$9 USA Security Charge

[brighttomato]

This has probably been asked before but I can't find any topics that answer my question..
I recently had a purchase from a US buyer (item was over 700 g) and unfortunately the $9 security charge was not added to the postage cost. The buyer paid immediately with Pay Pal and I am left with a payment which is $9 short. I called ebay to try and find out why their postage calculator is not adding the security charge and they were not helpful at all, could not give me an answer. I asked to raise a technical ticket but have no idea how long it will take them to get back to me. In the meantime I can't imagine what I should do to fix this. I have over 200 listings - do I start modifying all of them to remove US from the list? Contacting people after they purchased and asking for an additional payment is sure to tick them off - great way of getting a neg feedback.

Am I missing something? Has anyone else experienced this?

[digital*ghost]

The easiest way to avoid this is to quote specific postage to the US, then a flat rate to the other locations you post to separately (making sure you exclude the US).

When you do the postage options, quote one price to the US that includes the $9 surcharge on any items that are over the threshold. That way, only US buyers will see (and pay) that amount of P&H.

You can't update listings via Turbo Lister with that option, but you should be able to do it in bulk with Selling Manager (or in batches if you have a few different P&H charges).

[brighttomato]

But I don't want to calculate my own postage rates, all my items weigh differently, it will take me months calculating all of this manually. I use ebay postage calculator which used to do the right thing but for some reason is now not adding the $9 charge.

[putney32]

because the $9 is NOT a postal charge, but a 'security' charge is is never calculated by the aust post calculator.

you either absorb the $9 or do as suggested and quote separately for usa

or 'do not post' to usa.

[digital*ghost]

As far as I knew, eBay has never added the $9 surcharge into postage costs to the US when using calculated - I don't post OS so I'm only basing that on previous threads about this issue, and the solution I've mentioned above is the only way I know of that guarantees US buyers are charged the fee but no one else is.

If the $9 surcharge was being added to the P&H total previously and isn't now (with no changes being made to your listings), that suggests it's something eBay need to resolve so without wanting to adopt the method I've mentioned, I don't think there's a solution other than waiting for eBay to fix.

[brighttomato]

That doesn't make sense to me at all - it is a compulsory charge, is it not? So it is not a choice for a seller. Why is it not included in the postage calculator is then a complete mistery.

Is there perhaps a way of using a calculator and adding a $9 on top of that?

(absorbing is not an option as I don't even make $9 on some of the items i sell. setting a flat rate is not option either for a similar reason - some items cost $10 to post to usa, while others cost $60. calculating everything manually would be a nightmare, it would literally take months to do)

[digital*ghost]

Is there perhaps a way of using a calculator and adding a $9 on top of that?

You can add the $9 as a handling fee, but because the calculator covers all locations you post to, everyone in the countries you select will see a total that included the surcharge.

[putney32]

-- the $10 postage items dont get charged the $9, only those items over 475gr... ie where postage is over $21

yes its a compulsory charge, but not a postal charge, its a Security Charge levied by the US postal service on incoming parcels, collected and passed on by aust post.

[brighttomato]

Amazing. Looks like the only reasonable solution for me would be to remove US. even if I exclude the lighter items, it would still take me months to calculate postage rates. I've had postage charges to US go up to $70-80.

I wonder, is it really that difficult for a massive corporation like ebay with so many IT resources to add a simple feature to a postage calculator where a $9 charge can be added for a specific country? I've had a similar mod done on my on-line store, it took the developer 1/2 day to do!

[davewil1964]

Months? For 256 items? That's, what, 4 a day? Do more and it'll take less time.