eBay

katlover1952 · ‎06-13-2018

I received today an email from eBay stating "Enjoy your discounted shipping rates from Canada Post" as the heading then further down it says "shipping rates from Shippo for Canada Post will expire July 1st". I read the email but just was not quite sure what they meant. Does this mean there will no longer be discounts? Did anyone else get this & do they know what it means??

mrdutch1001 · ‎06-13-2018

Check out this thread as I believe herein lies the answer to your query:

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Shippo-Central/New-Shippo-rates/m-p/403900#M1235

hlmacdon · ‎06-13-2018

Chalk this one up as another ebay marketing disaster...yikes.

happy_pigeon · ‎06-13-2018

@katlover1952 wrote:

I received today an email from eBay stating "Enjoy your discounted shipping rates from Canada Post" as the heading then further down it says "shipping rates from Shippo for Canada Post will expire July 1st". I read the email but just was not quite sure what they meant. Does this mean there will no longer be discounts? Did anyone else get this & do they know what it means??

Hi @katlover1952,

I've added a little clarification in the other thread, but yes, unfortunately, we will only be able to offer standard Canada Post shipping rates from July 1st forward.

The "Enjoy your discounted shipping rates" header was certainly not intended (as I'm sure you have guessed ). I would be very interested in seeing a screenshot of that portion of the email from anybody who would be kind enough to share one.

flyhooks4less · ‎06-13-2018

As Requested, I wonder how much this will hurt the bottom line!

hlmacdon · ‎06-13-2018

@flyhooks4less wrote:
As Requested, I wonder how much this will hurt the bottom line!

I wonder if the title just got cut off and it was meant to say while they last!

flyhooks4less · ‎06-13-2018

Does this mean we will only get Canada Post "standard rates" from shippo? i.e. we wont even get our small business discounts if we have small business accounts?

mrdutch1001 · ‎06-13-2018

As a Solutions for Small business account holder, to date there has been no message from Canada Post and they have always been good about sending out emails for changes, updates,etc. For Level 1 account holders the savings is only 5-6% depending on the shipping method (up to $2499.00 in shipping spending per year.), so unless sellers are in Levels 2, 3, or 4, the discount is not significant anyway.

flyhooks4less · ‎06-13-2018

Thanks for your reply, However, In my opinion ANY discount is a significant discount if it affects the bottom line. If you save 50 cents or 1$ then great, but if you don't receive any discount at all, then why use Shippo? It is no easier than the Paypal option? I can't fathom the logic in this, eBay pushed many of us to use Shippo last year?

mrdutch1001 · ‎06-13-2018

Even though I am not a Shippo user, I got that same email from eBay. Since the agreement was between Canada Post and eBay, and Shippo was simply providing the service, I would assume it is business as usual with the integrated PayPal/Canada Post for Small Business account, as well as Canada Post Snap Ship. I would think unless we hear directly from Canada Post,those discounts should remain..

tomerific · ‎06-14-2018

if you're anywhere near toronto/gta chit chats express is your new best friend. unfortunately i am not, so i can only use them sporadically when it makes sense for me otherwise i would use them 100% and never look back. google them, check their website out, look at the wonderful rates, sign up, create your postage, drop off at 1 of their locations and thank me later.

rose-dee · ‎06-14-2018

Yes, I got the memo too. One more straw on the camel's back, one more nail in the coffin, one more stab of a thousand cuts...

Between dropping sales, higher eBay fees and increased shipping costs, sellers are feeling badly squeezed at both ends -- and the vice continues to tighten.

What was the point of herding us all over to Shippo with the blandishments of the extra eBay discounts? If this means the only breaks we get are our SFSB discounts, there's hardly a reason anymore not to use the CPC site for shipping.

An interesting question: what did eBay do (or not do) to lose its discount arrangements with Canada Post?

BTW eBay, thanks a lot for giving us a mere 2 weeks' notice. Very generous of you to think of us and our business planning.

happy_pigeon · ‎06-14-2018

Thank you so much!

OK, I understand better what happened now, as this was not the particular email I was part of sending out. This is more of a marketing email, for those opted in, as opposed to the other email, which everyone received.

The intent of this email was to encourage members to take advantage of the discount before it expired. I hear you all that we missed the mark on this one, and everyone involved has had a good discussion about it today so that we can do better next time.

momcqueen · ‎06-14-2018

I have a few theories about this development but none I would be willing to share here.

What I can say is that ebay Canada sellers who used Shippo will miss the additional discount. As one of those sellers, I'm unhappy it will end in two weeks.

Obviously, my increased expenses will be passed along to my buyers which isn't good for my sales performance, which is also ultimately not good for ebay itself.

flyhooks4less · ‎06-14-2018

@rose-dee wrote:
Yes, I got the memo too. One more straw on the camel's back, one more nail in the coffin, one more stab of a thousand cuts...

I agree %100, things like this make we wonder if there is any point in expanding my online business as eBay seems to change procedures, fees, and costs, like the wind. a cold winter wind.

sylviebee · ‎06-14-2018

That's a drag. I've learned to really like Shippo as a convenient way to ship. I can create a label there in less time than PP, but I can go back to PP shipping.

Can someone remind me why we ever switched from PP shipping? Don't we still get a discount there? I realize that the Shippo discount was a little better but the difference isn't huge, or do I have that wrong?

One thing I know for sure is that I'll avoid the Canadian PO on line shipping even if the discount is greater than PP. It might be better than standing in line at the PO but not always.

I was once again forced to use it a few days ago and as usual spent half the day processing one label. I was locked out of the site and when I called I learned that I'm not the only one.

What a hot mess. They seem to have 3 services including EST, but all have serious issues.

You'd think that an organization that is trying so hard to get sellers to use their on line tool would get it in order but as always that site has one problem after another. Shipping is their only function so why can't they get it right?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎06-14-2018

Hello Happy,

Using Canadapost and any applicable discount really depends on having business during this next 2 week period. Unfortunately for most sellers we really have no control over when and if an item will sell. We use Canadapost because in most cases, we have no other option.

About discount that does end July 1, 2018, does anyone know when it will be no longer displayed/included with the eBay postage calculator? Wondering if maybe it would be possible to inform eBay BUYERS that there will be a small increase in Canadapost as of July 1, 2018. Best way for your average buyer to be kept in the loop and to hear it directly from Ebay. After all, this was nothing eBay sellers had any control of. And much better if something like this was considered sooner than later. Just a suggestion.

-CM

reallynicestamps · ‎06-14-2018

Can someone remind me why we ever switched from PP shipping? Don't we still get a discount there?

PP decided to get out of the shipping label business.

PP shipping is basically SnapShip (Canada Post) shipping.

We get the same discounts through PP as we would going directly to the SnapShip site.

I've had the opposite experience with Shippo and SnapShip.

I can make a label with SS much faster than Shippo, which for some reason refuses to admit that Canada Post is even an option for me. The slightly higher discounts are not worth my time even at the BC minimum wage of 18 cents a minute.

reallynicestamps · ‎06-14-2018

Wondering if maybe it would be possible to inform eBay BUYERS that there will be a small increase in Canadapost as of July 1, 2018. Best way for your average buyer to be kept in the loop and to hear it directly from Ebay.

You're overthinking this.

Most buyers have no idea what shipping costs are.

And don't want to.

Whether they know the price is accurate or not, they will base their decision to buy or not on the total price.

There is no change in Canada Post fees.

There is a change in Shippo discounts-- matching them to SnapShip/Small Business Solutions discounts.

EBay already provides a way to correct for changes. Use Calculated Shipping for parcel service if you are listing on dotCA.

Your customer is not seeing the discounted rate you pay there.

And never has.

She sees the Canada Post rate and does not know that you have been paying less.

Sort of an automatic handling charge- albeit a variable one that is not on all services.

If you are listing with Flat Rate shipping and/or on dotCOM, you may want to review your shipping charge if you were allowing for those (again changeable) discounts.

But from the buyer's point of view, there would be no change in what she sees as her shipping fee.

sylviebee · ‎06-14-2018

@reallynicestamps wrote:
Can someone remind me why we ever switched from PP shipping? Don't we still get a discount there?

PP decided to get out of the shipping label business.

PP shipping is basically SnapShip (Canada Post) shipping.
We get the same discounts through PP as we would going directly to the SnapShip site.

I've had the opposite experience with Shippo and SnapShip.
I can make a label with SS much faster than Shippo, which for some reason refuses to admit that Canada Post is even an option for me. The slightly higher discounts are not worth my time even at the BC minimum wage of 18 cents a minute.

Yes, that's what I mean: The slightly greater discount offered by Shippo isn't dramatic enough to matter.

Also, apparently Shippo also has the option of funnelling SnapShip though their site the way PP does but it requires adding CPO as a carrier. I've tried to do that numerous times and haven't been able to do so because of the way the CPO site keeps locking me out but if I choose to tackle that issue Shippo is still available but with a slightly lower discount.