eBay

flipistics · ‎12-05-2025

Here are some notes I made from today's webinar. Hopefully they'll help some people who were unable to attend!

Expedited Lite prices and some normal expedited parcels with Canada Post were incorrect due to a bug. Sellers will be credited for the incorrect charges (soonish).
eBay has made, or are making, more granular region changes to expedited lite. Some places will see an increase in rates and some will see a decrease. On average, it sounds like most places will see a decrease.
New prices (either now or very soon, I didn't catch which) to the hub of up to 60% off Canada Post rates.
The 8% extra Canada Post discount from earlier in the year has or is being made permanent for normal expedited parcels (I think that's on top of level 4 prices).
Expedited lite will be moving to 250g (unsure if it already has or whether it is soon).
They're exploring a low cost option for cards and things like that.
It sounds like Zonos integration is being worked on, but no timeframe atm.
Additional countries will be added in Q1.
There's a $2500 limit for USA eIS orders and $2000 for the rest of the world. This amount does NOT include taxes and tariffs.
There is an eIS override in the Shipping Preferences. If this is toggled, your items will be available everywhere eIS is offered regardless of your own restrictions. I assume disabling this will make eIS only available where you wish it to (it's under excluded shipping locations).
Dimensions and weight are not required, but accurately adding them may show a lower cost to the buyer and increase your liklihood of making a sale.

sapphyres-designer-jewellery · ‎12-05-2025

When will expedited lite be back to normal (for buying a label on a recent order?)

I checked a few that went out recently and to buy another label is the same crazy high prices we've seen. It's still $8.87 to ship 100g to Montreal. It was $6.02 a week ago.

C.

phc64 · ‎12-05-2025

Thank you for posting this. I find it a bit odd that both webinars held thus far were scheduled when those of us with 9 to 5 jobs could not tune in.

cottagewoman · ‎12-05-2025

Regarding last point re weight/dims, I use rate tables exclusively for domestic as Stallion options are so much cheaper. Since both Intelcom and CP are pure dimensional weight shippers, I only enter weight into listings - the greater of actual/cubic. Except for Exp Lite items.

flipistics · ‎12-05-2025

@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:
When will expedited lite be back to normal (for buying a label on a recent order?)

I checked a few that went out recently and to buy another label is the same crazy high prices we've seen. It's still $8.87 to ship 100g to Montreal. It was $6.02 a week ago.

C.

They're probably still having issues with the software bug. Hopefully it'll be back to normal soon. The important thing is that this apparently IS a bug rather than pricing going forward (for most areas).

sapphyres-designer-jewellery · ‎12-05-2025

@flipistics wrote:
@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:
When will expedited lite be back to normal (for buying a label on a recent order?)

I checked a few that went out recently and to buy another label is the same crazy high prices we've seen. It's still $8.87 to ship 100g to Montreal. It was $6.02 a week ago.

C.
They're probably still having issues with the software bug. Hopefully it'll be back to normal soon. The important thing is that this apparently IS a bug rather than pricing going forward (for most areas).

The bug is good news (as opposed to what you said, this being new prices).

I mentioned the Expedited Lite situation to the shop that I sell for, and we basically concluded that it's either ship as a letter with an envelope and stamp, or take a slight hit paying more in postage (if it's better to be tracked). And it would be a judgment call based on what the item is.

C.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎12-05-2025

@flipistics wrote:
Here are some notes I made from today's webinar. Hopefully they'll help some people who were unable to attend!

Expedited Lite prices and some normal expedited parcels with Canada Post were incorrect due to a bug. Sellers will be credited for the incorrect charges (soonish).
eBay has made, or are making, more granular region changes to expedited lite. Some places will see an increase in rates and some will see a decrease. On average, it sounds like most places will see a decrease.
New prices (either now or very soon, I didn't catch which) to the hub of up to 60% off Canada Post rates.
The 8% extra Canada Post discount from earlier in the year has or is being made permanent for normal expedited parcels (I think that's on top of level 4 prices).
Expedited lite will be moving to 250g (unsure if it already has or whether it is soon).
They're exploring a low cost option for cards and things like that.
It sounds like Zonos integration is being worked on, but no timeframe atm.
Additional countries will be added in Q1.
There's a $2500 limit for USA eIS orders and $2000 for the rest of the world. This amount does NOT include taxes and tariffs.
There is an eIS override in the Shipping Preferences. If this is toggled, your items will be available everywhere eIS is offered regardless of your own restrictions. I assume disabling this will make eIS only available where you wish it to (it's under excluded shipping locations).
Dimensions and weight are not required, but accurately adding them may show a lower cost to the buyer and increase your liklihood of making a sale.

The 250 gram change will be a big help....for many.

As a side I have been trying to use my little stash of prepaid small size expedited boxes. Unless the item is heavy, fits and going to e. Canada the rates are very comparitive for small items sent east. CP needs to lower the buy now price on those to make them more useful.

Maybe if eBay could add the prepaid products as additional shipping options?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎12-05-2025

@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:
When will expedited lite be back to normal (for buying a label on a recent order?)

I checked a few that went out recently and to buy another label is the same crazy high prices we've seen. It's still $8.87 to ship 100g to Montreal. It was $6.02 a week ago.

C.

It would be interesting to know how many buyers are seeing higher shipping on an item and it is scaring them away. Bonus ooopsies!!! On sellers!!!

regs43 · ‎12-05-2025

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:
When will expedited lite be back to normal (for buying a label on a recent order?)

I checked a few that went out recently and to buy another label is the same crazy high prices we've seen. It's still $8.87 to ship 100g to Montreal. It was $6.02 a week ago.

C.
It would be interesting to know how many buyers are seeing higher shipping on an item and it is scaring them away. Bonus ooopsies!!! On sellers!!!

Ex. Lite is DOA for me to use at the moment as a Hockey card seller, I used to be wiling to eat $1-2 here and there,. At $4-5 nope! its Stamps and hope for the best lol.

avidhiker-33 · ‎12-06-2025

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
It would be interesting to know how many buyers are seeing higher shipping on an item and it is scaring them away. Bonus ooopsies!!! On sellers!!!

Happened to me this week. Received an alert that a "rarer" blu-ray on my wantlist had been listed at a reasonable price for one in like-new condition. However the $17 for expedited parcel delivery from Ottawa to CowTown pushed the total cost higher than simpy buying it new on another site.

avidhiker-33 · ‎12-06-2025

@flipistics wrote:
Expedited lite will be moving to 250g (unsure if it already has or whether it is soon).

@flipistics , thanks for posting your notes.

The ExLite increase to 250g is good news.

Since ExLite was introduced I've been able to list and sell a few DVDs & blu-rays that would otherwise have had to be sent at parcel rates rather than oversize lettermail due to package thickness > 20mm. Also in a couple of cases I've used ExLite to send 2 items in one mailer for nearly the same cost as sendng them individually via untracked lettermail.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎12-06-2025

@flipistics

Re: Expedited lite will be moving to 250g (unsure if it already has or whether it is soon).

Not as of yet as per eBay calculator tool. Cut off is still 200 grams.

Currently showing: Exp. Lite 200 gram package 23 x 15 x 2 cm

55 % discount Calgary to Calgary

64 % discount Toronto to Toronto

57 % discount Ottawa to Ottawa

58 % discount Fredericton to Fredericton

61 % discount St John's to St John's

51 % discount Calgary to Winnipeg,

53 % discount Calgary to Bruce Mines, On

51 % discount Calgary to Kelowna

51 % discount Calgary to Vancouver

0 % discount Calgary to Rankin Inlet (Expedited no discount)

Rate goes down on 200 gram package Rankin to Rankin approx 4.00

Fedex options had a small discount but only if you are rich beyond your means.

51 % discount Calgary to Campbell River, BC

51 % discount Calgary to Fort McMurray, AB

55 % discount Calgary to Montreal

55 % discount Calgary to Belleville, Ont

53 % discount Calgary to Fredericton, NB

52 % discount Calgary to St. John's NL

Low end 51 %. High end 64 %. Expedited is even more all over the map for the applicable discount.

During my testing for Scarborbough to Scarborough M1A 010 came up as an option. Using eBay calculator only shipping options were fedex and ups.

Interesting to note above how the discount floats. What we will see when these new discounts go into affect are anyones guess.

Disclaimer. Your results/testing may vary.

flipistics · ‎12-06-2025

@cottagewoman wrote:
Regarding last point re weight/dims, I use rate tables exclusively for domestic as Stallion options are so much cheaper. Since both Intelcom and CP are pure dimensional weight shippers, I only enter weight into listings - the greater of actual/cubic. Except for Exp Lite items.

Yeah, I use rate tables based on weight as well (except for Expedited Lite items). I don't have access to Stallion or Chitchats, so I loosely base the rates off of Sendle with a bit of a reduction for Ontario and Quebec where often UPS via Click Ship is cheaper. I just use tiers when I enter the info, and that allows me to correctly charge for the different weight bins. I put weights of 499g, 999g, and 1.99kg for most items. I guess it's not perfect as everyone except Sendle and Canada Post seem to use LBS and have different breakpoints, but I usually find I'm within about a dollar either way of the actual cost of shipping.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎12-06-2025

@flipistics wrote:
@cottagewoman wrote:
Regarding last point re weight/dims, I use rate tables exclusively for domestic as Stallion options are so much cheaper. Since both Intelcom and CP are pure dimensional weight shippers, I only enter weight into listings - the greater of actual/cubic. Except for Exp Lite items.
Yeah, I use rate tables based on weight as well (except for Expedited Lite items). I don't have access to Stallion or Chitchats, so I loosely base the rates off of Sendle with a bit of a reduction for Ontario and Quebec where often UPS via Click Ship is cheaper. I just use tiers when I enter the info, and that allows me to correctly charge for the different weight bins. I put weights of 499g, 999g, and 1.99kg for most items. I guess it's not perfect as everyone except Sendle and Canada Post seem to use LBS and have different breakpoints, but I usually find I'm within about a dollar either way of the actual cost of shipping.

@flipistics

When I was working in warehousing/shipping I used to be involved with freight rate negotiations. In my years of doing that task I never saw staggered/random discounting so no idea what is in play with eBays version. For me just too many variables involved with eBay's funky rate tables. Throw in floating fuel charges and taxes I will stick with calculated shipping where applicable/letter options for the rest. Majority of my letter stuff is using let it ride for not increasing and is having little affect on sales/traffic.

cottagewoman · ‎12-06-2025

The one thing that would be super helpful for rate tables would be to use a 500g divider instead of 1kg. That way a sensible rate could bridge between Exp Lite and 1kg rate table rate.

flipistics · ‎12-06-2025

@cottagewoman wrote:
The one thing that would be super helpful for rate tables would be to use a 500g divider instead of 1kg. That way a sensible rate could bridge between Exp Lite and 1kg rate table rate.

The bigger issue, at least for me, is that we need to be able to do combined shipping based on weight when using the rate tables. You can do it for calculated shipping, but not for the rate tables.

This is what I base my pricing off of (note that this excludes tax since I have an HST number and get it back). The 3 columns with a little red in them are how much above or below the actual rates my estimates should be. The first three sets are Sendle's prices before fuel surcharge. The second three include the fuel surcharge. The third three are my rate table estimates. Sometimes I can get things out a little cheaper with UPS or ICS. I actually use UPS a lot.

recped · ‎12-06-2025

@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

During my testing for Scarborbough to Scarborough M1A 010 came up as an option. Using eBay calculator only shipping options were fedex and ups.

M1A O1O is not a valid Postal Code (the "A" means unassigned), since it's not valid you can't buy a label for that postal code.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

intimewithmusic · ‎12-06-2025

@flipistics

Thank you.

It was very thoughtful of you to take time to post a summary.

IT

sapphyres-designer-jewellery · ‎12-06-2025

@regs43 wrote:
@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:
@sapphyres-designer-jewellery wrote:
When will expedited lite be back to normal (for buying a label on a recent order?)

I checked a few that went out recently and to buy another label is the same crazy high prices we've seen. It's still $8.87 to ship 100g to Montreal. It was $6.02 a week ago.

C.
It would be interesting to know how many buyers are seeing higher shipping on an item and it is scaring them away. Bonus ooopsies!!! On sellers!!!
Ex. Lite is DOA for me to use at the moment as a Hockey card seller, I used to be wiling to eat $1-2 here and there,. At $4-5 nope! its Stamps and hope for the best lol.

I have flat rate shipping, so the change in prices on eBay doesn't affect what the customer sees (but does affect what I have to pay).

I'm in the same boat, I charge 3.50 CAD on shipping or 3.15 USD on the US site (for within Canada). If the coin is $15-20, I have been putting it as expedited lite and eating that difference to make sure items are delivered (and I don't want to start getting INRs on this account, it doesn't sell very much). But can't do that now.

Same for me, put stamps on and hope for the best. I will do ex. lite if absolutely necessary, at least if they buy 5 or more coins enough shipping will be collected to afford the expedited regular shipping to most places (through Stallion).

C.