Frustrated with the Flat Rate shipping option including Hawaii and Alaska

[electrotree]

I just want to express my frustration with the shipping options.

Normally, I prefer to offer a flat rate for shipping. Be it to US, or within Canada. On most occasions, this works out fine. However, I have recently discovered that Hawaii (and I'm assuming Alaska) are included with the other states, even though they cost considerably more!

Shipping would have cost me $22 to most US states, however I didn't realize it at the time of sale, but the buyer resides in Hawaii and shipping is going to cost me $45. Because I offered a $20 flat rate, I only get $20 to cover the costs and I have to cover the rest.

This needs to be changed so that Hawaii and Alaska are excluded from the flat rate option. This is really frustrating that $ is coming out of my pocket to cover the extra expense. I don't feel it's fair to ask the buyer to cover the extra cost at this point because it's their assumption that a flat rate is a flat rate. I feel it's eBay's responsibility to exclude these 2 states from that option so that this can be avoided in the future. I'm sure other casual sellers have experienced this as well.

[mr.elmwood]

That should not be. I think you have switched services. From Canada, Hawaii and Alaska are pretty much the same as the rest of the country. Always has been for me.

[rosscd57]

Nah - he is right. I live in Alberta and it costs quite a bit more to ship to Alaska than to Texas.

[maggiebvintage2010]

If a package is sent Canada Post by Tracked Packet or Small Packet Air, the price is the same to every destination in the USA and its possessions.  Expedited Parcel has different zones, and prices vary depending on province of origin and destination state.  I don't know anything about the more expensive shipping services.  The few times that I ship Expedited, I either use calculated shipping or confirm the price on the CP website prior to listing.

[pjcdn2005]

As another poster suggested, it would be a good idea to use calculated shipping when you are using expedited parcel or xpresspost to the U.S.