shipping options not available when purchasing

[erika1974]

When I list an item and am given shippng options, I choose one.  When the item is sold and I go to purchase the label, it is sometimes not available.  I can't afford to pay more than what was alotted for the shipping.  Does anyone know why this occurs?

[rfmtm]

Need more details as to what you are putting in the listing and what is later not showing.

[evry1nositswindy]

Are you choosing media mail for anything other than a book listed in the book category?  That would not be allowed it actually met this criteria.

[kensgiftshop]

The recipe cards you sold has USPS First Class Large Envelope for shipping.

You can offer it, but you can't buy a shipping label on Ebay for that service.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@kensgiftshop wrote:

The recipe cards you sold has USPS First Class Large Envelope for shipping.....

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Good catch.  That package of 60 recipe cards is not eligible for shipping as a First Class flat (AKA Large envelope) because it would be too rigid and possibly also too thick to be mailed as a flat.  Thus, this is seller error and they should just ship it via Ground Advantage even if purchasing a label for a FC flat was available.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@erika1974 wrote:

When I list an item and am given shippng options, I choose one.  When the item is sold and I go to purchase the label, it is sometimes not available. ... Does anyone know why this occurs?

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eBay does sometimes let the seller offer shipping options that cannot be purchased through eBay postage labels. They let sellers offer shipping as First Class letters and flats (AKA Large envelopes) because those are legitimate shipping options which sellers might choose to use. Nevertheless, eBay has chosen not to sell postage for those services, probably because they lack tracking. In the example of the recipe cards, IF they were eligible to be mailed as a Large envelope you would have had to purchase that postage at the PO or just put stamps on it. eBay has no way of knowing the characteristics of your package (thickness, flexibility) which might render it ineligible for shipping as a flat.

A less logical situation arises when eBay allows sellers to choose Media Mail or the eBay "Standard envelope" when listing in a category for which eBay doesn't sell those labels.  If you have listed an item that is eligible for Media Mail, but in a category where eBay doesn't offer to sell those labels (such as in Collectibles) then you can still purchase your MM postage through other online services or at the PO.  

IMNSHO eBay should automatically alert sellers when they set up a shipping service that they won't be able to purchase postage for through eBay.