Shipping? 10X what it used to be?

[highcards_206]

Seems to be happening across the board. Shipping is far to overpriced for the size / weight of items being sent out..  Thanks Vanguard and Blackrock for taking over another area of the North American sector so that you corrupt !@#$ can leach even more money out of the system into your coffers.

[reallynicestamps]

I agree that the cost of shipping has increased greatly since 2000.

Do you have a date for "used to be"?

Here is the current USPS rate card. There has been a big jump in prices since deJoy took over to destroy the post office.

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

One problem affecting eIS seems to be that most sellers don't fill in the section for weight and dimensions and the eIS programming makes the assumption that the shipment is larger than it actually is, in an excess of caution.

And of course, the value of the item and the cost of shipping are not related. The parameters are weight, dimensions, and destination.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

I agree that the cost of shipping has increased greatly since 2000.

Do you have a date for "used to be"?

Here is the current USPS rate card. There has been a big jump in prices since deJoy took over to destroy the post office.

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

One problem affecting eIS seems to be that most sellers don't fill in the section for weight and dimensions and the eIS programming makes the assumption that the shipment is larger than it actually is, in an excess of caution.

And of course, the value of the item and the cost of shipping are not related. The parameters are weight, dimensions, and destination.

---

@highcards_206 

@reallynicestamps 

One would think/hope/pray if sellers are leaving the weights/measurements blank and the bots are winging it whoever is processing the shipment (eIS) would audit those shipments and adjust accordingly (credit). Same happens for under weighing so should also be happening if measurements are over.

@devon@ebay Do you know if this happens? Is this like a bonus revenue stream that works out only in eBay's favour?

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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One would think/hope/pray if sellers are leaving the weights/measurements blank and the bots are winging it whoever is processing the shipment (eIS) would audit those shipments and adjust accordingly (credit). Same happens for under weighing so should also be happening if measurements are over.

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Why should the seller get a credit for an amount that their buyer paid?

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

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One would think/hope/pray if sellers are leaving the weights/measurements blank and the bots are winging it whoever is processing the shipment (eIS) would audit those shipments and adjust accordingly (credit). Same happens for under weighing so should also be happening if measurements are over.

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Why should the seller get a credit for an amount that their buyer paid?

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@marnotom! 

Credit buyers for overpayment on shipping. The converse would be in play. If the shipping was inflated (because the measurements were not applied accurately) they (the seller) should be paying less fees on those corrected amounts. If you refund the buyer...you refund the seller. Win/Win? Any guesses what happens when the seller puts in measurements that are too low on any eIS transaction?? eBay just writes it off??

-Lotz

[marnotom!]

@lotzofuniquegoodies,
I don’t get the impression that there’s much of a problem with sellers getting the weight of the packaged item wrong when it comes to eIS shipments. The problem is sellers using flat-rate shipping and not providing useful information to eIS on items’ size and weight.

You’re using both the term “credit” and the term “refund” to what you’re describing, by the way, and I’m not clear in what you’re envisioning for buyers. Something along these lines may be part of the “work in progress” aspect of eIS. On the other hand, the GSP never had anything like buyer credits or refunds for shipping overcharges, and there’s got to be a reason for this.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

@lotzofuniquegoodies,
I don’t get the impression that there’s much of a problem with sellers getting the weight of the packaged item wrong when it comes to eIS shipments. The problem is sellers using flat-rate shipping and not providing useful information to eIS on items’ size and weight.

You’re using both the term “credit” and the term “refund” to what you’re describing, by the way, and I’m not clear in what you’re envisioning for buyers. Something along these lines may be part of the “work in progress” aspect of eIS. On the other hand, the GSP never had anything like buyer credits or refunds for shipping overcharges, and there’s got to be a reason for this.

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"and there’s got to be a reason for this."

My guess would be either poor program design or as a revenue stream.

-Lotz

[pjcdn2005]

In your scenario the buyer would also pay if they underpaid shipping.  How do you think that would go over?

[femmefan1946]

To be clear--- is what we are envisioning is a seller who makes the practical decision to use a Flat Rate Box that is too large  for the item but not putting the actual weight of the box and contents on the shipping label.

The dimensions would be correct. That's what eIS would be using to tetris packing the truck.

But the weight could be much lower which could  change the rate?
Or am I overthinking?

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

In your scenario the buyer would also pay if they underpaid shipping.  How do you think that would go over?

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That would turn into something similar to what we have now. If the seller shows an inaccurate amount for shipping (too low) , it's the sellers fault and there is no way with in eBay to recharge the buyer. Unfortunately sadly a situation of tough luck.

-Lotz

PS. In a perfect world, shipping costs would be accurate and fair. And reasonable when they are available.

[mrdutch1001]

as a buyer, you have choices...no one is twisting your arm to purchase any item for which you disagree with the amount of shipping. Do you have years of experience in selling & shipping that provides you with data that proves " Shipping is far to overpriced for the size / weight of items being sent out.. " ?

Knowing what actual shipping costs are these days, might be a better approach to take on the subject rather than just ranting about shipping costs...

[highcards_206]

Yea I grew up in Germany and we sent parcels back and fourth to Canada for under 21.00 for decades! Packages with items which weighed a heck of a lot more than stamps for example which I was recently charged 21.00$ shipping on for about 50 stamps; All together weighing less than a sheet of paper!

Nobody is twisting my arm? Yea but nobody should stand for companies continuing to gouge people year after year as 99.9% people like you just accept it.. Why not contact Ebay or the shipping provider to question their logic on charging such high amounts to send such light weights.! Who's making the money? This person literally live about 5 hours away... Michigan / Ontario and I was charged 21.00 shipping by that Ebay...

What it boils down to is that this is North America... The rip off capital of planet earth where everything is being overpriced more and more each and every as everybody just accepts it..  Next year add another 2% on to that and just don't think about it.. Nobody is twisting your arm right? It'll get better... Right? ...

[mrdutch1001]

"and I was charged 21.00 shipping by that Ebay..."

when you committed to make that purchase, what was the listed shipping cost as per the seller's listing?

[pjcdn2005]

Any guesses what happens when the seller puts in measurements that are too low on any eIS transaction?? eBay just writes it off??

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@lotzofuniquegoodies 

afaik they do write it off.   I haven't seen anything in the user agreement for EIS that states  buyer or seller will be charged extra if weight etc is wrong.   It does say that  in some circumstances  that they may send the item back to the seller at the seller's expense .  I  do remember that happening at the very beginning of EIS but it doesn't seem to be happening now.    I'm sure that if the difference in shipping is extreme, they will simply have a third party to sell  it rather than send it to the buyer.  But that seems to happen more when there is an Import problem.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@pjcdn2005 wrote:

Any guesses what happens when the seller puts in measurements that are too low on any eIS transaction?? eBay just writes it off??

---------- 

@lotzofuniquegoodies 

afaik they do write it off.   I haven't seen anything in the user agreement for EIS that states  buyer or seller will be charged extra if weight etc is wrong.   It does say that  in some circumstances  that they may send the item back to the seller at the seller's expense .  I  do remember that happening at the very beginning of EIS but it doesn't seem to be happening now.    I'm sure that if the difference in shipping is extreme, they will simply have a third party to sell  it rather than send it to the buyer.  But that seems to happen more when there is an Import problem.

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Thinking out loud here. Wonder what happens when the estimate is too high? Do they send the parties concerned a refund/credit? Hmmm. Probably not!! Because eIS is for all practical purposes a freight forwarder they would have access to discounted rates due to volume. The frustration lies that Canadian buyers rarely see any discounts/savings or credits...Except where the item never gets forwarded. 

-Lotz

For Canadian sellers who fortunately do not have access to using something like eIS but do have access to services like Chit Chats etc rational decision for "most" sellers is to give partial refunds. I guess different conscientious thought processes?!?! 

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:Because eIS is for all practical purposes a freight forwarder they would have access to discounted rates due to volume. The frustration lies that Canadian buyers rarely see any discounts/savings or credits...Except where the item never gets forwarded. 

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How do you know what the "undiscounted" eIS rates are?  They do tend to be pretty competitve with USPS counter rates. at least.  The lowest counter rate for an item sent by USPS First Class International to Canada is now US$17.00, the counter rate for the cheapest Priority flat-rate box to Canada is US$32.00.   (I think Shippo is quoting US$27 and change now, for what it's worth.)  The lowest eIS shipping rate I've found today is US$15.98.  

I bought a sweater from a US seller last week and eIS's portion of the shipping price is almost the same as seller's charge for shipping the item to Michigan, and I've found quite a few listings where eIS's shipping charge is considerably less than the seller's portion of the overall shipping charge.

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

For Canadian sellers who fortunately do not have access to using something like eIS but do have access to services like Chit Chats etc rational decision for "most" sellers is to give partial refunds. I guess different conscientious thought processes?!?! 

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The sellers are taking responsibility for their error.  Seeing as it's seller error that leads to inaccurate eIS charges, shouldn't the sellers be the one to take the hit?  Just thinking out loud here.  😁

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:Because eIS is for all practical purposes a freight forwarder they would have access to discounted rates due to volume. The frustration lies that Canadian buyers rarely see any discounts/savings or credits...Except where the item never gets forwarded. 

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How do you know what the "undiscounted" eIS rates are?  They do tend to be pretty competitve with USPS counter rates. at least.  The lowest counter rate for an item sent by USPS First Class International to Canada is now US$17.00, the counter rate for the cheapest Priority flat-rate box to Canada is US$32.00.   (I think Shippo is quoting US$27 and change now, for what it's worth.)  The lowest eIS shipping rate I've found today is US$15.98.  

I bought a sweater from a US seller last week and eIS's portion of the shipping price is almost the same as seller's charge for shipping the item to Michigan, and I've found quite a few listings where eIS's shipping charge is considerably less than the seller's portion of the overall shipping charge.

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

For Canadian sellers who fortunately do not have access to using something like eIS but do have access to services like Chit Chats etc rational decision for "most" sellers is to give partial refunds. I guess different conscientious thought processes?!?! 

---

The sellers are taking responsibility for their error.  Seeing as it's seller error that leads to inaccurate eIS charges, shouldn't the sellers be the one to take the hit?  Just thinking out loud here.  😁

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Yes but how many do or are giving refunds? That would make a delightful survey question on dot ca. I can't see eIS correcting much of anything when they do stuff wrong.  Afterall it's mainly the buyer that suffers with inflated postage.

-Lotz

[clemowbooks]

Why not contact Ebay or the shipping provider to question their logic on charging such high amounts to send such light weights.! Who's making the money?

If the seller uses a tracked service , the shipping company (USPS usually) gets the money.

If the seller downgrades to an untracked service, the seller gets the money.

EBay collects its fees on the shipping charge the buyer pays in either case.

EIS is a freight forwarding service offered to US sellers as an optional Seller Protection.

The work is subcontracted, I believe to Pitney Bowes which also ran the Global Shipping Program.

So any payment over the eBay fee and the actual shipping cost would go to whatever company is running the program.

You can take a look at international shipping costs through USPS here:

https://postcalc.usps.com/?country=10440

[marnotom!]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

Yes but how many do or are giving refunds? 

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I'm assuming you're referring to the Chit Chats users as there's no way for anybody to know how far off an eIS shipping estimate is.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

Yes but how many do or are giving refunds? 

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I'm assuming you're referring to the Chit Chats users as there's no way for anybody to know how far off an eIS shipping estimate is.

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I'm suggesting that there has to be discounts and services similar to Chit Chats in the USA that US sellers could or are using.(Besides Stamps dot com etc.)  Is it ONLY Canadians that are able or willing to pass on the any savings? They should have all kinds of options if they are volume sellers. 

-Lotz