Why are shipping charges sellers arbitrarily levy for shipping from the USA to Canada so excessive?.

[rjs2507]

I've been a pretty decent customer of eBay for over 8 years and I never cease to wonder the wild and almost usury charges some sellers arbitrarily levy  for shipping simple items like a golf shirt. I have paid anywhere from US $ 6.00 to US $ 25.00++ by USPS. Surely this should be policed and reasonable parameters set. The only reason I have been almost coerced into paying these excessive charges is because the item purchased by me is something I've wanted. I would like to receive a response from eBay that would explain these wild fluctuations!   

[scifan57]

eBay doesn't respond to questions here. Your sellers could be choosing more expensive shipping options which include delivery confirmation,for shipping to Canada in order to protect themselves from the perceived risk of item not received disputes.

[dmil8030]

Hello 'rjs',

If you wait for a response from ebay you will wait a long time. 🙂 

The shipping fees for an item depend on what the item is and how it is sent.  USPS First Class is delightfully economical, whereas Priority is beastly expensive for small items.  But Priority offers the seller Delivery Confirmation, - which is required in the event of a false 'not received' claim. 

Couriers can be even worse, especially when factoring in brokerage fees.  The charges from UPS are thought to be so outrageous that many people will not buy at all from sellers who use UPS.

Of course, some sellers are indeed gouging the buyer on shipping, there is no question, - but if the item comes Priority the charges are likely the truth.

One thing you can try, - if you see an item you like and the seller only lists Priority (or worse, Express Mail!) ask if he would consider shipping USPS First Class International.  If he says 'no', it has to be respected and likely means he has been the victim of one too many fraudulent claims.  If he agrees, however, try to negotiate a  reasonable fee, because there are those who will continue tell you a single golf shirt really costs $21 via First Class.

And I'm sure I don't need to mention that there has been a postal rate increase in the last 8 years.  If you want to see for yourself what the rates are, here is a link for it.  US Post really likes that Priority, so you have to dig a little deeper for lower rates.  ... surprise surprise.

http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10054