Shippo rate fail

[va3ssp]

Hi. I'm trying Shippo for the first time—to ship to the US. On the order page, it always says "Rates Unavailable". Anyone have any ideas? thx!

[va3ssp]

I'd use eBay, but they don't seem to allow insurance over $100...

[intimewithmusic]

Contact Shippo via their chat line. I've found them to be great communicators. Getting your postal account linked to Shippo can be challenging so get some help from them. Shippo has a lot of features eBay doesn't have you may find handy such as * Return labels from the US to Canada, * Better insurance options,  * Easy ways to pay for your labels like credit cards (loyalty points) Paypal etc, and *Better Customs forms (unlimited line items) . 

If you don't need any of those features eBay labels are cheaper but occasionally not by much.

I can't tell you how many threads in the forum are from people who can't figure out how to get a US return label or better insurance or struggle with customs forms.

They are very good at guiding folks through setup. If you have a small business Canada Post account they will link it directly for you so you will get the level of discount based on your volume. If you don't have one they can link your account to theirs. 

Canada Post Small biz accts up to $2500 anually net you a Level 1 discount. (eBay is a much better deal). Shippo's might be a better deal than your CP Small Biz account so it won't hurt to compare pricing berfore you sync up one or the other. All of your eBay address info etc will auto transfer to the Shippo label when you link your eBay account to them.

IT

[dinomitesales]

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@va3ssp wrote:

I'd use eBay, but they don't seem to allow insurance over $100...

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I assume you're selecting "Tracked Packet" rate to the US - that service only has a maximum of $100 insurance, so buying the postage through Shippo won't make any difference. If you need more than $100 insurance and want to send to the States via Canada Post then you would have to use "Expedited Parcel-USA" (and the eBay Labels rate is probably going to be cheaper than that on Shippo).

Otherwise you'd have to use a courier like FedEx or UPS - I haven't compared the rates between eBay Labels and Shippo for those so can't comment on them.

[msau4301]

I used Shippo for many years but not for the past year while eBay's rates have been better but I still am on their email to report service problems and a bunch were coming through yesterday with service disruptions, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Do you have your account already set up or are you asking for rates before you have the account, could be they don't know what rate to quote you until you have your account set up (including connecting it to Canada Post account.) Another possibility could be you are asking about a service that isn't available based on size or weight of the package? Otherwise, as intime mentioned contact them and while they'll only reply back during business hours they are pretty good at answering questions.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@msau4301 wrote:

I used Shippo for many years but not for the past year while eBay's rates have been better but I still am on their email to report service problems and a bunch were coming through yesterday with service disruptions, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Do you have your account already set up or are you asking for rates before you have the account, could be they don't know what rate to quote you until you have your account set up (including connecting it to Canada Post account.) Another possibility could be you are asking about a service that isn't available based on size or weight of the package? Otherwise, as intime mentioned contact them and while they'll only reply back during business hours they are pretty good at answering questions.

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@va3ssp 

There should be 2 ways of doing things. Linking a Canada post solutions for small business account number. That would create a token when you attach or use Shippos own rates which may or may not be slightly better. Currently your best method would be to use eBay labels with the largest discount. As noted USA tracked will be cheaper than USA Small Packet Air. As noted in the other posts for anything you want to include extra insurance (over 100) you will have to use expedited or Xpresspost. If you wanted to factor in the cost for extra insurance (unless you have room in your pricing) would be to include as part of a handling charge.

-Lotz

As @intimewithmusic mentioned their help team is very easy to work with.

[va3ssp]

Thanks for all the replies! Nowhere on Shippo have I seen it said one must already have a CanadaPost account. I used to, but am not going to get one again. Perhaps this is the problem. What helpful error messages they have.

But I'll probably end up using Fedex thru eBay. I see now that only certain services allow extra insurance. And wow...it used to be $1/$100 @CP!  I'm disgusted that eBay doesn't include insurance in their automatic rate quotes. Or maybe I just did something wrong when I listed my item. Oh well, I'm out of pocket $10 to cover that.

I see no Shippo chat. I've sent messages via their contact page AND Facebook several days ago—still no replies.

thx again!

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@va3ssp wrote:

Thanks for all the replies! Nowhere on Shippo have I seen it said one must already have a CanadaPost account. I used to, but am not going to get one again. Perhaps this is the problem. What helpful error messages they have.

But I'll probably end up using Fedex thru eBay. I see now that only certain services allow extra insurance. And wow...it used to be $1/$100 @CP!  I'm disgusted that eBay doesn't include insurance in their automatic rate quotes. Or maybe I just did something wrong when I listed my item. Oh well, I'm out of pocket $10 to cover that.

I see no Shippo chat. I've sent messages via their contact page AND Facebook several days ago—still no replies.

thx again!

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@va3ssp 

The CP account is free to set up. Only takes a few minutes and basic info. It also gets you discounts for supplies. Online and at a counter. During the year(October) ebay sellers get access to a minimum 4 free shipments in Canada using Expedited. To process you need a small business account. It would be attached to a CC. They would only bill you if you went over the limits for those packages. With eBay labels you are unable to create shipments that are for personal use. I believe it is still possible to do so with Shippo. Link attached for integration. Unable to find the chat link. It does appear Shippo is charging 5 cents per label going forward. (Basic admin fee.) There are no additional fees with eBay labels unless your weight measurements are incorrect. Shipments and get charged for that difference. To pay for shippo labels you will need a CC on file. You cannot pay using your eBay funds. Or you can route charges thru PayPal.

-Lotz

https://goshippo.com/integrations

In checking their status page all systems are operational including CP

https://status.goshippo.com/?_ga=2.112144132.1846339830.1714578052-692030929.1714578052

It's possible when you type in your concern here it will link to chat.

https://support.goshippo.com/hc/en-us

[va3ssp]

Ha, my 25yo CP account was still there! I updated it & tried to link it to Shleppo. More errors. Conflict with a personal account? After an hour of mucking about, I deleted my old account(s?) and created a new business one. Back to Hippo. It finally managed to link to this new account. Did that solve my original problem of unavailable rates? OF COURSE NOT. Forget it—I went with Fedex on eBay. Oyyy..........

[38e_avenue]

Anyone still uses Shippo? They did not adjust to Ebay/CP prices, and now they even also ask to pay for a monthly subscription! No, thanks! 

My Shippo account now: 

[intimewithmusic]

Hi @dinomitesales  and @va3ssp 

On Shippo you buy 3rd party insurance for Tracked Packet USA. You still ship Canada Post  Tracked Packet and get those rates instead of having to ship the more expensive services like Xpresspost or Expedited USA. You don't use Canada Post insurance so the $100 limit does not apply.  Here's how it works;

"If you are looking to purchase additional insurance for your shipment, you can easily do so through Shippo. During the label creation process, you will have the option to add shipping insurance provided by XCover, our third-party insurance provider. Simply follow these steps: 1. From the Orders page, click on the specific order you would like to insure. 2. In the sidebar, click on "Shipment Extras." 3. Next to "Shipment Insurance," click on "Add." 4. Choose "Insurance by XCover." 5. Enter the total value of the items inside the package. 6. You will then receive a quote for insurance on your package. 7. Finally, select the desired label and complete the purchase. By adding shipping insurance to your label, you can ensure a smooth claims process, fast reimbursements, and affordable premiums. For domestic orders, you will only pay 1.25% of the insured shipment value, and for international orders, it will be 1.50%. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Product Support Team. They will be happy to guide you through the process and address any concerns you may have."

[intimewithmusic]

Hi @38e_avenue 

I recd that too.  Unless you use Shippo more than 30 times a month it's still free so who cares?

eBay simply got a better deal with Canada Post due to volume in Canada.

   You can't expect a foreign 3rd party shipper with much less volume to match . If you need to combine  postage and insurance above $100 the combination often means Shippo is often the better price. CP stings you on the insurance by forcing you to use Xpresspost or another higher cost shipping service.

 It sounds like you never need a US return label or more than $100 insurance for an international tracked packet.  I get why eBay labels are right for you all of the time but they aren't right for every one all of the time.

[intimewithmusic]

1. If your account is still there go to "SETTINGS" (The small cog on the top right of the page)

2. Then go down the column on the left to "CARRIERS" and click that to open this page.

3. Shippo has changed the carrier setup process. It was tricky for me and they made it easy. I suggest contacting them through chat or email and you can find that resource on the lower left under "HELP"

[38e_avenue]

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@intimewithmusic wrote:

Hi @38e_avenue 

 It sounds like you never need a US return label or more than $100 insurance for an international tracked packet.  I get why eBay labels are right for you all of the time but they aren't right for every one all of the time.

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I rarely insure shipments, even the more expensive ones, but I sell in a "low-scam" category. I also do not use the return labels - if a return happens, I prefer to refund money and allow the customer to keep the item (usually +/- 30 USD in value). I have an average of 1 return for 1.000 items sold, so it's not a problem.  Concerning the insurance, it's possible to buy a label on Ebay and insure elsewhere - there are many 3rd party insurers to choose from.  

[intimewithmusic]

You mentioned you got a new CP Biz account and set that up on Shippo which is great. I had a similar problem a few years back and it turned out Shippo was directed to an old CP account that was dormant so I deleted it leaving only the one account for Shippo  use.

You didn't mention you SYNCED your eBay account with Shippo so it can accept your order information.  I assume you did that too.

When I was troubleshooting at that point Shippo tweaked my settings.  I haven't had a problem since.

[intimewithmusic]

To avoid confusion I should illustrate that there are TWO columns for carriers on your account page.

[intimewithmusic]

Hi,

I know @reallynice stamps and others buy 3rd party insurance from somewhere however we were looking to the advantages of Shippo. If I get a combined shipment of 10 items with a total weight under 2 Kg and a value of $500 I'm certainly not buying an eBay label.  Reasons being

* I don't get returns (knock on wood) but if I do I'm not letting some dude keep a $500 order free of charge ;>} It happened once. I sent him a Shippo label. Job done.

* the eBay customs form won't allow the entry of more than 5 items.  It has almost no customization properties if you need them at the border. 

* $100 insurance limit on eBay Tracked Packet USA is a huge problem.  Shippos Xcover insurance on $500 is $7.50.  Canada Post would charge $9 but they also force you out of tracked packet into a more costly service that can't compete with USPS. 

*In many cases you can actually get "porch pirate insurance" from Shippo.

Again, most of my labels are bought on eBay for the reasons you mentioned but for some of us Shippo is a Godsend. 

With respect to the OP's order of an expensive computer board if it's only a one time international sale I wouldn't go through the trouble to have the extra account. I would send it via CP Xpresspost, get the CP insurance,  and pay the difference out of my pocket. The customer gets it faster and I get piece of mind. 

If @va3ssp  sells regularly in the "high scam category" as you coined it (*haha, "High Scam" can mean many things.. ) and wants to sell regularly to the US ....they MUST MUST compete with the USPS cheap shipping by using CP Tracked Packet and in that price bracket they need an insurance safety net that eBay labels lack = Shippo  (read the fine print carefully though. Using eBay packing tape on your package might invalidate your insurance. The insurance with a 3rd party has terms that have nothing to do with the label providers.) 

[va3ssp]

Do you have a paid plan? Cuz your screen is different from mine. I have a SUPPORT button (no HELP) that lets me send a message. No "AI Assistant"... And no chat.

[intimewithmusic]

No. I don't pay anything. I've had the account for about 10 years. Maybe there's a difference due to your device. I use a desktop computer running Windows 10.

Here are some screenshots after I log in from the home page. On this page the chat function appears on the Customer Service page's lower right corner as a question mark. Clicking it gives you 3 options

"Get Help/New Request/Main Site".

Clicking "Get Help" should open the zendesk chat window.  Pretty sure you have to be logged into Shippo first in order to accerss Customer Service.

[intimewithmusic]

@lotzofuniquegoodies  that's right. For high value items I have a custom business policy to cover extra costs which are typically insurance and packaging.  Occasionally I need a special order box or two that may cost $25 each. The packaging can take 4 hours.  IE a xylophone or a bass drum. Those charges have to be built into a custom business policy under "handling" along with insurance.  If you do it that way and the listing is up for a long time as "Make Offer" you don't have to worry about forgetting the additional costs if you accept a low offer . The problem is the fees put you outside your competition's shipping charges. When that happens I take a serious look at setting a Flat Rate. When that offer comes in I know how to balance the counter offer.