Anyone else play the shipping price guessing game?

[phoenixhobbies]

Curious, is it just me or do you find figuring out shipping cost a mystery? Guestimating shipping cost when listing items? I mean who actually takes the time to pack up every item and input the exact shipping dimensions for automated shipping rates when listing? Ain't nobody got time for that. Auto shipping rates does not really work anyways, right?

So, I've just been guessing shipping on items I list based on what I've dealt with in the past. Usually I'm a couple dollars near, and if it's way over, I give a refund shipping discount or way under I let the buyer know if they are willing to pay more or cancel. I know their are Canada Post/USPS rate sheets, I already have, but... Am I the only one or is their an easy solution secret I don't know about? 😛

Thank you for your time and input.

[ricarmic]

Despite the fact I sell "only" stamps, I sell bulk lots up to bankers sized boxes.

I have 4 standard sized boxes from "pizza style" up to the bankers boxes.

Generally stuff I have will fit into one of the 4 boxes.

I already know the volumetric weight of the standard sized boxes*.

I'm also a "stamps on the box" kinda guy so I'm very familiar with my printed shipping tables (everything I sell is flat rate).

The odd time I do have something in between the standard box sizes and I have to do the manual volumetrics on those (I also put a wee post it on the box to make sure the PM knows we've got an "odd one" *they also already have the volumetric measurements for my 4 standard boxes that they keep there - an advantage of dealing with a wee rural post office).

Note that the way I "store" my lots is in the shipping boxes, so they're already mostly packed and ready to go. Combining multiple "box" lots is fine, it just moves them up a size or two and normally my "free shipping" covers the combined shipping still.

[msmaggie060]

No easy solution. I know I measure and weigh each item and, if I need to, I go to Canada Post site and calculate the shipping cost before I list my items. I'm lucky though, a lot of my items weigh under 200 grams and can go lettermail.

[reallynicestamps]

who actually takes the time to pack up every item and input the exact shipping dimensions for automated shipping rates when listing?

I do.

At any rate, I weigh my books and check to see if they are over 2cm thick. Most go letter rate and the parameters are no more than 2cm thick and 500 gr.  Any more and they have to go Parcel Rate.

Auto shipping rates does not really work anyways, right?

Wrong.
Parcel rates should NEVER be guessed. Those vary with service chosen, weight, dimensions and destination.

Those should ONLY be listed as Calculated Shipping.

I would suggest that those who complain about Calculated Shipping are either using Imperial measures or  are missing information about dimensional weight (which I don't understand either).

And use metric. Canada Post went metric in 1974. Any other system is guessing and guessing is expensive.

way under I let the buyer know if they are willing to pay more or cancel.

Oh dear.

No.

You are not allowed to charge more for shipping than you advertise.

You could use the overpayments to subsidize the underpayments.

Your buyer sees the counter rate as the shipping fee, but there are several ways that you pay less than what the buyer is being told.

You certainly can use the overpayments to cover your packaging costs and for Cookie Jar Insurance.

But if a buyer demands that you ship at the price you advertised, you ship at the price you advertised.

Shipping is hard.

Selling on eBay (or anywhere online) is a job. It can be fun. It can be a decent side hustle. It can even be a hobby or a way to clear the basement.

But we are still expected to be professional in our treatment of our customers.

[phoenixhobbies]

Ah, ok, fair enough. So the vertic is, take the time to list with proper shipping dimensions for automated shipping rates depending on buyers location. Thank you kindly for all your help.