Why does Ebay keep changing my shipping prices when I purchase the shipping labels?

[marcicornwall]

I haven't sold (or bought on Ebay, for that matter) for about 10 yrs so I thought I'd give it a try again. I have 25 items up for sale right now and the other day, I sold 2 items. I went to print out a label on the 1st one this past Sat and punched in $5.85 for the shipping cost and at the end, Ebay AUTOMATICALLY changed it to $10.09 (the 1.0 lb rate)! I never changed it! For a super light item. I'm charging a flat rate for light, med, heavier items.  Ok, I'm thining that I did something wrong and invited my husband the next time to double check when I bought the postage.

Yesterday I went to print out a label for $8.85 and was super careful, read every word  of what I was doing. At the very end, wen it instructed me to "buy postage"  Ebay changed it AGAIN to $10.09 . And hubs was double checking every step! I thought it was supposed to be cheaper to buy postage from Ebay? It would have been cheaper for me to take it to the PO! What is going on? I thought we could charge our own amt?How do

I charge a flat fee?

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@marcicornwall wrote: .... I went to print out a label on the 1st one this past Sat and punched in $5.85 for the shipping cost ...

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Sellers can set a flat shipping cost to charge in their listings, but sellers do not get to decide how much to pay for postage when they purchase an eBay shipping label.  The price of the label is determined automatically by eBay, and it is based on the package weight and dimensions and on the ZIP Codes of the sender and recipient.  eBay postage IS cheaper for all packages except for Media Mail, which costs the same as at the PO.  

We can probably help more  if you provide an example with specific details, including package weight and dimensions, service used (e.g., Priority Mail?), and both ZIP Codes.

[kensgiftshop]

You can charge the buyer a flat shipping rate, but that doesn't mean that's what the carrier is going to charge you.

[steady2304]

Checking a few of your listings it looks like you are listing with a flat rate shipping charge to all customers. 

The problem you are having is that when you go to purchase the shipping label and enter the weight and dimensions of your package and your buyers zip code you will be charged for the cost to ship it to whatever you buyers zip code is.

I checked your cost to ship to me on an item and it showed that I would pay $9.50 to have it shipped to 63129 zip code for this listing: 326140043090.

I also check shipping to California 90210 and it shows the same amount $9.50

The problem is it costs more to ship to California than it does to Missouri from where you are in Texas. That is why when you go to print the label it is costing you more than your $9.50 listed.

You are using USPS Ground Advantage and that method is based on weight, dimensions of the package and zip code.

[redmodelt]

Why not use calculated shipping? That way you are charging the buyer what the shipping cost, not paying out of the profit. 

[aproudparent2010]

You are using a flat shipping rate that is why.

It costs less to send to me in Missouri than it would to someone in New York or California.

You would be better off to use calculated shipping so it will charge the buyers based on their location

[aproudparent2010]

Let's say I tell someone I will charge them a flat rate of $5 in gas to drive something to them.
If they live let's say 10 miles away that $5 is probably going to be just fine. If they lives 30 miles away I am going to lose money.

[loftylmo]

I am using calculated shipping and changed one - one- sold item that I was shipping: because it weighed less than I thought when listing. That was last night. Today I  am finding many of my listings at 6 pounds in the listing. 80 % of my stuff is jewelry.  SMH

[mercfocus619]

I started selling about 3 months ago and that was one of the first things I noticed is really messed up so now I get a screen capture of my original shipping option, weight, and size and all that.

Went to mail an item a week later, month later, or whatever and would check my saved screen capture to find that sometimes the Ebay system altered something in my shipping set up for that item. Not every time but it's happened a few times.

I had to refund one buyer over $4 because of the difference that got charged. Of course I edited my shipping details before buying the label and double checked the weight and dimensions but if I didn't save a screen capture the time I set up that listing, I would have had no idea what was going on.

[fern*wood]

The only way mine should exactly match what I enter when I list is if I were to pack every item up, measure & weigh and enter that info when I list.  I don't do that, but I have become rather good at being close enough to not hurt me.   Sometimes my guesstimate of the box required isn't exact, nor my weight if I use more packing/bigger box.  So when I actually buy my label, I change what needs updated.  Otherwise, what I enter when I list is still there when I print my label.   I've never seen anything I would consider messed up, unless it was me when I listed with the wrong shipping info.

[tek_vault_electronics]

When I go to purchase the printing label, I am getting a fee charged that is twice what I expected to ship... is this not the calculated shipping fee? Maybe the eBay selling fee's instead? It wasn't clear at all.

[aproudparent2010]

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@marcicornwall wrote:

I haven't sold (or bought on Ebay, for that matter) for about 10 yrs so I thought I'd give it a try again. I have 25 items up for sale right now and the other day, I sold 2 items. I went to print out a label on the 1st one this past Sat and punched in $5.85 for the shipping cost and at the end, Ebay AUTOMATICALLY changed it to $10.09 (the 1.0 lb rate)! I never changed it! For a super light item. I'm charging a flat rate for light, med, heavier items.  Ok, I'm thining that I did something wrong and invited my husband the next time to double check when I bought the postage.

Yesterday I went to print out a label for $8.85 and was super careful, read every word  of what I was doing. At the very end, wen it instructed me to "buy postage"  Ebay changed it AGAIN to $10.09 . And hubs was double checking every step! I thought it was supposed to be cheaper to buy postage from Ebay? It would have been cheaper for me to take it to the PO! What is going on? I thought we could charge our own amt?How do

I charge a flat fee?

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You can set a flat shipping cost but while it may be $ 8.85 to ship to a zip code in your area it won't be the same to ship to a location across the USA from you.

I live in Missouri and may be able to ship for around $5 to an address near me but to ship to California will be more than $5.

Your mistake is not using calculated shipping so your buyers pay based on their location.

[buyselljack2016]

that listing appears to be set to charge the "buyer" $5.80 no matter the zip code.

does not appear to be set to "calculated".

$5.80 would cover 12 ounces to zone 8.

ETA  clicking on order details will display the $$ and what they are for.

@tek_vault_electronics 

[aproudparent2010]

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@tek_vault_electronics wrote:

When I go to purchase the printing label, I am getting a fee charged that is twice what I expected to ship... is this not the calculated shipping fee? Maybe the eBay selling fee's instead? It wasn't clear at all.

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You have a flat shipping cost set at $5.80. No matter what zip code I check it is $5.80

[wastingtime101]

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@tek_vault_electronics wrote:

I just sold my second item and ebay charged the seller the expected calculates ship cost of 5.80, BUT is charging me almost twice that to purchase the shipping label that had the proper calculated details that are still showing in my invoice and shipping label purchase details!!!

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Hi @tek_vault_electronics . Looks like you made an error on that listing 387939518433

You set it up with a flat ship cost of $5.80 instead of using calculated shipping. Just pay the difference and next time be more careful setting up your listing.