eBay

norbkman · ‎06-01-2022

Been on ebay for over 20 years. Live in Ontario and shipped a small paperback ( 160g ) to BC the other day. Cost me over $21. Today I shipped an 800g book from postal code P0J to Ontario postal code L1B ( not that far away ) and is was $21.21. Added to this, sales are tanking out right out. They say Canada Post fuel surcharge is going up as well. Ready to throw in the towel......

ilikehockeyjerseys · ‎06-16-2022

I disagree with this. The seller pays the shipping and taxes, even if on the invoice the buyer pays it. This is because an item is worth what it is worth, and you cannot increase the total cost beyond that. Shipping and taxes are part of the total cost. They come out of the margin for the seller. It is no different than eBay fees. Even if they changed eBay to where the buyer paid the seller's portions of the fees, it would not change your margins and the fees would still come out of your end of things as the seller. It's just an accounting/marketing choice to hide the fees by charging them directly to the seller and not including them on the buyer invoice.

Choosing free shipping, vs actual cost, vs subsidized cost with part of the shipping baked into the price is merely marketing. Either to charge free shipping to improve your best match position, or charge actual shipping to increase the odds someone buys more than one item to lower the overall shipping cost per item. Things like that.

I understand your frustration when it comes to the idea that some buyers do not always have a realistic idea of what shipping actually costs. I am not disputing that. I don't think the solution for all buyers is to charge the actual price. Total cost is what matters when selling your item, and as athe seller you eat shipping and taxes as part of your margin regardless of who pays them on the invoice breakdown.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎06-16-2022

@ilikehockeyjerseys wrote:
I disagree with this. The seller pays the shipping and taxes, even if on the invoice the buyer pays it. This is because an item is worth what it is worth, and you cannot increase the total cost beyond that. Shipping and taxes are part of the total cost. They come out of the margin for the seller. It is no different than eBay fees. Even if they changed eBay to where the buyer paid the seller's portions of the fees, it would not change your margins and the fees would still come out of your end of things as the seller. It's just an accounting/marketing choice to hide the fees by charging them directly to the seller and not including them on the buyer invoice.

Choosing free shipping, vs actual cost, vs subsidized cost with part of the shipping baked into the price is merely marketing. Either to charge free shipping to improve your best match position, or charge actual shipping to increase the odds someone buys more than one item to lower the overall shipping cost per item. Things like that.

I understand your frustration when it comes to the idea that some buyers do not always have a realistic idea of what shipping actually costs. I am not disputing that. I don't think the solution for all buyers is to charge the actual price. Total cost is what matters when selling your item, and as athe seller you eat shipping and taxes as part of your margin regardless of who pays them on the invoice breakdown.

Now if only eBay HQ comprehended shipping costs especially for Canadian sellers. Easy to say well just ship using free shipping...(building it in to sell price or whatever you want to call it) but Canadian sellers are definitely at a major unfair disadvantage when it comes to shipping. Between limited options/discounts compared to US counterparts to discounts for sending cards etc with a tracked service. Throw in the multitude of US systems for shipping in the USA.Tack on just ship using a tracked service...for everything even when it is not viable in Canada for the majority of small ticket items listed.

eBay labels with their awesome you can have the same rate as someone with a small business account. I'm sorry, but eBay Labels is tied into a master account that someone is getting a major discount for. That is why the labels created are sooo mysterious in nature and what is required to make a claim vs a small business account.

If Canadian sellers had access to better subsidized rates it would be possible to ship at a discount. Unfortunately it is not. Except maybe for sellers that have easy access to those carriers that can pass on to UPS etc with the discounts. That leaves many Canadian sellers out of the party. And now with increasing fuel surcharges. Many buyers I've been in contact with recently were in total shock to those "added" charges but greatly appreciated the heads up!!!

-Lotz

reallynicestamps · ‎06-19-2022

Throw in the multitude of US systems for shipping in the USA.

If we are shipping domestically, we can use LetterMail and LetterMail can be Registered, which is tracked.

But.

EBay has in the past refused to recognize Registered Mail as being tracked.

And

Technically, we are not supposed to use Letter Post for shipping goods (only documents) internationally, including to the USA.

Even though this is usually not a problem for low value/ light items.

Registered Mail is only tracked to the border. It may or may not be tracked once it leaves Canada, and since we are Registering we probably want and need tracking.

If we are shipping "parcel rate" -- anything over 500gr and 2cm thick-- most services are tracked.

Domestically, Regular and Expedited Parcel (plus the expensive faster services), and the prepaid boxes.

To the USA, Expedited and Tracked (plus the expensive faster services).

But

Not the untracked Small Packet service.

USPS has ten international services, including five Flat Rate boxes.

I don't know if this will work for you but.

https://postcalc.usps.com/Calculator/MailServices?country=10026&ccode=AT&omil=False&dmil=False&mdt=6...

I envy those Flat Rate boxes.

FWIW I used a 2lb 10oz package going to Austria as my sample.

dinomitesales · ‎06-19-2022

I know nothing of shipping via USPS but does anyone know if their rates are also affected by fluctuating gas prices as they are here in Canada? Do they have a similar sort of "fuel surcharge" tacked on to their rates?

marnotom! · ‎06-19-2022

@dinomitesales wrote:

I know nothing of shipping via USPS but does anyone know if their rates are also affected by fluctuating gas prices as they are here in Canada? Do they have a similar sort of "fuel surcharge" tacked on to their rates?

No, it doesn't. And that fact seems to be used as a marketing tactic when comparing the service to UPS and its ilk.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎06-19-2022

@dinomitesales wrote:
I know nothing of shipping via USPS but does anyone know if their rates are also affected by fluctuating gas prices as they are here in Canada? Do they have a similar sort of "fuel surcharge" tacked on to their rates?

Apparently yes. Fuel and additional surcharge calculator attached. Not sure how apples to apples it compares to the charges we pay with CP.

https://www.uspsdelivers.com/audit-calculator/

-Lotz

marnotom! · ‎06-19-2022

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote
Apparently yes. Fuel and additional surcharge calculator attached. Not sure how apples to apples it compares to the charges we pay with CP.

https://www.uspsdelivers.com/audit-calculator/

That surcharge calculator threw me a bit at first, but it's actually supposed to be for users of other carriers to calculate how much they're paying in overall surcharges from a competitor's service:

This simple calculator is designed to illustrate the annualized surcharges you might have to pay when not using USPS®.

Once you uncover your potential surcharges, you can request a free audit of your entire shipping operation from a USPS® shipping specialist to identify opportunities that may further reduce your shipping costs.

Not particularly great marketing, if you ask me. It kind of reminds me of when A&W USA tried to compete with a much larger fast food burger chain with "one-third pound" burgers but people didn't get that they were bigger than "quarter pound" burgers because, hey, 4 is bigger than 3.

reallynicestamps · ‎06-19-2022

https://store.canadapost-postescanada.ca/store-boutique/en/8/c/flat-rate-prepaid-products

@teenytrinkets

From the looks of it there are two types of box.

The actually prepaid ones that start at $18.49 each (in packs of 12) and the boxes without prepayment that cost $18.99 for 12.

Plus I would assume, sales tax.

kawartha-ephemera · ‎06-20-2022

Got the email too. Bang on with that sentiment. I'm not in a particularly remote area but rural, many residents commute to Toronto from here, GO transit system is within reach, but still got the remote treatment somehow. Must have an awkward transfer point or under utilized truck route or something.

Three or four years ago our Postal Code got hit with an insane rate increase of at least 20%, as a result my items requiring domestic or usa Expedited were not worth listing. That supposed "remote" rate put me into lettermail only merchandise. This new promo to me is CP recognizing the market cannot support those rates! However the promo only partially addresses the problem, the discount applies only to Domestic services, not USA or International.

Copy and Paste of Promo fine print.

"This offer is exclusive to Solutions for Small Business members who have been identified by Canada Post as rural/remote. Members are eligible to receive 20% off base prices for Priority™, Xpresspost™, Expedited Parcel™ and Regular Parcel™ within Canada between June 13, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Promo accessible through applicable Canada Post shipping tools. This offer does not apply to options, fuel or other surcharges, or any applicable duties or taxes. Some conditions and exceptions may apply. Visit canadapost.ca/ruralpromo2022 for full details and the terms and conditions."

parts_and_diecasts · ‎06-26-2022

HOH OHO

pjcdn2005 · ‎06-26-2022

EBay has in the past refused to recognize Registered Mail as being tracked.

It has nothing to do with ebay refusing to accept it. If tracking for any service is available online, ebay accepts it. However, some countries, including Canada, do not always show international tracking online.

marnotom! · ‎06-26-2022

@parts_and_diecasts wrote:

HOH OHO

Actually, it's H0H 0H0. Letter-number-letter-number-letter-number. 😁

*ducks and runs*

shallow_karl · ‎07-09-2022

Blame Canada Revenue, they are responsible for much of the increased cost of shipments, not the Post Office and "fuel surcharges." Remember when you could mail printed matter for a few dollars? No customs nonsense. Remember $10 shipping (small packet air) for small items? All that ended when Canada Revenue decided that each and every shipment HAD to have an extensive customs form. I cringe when I go to the post office and some poor sap doesn't know about the online form (which is mostly), and the postal employee has to laboriously type in all specifics on the shipment just to satisfy Canada Revenue.

in-need-of-cash-too · ‎07-09-2022

Shipping cost will be the "death knell" of ebay.

death knell noun

A stroke or tolling of a bell, announcing a death; a knell{1}.
A sign or harbinger of the end, death, or passing away of anything.
Thedeath knell
noun
A stroke or tolling of a bell, announcing a death; a knell{1}.
A sign or harbinger of the end, death, or passing away of anything.
The tolling of a bell announcing death.of a death knell
noun
A stroke or tolling of a bell, announcing a death; a knell.
A sign or harbinger of the end, death, or passing away of anything.
The tolling of a bell announcing death. announcing death.

mrdutch1001 · ‎07-09-2022

sellers have been annoucing the death knell of eBay and ringing that ole toll bell here in the community forums for at least 12+ years...eBay just won't die!!

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎07-09-2022

@mrdutch1001 wrote:
sellers have been annoucing the death knell of eBay and ringing that ole toll bell here in the community forums for at least 12+ years...eBay just won't die!!

The sellers that have 10,000 plus listings will always be around. They have the volume in sales to make it all worthwhile. Can't really picture them pulling up anchor and setting sales(sail) elsewhere. For the the smaller selllers its much more of a challenge now than it was years ago to make a few sheckels after paying the accumulating fees. Probably from eBay's corporate mindset....No loss!!

-Lotz

mrdutch1001 · ‎07-09-2022

in the grand scheme of things, eBay's fees are really no worse/no higher than other large selling sites and it matters not what site one sells on, the shipping costs are what they are....I have not been anything more than a very small volume seller for the past 8 years...and for me seling on line really hasn't changed significantly because I have continued to raise my prices; just as anyone in business has done, and shipping costs are all factored in...anything I list for sale has a very low investment cost as most has been accumulated/collected over the past 60 years...

reallynicestamps · ‎07-09-2022

All that ended when Canada Revenue decided that each and every shipment HAD to have an extensive customs form. I cringe when I go to the post office and some poor sap doesn't know about the online form (which is mostly), and the postal employee has to laboriously type in all specifics on the shipment just to satisfy Canada Revenue.

Huh??

There are no charges , for duty or sales taxes, from Revenue Canada on EXPORTS.

Those forms are for the use of foreign customs officials.

EBay sellers who use shipping labels (I don't) are filling in most of the information when they buy a label online. It's occasional shippers , and Luddites like me who stamp parcels instead of buying online, who get stuck with the form.

Australia, the European Union, and the UK are the destinations we are most likely to be shipping to and all have VAT /GST forms required to prove that our customer has either paid up or will pay up to their own government.