Inaccurate Small & Light Packet Air rates

I want to ship items to the US in padded envelopes that are 22 x 20 x 2 x 20 grams.

 

If I use Canada Post's calculator, I get these results:

 

Light Packet Air CD $4.28

Small Packet Air CD $8.03

 

If I use the calculator in my listing, I get these results:

 

Light Packet Air US $9.33 (CD $10.69)

Small Packet Air US $9.33 (CD $10.69)

 

Any ideas as to why there are such huge discrepancies between the two calculators? And why eBay quotes the same rate for both Light and Small Packet Air? I'm very concerned about this because my items will only sell for $15-$20, and no one is going to pay $10.69 for shipping. Thanks.

 

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I have a few thoughts but none definite. Check your weight in the item listing at the bottom of the Sell Your Item page. It might be set to 'Less than 500g' or something as opposed to the exact weight of your item. Also, Canada Post shipping estimators sometimes forget to add the taxes, fuel surcharge, grumpy employee surcharge or whatever. Then, there can be a difference between counter rates and small (or large) business rates. And then Paypal Shipping also offers a discount on some services but not all. There are so many, many variables. It might even be some Combined Shipping Rule you've set. Plus there's a fatal error with Flat Rate Calculated Shipping Discounts that happens in the cart. Have you set a handling fee for some orders? 

 

Shipping is really the MOST complicated part of selling anything on ebay. For me, I find nothing works quite the way I want it to. 

 

p.s. Think hard about using bubble mailers. They might reduce item weight and postage charges but your buyers will not thank you for that if their item is crushed along the way. 

 

 

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