Problem with "Calculated: cost varies by buyer location" shipping option

[savageliam1978]

So I decided I should select this option from now on considering I selected a generic shipping price for some items but ended up getting burned on shipping to certain areas, like Newfoundland, which ended up costing 10 bucks more the other day.

So upon relisting all my items today, I chose this option and added dimensions and weight (had to to be able to post), so I figured I could weigh once the sale is complete so I can give an exact shipping quote to the buyer.  Unfortunately once I clicked on one of my listings, eBay had already put in a shipping price for me, which was the cheapest price for the country.  Does this mean that the buyer will automatically pay this price for the final cost, or will it tell them to contact me for a shipping price? 

I don't like the fact that I can't set a price after the fact and may be out of pocket.

Any info people?

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[femmefan1946]

To make Calculated Shipping work properly, you need the dimensions and weight of the package (not just the item) in METRIC measures*.

If you don't have a digital scale, I would recommend going to Canadian Tire for a Starfrit kitchen scale. Mine cost under $20, weighs up to five kilos and has needed a new battery only twice in fourteen years.

You can go to any listing and click on Revise Listing at the top left, then make the appropriate changes.

BUT

As a new seller, you are likely still stuck with restrictions on the number and value of your listings. Revising a listing is considered a new listing, unfortunately.

You may decide to make the revision on particularly heavy or bulky items and just correct the others when they time out.

Don't you hate learning curves?

*Canada Post went metric in 1974. Any other system will produce errors.

[savageliam1978]

Thanks to everyone for the tips and ideas.

I do have a small scale and am just going to have to go with using the "calculate shipping" option as a flat rate and average out the price for the country.  It's a weird system but it's all I can do for now I suppose.

Thanks again.

[pjcdn2005]

You are always required to have a shipping cost for domestic shipping  so you can't list without setting up some sort of shipping cost for within Canada. You can check off that 'ask seller for shipping costs" for outside Canada but I wouldn't recommend it as buyers want to know the total cost when they look at a listing.

Your TDK listing shows $16 in the screen shot so that is the shipping vostyoyour postal code.  When I look at the listin it is $23 shipping to me in Alberta.  If you put in the correct weight and dimensions each buyer will see the shipping cost to their location.

If you use a flat rate cost you won't need to enter weight etc but all buyers within a country will pay the same rate.

[msau4301]

The buyer always has to be aware of shipping cost PRIOR to buying. Most times the decision to purchase is based on the entire price (including shipping). Guessing always puts you at risk of not charging enough (which sounds like your concern). I use calculated shipping and have a small kitchen scale I use to weigh anything I'm not sure about (and also for people who wish to combine shipping). Many of my items are approximately the same size/weight so that helps but those that aren't, I get out my handy scale! It is a pain but I've gotten so used to it takes a few seconds, and at least you'll know you are being accurate. It was very inexpensive and shows weight in grams.

If in some circumstance you have to guess and base it on previous sales, guess on the higher side. Or of course build part of the shipping cost into the item.

[femmefan1946]

BTW-  about books-- best sellers aren't .

Everyone who wanted to read it already has it.

And about shipping generally.

Buyers hate to pay shipping.

And if the shipping cost is higher than the asking price they feel as if they are being ripped off, even though the shipping cost is perfectly accurate.

It might help a little to have a Solutions for Small Business card with the small discounts that gives.

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/business/small-business.page?

And it helps to know that Letter rates can be used for shipping domestically for books and small items (under 500 gr and 2cm) . The letter rate is the same from NL to BC to YK.

You can't buy a letter rate label on line, but you can buy prepaid labels at the post office. Ask for "stamps".

[marnotom!]

"Calculated" shipping means you select the shipping method(s) you want to use for your item and eBay will calculate the shipping price for it based on the buyer's location (postal code for sales within Canada). 

Right now your listings have a "calculate shipping" link on them but buyers only get a message to contact you for shipping rates.  As most sellers already have their shipping rates posted either through flat-rate (which you've used in the past) or calculated shipping, your listings are likely going to confuse many buyers and they're just going to go to other buyers as a result.

You've done a fair bit of buying in the past so you should have some idea the motions buyers go through.  Have a look at some other listings from Canadian sellers to see what a calculated shipping listing looks like.  Change the postal code for the delivery address and see what happens to the shipping price.

If you're not already familiar with the various shipping options that Canada Post offers, I suggest you play around with the website's rate calculator for a bit.  Keep in mind that some of your items might be small enough to ship as oversized letters within Canada and you can still charge flat-rate shipping for those as there won't be variation in the shipping price because of the buyer's location.  (Assuming you're okay with shipping the item without tracking, of course.)

Sorry my thoughts are a bit jumbled, but I hope that helps a bit.