More crappy Ebay changes - Maximum shipping

[Mesa]

Getting around to listing some stuff I'm hoping to unload before Christmas. Noticed a change in the way I normally list.

For domestic shipping, I like to just select the option "Flat cost for all buyers" and set that to something like $9.99 to help offset some of the listing and PP fees. Well, now you can't go above $4 in this field, at least for the item I was listing. Listing page won't let you proceed unless you either put $4 as maximum shipping cost (which I'm pretty sure is not enough to even cover the shipping), or change the option to "Based upon buyer location" and enter a weight of the item.

Frackin' Ebay

About Maximum Shipping Costs

In certain categories, sellers are required to specify at least one shipping cost less than or equal to a maximum shipping cost. The cost includes all shipping costs such as handling and required insurance. It applies only to the first flat rate shipping service you offer within or to the U.S. There are no maximum shipping costs for international shipping services or additional U.S. shipping services. You can offer other shipping services, such as expedited or overnight shipping, and enter your own cost.

The maximum shipping cost for the category that you are listing in will appear under the area where you enter your shipping cost. You won't be able to list your item if the shipping cost you enter is more than the maximum cost.
The maximum shipping costs are determined based on what sellers are charging for shipping (according to recent transaction data) and what buyers say they consider reasonable. When buyers think that shipping costs on eBay are too high they may make their purchases somewhere else. The maximum shipping cost will help buyers find items with reasonable shipping and help you sell more items and increase overall sales.

Large, heavy, or multiple items
If you're selling large or heavy items, multiple items, or an item bundle, you can use calculated shipping. Your buyer will be charged actual shipping cost based on the package information you provide, the service you select, and the buyer's location.

International sellers
International sellers listing directly on eBay.com in the U.S. are also required to specify a shipping cost less than or equal to the maximum shipping cost on their first flat rate U.S. shipping cost.

 

[The Ween]

Getting around to listing some stuff I'm hoping to unload before Christmas. Noticed a change in the way I normally list.

For domestic shipping, I like to just select the option "Flat cost for all buyers" and set that to something like $9.99 to help offset some of the listing and PP fees. Well, now you can't go above $4 in this field, at least for the item I was listing. Listing page won't let you proceed unless you either put $4 as maximum shipping cost (which I'm pretty sure is not enough to even cover the shipping), or change the option to "Based upon buyer location" and enter a weight of the item.

Frackin' Ebay

That's to keep you from charging for your fees. They suck! I hope we get an alternative soon.

 

[Mesa]

I just think it's too Big Brotherish, telling me how much I should charge for shipping. What if I want to do a doublebox on a statue for added protection, am I supposed to eat that cost; for example, if some item that normally ships for $25 and I want to charge $28 due to added weight of extra box I'm no longer allowed to do that under the "flat cost" option? Wonder how long before this carries over into the calculated cost option.

I got around it, just added a lb. to the calculated cost. So if I have something that is 1-2 lb, I select the 2-3 lb option.

It's not like it's anything unethical. The shipping costs are published right there at the top of the listing, if the buyer doesn't like it, they can move on.

 

[Reefer Shark]

Effin ebay, a bunch of friking leeches run it. They get their god-damn fees either way. What do they care what people charge for shipping?????

I swear, ebay is now my last option for selling stuff. In some cases, I actually would rather give stuff away for free.

 

[Reefer Shark]

It's not like it's anything unethical. The shipping costs are published right there at the top of the listing, if the buyer doesn't like it, they can move on.

Exactly. It's effing rediculous. It was bad enough when they took away the option for sellers to leave negative feedback, this just alienates more sellers from doing business there.

 

[Bannister]

This went into effect in October if I remember right. ^^^^ing ebay.

 

[Mesa]

This went into effect in October if I remember right. ^^^^ing ebay.

I don't think so, cuz I just sold a bunch of 12" horror and I was able to do a flat rate shipping across the US. Maybe the flat rate I charged was acceptable though ($9.99), but currently trying to ship a carded action figure for anything more than $4 is unacceptable. Can you even ship a box for $4 at the PO?

 

[Darth Madden]

I got around it, just added a lb. to the calculated cost. So if I have something that is 1-2 lb, I select the 2-3 lb option.

Yep, thats about the only way you can do it now.

 

[El Roranous]

People constantly underestimate how much it costs to ship something these days. Ebay is now catering to all the stupid ideas of the buyers and leaving the sellers in some tight ridiculous spots. Every month it gets worse and worse. I hope they perish as a business soon because it's just gotten so tough to just use their service.

 

[karamazov80]

Can you even ship a box for $4 at the PO?

I ship a lot of smaller stuff like that. And a carded GI Joe plus box usually comes to around a pound (sometimes a little more). I packaged a figure up the other day, and it costed over $5 to ship via parcel post, and $6.50 to ship via Priority Mail. I agree about idiot buyers having unrealistic expectations for shipping costs. USPS for sure keeps jacking up fees, boxes are heavy, and packaging material ain't free, either.

This rule is REALLY retarded. EBay screws sellers by charging nearly 20% to begin with (for lower priced items), beyond the listing fee, and then Paypal takes another 4.5% or so. I've gritted my teeth, and took all the crappy rules EBay has come up with, but if this new rule starts affecting my listings, then I'll be done with it for good. I charge about $2 extra to cover some of my fees on an auction, and if they take that away, I won't sell there.

Surely the market can't take this exploitation by a monopoly for long?

 

[Reinhardt]

This actually makes sense - it prevents people from having a buy it now of 20 bucks, with a shipping charge of $80. If you're planning on making a ton of money from shipping, then I can see how it would suck.

 

[karamazov80]

This actually makes sense - it prevents people from having a buy it now of 20 bucks, with a shipping charge of $80. If you're planning on making a ton of money from shipping, then I can see how it would suck.

It goes way beyond that. I remember reading that they were going to force sellers to ship DVDs and CDs for $1 in the next year at some point. It is literally impossible to ship those for that cost, unless you stick the disc itself in a regular, non-padded envelope, which would be stupid.

 

[Reinhardt]

It goes way beyond that. I remember reading that they were going to force sellers to ship DVDs and CDs for $1 in the next year at some point. It is literally impossible to ship those for that cost, unless you stick the disc itself in a regular, non-padded envelope, which would be stupid.

ok now THAT I would also have a problem with.

 

[Rock83]

Yeah ebay isnt the place anymore if they continue this way,i owe ebay 75$ now because of the last things i sold,but i need cash right now and had to sell a few stuff quickly.

I sold my 2 Jokers for 270$ and ebay charged me 25$,this really sucks,what if i was to sell a expensive item?^^^^ ebay!

 

[Bodie The Cursed]

Bodie dont do ebay no more.. Bodie exploited it for the past 4-5 years and he knows better to do it anymore.. Buyers have the power.. Sellers, honest or not, put their nuts on the table to get abused. Bodie doesn't lay his nuts out on the table..

 

[Nocturne]

This actually makes sense - it prevents people from having a buy it now of 20 bucks, with a shipping charge of $80. If you're planning on making a ton of money from shipping, then I can see how it would suck.

In part it makes sense, as a lot of sellers out of china, charge a small Buy it Now price and a large shipping fee.

This can cut two ways, it can help you dodge customs charges by saying it's a cheap item. Which could of course be remedied by just lying about how much it costs on the shipping info.

The downside is, if you're items screwed and you ask for a refund, you only get the small amount you paid for the item back and not the shipping. So you end up with a piece of junk with no hope of getting the majority of your money back.

 

[The Ween]

This actually makes sense - it prevents people from having a buy it now of 20 bucks, with a shipping charge of $80. If you're planning on making a ton of money from shipping, then I can see how it would suck.

They really don't allow that anyway. You can get reported for that and your auction removed. I've seen it happen. They'll start an auction at .01 and have $100 shipping. It'll get pulled if someone complains.

 

[darthviper107]

Yeah, this stuff sucks, I was selling my Wii and it would only let me charge $15 max for shipping, and there's no way it's going to ship for that low, USPS charges by the size of the package and something like that (without delivery confirmation or insurance) costs at least $20 to ship.

 

[karamazov80]

Seems that you could get around some of this by not choosing an item category (I can only imagine that EBay uses this in conjunction with your auction title to determine "expected shipping cost as determined by dumbass buyers who have no idea what it actually takes to ship something, or how much EBay charges sellers"), but then, fewer people will be able to find your auction when they search.

 

[nash]

I think they want you to enter the dimensions of the box and weight so it automatically only charges the buyer exact costs...