Serious bug with the shipping calculator on Ebay.ca

[maxwar82]

I have a very weird bug here with the shipping calculator. As a seller.

The shipping calculator will take measurements in Imperial ( Inches + Lbs ) by default, which I like to use.

But then it randomly starts using Metric at some point, after the listing is online.

It still keeps the same digits but uses cm instead of inches and Kg instead of lbs.

When this happens, the calculator shows an error for everyone except for canadians, who have an incorrect price instead.

I have called Ebay technical support twice so far and they have no idea what is going on and nothing gets fixed.

This is really ruinning the ebay experience for me as ive tried to sort this out for hours and meanwhile my listings are broken.

There used to be an option to revert this bug back to using Imperial, but then it will eventually switch back.

But even this option is non-working since this weekend, I cannot even correct the listing once this happens.

See this screenshot? I cannot check/uncheck this box and make it save the change, no way to do it.

Does not seem to happen on all my auction too, this seems totally random.

When this happens however it screws up everything and people do not bid and im losing money.

For exemple, I just listed this: I checked the listing right after and it was fine. One hour later it was glitched.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/131051517931?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

I have another listing that's been there for 2 days, that I made as a test. This one is still ok.. Its totally random.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/131050236411?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

This has been here for a while, likely months. Initially, I did not notice it and thought I had made a mistake in my listings.

But recently i started wanting to sell more and that is how I noticed this thing is seriously broken.

What's going on??

[femmefan1946]

There is no point in using Imperial measurements. Canada Post went metric in 1974 and any other measurements will be inaccurate.

The only reason eBay makes Imperial the default is because they are an American company. The only country in the world still using the Imperial system.

Metric is under Options and you have to scroll down.

You can get a metric measuring tape at IKEA for free. There is also a metric ruler that can be downloaded from canadapost.ca. Most digital scales can be set to metric. The Starfrit scale from Canadian Tire costs under $20 if you have an old one that does not convert.

Or you can continue fighting with trying to make Imperial measurements work on a system set up decades ago to use a different system.

Some people juggle geese.-- Hoban Washburne.

[maxwar82]

You seem to be missing the point, there are many serious glitches. I would probably just switch to metric if its all that was needed to stop all those headaches, believe me.

There are 3 components to the problem at this point, maybe my first post was not clear enough.

1. I cannot switch from metric to imperial at this point.

In what menu do you see the metric/imperial option? Please show me.

The only place I can see where I can change it is the menu i put in the screenshot above, and its glitched and does not work anymore. I access it from " Add or remove shipping options" in the Shipping detail window.

2. It will randomly switch to metric by itself, after my listing was made in imperial. Even if metric is the "official" method for Canada post, that does not make it normal for the system to do this.

3. When it switches to metric by itself, the shipping calculator does not work anymore for anyone but Canadians, providing the only thing it does is switch to metric, it should still work, albeit with the wrong measurements no?

Can you please open my moka pot listing and set yourself a US address and tell me if it works?

I agree that I could try making a full Metric listing and see if it cures my issues but right now point #1 is preventing me from doing it. Unless you can show me that menu you are talking about.

[pocomocomputing]

Please post what you used for dimension and weight and shipping options in the listing that does not work. And what you used in your test listing.

PS For your information, Test listings are to listed in a special eBay category "Everything Else > Test Auctions" and use one of the sub-categories there. I use "General" sub-category.

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/listing-no-item.html

Please see the section "Test Listings".

Despite the category name of "Test Auctions", you can test listing in Auction format or Fixed Price format.

You may wish to change the eBay category to avoid a possible policy violation. As well you need to have the word Test in the eBay title.

[maxwar82]

Ok,  I will try to update my test auction, thanks for the advice.

Lets keep using the same two listings.
Both listings use the same shipping policy

Canada Post Regular Parcel (2 to 10 business days)

International shipping

Calculated: Cost varies by buyer location

• Ship to : United States ; Service : Canada Post Expedited Parcel - USA
• Ship to : Worldwide ; Service : Canada Post International Parcel - Surface

Moka pot  : 11" x 7" x 6"  3 lbs  ( Now shows 11cm x 7cm x6cm 3kg )

Test auction : 12"x 11" x7'' 10 lbs  ( Still fine )

[pocomocomputing · Accepted solution]

Something I noticed.

Your listing that changed is using the Auctiva showcase. The other listing does not.

Is this auto-added by your Auctiva account as most users do? When you listed, it is okay until Auctiva detects the listings and changes it by adding the showcase. This can be a few minutes later after the listing is created. Then somehow the dimensions are changed.

Not that the Auctiva adding of the showcase should cause this problem to your dimensions entered. But Auctiva made a change to the listing after you listed it.

eBay problem or Auctiva problem?

[maxwar82]

Hmmm very good observation.

I have been a user of Auctiva's Auction sniper for many years.

It is possible I registered to their listing tool services a year or so back. But I never actually used them.  I am listing directly on ebay.ca these days.

At the time when I registered to auctiva I was trying to find a way to set relist automations.

But then I discovered that you can do them by logging in Ebay.com ( still have not found how to do this in ebay.ca )

Interestingly all my listings have the Auctiva Bar, except that Test one. However of all those listings not all are affected by the glitch, even when they have the auctiva banner some are behaving properly. Still, that would be a plausible explanation. I will now investigate more on this.

Will contact Auctiva is needed.

Thanks alot for the help so far!

[maxwar82]

Ok I went to Auctiva and deleted the account.  Then I made a new listing,  15 min after it is still looking fine and there is no Auctiva logo on the listing. Lets hope that fixed it! 

There is still the bug that prevents me from changing to metric, but if it stays in imperial and works, that's already a big improvement.

 I think ill take the chance and start listing more stuff.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/131052509161?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

[maxwar82]

I relisted all my faulty items and so far everything seems ok. I sure hope this fixed it!! Will check in tomorrow to keep you guys updated but It seems Auctiva was the culprit. I cant believe they were screwing my auctions up without me even knowing...

[maxwar82]

Main problem disappeared since I unregistered from Auctiva. Thanks again for this.

Only problem left Is I cannot switch to metric If I want to.

Might start a new thread about this.

Consider this one closed.

[bizzaroscanada]

REALLY i had to pull all my stuff it was driving me crazy I would list in inches whenever I made a revision I changed all the dimensions to cm .... driving me nust I just got in a few hundred piece to sell and  can't spend the time to check everything twice what did you do

[pocomocomputing]

I notice that you are using the Vendio Showcase and feedback tools. If the Vendio tools are working similar to the Auctiva tools that the OP used, then the automatic addition of the Vendio revises your listings and that seems to trigger a bad change in the listing units from imperial to metric.

The OP stopped using Auctiva tools to avoid the problem.

Of course, the issue should not happen. It seems that there is a problem with the automatic addition of the tool to an eBay listing. It may be an eBay.ca problem or it may be a Vendio problem. You would have to contact Vendio to see if they can replicate the problem and solve it. Reporting to eBay would most likely result in then telling you to contact Vendio.

You should use metric measurements. Canada Post went metric in the 1970s. All rate tables are in metric. Metric is a more refined measurement than imperial. Because the eBay listing using whole units and no decimals, metric is more accurate than imperial measurements on eBay because metric units are smaller in size than imperial. Because of round up on conversion from imperial to metric, your dimensions and weights are larger than if you used metric. Occasionally this rounding up will cause you to jump up in a rate class when the conversion is near a break point in the rates tables.

For example, an box is measure on one side at 9.3 inches. You visually round up to 10 inches. The 10 inches is converted by eBay to 25.4 cm rounded up to 26 cm. The original 9.3 inches would have been measured at 24 cm if you measure in metric. So you have a round up of 2 cm needlessly. Image if all 3 dimensions were rounded up by 2 or 3 cm.

For example, you weigh an item at 8.5 oz. You round up to 9 oz for eBay listing.  If weighed in metric, it would be 240 grams. The 9 oz will be converted to 255 grams.  If shipping by Small Packet or Light Packet, the weight break for rates is at 250 grams. So you pay a higher rate needlessly.

Using metric on eBay.ca may also avoid the problem of the unit changing in the eBay listing.

Hope this helps.