Ebay continues to allow Canadapost Tracked Packet International when dimensions too large

[westcoastart2]

The problem continues with the ebay shipping rate calculator on ebay.ca that allows you to create listings using Canadapost Tracked Packet International for packages that have entered sized over 90cm L+W+H.  

I just listed an item that I knew was way over the Canada Post tracked packet international size limit, and included that option to see if Ebay would allow it.

Sure enough, ebay continues to allow that option.    Everything looks fine, until someone buys your item, and pays for Canada Post tracked packet international, and then you'll discover that Canadapost won't ship it that way, because the package exceeds there maximum size limit.

So keep your eyes open when using the sell similar feature - ebay won't stop you from using this mail option in your listing.

I phoned ebay about a week or two about this (when I had an item sell and paid for as per the above).     I found out the hard way that even though ebay had charged the buyer for tracked packet international - Canada post would not allow the package.   I had to use Expresspost instead, for an additional $60 ish!

The Ebay Customer Service person said they would look into this, and fix it, and call me back about reimbursing me for my loss.     Of course that was a lie - never heard from Ebay, and the problem is still there.

It seems with all the software problems ebay is experiencing, which they are not fixing (probably because they can't), that its just a matter of time before ebay's software implodes and shuts the hole thing down.

How many problems are currently  unfixed 

1.   The shipping rate calculator selling prospecting US buyers that we Canadian's don't ship to their address, or a shipping cost to their address can't be calculated

2.   Removing the photos from Good Till Cancelled listings, and not putting them back.

3.   Allowing shipping options (Canadapost Tracked Packet International), for packages that are too large for that method.

4.   Disappearance of listing views and watchers from the my ebay summary (seller hub now).

On their own, these are simple problems to fix - maybe an hour or less.     The fact that ebay can't fix these problems shows they are the tip of the iceberg.   Ebay's software must be so messed up (aka mickey moused with patches), that they can no longer fix simple problems with additional patches.

Makes you wonder what problems that we can't see.     Most sellers are experiencing reduced sales.  Likely because buyer's are not seeing our items when they search for them.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

Unfortunately the usual response is "We will look into it" but seems to be no followup or resolutions for these problems. And never any compensation except maybe additional selling offers.  When there are relist fees/time wasted for these issues there needs to be an actual credit to seller fees.  Another of the side affects, it is possible to ship Expedited to the USA when the measurements are under the Canadapost requirements(Ebay or Shippo - Who knows?). Have sent a quantity that way, with all being delivered with no repercussions or nasty notes. (Smaller package = reduced cost of package.) I guess you could call that 1 a win for us!!!As for the other issues, they really need to get fixed sooner, not later.

-CM

[westcoastart2]

I think the Canadapost minimum size requirement for Expedited to the US is another Ebay problem.

I send my items personally through Canadapost outlets.    I've never had an item declined because it was too small for expedited to the US, and one of the box sizes I ship that way is 6x6x6". 

Just to be sure, I just went on the Canadapost web site, and entered a 2x2x2" box to ship to Iowa, and Canadapost gave me expedited as one of the 5 options that it had for me.

Now there has been an ebay glitch that involved boxes that were not a minimum length, but that is yet another Ebay problem that still exists.

Try putting in a 2x2x2 inch box into the ebay rate calculator and see what you get!   Well let me tell you.    Ebay will let you list - it will not object, but it will not give your prospective buyers any shipping options.   It will instead tell them that shipping can't be calculated to their address (which is the opposite of what Canadapost will say!)

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

I'm under the impression that "someone's" end game is for all Canadian sellers to only include either Free or Flat Rate shipping. That really does not work for a good percentage of Canadian sellers. I have been trying, along with several other regular posters to get the calculator to work properly since Nov 2017 with no luck what so ever. In that time period there have been a variety of known glitches. If a buyer gets incorrect or no rate with their inquiry, they just go elsewhere. When things work pretty much correctly on dot com and not so much on dot ca it puts Canadian sellers at a distinct selling disadvantage. Not including the other issues you mentioned previously, not helping the situation. Some sellers are not even fully aware of these problems and how much they affect their bottom line.

-CM

[westcoastart2]

Agreed. I had one the other day, where a US potential buyer, offered to buy my item provided that I agreed not to charge more for shipping than the ebay rate calculator told her the shipping would be! That was the exact correct rate, but because Ebay gave her that red letter warning as well, that say Shipping Can't Be calculated to her address, she thought she couldn't trust the ebay shipping rate calculator number! Luckily she purchased, but only because she reached out to me. For all those that are dissuaded by that ebay message from purchasing, I'll never ever hear from.

My feeling is that ebay.ca is run by an incompetent woman who is only interested in advancing her career by claiming that Canada should be separate from .com Every reason ebay has ever given for listing in on .ca is BS.

You get better international visibility, higher prices, and those prices are in US$, when you list on .com.

[momcqueen]

This programming bug is an old one which was eventually fixed so I'm sorry to see it has reappeared. https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Archive-1/eBay-Calculated-Shipping-Malfunction-item-dimensions-show/td-...

[pjcdn2005]

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@westcoastart2 wrote:

I think the Canadapost minimum size requirement for Expedited to the US is another Ebay problem.

I send my items personally through Canadapost outlets.    I've never had an item declined because it was too small for expedited to the US, and one of the box sizes I ship that way is 6x6x6". 

Just to be sure, I just went on the Canadapost web site, and entered a 2x2x2" box to ship to Iowa, and Canadapost gave me expedited as one of the 5 options that it had for me.

As long as I remember the Canada Post site has given a price for expedited USA and Xpresspost USA for small boxes so either their calculator is wrong or the information about the minimum size is wrong. On page 4 of the following link they do say that the min. size for those services is 210 mm x 140mm so a 6 x 6 x6" box should be too small because the first number...6" is approximately 15.25cm...less than then the 21cm supposedly required.

https://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/prices/SBParcels-e.pdf

I wasn't aware that the post office would accept measurements below the required minimum but I guess they go by what is on the CP calculator and apparently Shippo is the same.  I'm fairly sure that when I used Paypal, they would not give those services as an option if the dimensions were too small but that was a while ago so I can't be certain.  

Now there has been an ebay glitch that involved boxes that were not a minimum length, but that is yet another Ebay problem that still exists.

Try putting in a 2x2x2 inch box into the ebay rate calculator and see what you get!   Well let me tell you.    Ebay will let you list - it will not object, but it will not give your prospective buyers any shipping options.   It will instead tell them that shipping can't be calculated to their address (which is the opposite of what Canadapost will say!)

If the dimensions are too small then the seller should get some sort of warning message when they list but we have been asking for that for years and obviously it still hasn't been done.  Of course I don't think Canada Post is helping either since their requirements don't match the calculator. Either way, they both need to improve.

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[femmefan1946]

@happy_pigeon

[intimewithmusic]

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@westcoastart2 wrote:

The problem continues with the ebay shipping rate calculator on ebay.ca that allows you to create listings using Canadapost Tracked Packet International for packages that have entered sized over 90cm L+W+H.  

I just listed an item that I knew was way over the Canada Post tracked packet international size limit, and included that option to see if Ebay would allow it.

Sure enough, ebay continues to allow that option.    Everything looks fine, until someone buys your item, and pays for Canada Post tracked packet international, and then you'll discover that Canadapost won't ship it that way, because the package exceeds there maximum size limit.

So keep your eyes open when using the sell similar feature - ebay won't stop you from using this mail option in your listing.

I phoned ebay about a week or two about this (when I had an item sell and paid for as per the above).     I found out the hard way that even though ebay had charged the buyer for tracked packet international - Canada post would not allow the package.   I had to use Expresspost instead, for an additional $60 ish!

The Ebay Customer Service person said they would look into this, and fix it, and call me back about reimbursing me for my loss.     Of course that was a lie - never heard from Ebay, and the problem is still there.

It seems with all the software problems ebay is experiencing, which they are not fixing (probably because they can't), that its just a matter of time before ebay's software implodes and shuts the hole thing down.

How many problems are currently  unfixed 

1.   The shipping rate calculator selling prospecting US buyers that we Canadian's don't ship to their address, or a shipping cost to their address can't be calculated

2.   Removing the photos from Good Till Cancelled listings, and not putting them back.

3.   Allowing shipping options (Canadapost Tracked Packet International), for packages that are too large for that method.

4.   Disappearance of listing views and watchers from the my ebay summary (seller hub now).

On their own, these are simple problems to fix - maybe an hour or less.     The fact that ebay can't fix these problems shows they are the tip of the iceberg.   Ebay's software must be so messed up (aka mickey moused with patches), that they can no longer fix simple problems with additional patches.

Makes you wonder what problems that we can't see.     Most sellers are experiencing reduced sales.  Likely because buyer's are not seeing our items when they search for them.

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Hi. Thank you for posting. I wasn't aware of this problem until today. I sold a drum shell to a person in Spain. All of the dimensions and weight I entered into the listing were correct. They were 41cm x 41cm x22cm at 1.7 Kg. I'm a newer seller. The listing went up without issue. today it sold and Tracked Packet was paid in the amount of $78 for shipping. The item value is $125.00. When I went to print my label Tracked packet didn't show up in the list of options just Xpresspost. I went back to Canada Post and determined that my added up dimensions were over 900mm. In the past Ebay always "errored" any service requests during the listing process if they didn't meet Canada Posts specs but not this time. the cheapest trackable shipping option I get from Shippo or Canada Post is $180.  I'll lose my shirt. After today I have 2 days to ship. What went wrong and more importantly what can I do? I will call EBay tomorrow. Will they back me up? Thanks!

[momcqueen]

They did with me. The exact same scenario, and then the big was fixed for awhile. I don’t know the reason it’s back.

When this happened to me, I shipped via Xpresspost and then called Customer Service and spent a LONG TIME on the phone with them proving my problem existed due to an eBay error and not my own.

eBay Customer Service could not issue me money to cover my loss on postage but they did give me a coupon to use on my next ebay purchase which was equal to the amount I was out in losses due to that error.

Be polite but firm. Have all your data ready. Good luck.

[momcqueen]

I cited it earlier and I’ll share it again. This is my original thread on it. https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Archive-1/eBay-Calculated-Shipping-Malfunction-item-dimensions-show/m-p...