Why is the eBay shipping calculator so inaccurate?

[csan2c]

I just lost a sale after an auction ended because the winning bidder wanted to pay the ridiculously low shipping amount given instead of the actual shipping amount (I had to look up) which was 3 times higher. I've noticed in the past, I always had to pay more for shipping than what eBay indicated/a winning bidder paid. 

Also, I've noticed the shipping defaults seem to favor USPS, seemingly reverting to USPS any time I navigate around a new listing I'm preparing even after I deliberately chose fedex ground. 

[lja440]

First off, I have been selling here on eBay since 2004 and have never had the calculator come up wrong.

Second I have never had it switch carriers. I only ship USPS and though I occasionally have a buyer request a different shipper (I refuse to ship FedEx, period).

I would be extremely put out if the listing stated one carrier and it was shipped with another (especially FedEx).

Also you can not !!! charge more than what you have posted in the listing. You simply must honor what YOU YOURSELF have put in the listing.

[fern*wood]

It appears you lost a sale because you didn't honor the sale.   The movie camera offered 1st class shipping.  Does it weigh less than 15.9oz?  

I have used the shipping calculator for thousands of shipments using USPS.  Not once has it been wrong unless I messed up when I entered the shipping details (weight/dimensions) when I listed my item.   If I messed up, I still ship to my buyer.   I used to offer FedEx occasionally, but those are estimates and they have lots of add on fees. 

What shipping details did you have on your listing originally?  

[csan2c]

Another issue, in that eBay has tried to make it "easier" to make listings which is annoying af because I REALLY want to enter ALL information in all fields myself. The weight, apparently, that eBay had in the weight field was way low for the item. I keep having to chase down these errors and correct them.

[Anonymous]

Getting shipping costs 'on the money' is so crucial. Accurate weights + dimensions + carriers + services offered = total transparency, leaving little to question (this, of course, should be done prior to any listing).

The S&H calculator works just fine if utilized properly. Sorry for your unfortunate transaction though. No one likes to eat up any profit. Sadly, it usually only takes getting really good and burned once, however, to learn this lesson.

[csan2c]

Yeah, I will be increasing weight by about 30% in future listings since that's the amount of error I always experience. 

[loveyourimagination49]

eBay only knows the weight you enter. They don’t know if your going to add 5lbs of packing material or use a huge box. It has numbers in there by default, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t correct them.

[fern*wood]

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@csan2c wrote:

Another issue, in that eBay has tried to make it "easier" to make listings which is annoying af because I REALLY want to enter ALL information in all fields myself. The weight, apparently, that eBay had in the weight field was way low for the item. I keep having to chase down these errors and correct them.

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I don't use a listing form where ebay enters the information for me.  I enter my own weight and dimensions since I know this is on me to get correct.   Are you using the quick listing form?  If so, stop that and use the advanced (or whatever it is called) form that allows you to control the information. 

[lja440]

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@csan2c wrote:

Yeah, I will be increasing weight by about 30% in future listings since that's the amount of error I always experience. 

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No need to do that (and it wouldn't be accurate anyway). Just don't use any of the short cut listing forms. I just use the basic form with more information added. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@lja440 wrote: ... Just don't use any of the short cut listing forms. I just use the basic form with more information added. 

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Or use the Quick form(s)  but double-check ALL of the pre-filled information.

I myself prefer the regular original listing form (AKA Advanced form or "business tool") because IMHO the "quick" form isn't actually quicker, it's just full of assumptions and missing options.

[fern*wood]

"business tool"    --- thank you, I couldn't come up with that newish term.

[tctoyman]

The ebay shipping calculator has been wrong on a lot of USPS items ever since the USPS instituted the dimensional rate charges earlier this year. I have made more than two dozen calls to customer service to try and get someone to figure out how to fix the problem. I use the ebay shipping calculator and it is always undercharging the buyer on larger items. I already have the weight and box dimensions in the shipping section before the item is listed and on the larger items, ebay always charges the buyer less than the actual price. I have been told numerous times, by customer service, that there must be a problem on my end, by I have all items with any dimension over 12” set to “large package” and all dimensions are accurate on each item, but I still keep calling in once or twice a week and they can’t figure it out and keep having to refund money back to me for undercharged buyers. It is only on USPS shipping. I also only pay for shipping through “my ebay” so the problem is on Ebay’s end even though they can’t seem to figure out what it is. I have sold literally more than 100 of the same large item. I have used the same u-line box for all 100 and the same weight and dimensions for all 100. Only the last 8 or so that have sold since the USPS Dimensional Weight Charge went into effect have been wrong. Not one of the earlier ones was ever wrong. It has something to do with the Dimensional Weight, but the problem is in their system and their calculator and they don’t seem to be able to fix it. I had another one today where the buyer was undercharged by about $6. It will be the second time this week I will have to call in yet again and waste my time and I will continue to get told they don’t know why there is a problem. I urge all sellers to carefully check your shipping prices if you sell larger items and use USPS as there is a good chance you are losing on the shipping like I am and when it happens multiple times a week, it amounts to a large $ amount over time.

[pink.fish.rule]

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@csan2c wrote:

I just lost a sale after an auction ended because the winning bidder wanted to pay the ridiculously low shipping amount given instead of the actual shipping amount (I had to look up) which was 3 times higher. I've noticed in the past, I always had to pay more for shipping than what eBay indicated/a winning bidder paid. 

Also, I've noticed the shipping defaults seem to favor USPS, seemingly reverting to USPS any time I navigate around a new listing I'm preparing even after I deliberately chose fedex ground. 

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More likely user error than anything else.

I usually pay LESS than the calculator shows.

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@tctoyman wrote:
The ebay shipping calculator has been wrong on a lot of USPS items ever since the USPS instituted the dimensional rate charges earlier this year. I have made more than two dozen calls to customer service to try and get someone to figure out how to fix the problem. I use the ebay shipping calculator and it is always undercharging the buyer on larger items. I already have the weight and box dimensions in the shipping section before the item is listed and on the larger items, ebay always charges the buyer less than the actual price. I have been told numerous times, by customer service, that there must be a problem on my end, by I have all items with any dimension over 12” set to “large package” and all dimensions are accurate on each item, but I still keep calling in once or twice a week and they can’t figure it out and keep having to refund money back to me for undercharged buyers. It is only on USPS shipping. I also only pay for shipping through “my ebay” so the problem is on Ebay’s end even though they can’t seem to figure out what it is. I have sold literally more than 100 of the same large item. I have used the same u-line box for all 100 and the same weight and dimensions for all 100. Only the last 8 or so that have sold since the USPS Dimensional Weight Charge went into effect have been wrong. Not one of the earlier ones was ever wrong. It has something to do with the Dimensional Weight, but the problem is in their system and their calculator and they don’t seem to be able to fix it. I had another one today where the buyer was undercharged by about $6. It will be the second time this week I will have to call in yet again and waste my time and I will continue to get told they don’t know why there is a problem. I urge all sellers to carefully check your shipping prices if you sell larger items and use USPS as there is a good chance you are losing on the shipping like I am and when it happens multiple times a week, it amounts to a large $ amount over time.

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SOmeone will hopefully come along and explain this better but here goes my effort as best I understand it.  I’m guessing you are choosing a usps ground service on the ones that are “miscalculating”. There is a ground service you can choose on eBay but you cannot ship online using that service it’s only availability at the post office it does not charge the dimensional weight.  So I’m guessing you’re selecting that and that’s what the buyer pays for.  Then you are printing a label using the online ground service that does charge the dimensional weight.  I just can’t remember which service is which ...

[pjcdn2005]

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@tctoyman wrote:
The ebay shipping calculator has been wrong on a lot of USPS items ever since the USPS instituted the dimensional rate charges earlier this year. I have made more than two dozen calls to customer service to try and get someone to figure out how to fix the problem. I use the ebay shipping calculator and it is always undercharging the buyer on larger items. I already have the weight and box dimensions in the shipping section before the item is listed and on the larger items, ebay always charges the buyer less than the actual price. I have been told numerous times, by customer service, that there must be a problem on my end, by I have all items with any dimension over 12” set to “large package” and all dimensions are accurate on each item, but I still keep calling in once or twice a week and they can’t figure it out and keep having to refund money back to me for undercharged buyers. It is only on USPS shipping. I also only pay for shipping through “my ebay” so the problem is on Ebay’s end even though they can’t seem to figure out what it is. I have sold literally more than 100 of the same large item. I have used the same u-line box for all 100 and the same weight and dimensions for all 100. Only the last 8 or so that have sold since the USPS Dimensional Weight Charge went into effect have been wrong. Not one of the earlier ones was ever wrong. It has something to do with the Dimensional Weight, but the problem is in their system and their calculator and they don’t seem to be able to fix it. I had another one today where the buyer was undercharged by about $6. It will be the second time this week I will have to call in yet again and waste my time and I will continue to get told they don’t know why there is a problem. I urge all sellers to carefully check your shipping prices if you sell larger items and use USPS as there is a good chance you are losing on the shipping like I am and when it happens multiple times a week, it amounts to a large $ amount over time.

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Sellers that select retail ground often have this problem because it is only available at the post office but I checked a few of your listings and they show that you are using parcel select so the problem may not be the same for you.  If you could give an example showing the zone the item was going to, the dimensions and weights in the listing, what the buyer was charged and what you were charged, someone here may be able to troubleshoot and figure out the problem.