x5", which run 1-2 lbs but if I did it right dim rate would put them at 7 lb. If I did that right I'm out of business, I just checked on a fishing rod I just sold to WA and will increase shipping $10. Shipping today would be $9.85 and in June it will be $21, even more with increase the 27th. Honestly there's NO way I could double shipping rate and still sell fishing rods, that's half my income, I can't even image the tackle boxes I sell would cost.

[berserkerplanet]

>>I sell colognes and perfumes. Average shipping weight for a 7"X4"X4" box is 12-14oz. My shipping rates just
>>went up for USPS First Class Mail from (top rate) $5.66 to (top rate) $9.70 (same as priority mail rate).

You can't ship colognes and perfumes* by either First Class Package or Priority Mail, so those rates you quoted are irrelevant. (and if you are, why you are shipping at the counter at retail prices eludes me)

It sounds like you have your listings messed up with your site setting set to "not pass discounts" to buyers and your 14oz and up First Class listings over 13oz get bumped to Priority Mail (because retail First Class Pkg can only be 13oz or less)

The retail First Class Package "top rate" is $6.27 for 13oz to zone 8 or zone 9, not the $5.66 12 oz rate. No idea where you are getting that $9.70 from - that is not a First Class, or Priority amount to zone 8


*the general rule of thumb is that colognes and perfumes fall into flammability categories that prohibit shipment by air carrier which USPS FCP and PM are, and must be shipped via ground services like Parcel Select with ORM-D markings. Some might be permissible, but would require that the flashpoints be in the acceptable range, which most are not. For most purposes, the rule of thumb about the prohibition applies.

[bluesdsales]

It's absolutely unreasonable. To ship a 2lb box that is 12 x 12 x 8 Priority will cost ~$11 but a 2 lb 17 x 17 x 7 box will cost ~ 38. That's a $30 difference. How are we supposed to provide fair of free shipping rates at that cost, Ebay?!?

[3eyedfishcatcher]

My post master said the post office is not charging dim weight and this is something ebay is doing on their own. His wife sells for ebay and he is aware of their final value fee on shipping and suggested they are trying to increase the shipping cost to increase their final value fee. Ultimately if you are not providing fee shipping then the buyer will pay but it will take a while to find a buyer willing to pay. However every other seller selling fishing rods will also be in the same boat. Perhaps you can take the item in to your local post office like in the old days and get the max price on domestic shipping and just charge that as a flat rate. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@3eyedfishcatcher wrote:

My post master said the post office is not charging dim weight and this is something ebay is doing on their own..... 

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As other posters have mentioned in your other posts about your Postmaster: He is wrong. This is a USPS policy change, which was announced last October.

Here are USPS memos about it, which you and your Postmaster should read:

https://pe.usps.com/DMMAdvisory/Show?dmmAdvisory=DMMAdvisory111918.html&year=2018

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2018/pb22509/html/updt_002.htm

[lja440]

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@perfumenmore wrote:

I sell colognes and perfumes.  Average shipping weight for a  7"X4"X4" box is 12-14oz.  My shipping rates just went up for USPS First Class Mail from (top rate) $5.66 to (top rate) $9.70 (same as priority mail rate).  At those rates I'll be paying buyers to purchase from me.  This is ridiculous.  I can't survive making a dollar or less profit per product.  It's just not worth the work of listing and bookkeeping.  To top it off sales are going to drop with the imposition of sales tax now added to customers purchases.  Has eBay considered trying to negotiate a better price with the post office than what is currently being offered?  Profit margins are real slim to begin with but at this rate I'll have no choice but to stop selling on eBay. 

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What I do with low profit items is I create 'lots'.  Not sure what you could do with perfumes, I like a lot of people can't handle most of them. But for me I can ship 3 LP's or books at only a few cents more than I could ship one. Selling them in lots increases my search pool and reduces all my other fees (minus fvf) per item.

Rule of thumb with me is if the trending price will not cover all my expenses including a projected FVF plus bring me at least a 30% profit within the starting price, it isn't worth having it's own listing.

[lja440]

Planet is right. I work for USPS. Perfumes need to be shipped via ground with appropriate markings. 

[nutmegthrifts]

I found a carnival mirror to sell yesterday sold for $30.....it’s two to three lbs. buyer paid for only weight, not his fault. But the $8.99 he paid didn’t cover the $25 I had to pay to ship the mirror in bubble wrap safely in a reasonably sized box that did luckily for me weight exactly the three lbs I thought it would. That’s how I found this thread, I had no idea.....and no people are so not going to understand that! 

[lja440]

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@nutmegthrifts wrote:

I found a carnival mirror to sell yesterday sold for $30.....it’s two to three lbs. buyer paid for only weight, not his fault. But the $8.99 he paid didn’t cover the $25 I had to pay to ship the mirror in bubble wrap safely in a reasonably sized box that did luckily for me weight exactly the three lbs I thought it would. That’s how I found this thread, I had no idea.....and no people are so not going to understand that! 

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It is up to every seller to KNOW (not guess) what it will cost to ship their item once packed. Everything I list I figure out how I will be packing it. I then enter the weight and dimensions  into the system to see what my options are. I have been on eBay since 2004 and have yet to be caught short.

[johnrj1226]

@tsme35 

If you use  a round  4 inches outside diameter tube up to 9'  total  length your are ok to ship  w/o out incurring the  dimensional rates limit- 108" x 4" x 4" = 1728 cu. in.  If I recall correctly the max shipping length  for USPS is 108".  So you are good to go with round tubes.  My son receives single piece rods in tubes the are less than 8' high  - most  of his rods are in the  $150 - 175  range.   He is  Hooked on fishing - A fishing junky for certain -  got him started  30 years ago in Katy , Texas when he was 3.  Still  have his first rod & reel - a 4.5' Wrangler from Wal-Mart with a Zebco Bullet reel from Academy (we lived real close to their headquarters & first store).  Reconditioned it for his first son that is 9 mos old now to start using 2 years 3 months from now.

[johnrj1226]

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@bluesdsales wrote:

It's absolutely unreasonable. To ship a 2lb box that is 12 x 12 x 8 Priority will cost ~$11 but a 2 lb 17 x 17 x 7 box will cost ~ 38. That's a $30 difference. How are we supposed to provide fair of free shipping rates at that cost, Ebay?!?

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Simple answer:  Don't sell anything that is light  weight that  requires a box that is  larger that 1728 cu. in.  - like a  western/cowboy style  hat.  Learned that  lesson long ago when I shipped a Western/Cowboy style hat  from GA to California  -  and got hit with that dim weight rate that  applied to  far away zones only - like 7 or 8 - I ate the  extra cost  of shipping but didn't lose money on the  sale - just made a  lot less than I  had planned.  Life is still good, just keep on living & learning 'cause things will keep  changing - kinda' like that Lionel Ritchie song from the early 80's  "Can''t Slow Down".

PS:  Haven't  even been tempted to sell another Western style  hat.

[berserkerplanet]

>>If you use a round 4 inches outside diameter tube up to 9' total length your are ok to ship w/o out incurring the
>>dimensional rates limit- 108" x 4" x 4" = 1728 cu. in.

Priority Mail & Priority Mail Express maximum Length+Girth=108". For a 4" tube, Max length would be 108" - 4 * Pi = 95"

Parcel Select with Length+Girth between 108 and 130" ships at oversize rates ($74.73 to $196.61), which would be non-optimal, so max length would be same as Priority at 95".

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@johnrj1226 wrote:

@tsme35 

If you use  a round  4 inches outside diameter tube up to 9'  total  length your are ok to ship  w/o out incurring the  dimensional rates limit- 108" x 4" x 4" = 1728 cu. in.  If I recall correctly the max shipping length  for USPS is 108". ....

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As @berserkerplanet has explained, the maximum length-plus-girth is 108 inches for Priority Mail.  

From 108 to 130  inches you can still use Parcel Select Ground and Retail Ground but there's an "Oversize" rate.

Also, if you're figuring volume that way then you're figuring the volume of a box with two sides that are 4 inches; there's no reason to stick to a tube.  The tube could actually ave  larger diameter.

[tsme35]

I figured it out, instead of round tubes, I found 3x3x3 square boxes, way cheaper to buy because they can ship them to me flat. Sold over 80 fishing rods and only one broken, better odds then the triangle boxes I get from usps. But now can't sell tackle boxes, rates have doubled since the increase, no buyer will pay $40 to ship a $20 tackle box.

[fang88619]

Yeah this new rate is pretty ridiculous
I usually ship helmets, weighing 4-5 lbs
The most I've ever paid was 24$ shipping on from CA to NY
The new rate shipping one from CA to NV was 80$ for parcel select ground....
Bunch of Bull**bleep** if you ask me

Especially with Jeff bezos being involved with it all

[johnrj1226]

OK I understand  that - but the  OP  ships fishing rods  that are in two piece sections  - some  spinning  & bait cast rods are like that the as well as  fly rods.   His main concern was having to pay the dimensional weight now on his rather  light weight rods ( most like than pound).  I  offered him info that  says  not to worry as he can  ship   up to a length he probably will never encounter.   Most single piece rods  standard fishing rods are 4.5' to 7.5' in total length w/the exception of  salt water types.  Yes there are some that are longer but are special purpose - like  rods used for coho & king salmon, lake trout in Lake Michigan.

All the rods my son receives  are shipped by  Priority - even some "warranty" jobs.

My son has been fishing 30 years & I over 6 decades .

Personally, I would never  ship a rod  via ground transportation.  Once shipped 3  rods in a UPS provided box 6' rectangle box (told them exactly what I was shipping).  It went via ground service.  Was assured all will be alright.  Sure enough  all three arrive  broken right  in the middle and  sure enough  UPS  did not  pay the insurance claim-some lame excuse after I submitted all receipts (we  do save - until the ink  fades away for various reasons).  Haven't shipped one thing  via UPS since or via any ground service via any carrier.