how come my ebay listings default to usps priority mail

HOW COME MY EBAY LISTINGS DEFAULT TO USPS PRIORITY MAIL HOW TO

The only two shipping options I chose on the listing were regular USPS Priority Mail and Parcel Select. Happened again just now - Sold an item with dimensions 14' x 8' x 8', eBay let the buyer choose Priority Mail flat rate envelope, charged them $9.29, but no way can I fit this thing into a flat-rate envelope, so I'll have to ship regular Priority mail at a cost of $9.64. Usually the difference isn't that great, so I just pay it and get on with life, but I'm getting a little tired of this. Then they get charged that lesser amount, and I have to foot the bill for a valid shipping method. Sometimes when I make a sale, the buyer apparently is presented with shipping options I didn't choose, and some of them are invalid, like USPS Media Mail for non-media items, or Priority Mail flat-rate envelope for something that's clearly too large to fit into an envelope.

HOW COME MY EBAY LISTINGS DEFAULT TO USPS PRIORITY MAIL HOW TO

Suzanne’s book, The Stay-at-Home Mom’s Guide to Successful eBay Selling helps eBay sellers learn what products to sell, where to find them and how to successfully market on eBay.I've had this happen to me a few times, figured I'd post here to see if anyone else had run into it. Selling on eBay since 2003, Suzanne Wells aka The eBay Selling Coach has sold over 17,000 items as a one person operation and has achieved the status of Silver Level Power Seller on eBay. Flat Rate boxes are easy by design and are great for heavy items going a long distance, but are not always the best choice. We have to keep that in mind to get good DSRs. Many buyers on eBay are not business people and do not necessarily understand the cost of doing business. Add handling fees on to the price of the item instead so the buyer does not feel “swindled”. Watch your handling fees – avoid adding them at all. When setting shipping and handling rates, be sure to remember these selling tips: Calculated shipping is the most fair and accurate way to charge for shipping. What is the answer? Use a calculated shipping rate rather than the Flat Rate. Use eBay’s Calculated Shipping for More Accurate Rates Based on personal experience, I can safely say that customers are not happy when they come to the conclusion that they paid double for shipping because the seller didn’t use the right method. For customers who do pay higher shipping rates, you also run the risk of negative feedback. While it may be easier to always use a Flat Rate Box, it is not always the most economical choice. In the event that the buyer notices that regular Priority Mail could have been used to help lower the S&H cost, they may be upset and give a low rating on DSRs.

While both options result in the same delivery service, the Flat Rate box is more than double the price the result is the customer is forced to pay much more for shipping the product than was required. But, the cost to ship the same three pound package via regular Priority Mail from my location in Atlanta, Georgia to Charlotte, North Carolina only costs $6.55, a difference of $7.95. (A three pound package could contain something like a coat, a pair of shoes, or some cookware). According the USPS site, the cost to ship a large three pound Flat Rate package is $14.50. Let’s say you are going to ship an order in a Medium Flat Rate box and the order weighs three pounds.

This is where most sellers have a problem when using USPS Flat Rate boxes.ĭelivery Distance Plays a Huge Roll in Costs In other words, if a seller over charges for shipping, or the customer perceives the seller has overcharged him, he can give the seller a low rating in this category. One of the rating criteria is shipping and handling charges. Five stars equate to perfect service and on the other end of the spectrum, one star is unacceptable service.

After a buyer makes a purchase and receives their order, he/she can rate the seller on four different aspects of the transaction by using a five-star rating system. On eBay, this is particularly important because the way you ship your products can have an effect on your DSRs – Detailed Seller Ratings.ĮBay has a seller rating system set up for buyers called DSRs.

You don’t have to worry about the weight of the items in the shipment and as the USPS says, “If it fits, it ships for one low price.” In many cases Flat Rate packages are often a great choice, but depending upon the contents of the package and destination, sometimes it is better to use a non-Flat Rate mailing. The USPS Flat Rate boxes seem like an easy and convenient way to ship merchandise for any business.

How come my ebay listings default to usps priority mail