Why do I have to measure the box all of a sudden?

[speedforce1]

See title.

Been shipping on ebay for 20 years, printing labels through them, never once did I have to measure the dimensions of the box (HxWxL), why now with the new shipping page?  What happened to cause this change?

Also, will the dimensions of the box (not talking huge here, say 5x10x10 or similar) increase my shipping costs?

Thanks in advance!

M

[nobody*s_perfect]

There are simply no reasons for some of the layout decisions on the new label shipping page.  It's as if it was designed by people who had never shipped a package.

If you are shipping via USPS and the package is not over 1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches), then the exact package dimensions can't affect the shipping cost, so it's OK to just estimate the dimensions or even enter 3 random integers.  I use 8 by 8 by 8 all the time. It really doesn't matter.

[myboardid]

Up until this year, the post office shipped larger packages via Parcel Select for the same price anywhere in the country.  This January, they changed the rules so that they charge more when the package goes a longer distance.  This only applies to packages over 1728 cubic inches (12" x 12" x 12").  In the past, this didn't matter, now it does. 

I use Endicia for my online postage.  I only have to fill that information in when my package is too large, never when it is under the limit. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@myboardid wrote:...  This January, they changed the rules so that they charge more when the package goes a longer distance.  This only applies to packages over 1728 cubic inches (12" x 12" x 12"). ... 

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The "dimensional weight" for packages over 1 cubic foot currently applies only to eBay labels for Priority Mail going to Zones 5 - 9.  It will apply to all Zones and to Parcel Select starting on June 23:

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

Before the new dimensional weight rule went through, Priority Mail packages going to Zones 1 - 4 and all Parcel Select packages were subject to a 'Balloon" rate if their length-plus-girth exceeded 84 inches.  The balloon rate was equal to the 20-pound zoned rate.  Also, Parcel Select has a separate "Oversize" rate for packages with a length-plus-girth that is over 108 inches but not over 130 inches.

http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf

[dasarock]

i've noticed ebays new extremely well thought out, planned and implemented shipping page defaults now to usps parcel select for a 4oz package at a cost of $7.++ most of the time.  really now?  am guessing ebay gets kickback payments on the mass postage transactions they facilitate.