eBay

caracy · ‎11-07-2023

Since the PO is changing rates again, maybe they can riddle me this Batman.

Ground Advantage doesn't have 3.999 oz, or 7.999 oz etc limits. It's not over 4, not over 8, and 12. Why not have "up to but not over" 16? As soon as it goes over 16 ounces, its a 2 pound package! Why is there a one pound rate? Unless your box is EXACTLY one pound, and maintains this precise weight over the course of its journey (doesn't get damp or whatever, that adds a tenth of an ounce over a pound) no one will ever use the one pound rate! Add the fact that ebay doesn't let you use decimal fractions when entering weight on a listing and you have a good reason to have an up to 16 oz weight class that doesn't jump into the next pound.

What do you do if your package is 15 and a half ounces? If print a label and put 15 oz on it, will some postal computer reject the package as understated? I can't call it 16 oz. Ebay will say there's an error and make me correct the listing.

Ebay could allow 16 oz as the last weight class in the former First Class Package Service category OR allow decimal fractions for 15.999, AND the PO really should just get rid of the one pound rate that you can't use.

Yes?

No?

have a great day🤔

nobody*s_perfect · ‎11-07-2023

Of course it makes no sense to have separate rates for 15.999 ounces and for exactly one pound. A quick peek at Notice 123 shows that the retail rates for Ground Advantage have separate line entries for 15.999 ounces and for one pound, BUT the rates are identical. Let's hope that USPS will soon catch up on the Commercial (online) side and even things out.

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

Meanwhile, I would enter 15 ounces for any weight up to 15.999 ounces.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎11-07-2023

Any amount over 15 oz is input as 1 lb 0 oz and cost the same as 15 oz, 14 oz etc.

Yes, if over 16 oz, then it's the 'next' price.

Been that way ions.

ajs_coins_and_alchemy · ‎11-07-2023

@caracy wrote:
Since the PO is changing rates again, maybe they can riddle me this Batman.
Ground Advantage doesn't have 3.999 oz, or 7.999 oz etc limits. It's not over 4, not over 8, and 12. Why not have "up to but not over" 16? As soon as it goes over 16 ounces, its a 2 pound package! Why is there a one pound rate? Unless your box is EXACTLY one pound, and maintains this precise weight over the course of its journey (doesn't get damp or whatever, that adds a tenth of an ounce over a pound) no one will ever use the one pound rate! Add the fact that ebay doesn't let you use decimal fractions when entering weight on a listing and you have a good reason to have an up to 16 oz weight class that doesn't jump into the next pound.
What do you do if your package is 15 and a half ounces? If print a label and put 15 oz on it, will some postal computer reject the package as understated? I can't call it 16 oz. Ebay will say there's an error and make me correct the listing.
Ebay could allow 16 oz as the last weight class in the former First Class Package Service category OR allow decimal fractions for 15.999, AND the PO really should just get rid of the one pound rate that you can't use.
Yes?
No?
have a great day🤔

@caracy

What are you talking about? I just went into my shipping label page on EBay. I went to "practice" on a current order.

(For this particular order)

15 oz = $6.60

1lb 0oz = $6.60

1lb 1oz = $9.47

If I attempt to enter 0lb 16 oz, it automatically converts it to 1lb 0oz.

Are you being OCD and complaining about the logic of the presentation of 15.999 oz and other rates? Because functionally & financially speaking a 1lb package is the price of a 15oz package, so there is no issue. I'm not sure what you are trying to get at here ... sorry...

simba6 · ‎11-07-2023

Also, that 0.001 of an oz could be exceeded if the humidity were to increase after you checked the weight. Cardboard the worse offender. It's also unfair to people that don't have an analytical balance on hand.

ajs_coins_and_alchemy · ‎11-07-2023

Also, generally speaking, I don't believe USPS is policing packages down to such small amounts. I'm going to guess (GUESS) that they have some leeway. Not every scale is perfect. I can weight a package 3 times and get slightly different weights depending if I lay it flat or stand it up or how it rests on the scale. Scales aren't perfect especially if the item isn't perfectly centered. I bet a 1lb 0.1 oz package will skate as a 1lb package 99.9999999999+% of the time. Just don't be like some people who ship 4lb packages and label them 3oz....

caracy · ‎11-07-2023

The retail rate for 15.999 is the same as one pound. The commercial rate jumps about 75 cents to 1.75 when going from 15.999 to one pound. The one pound rate is still useless.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎11-07-2023

@ajs_coins_and_alchemy wrote: ... I just went into my shipping label page on EBay. I went to "practice" on a current order.

(For this particular order)

15 oz = $6.60
1lb 0oz = $6.60
1lb 1oz = $9.47

.....

eBay has programmed the shipping label page to provide the 15.999 ounce rate even when a seller enters 16 ounces. You can see from your example that eBay skips right over the 1-pound rate. It's a rare example of eBay's programmers being clever.

ajs_coins_and_alchemy · ‎11-07-2023

Oh! So what scenario is a seller charged the 1lb rate? Does Pirate ship charge the 1lb rate? Does any major comm price shipping label provider charge the actual 1lb rate? Or are they all clever like EBay.

Yes I see that is ridiculous & frustrating

deserdog · ‎11-08-2023

I have used 15.5 or 15.9 ounces several times on Pirate Ship with no problems.

hertzy32 · ‎11-17-2023

Just realized this same thing today and called USPS thinking it was a mistake on their USPS Ground Advantage rate table, but like you mentioned, I guess that rate of exactly 1 lb will cost you way more than a shipment at 15.999oz! So bizarre and seems like it's just taking advantage of customers who don't fully understand the rate table. Always put in your rate at 15.99 oz rather than 16oz and definitely don't do 16.01 or else you'll get bumped up two rate columns compared to the 15.99 oz package!

richard1rst · ‎11-17-2023

BECAUSE

Ground Advantage replaced First Class Mail Packages which had 15.999 as still qualifying for FCM whereas 1 full pound was Priority Mail. Essentially they changed the name of the service without changing the parameters.

And as others have mentioned I use 15.9 on Pirateship and get what used to be the First Class Rates.