Shipping fees I can not understand why ebay permits sellers to charge outrageous shipping fe

[nutflower]

 I  can not understand why ebay allows sellers to charge outrageous shipping fees  on many items.  For example : I purchased a small soy sauce server for $15.00   the shipping fee was $21.00!     I mean really,  such a great site to shop - such  fees just put me off and I find myself  wondering why the site does not attempt to regulate FAIR shipping costs.???   Also, when this happens and the seller is begging for 5 star feedback  what do you do (you don't want to wreck their rating) ???   Nutflower

[toby_le_pue]

As long as buyers like you continue to pay these fees

then the sellers will charge them.

You don't like the shipping fees

then don't bid on the item.

[rose-dee]

I can't judge too well without enough details concerning your transaction, but my take on it is that many sellers have had the fear of eBay/Paypal put into them, and are worried about shipping by less expensive (and slower/less reliable) services. 

Many US sellers also don't want the hassles of selling outside the US, so they charge actual shipping for a trackable, insured service. 

I don't think the majority of sellers intend to "rip off" buyers with shipping charges.  Don't forget that eBay also charges sellers a fee on the shipping costs, which is a big disincentive to over-charging on shipping.  So sellers have to balance slow delivery and the possibility of loss or damage in transit and other problems associated with cheap shipping, against the cost of a better and more reliable shipping method.  It can be a really difficult thing to do. 

From my point of view as a seller shipping is always my biggest concern.  I would love to offer free shipping on everything, to every buyer, but as a smaller enterprise I'd soon be out of business.  With shipping costs rising every year, and even basic air parcel service costs becoming outrageous, yes, even a small $15 item can cost $20 to send.  Personally I try to offer reduced shipping wherever I possibly can, and charge only actual shipping where necessary (for example, for more expensive items, or items that buyers want especially quickly).

The fact that (Canada Post) rates are based not only on weight, but dimensions, means that it's getting more and more costly to send anything thicker than a CD or heavier than a half-pound of butter.  For example, within Canada once you have a thickness of more than 2.0cm, packaging included, you're in a parcel category, and rates triple or more.  For Canadian sellers things are a bit better if you're shipping to the US (more small parcel options available), but rates still climb each year.

I'm afraid I can see a day coming soon when Canadian and US sellers just can't afford to sell inexpensive items on eBay anymore due to high shipping costs, if those items are heavier than 250gms and thicker than a CD.  By inexpensive, I'm thinking anything under about $30.

[marnotom!]

Is your issue the fact that the soy sauce server was small and it's costing a lot to mail something small, or is it that the shipping price of the server is more than what you paid for the server itself?

[afantiques]

So sellers have to balance slow delivery and the possibility of loss or damage in transit and other problems associated with cheap shipping, against the cost of a better and more reliable shipping method.

The problems are only associated by people who have not, as I have, always used the cheapest possible basic airmail for items of any value, and had minimal, indeed trivial, losses.

Most of the time the theoretically better, faster, safer more expensive services just cost the buyer and seller more, to no benefit whatsoever.

I'd be willing to bet that premium services often make packages look more worth stealing or taxing, as well.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

Afantiques- Good point. In many cases, insurance, especially self insurance, plus good communication are more efficient than any purchased tracking service.

More generally:
Which is cheapest:
A $5 item with $10 shipping
A $10 item with $5 shipping
A $15 item with Free Shipping.
The wise shopper purchases based on total price, not broken down by category.

I recently bought an item from a US seller who uses the Global Shipping Program (pause while readers spit on the ground and curse Pitney Bowes and all its minions). The total price, even with prepaid duty and sales tax, was lower than any other seller on eBay, including Canada and Britain.

[nutflower]

Brilliant. Thank you for helping me to see it from another point of view. Your comment is truly appreciated. Kind regards

[nutflower]

The issue with the 'soy sauce server'  actually was a poor example.  The concern I have is that there are so many sellers overpricing their shipping fees that recently I find myself looking at the shipping fee before considering the item for sale.  I realize that sellers are entitled to add in a packing fee along with their shipping fee - but - I have seen items that the shipping is quadruple the price of the item, and yet the actual postage 1/4 the price quoted.

[kxeron · Accepted solution]

---

@nutflower wrote:

The issue with the 'soy sauce server'  actually was a poor example.  The concern I have is that there are so many sellers overpricing their shipping fees that recently I find myself looking at the shipping fee before considering the item for sale.  I realize that sellers are entitled to add in a packing fee along with their shipping fee - but - I have seen items that the shipping is quadruple the price of the item, and yet the actual postage 1/4 the price quoted.

---

This is the reason for my latest suggestion as it is difficult to really filter past bad shipping fees given there's not adquate mechanisms outside of having to go keywords after keywords (nontrivial manual effort in a technological age where computers should be able to search and filter quickly and effectively on their own) with pages full of baffling shipping charges with well priced items which too has led me to look at the shipping charges first before the actual item which really ruins the fun of being able to go through the site. I have learned not to get my hopes up ever given the shipping charges are always tucked away as a "less important" charge than the item price despite the fact you pay for both equally and that shipping charges are so prevalent that they're their own major cost category.

eBay's structure of the shipping charges and how they're always put forth as "fine print" minor fees has in my view ruined the experience for many buyers as shopping on ebay has become even with credible and good sellers an exercise in Caveat Emptor.

[marnotom!]

---

@nutflower wrote:

The issue with the 'soy sauce server'  actually was a poor example.  The concern I have is that there are so many sellers overpricing their shipping fees that recently I find myself looking at the shipping fee before considering the item for sale.  I realize that sellers are entitled to add in a packing fee along with their shipping fee - but - I have seen items that the shipping is quadruple the price of the item, and yet the actual postage 1/4 the price quoted.

---

What may be happening is that sellers are unaware that the weight limit for First Class International is far higher than it is for First Class domestic shipping and they're automatically selecting what they think is the best international equivalent of U.S. Priority mail.  Once it comes time to mail the item, they may find that there's a less expensive option available and they use that instead.

Don't just look at the shipping price.  Look at the shipping option offered as well.

[mastercd555]

I agree shipping seems to be ridiculously high this year.

A 6$ item with a shipping fee of 37.xx$ + 5.xx in import charges (from California to Quebec).

But if I select a New York (from California to New York), shipping is 10$.

So it costs 4 times more to cross just the border?

I haven't seen any items where the shipping cost LESS than the item. **bleep**?

Unfortunately, the item that I look for doesn't exist in Canada. I can't go to a local store and pick it up.

[marnotom!]

---

@mastercd555 wrote:

I agree shipping seems to be ridiculously high this year.

A 6$ item with a shipping fee of 37.xx$ + 5.xx in import charges (from California to Quebec).

But if I select a New York (from California to New York), shipping is 10$.

So it costs 4 times more to cross just the border?

I haven't seen any items where the shipping cost LESS than the item. **bleep**?

Unfortunately, the item that I look for doesn't exist in Canada. I can't go to a local store and pick it up.

---

If you were to find that item locally, what would be the most you'd be prepared to pay for it, including taxes?

[femmefan1946]

A 6$ item with a shipping fee of 37.xx$ + 5.xx in import charges (from California to Quebec).

But if I select a New York (from California to New York), shipping is 10$.

It can, depending on the service chosen.

And many US sellers who have been afraid of international shipping have been encouraged to open thier borders by the Global Shipping Program.

Unfortunately, many of those sellers should not be using the GSP. Even eBay says it should not be used for items under $50.

Your $6 item with GSP may cost $37 in total shipping charges because:

The seller needs $10 to ship to Kentucky.

Although there is no Canadian duty on items under $20, there is sales tax of up to 15%  or 90 cents.

There is a charge for trans-shipping to Canada with insurance and Delivery Confirmation and  which also includes the cost of deciding that the item is not dutiable but it taxable.

And that charge makes up the $26 remainder.

The seller could have shipped directly by First Class International for less and probably does not know that FCI now included Delivery Confirmation and handles parcels weighing up to four pounds.

[fastfriendly2011]

I attempted to sell a vintage photograph on eBay tonight. I listed $5.00 as a shipping fee, but eBay - in its infinite wisdom - listed the shipping charge at $7.45, thereby making a sale very unlikely.

Last month, I listed a huge, framed (in glass) poster and eBay decided it would cost under $20.00 to ship anywhere in the world.

RIDICULOUS!

I sold thousands of items on eBay in the first decade of this century, and seller then chose the shipping charge.

I truly wish you would go back to that system, as your 'shipping calculator' makes stupid mistakes, constantly.

[pjcdn2005]

Ebay doesn't decide on how much you are charging to ship. You either put in a flat rate or you can use calculated shipping that uses the Canada Post rate.You enter the size, weight and the service that you want.  For that Christmas card and some of those magazines you probably would be best off to use a flat rate for lettermail within Canada and with light packet to the rest of the world. That would be less expensive for your customer and probably result in more sales.

On a couple of your listings that I checked you had shipping rates for Canada but no other countries were showing a rate.

[beautytools4u]

I always ask sellers to give me their cheapest shipping.

HOWEVER as a seller, Canada Post hikes in shipping and Ebay taking a cut from the shipping as well (which to this day I don't understand why they take a cut), and so on....

well with what I charge for shipping, I end up half the time putting out of my pocket for the difference. I am barely making anything on ebay sadly. It's not how it used to be.

Some sellers won't budge on a $35 shipping for an Item the should cost $10 to ship and they are still selling.

Some will accommodate and its great because I try to as well. But I can't seem to include anymore fees to

my shipping otherwise no one will bid. I want to keep them reasonable but the ebay fees are my reason for having to ad a few extra dollars. Already sales are down because of how your item is searched and it's according to demand that you get more traffic like facebook works now... no one sees what you post unless they interact with you and want to get your notifications... it was better before. Everyone saw everyone and everyone interacted a whole lot more. 

So now with ebay taking a cut from shipping it forces ppl to add more to the shipping quote and not give actual shipping.

It was better before when ebay just took the cut from the final sale price, afterall they get paypal fees as well.

The ones who have extreme shipping prices, well unless you are forces to and the seller won't budge you bid.. otherwise you don't.

So that is my two cents worth lol

[jameswatt]

18$ shipping for a 3$ sheet of paper to Canada!

Plastic models ship for three times what it was a few years ago. Never mind a heavy item.

Shopping on Ebay is now a luxury and I browse instead of buy, unfortunately.

[femmefan1946]

I truly wish you would go back to that system, as your 'shipping calculator' makes stupid mistakes, constantly.

Are you using metric measurements? Canada Post went metric in 1974 and any other system will be an approximation. Since rates change based on measuremnts this can be very important.

If your shipment is 2cm thick it will be one rate. At 2.5cm thick the price more than doubles. If you are measuring in inches, you may unknowingly be describing the item as being 2.5cm thick.

Same with weights. An item that weighs 150 grams costs less to ship than one that weighs 151 grams, in some services.