What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

According to what I selected, and the Canada Post website, shipping should be between $9-12 International (cheaper!) and domestic.  Yet when the listing went live this morning, shipping is given as $43!  No one is going to buy a $40 item with $43 shipping, and I look like some kind of con artist.

 

How can I force the listing to show the ACCURATE shipping cost, or no shipping with a note that it will be calculated separately depending on the destination?  I just charge what the post office charges.  THAT number is just bizarre!

Message 1 of 17
latest reply
16 REPLIES 16

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

"How can I force the listing to show the ACCURATE shipping cost,"

 

To be candid, the answer is : by giving the correct information.

 

Somehow, something went wrong in either:

1) your measurements (are you using metric - the official measurements in Canada?)

2) your weight (are you using metric - the official measurements in Canada?)

3) the service you selected (do the weight and measurements meet the specifications for that service?)

 

Take a good critical look at your listing and you will find the error(s).  Then revise the listing accordingly

Message 2 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

PS - Taking a quick look at one listing, I most strongly suggest you offer only ONE shipping method (the cheapest) instead of offering three methods. 

 

If you feel it is absolutely necessary to offer more than one shipping method, you may want to insert a note in your description about "faster shipping services available from Canada Post at additional cost."

 

Your USA shipping is definitely screwed up.  Not eBay, not Canada Post - the problem is user input.

Message 3 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Well, I looked at a listing and I got three prices, the lowest being $16 and change, which, I still thought was high. Then I looked at your location. Yer not exactly a major centre.

 

I even used my old Winnipeg postal code and it was still $15 something. That is still high. Expedited is size sensitive. Put the article in the smallest container. Play with size and weight and see what happens.

 

Um? You have an off-site web address in your listing. That is not allowed. Remove that as to eBay it looks like you are driving traffic away from eBay for sales to avoid fees.

.
.
.
Photobucket
Message 4 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

I don't see any shipping prices for $40 on your listings so you might have fixed that problem. But I did notice that the shipping prices for the U.S. and International are not showing up. 

Message 5 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

"so you might have fixed that problem."

 

I think so.  I saw as high as $60 earlier for shipping.  Now back to $16 which is still very high in my opinion.

Message 6 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

It is up to you of course, but you should think about removing the first 2 sentences in your listings and the first word in your title. You're basically making a political statement which I don't think belongs in a listing and that may turn some potential buyers off.

Message 7 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?


@pjcdn2005 wrote:

It is up to you of course, but you should think about removing the first 2 sentences in your listings and the first word in your title. You're basically making a political statement which I don't think belongs in a listing and that may turn some potential buyers off.


Good catch PJ. I thought it was some sort of style name.

 

OP, you can do as you want, but I am agreeing with PJ.

.
.
.
Photobucket
Message 8 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

I agree with the other posters -- you have some serious problems in your listings which will either get you into trouble with buyers or with eBay.  Some of the things you're doing are against eBay rules and/or contrary to eBay best selling practices.  

 

I would remove all the verbiage concerning picket lines, BC teachers, etc., as 'pj'  mentioned, and remove this entire paragraph (and the photo of the "free gift" in your gallery pictures): 

 

"Special gift- the knitter is also a poet and author.  You may request a free electronic copy of her novel Grace Awakening Dreams or a signed copy of a picket line poem with the purchase of this scarf.   See shawnbird. com"

 

EBay isn't the place to make political or social statements.  Save that for Twitter and Facebook.  And do remove the .com reference, as that is a direct violation of current eBay policy and will result in all your listings being removed, and possible seller restrictions.  

 

I clicked on the shipping tab in one of your scarf listings, and there are 3 different Canadian shipping options shown. You should remove the 2 higher options.  Even the lowest (regular parcel) is too high at ca. $19.  You need to find a way to reduce that, or buyers will pass over your listings.  

 

To remove the extraneous shipping options: go to your listing, top left, click on "Revise your listing", scroll down to the shipping section, and click on "Remove" under each extraneous shipping service in the "Domestic Shipping" section.   Leave the first domestic shipping service as the least expensive one.  You will also need to add an international (U.S. and/or overseas) shipping option if you want visibility outside Canada.  These steps will get rid of your shipping problems.  

 

Then go back and remove the entire last paragraph in your listing about your problems with shipping options. This looks very unprofessional and will make buyers think you really don't know what you're doing with eBay listings.  You want buyers to have confidence that you know how to handle a commercial transaction properly. 

Message 9 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Everything that ^^^^^^^^ Rose says.
.
.
.
Photobucket
Message 10 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

"Hand knit infinity scarf created on the picket line while defending democracy.  Support a BC teacher!"

 

You just lost my bid. Smiley Sad

Message 11 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Anonymous
Not applicable

Don't use the eBay calculated shipping.  I never use or won't rely on it as it has insane errors, not worth the hassle of losing potential buyers that way.

 

Find the right shipping costs and post them.  As for your shipping costs for Canada for this light item (up to 500g) is way too high.  You can ship it in poly mailer which is much lighter than box for about $9.99 to 14.00 across Canada.  I ship from Manitoba across Canada.  I can ship it by Expedited from Manitoba to BC for only about $11.00 or so.

 

To USA by Tracked Packet with tracking number  (one flat rate to all states in USA) is $14.50.

 

To International countries by Tracked Packet is $47.50.  If without tracking number, you have small packet air but has no tracking number or insurance.

 

 

 

Message 12 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Anonymous
Not applicable

I just checked your listings and noticed one of them to ship to Armenia is around $88.00.  That is by XpressPost not by small packet air.  Anyone seeing that $$ for small packet air will balk or click back to other buyers.

 

Actually you need to do more homework in finding the right shipping costs.  Do you use PayPal Shipping?  Why not they do offer discounts on Expedited and XpressPost while at post office in person do not.  VentureOne do offer discounts but not that great as PayPal.

 

Also consider buying poly mailer to ship your light scarfs.

Message 13 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Anonymous
Not applicable

@harperbird wrote:

According to what I selected, and the Canada Post website, shipping should be between $9-12 International (cheaper!) and domestic.  Yet when the listing went live this morning, shipping is given as $43!  No one is going to buy a $40 item with $43 shipping, and I look like some kind of con artist.

 

How can I force the listing to show the ACCURATE shipping cost, or no shipping with a note that it will be calculated separately depending on the destination?  I just charge what the post office charges.  THAT number is just bizarre!



I just checked your listings and noticed one of them to ship to Armenia is around $88.00.  That is by XpressPost not by small packet air.  Anyone seeing that $$ for small packet air will balk or click back to other buyers.

 

Actually you need to do more homework in finding the right shipping costs.  Do you use PayPal Shipping?  Why not they do offer discounts on Expedited and XpressPost while at post office in person do not.  VentureOne do offer discounts but not that great as PayPal.

 

Also consider buying poly mailer to ship your light scarfs.

Message 14 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Much depends on your intentions with this project. If this is to be a continuing enterprise, I would consider heeding most if not all of the advice above. Except, if you have a specific target audience in mind that is politically in line and large enough to maintain an ongoing endeavour, then it could be a different story.

 

If it's just a one-shot picket line project it may not matter too much and the political references may even be a plus, especially if your products are priced higher than comparable items (I have no idea)

 

Either way, I would seriously consider using a flat rate for shipping. I would assume that 75% of your sales are going to be to B.C. - pick a price maybe $2-5 higher than shipping to Vancouver and be done with it. Forget about all that calculating - it could interfere with your poetry!

 

 

Message 15 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

I see that some of the international  locations do show a shipping price for International Air Parcel which is one of the most expensive options. Plus, that service is not available to many countries which is why so many of your overseas countries do not show a shipping charge. Small packet air international is available to all overseas countries at a reasonable cost.

 

Your shipping price for expedited parcel to Alberta is what you would pay at the post office but you would pay less if you used Paypal shipping for printing your labels. You can set up a discount for your domestic shipping so that the cost is closer to the actual costs through Paypal but a flat rate might work as well.

 

If you keep the "BC teachers" statement in the listing that your sales are more likely be mainly from BC but I find that the majority of my sales are to Ontario so when figuring out a flat rate I figure out what it would cost me to send the item to Toronto and then decide if I am going to use that as a flat rate or mark it down slightly.  In your case, I believe the Paypal shipping cost would be about $12- $13 to Toronto.

 

As rose mentioned, there is really no need to have 3 choices for shipping within Canada. I would use expedited and leave it at that.

Message 16 of 17
latest reply

What is with the outrageous shipping quotes that don't match what I selected?

Don't use the eBay calculated shipping.  I never use or won't rely on it as it has insane errors, not worth the hassle of losing potential buyers that way.

 

As long as the correct information is put into the shipping calculator it gives you the correct shipping price.

Message 17 of 17
latest reply