What eBay Should Do to Make New Shipping Policy Palatable

by: RMA49311

I think this is why you always pad your weights and/or dimensions when you create your calculated shipping listings.  

by: cfrphoto

Shipping costs are already unsustainably spiraling out of control at rates that exceed inflation. Ebay has failed to apply the eBay Standard Envelope to low-cost lightweight items selling for less than $80 and more than $20, effectively excluding many sellers in the Stamp and other categories from Top-Rated status FVF discount. How can calculated rates be justified for anyone who values their time? I suppose that sellers of fungible, commodity items could benefit, but what is the value for sellers of unique items? Is this policy change another tempest in a teapot for sellers of unique items or is it yet another way for eBay to divide the seller community and pit factions against each other? In any case, residents of San Francisco in 1906 had other things on their mind on this day.

by: Snapped

“Free Ship” before - seller using eBay ‘service’ (supposedly) gets some discount on the part of THEIR shipping costs that are not, you know, ‘free’.

“Free Ship after - buyer’s ‘share’ of discount becomes moot.  Seller’s (invisible) eBay ‘partnership’ costs no longer discounted.  eBay’s profit increases by keeping their discounts all for themselves.

Meanwhile, they feign magnanimity and trumpet more buyer ‘savings’ in using their ‘service’, with its chorus a typical siren song for the newbie seller - who is the real target demographic here.  That’s why you must be aware enough to opt OUT.

Diabolical.

by: OnlyPollyPocket

What others have said:  this discount is used to cover my time and materials for shipping.  Opted out, thank you very much!

by: CBW

I opted out. If I wanted to pass on my discount I would have already done it and priced my items accordingly. All smart sellers will opt out. New sellers won't know and will get shafted until they figure it out. If they force it then item prices go up or handling is added. Both will make Ebay uncompetitive in the online market.  

by: railady

Would someone please tell me HOW TO FIND the "Opt out" link in my eBay deller account?   I want to check to make sure I am not "opted in."  Where would I go to Opt out ?? is it in Seller preferences ?  (THANK YOU in advance)

I never received any email from eBay.  I use Pirate Ship but twice in the past yea used eBay labels in an emergency.  

by: railady

Sorry, "Seller" account ....  

by: toolguy

I charge $10 for most of my items.

I ship mostly Ground Advantage these days but still use a lot of Small Flat Rate boxes and Padded Envelopes.

$10 always me to make up the 15% eBay charges on shipping.

Maybe eBay should give up it's cut of the shipping "profit" instead of asking us to do so.  

by: cathy

I got the email for 2 of my accounts and only one opt out was allowed, so I used their link for changing your shipping discount settings.  I was surprised to discover that I had already been opted into this program - on both accounts! And opting out on the one account did not change that setting to the standard rates - it was still set to offer the discounted rates to buyers!  I strongly recommend that sellers check out their shipping discount settings if they want to make sure they have opted out. The link is in the email after the opt out link.  

by: toolguy

The use of eBay labels could become mandatory on it's site.

I see the writing on the wall.

Sellers like myself who charge a flat fee or sellers who use Pirate Ship are going to lose our freedom of choice.

There's more profit in it for eBay if they force everyone to use "eBay Labels"  

by: railady

To add to the above  - I just looked at the Avante Avenue video by Vickie - and am more confused than ever, because I have never even SEEN, let alone USED, the ''form'' she shows where there is a place to click to choose ''Calculated Shipping.''

Is this in ''Seller Preferences'' or ''Shipping Preferences'' somewhere ??? (that I've not been able to find)  I'm in MP but do not have a store; I don't list enough to pay listing fees because I do not list the 250/month, even. I was so hoping the video would apply to me, but it apparently doesn't !!!  

Is this in the ''new'' listing form we're supposed to be using, EXCEPT (I'm not shouting, just trying to emphasize) I am not using that form - I'm mostly clicking on an already created active listing to ''SELL SIMILAR.''  This lets me in weight and dimensions,and choose up to 3 shipping choices.  IMHO this is ''calculated'' shipping, because I've plugged in the numbers for the Ebay system to show in my active listings and then use to charge buyers.  

I know many of you are doing FAR more volume selling than I am, but i greatly appreciate the help and suggestions here !!!  I use PirateShip and am grateful for the discounted postage because it helps significantly with buying shipping supplies.  

by: OnlyPollyPocket

@railady

I didn’t get the email either but this is where I found to opt-out:

Seller Hub>Overview>Shortcuts>Site Preferences>Shipping Preferences>Shipping Discount Settings and click on “edit” to the right. Select “Standard Rates Without Discount” and then Save

by: mazelgirl

At first I got excited thinking I wasn't included but I went into my messages and there it was.

eBay could improve sales if they just stopped messing with search.  Just list the items in order and trust the buyers to find what suits them.

Then they could just stop messing with the fees such as this one.  I use the overage to cover shipping supplies to pay eBay their percentage of the fee. I don't keep one penny of the shipping amount.

by: BlueDenim

@Chicago48 Etsy also takes a cut of the shipping.  

by: ThebigR

ebay could make it mandatory for any sales made on their site then you just inflate the weight easy peasy...  

by: my2cents

@Happyone
That was a mistake they made stating the April date.  They are in the process of updating everything to the May date that was in the email.

by: my2cents

All sites that offer shipping labels, whether it is Ebay, Amazon, Pirateship, Stamps.com, etc make money from offering this service.  I've never been able to locate anything that tells us how much they make, but the ALL make money off of offering the service.

by: my2cents

Ebay understand that there is more costs to shipping than just the actual carrier cost.  That is why for years there has been a spot in the Calculated Shipping program to enter an amount for a handling fee.  

Many have likely heard of or seen shipping being called S&H, which stands for shipping and handling.

While I personally won't use this new option / tool, it is just that.  We are not forced to use it, you can opt out.  There is a link in the email to allow you to do just that.

Its like Promoted Listings, it is a tool.  Use it or don't use it, it is your decision.  Some seller like this new options, others don't.  Some like Promoted listings, some don't.

FYI, this upcoming new option has NOTHING to do if you use Ebay for shipping labels or some other site.  If you use Calculated shipping and do not opt out of this program, you will be giving the buyers the discounted rate.  It is NOT predicated on that you have to use Ebay shipping services.  At least not that I've read anywhere.

Ebay leaves it to each seller to decide if they want to tack on a reasonable handling fee or roll the costs of shipping into the price of the product.  Lots of sellers do it by adding it to the costs of the product and lots of sellers charge a handling fee.  It is just a personal preference on how they want to do it.  As long as it is reasonable, it usually works.

by: my2cents

@Tool

That is not true.  This new tool ONLY affects sellers that use Calculated Shipping.  It has nothing to do with who you buy your shipping labels from nor does it affect any seller that offers Free Shipping or stated shipping.  It is strictly those using Calculated shipping.

This new tool has NOTHING to do with forcing sellers to use Ebay labels.  You can still use anyone you want.  This tool is all about how much the buyer will be charged and therefore pay the seller.  Where the seller purchases the label is still up to the seller.

by: ScottLBrown

I was finally thinking of changing from including my s/h in the price to using ebays Calculated Shipping system.  

Remember, calculated shipping is how we tell the customer how much he's paying and what carrier/method we're using.  That rate very rarely matches what we're actually spending on shipping.  

Ebay offers the ability to Discount the rate, but not to RAISE the rate for smaller sellers above rack rates.  Either way, they charge the seller so who cares right?

This new math makes me remember that ebay is notorious for not thinking things through before releasing them.... and not using sellers from different verticals as a test bed for viability.

very sad