Require seller input on combined shipping fees Ebay charging

[33nhl]

I wrote a while back but did not get any info from any one

So here I am asking again with a issue I now been having past 2 months with no results.

I may not be the only one with issue so I am asking is any one else having the same problem.

With shipping fees that EBay charges it has been for the past 10 years that the amount of fees charged would be to the value of Domestic.

Example

Shipping charged with in Canada $3.00 thus EBay collects with tax $0.34

Shipping charged to USA $4.00 thus EBay should still be collecting $0.34 based on the Domestic and is stated on EBay site.

Now what I have been dealing with is when its combined so say buyer purchased 4 items

So the first item  for shipping to Canada $3.00

Then the following 3  at $0.25

Thus Ebay collects a total of $0.43

But now when those same items being sent to USA

Shipping charged is $4.00 for the first and $0.25 for each of the 3 extras items

Ebay system though is charging the full rate at $4.75

Instead it should be charging fees on the Domestic value that being $3.75 for all 4 items.

Same goes if shipped to Europe cost $7.00 and again Ebay charging fees on that amount instead to the lesser amount being Domestic at $3.00

The amount difference is not a lot which I wont go broke or become rich with but most of my sales recently are for USA and Over Seas and are multi purchases thus Ebay fees are being charged to the ful amount rather then to what ever the domestic is

Ebay reps know about this but nothing has been done to correct the issue.

Now if there are many other sellers with the same issue then that is a lot of $$$ that Ebay system is wrongfully taking from sellers.

I don't know if you are all aware of this or if you have looked at your recent sales when you are sending as combined  2-3 or more items, what are you being charged in fees on shipping when sending to USA or Europe from Canada.

Any info on this issue would be grateful if you are having same issue or its just me. 

[femmefan1946]

I have no useful information but lets boot it over to tyler@ebay   for investigation.

[33nhl]

Thanks femmefan1946
The issue is when its combine items and sent to USA or Europe.
When I send 1 item to Europe the system charges fees correctly to the lowest amount that being Domestic
Even if the shipping is say $23.00 for USA tracked I only been getting charged to the amount of $17.00 tracked for Domestic thus $1.92 with tax

But again problem has been when its 2 or more system just totals up shipping cost where it be going to USA or Europe and charges the full amount instead of to the lowest amount being Domestic.

I have called god knows how many times and finally spoke to manager and was told that IT would look into it and possibly glitch affecting me only which I doubt that very much, I think the problem is on bigger scale but sellers may have not noticed it or have paid attention to it as the problem is from early November

So think the amount of combined transactions seller had over the past 2 months and if they are having the same issue then how much $$$ has been taking from sellers

[lady.stark]

Do you have automatic combined shipping rules or do you combine shipping manually?

Let say domestic, I can post a magazine for $3.50. It sells to an american. I still pay fees on the $3.50

However, if the buyer buys 2 magazines and does not wait for my invoice, the system will charge me on $7.00 (2x 3.50). If the buyer waits for my invoice, and I can ship for $5.00, then I will pay on that $5. However, if combined shipping cost is $10.00, then I will still pay fees on the $7.

I do not have automatic combined shipping rules, so I really don't know how it works though...

[recped]

I recently did an audit of MP fees including how they were calculating fees on International shipments (My US/CA shipping rates are identical).

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the calculations WERE being done correctly, using the domestic shipping as a base for the calculations even though the overseas buyer was paying more.

It's difficult to audit because of the way eBay averages out the shipping over multiple items, the way they include GST/HST in the fees and the way they apply the TRS discount but the bottom line is that the calculations were correct as per the fee schedule.

I think it was your earlier post which prompted me to check.

When you check you have to make sure to consider the foreign surcharge of .4% on US and 1% on Overseas.

One thing different between us is that I don't have preset combined shipping discounts, not sure how eBay handles them now or in the past but for my "every item has distinct shipping" they are doing it right using the base shipping charge.

[kawartha-ephemera]

@33nhl wrote:
Thanks femmefan1946
The issue is when its combine items and sent to USA or Europe.
When I send 1 item to Europe the system charges fees correctly to the lowest amount that being Domestic
Even if the shipping is say $23.00 for USA tracked I only been getting charged to the amount of $17.00 tracked for Domestic thus $1.92 with tax

But again problem has been when its 2 or more system just totals up shipping cost where it be going to USA or Europe and charges the full amount instead of to the lowest amount being Domestic.

I have called god knows how many times and finally spoke to manager and was told that IT would look into it and possibly glitch affecting me only which I doubt that very much, I think the problem is on bigger scale but sellers may have not noticed it or have paid attention to it as the problem is from early November

---

Thanks for this, like you I was under the impression that we were being charged FVF on the Domestic shipping rate no matter where in the world the sale was being shipped to. 

I use flat rate combined shipping discount rules on ebay Canada. Looking back at my November invoice I found one example of the type of sale you describe as follows;

2 item combined invoice sale shipping from Canada to Europe. Both items sold were regular under 30g LetterPost.

Domestic (Canada) shipping on both items combined   1.95

International (Europe) shipping actually invoiced   3.95

The table below was copied and pasted directly from my November invoice. 

Typically FVF on 1.95 comes to 0.195 + ( 0.195 x 0.13 ) = 0.220

The problem I see here is that for some reason the 0.23 charge has not been assigned proportionally to each item. The 0.23 charge should have been assigned as 0.115 for each item.

The Domestic rate was correctly used for the FVF calculation but someone in billing forgot to DIVIDE by 2 .

In every Domestic combined sale I checked the charge is DIVIDED by the number of items sold and each portion assigned correctly but not here. FVF have been DOUBLE charged.

14-Nov 01:33:45 Two Women In Formal Dress Wearing Lavishly Decorated Hats Portrait Tintype Photo
Order Number: 04-06061-64364
Shipping and other costs less sales tax: C $1.95 (Fixed Price)

Final Value Fee on Shipping  C $0.23

14-Nov 01:33:45 Mother And Her Children Posed Outdoors With A Screen Background Tintype Photo
Order Number: 04-06061-64364
Shipping and other costs less sales tax: C $1.95 (Fixed Price)

Final Value Fee on Shipping  C $0.23

[lady.stark]

You are right, it should have been divided in 2... it's as if the system did not take into account the combined shipping rules you have set up.

[kawartha-ephemera]

I hadn't had a close look at billing for a few months as I'm still on Paypal, wasn't expecting any changes but clearly there have been.

Another weird thing I noticed was inconsistent charges for identical services rendered. Sometimes the FVF charge on 1.95 shipping was 0.22 as it always has been for ages but other transactions were 0.23 ... no currency exchange involved. 

I know there are a few of these US and International combined transactions on my December invoice, I 'll be checking those in a day or two.

[tyler@ebay]

---

@femmefan1946 wrote:

I have no useful information but lets boot it over to tyler@ebay   for investigation.

---

Thanks for the tag @femmefan1946!

I must say, I'm stumped on this, because there are two sets of rules, but no one can tell me the order of operations for when it applies. 

When it comes to Final Value Fees on international shipping:

• If you offer 1-day shipping or international shipping options, in addition to cheaper options, we'll charge you final value fees on your cheapest domestic shipping option. If you offer these as free shipping, we won't charge you a fee on the shipping.
• If you only offer 1-day shipping or international shipping, you'll be charged a final value fee based on the cost of 1-day or international shipping because we have no other options to base fees upon for that listing.

When it comes to combined shipping Final Value Fees:

• If you offered your buyer combined shipping, you'll pay a percentage on whatever the combined shipping cost was to your buyer.
• Offering combined shipping saves you money when compared to not offering combined shipping.

I've requested clarification but currently it sounds like it's putting the combined shipping Final Value Fee process above the international one. I'll let you know as I hear more!

[33nhl]

Hi every one

Hope fully this is a better explanation of what I have been dealing with the past 2+ months on FVSF shipping fees

here is latest example edited item number a bit

2337902***** 2019-20 UPPER DECK     Fee on Shipping C $1.92 charged

Now I charge for this item S/H Canada 17.00 USA 23.00 Europe 30.00

so it don't matter where the item is shipped to the fees on shipping has always been charged to Domestic Canada being 17.00 thus fee 1.92 with tax.....

when I send 1 item out the fees always have been correct but when I get to send 2 or more that's when ebay system messes up.

Example that same item sending out tomorrow plus an other item in same package

 2337902***** 2019-20 UPPER DECK     Fee on Shipping C $1.92 charged.

The second item I charged 0.50 as combine with the above item.

23379154****  19-20 UD PREMIER DOMINIK KUBALIK    Fee on Shipping C $0.34 that was charged but it should be 0.06 or 0.07 on that 0.50

this above is just one example and the item is not being sent to Canada.

now I had over xmas

3 items going to USA

23383988  2019-20 UPPER DECK KALE C  Fee on Shipping C $0.17 
23384055  2019-20 UPPER DECK SP AUTHENTIC Fee on Shipping C $0.17
23384089  2019-20 UPPER DECK SP AUT     Fee on Shipping C $0.17

this is what I was charged in shipping fees SFVF

For the above I charge 3.00 Canada 4.00 USA 7.00 Europe and 0.25 per extra as combined

thus it don't matter where I shipped to the fees should be as follows,

23383988  2019-20 UPPER DECK KALE C  $0.34 for the first item

23384055  2019-20 UPPER DECK SP AUTHENTIC  $ 0.03 being combined (0.25 per extra) 

23384089  2019-20 UPPER DECK SP AUT    $0.03  being combined (0.25 per extra)

the system does not do that it adds up total of the amount for shipping then divides it by 3

but its not adding to domestic which is the lowest and as stated in ebay site that shipping fees will be charged base to your lowest amount that being domestic for me being Canada.

This issue arose for me in November and they have not fixed it

I doubt it that im the only having this issue.

The amount per transaction of combined that I get the error is like $0.25 up $1.50 at times it may not seem a lot of money but if you were multiple that by a few hundred transactions for my self then you taking a few hundred dollars and then even more if others are having the same issue and multiply that by thousands of combined shipping fees transactions then you could be in the hundred thousands of dollars or millions 

[33nhl]

Also forgot to mention with ebay site I pointed out to a super visor regarding that it states the FSVF have been for the past 8-9 years been charged to what ever you have set as your domestic s/h cost with in each listing.

And yes they agreed with me but I have no idea why then the system is not doing that on items sent as combined shipping.

As it says on the site if you offer 1 day service meaning if you mail out with in 1 day of getting paid for the item and yes I have being doing that since I was offered top rated seller status and was getting 20% discount on all fees selling and S/H but few years back they changed to 10% and don't get discount on the S/H fees, as I remember correctly a few years back I had asked ebay reps. and response was.  You are already getting discount with having fees charged to what ever you set your Domestic per listing.