Postage rates are killing EBay.

[peclem38]

The postage situation is getting ridiculous. Postage rates are such that it is rarely worth purchasing any more.

Most times,  even when purchasing within Canada, the postage is so insanely  high, that I cannot justify buying. Some sellers don't help as they are certainly making money out of the shipping.

[mrdutch1001]

IF "Postage rates are killing EBay.", Then why are there still countless Canadian sellers still here on eBay?

Do you actually know what it may cost to ship various items across Canada these days??? ....

perhaps NOT because you are not an experienced seller...

and how do you know that sellers "are certainly making money out of the shipping."????

Unless you have tons of shipping experience, I'd suggest you acquant self with the various shipping methods associated with a varying number of items...then come back and tell us how you would ship these items cheaper.

[femmefan1946]

Perhaps it would help to know what postage rates actually are?

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/tools/find-a-rate.page

Use K1A 0A6 for a Central Canada destination.

Remember that package  rates are based on weight, dimensions, and destination, not on the value of the contents.

The cheapest way to ship within Canada  with tracking is using Registered Mail ($10.50+ postage)  for lightweight items. Once the package weighs 300 grams it is usually cheaper to use package rates for tracked shipping.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@peclem38 wrote:

The postage situation is getting ridiculous. Postage rates are such that it is rarely worth purchasing any more.

Most times,  even when purchasing within Canada, the postage is so insanely  high, that I cannot justify buying. Some sellers don't help as they are certainly making money out of the shipping.

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@peclem38 

As @femmefan1946  stated so well, the cp postage calculator explains the charges involved mailing something from A to B. Another good way to compare is try a sample shipment from yourself to your neighbour using the same postal code. See how much? Now test the same package mailing across Canada. Throw in applicable destination provincial tax(s) and fuel surcharge and you can see how quickly the cost of postage can go up. As for the USA to Canada USPS increased rates in January and are scheduled to do so again in July. Most everything else is shipped with eIS which is a glorified expensive freight forwarder. 

When you search for anything try searching by distance and or in Canada only and see if that affects your shipping options.

-Lotz

PS. As a side, one of the other options available within the left side tabs is free shipping. It just means the seller either has good margins with their prices or is building shipping into the final cost. 

[nyb_shop]

Sellers have been making money off shipping since the beginning of eBay. Remember, they gotta pay for packing materials and gas to the post office. What really ticked me off, was DHL's additional charges it worked out to be like a 50% tax on my item. I'm never going to buy anything from a USA seller again.

[lady.stark]

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@nyb_shop wrote:

Sellers have been making money off shipping since the beginning of eBay. Remember, they gotta pay for packing materials and gas to the post office. What really ticked me off, was DHL's additional charges it worked out to be like a 50% tax on my item. I'm never going to buy anything from a USA seller again.

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It is not making money off shipping if it used to pay for packing materials and gas. These are shipping expenses not profit.

As for USA purchases, it's not the US seller that is the problem. It's the fact that he/she used DHL and not USPS.

[rocketscollectibles]

It is not making money off shipping if it used to pay for packing materials and gas. These are shipping expenses not profit.


Lot of sellers overcharge shipping to pocket extra money in a hidden way. It's not always justified. Stop. 

I purchase hundreds items per month on ebay, i know all rates as i'm selling a lot too on my main selling account, and see people trying to exploit the shipping all the time. Just yesterday i was working a deal with someone and he wanted me to add $20 for shipping to add 3 items to a order already placed, while the cost was under $5. I see that kind of thing on regular basis. Ebay is a open platform, not everyone is fair and professional. 

[sparklegirl2007]

I would like to point out that Ebay charges 15% fees or more, on not just the item but also the shipping we charge the customers.  I often eat part of the cost of shipping and even then it looks expensive to some people.  Envelope, packaging, Ebay fees, time etc etc etc, add up.  Also, I send everything with insurance so the more you buy the more insurance cost. Though when I combine ship, I always refund excess shipping and only charge the main cost of postage plus the insurance.

[reallynicestamps]

Good point about the eBay fee on processing customer payments, including their shipping.

I wonder if you are getting anything other than peace of mind from insurance?
Have you had to claim it in the past 100 sales?

How much did you spend on insurance for your last 100 sales?

Did your insurance claim cover your loss?

Have you heard about Cookie Jar Insurance?

And remember that the face value of the stamps are not the same as the cost of postage. We also pay a variable fuel surtax, GST and sometimes provincial sales taxes.

[marwo507547]

As a new buyer here that is one of things that is really annoying - the crazy price of shipping in Canada from some of the sellers. 

For example: One seller charged $ 3 dollars to ship a penny - now the 2nd penny (if you bought 2 or more items) was charged with a slight 10% discount to shipping - but thats still crazy expensive and all of it profit. The package by the way came in a regular envelop with card board (just a cut piece of card board) and tape - enough to protect the coins - but it certainly did not justify the price of shipping for multiple items at that price for shipping. 

While not all sellers are like that when packaging items and shipping - the cost of shipping is in general ridiculous on ebay and makes me wonder if it is worth buying from here. 

[mrdutch1001]

do you really know how much postage is these days?

and just how do you calculate that "crazy expensive and all of it profit."???

Are you aware of the "actual" expenses for a seller???

To ship a letter weighing 30g or less costs $1.15 and $1.40 for a letter 30-50 g. Then there is the cost of the envelope...

and you want to complain about a seller charging $3?.... C'mon get realistic here...

[reallynicestamps]

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/tools/find-a-rate.page

We can reduce our shipping costs by using some discounted rates eBay has worked out with Canada Post.

But tracked shipping normally starts around $12 and rises with weight, dimensions and destination.

@marwo507547

One seller charged $ 3 dollars to ship a penny -

Did you pay a penny for the coin? Or was the price higher?

Was the total cost of the transaction, including sales taxes, acceptable?

The cost of shipping is not related in any way to the value of the item sold.

The $3 not only included postage but also labour and packaging, not to forget insurance against "loss" or delay in delivery of untracked shipments.

Some sellers will switch the value of the purchase and the cost of shipping to make the item seem cheaper. Since the seller paid fees on the total value of the transaction, this makes no difference to their costs, but may increase the number of sales.