Ebay collecting the wrong amount from buyers

[smev]

I have been experiencing this issue for several sales now and it is usually with overseas sales.

When selecting the option that buyers pay the postage calculated by their location. Ebay is charging them less than what the actual cost is to post the item to them. So I have left to make up the shortfall which can be as much a $50 which is ridiculous. It is as if they haven't updated their rates on the charging end but only on the label end of the system.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[siddieswans]

I checked just one of your items which have International postage. The postage method was given (to USA) as International Standard : tracked-signature (7 to 15 business days).  This would generate an eBay postage label. This is different to Australia Post International Standard: tracked no signature 3 - 10 business days. If you are taking the parcel to the PO to post it will naturally cost you more.  If this is the postage method you want you need to change your listings. Then you could get a MyPost Business Account and print your labels yourself on-line and just lodge them at the PO. This would save you even more money. I assume your weights and measurements would be correct.

[smev]

But I am buying the label off Ebay not the Post Office. 

Ebay charged the buyer $35 but when I go and try and purchase the label off Ebay, they want $88.50.

[padi*0409]

Don't use eBay for AP postage or you pay eBay a percentage for your trouble.

Go to the post office and deal straight with them.

[smev]

The problem is the amount collected by Ebay is less than what the Post Office charges me too. Actually the Ebay labels are always a few dollars cheaper than the Post Office as I am an Ebay Plus member. However, in my latest case, they charged the buyer $35 but the cheapest cost from the Post Office is $48. So I am still short $13. This is not the first time it has happened. Since Ebay forces you to pick a postage method to offer, it just charges it automatically using it's own rates which I believe are not updated with those of the Post Office. It doesn't allow me to go to the Post Office to determine the postage costs before charging the buyer - that is the issue.

[lezned-toycollector]

The postage charge collected from your buyer is based on the parcel weight and dimensions that you enter into your listing. It looks to me as though you may be underestimating those details and then changing them to greater dimensions and/or weight during the label creation process. If this is the case, then of course the postage will cost you more than the buyer paid.

The solution is to make sure your listings have accurate parcel details.

[siddieswans]

Have I got this right? When listing domestically you choose eBay labels, because eBay gives you a bust because you are an eBay Plus member. But the savings are not passed on to you, they just make it cheaper for the buyer, if you are using calculated postage.  Of course if you are using Flat Rate postage, you get to keep the postage savings. For this domestic postage, depending on your parcel size, exact weight and measurements may not be critical. You print these postage labels at home, or use Sendle printer-free pick-up or whatever. 

But you take your International parcels to the Post Office for them to calculate postage. Here the measurements and weight ARE critical as lezned has said. So what may have been a guesstimate which is fine for domestic postage, becomes a loss when the AP person weighs and measures the parcel. The postage cost range eBay gives for AP International Standard aligns with what AP charges, so far as I can see.

[lezned-toycollector]

No, you don't have it right. Any time the buyer receives any discount from eBay, the seller still receives the advertised amount with eBay making up any shortfall. This applies to ALL eBay originated discounts. The seller NEVER receives less than the total sale price, after fees are deducted of course.

eBay Plus only ever comes into it when the seller has an eligible eBay Plus listing - AND the buyer is a subscriber. In this case, the buyer will pay either $2.50 or $4.00 (depending on item price) to upgrade from regular to express post. Your eBay Plus subscription has absolutely nothing to do with the postage charge shown to and collected from your buyers.

Here's a few pointers for you...

1. Start by giving eBay postage labels the flick. Create yourself a MyPost Business log in (it's free), and create your own labels directly.

2. Only offer Sendle as an option - but not your default option. That way the buyer has to manually select the service if they want it, but you'll find that not very many do. I used to get 3 or 4 a day, but now I only average around 3 or 4 per year.

3. Get yourself some good digital scales. Just use eBay search and you'll find a bucket load for around the $20 mark. I bought digital scales myself back in 2008, and not only are they still running on the original battery, but they're also amazingly accurate.

4. When entering the dimensions into your listings, remember that over estimating is much, much better than underestimating. You can always give your buyer a partial refund if you are so inclined, but you can NEVER hit them up for additional $$$. To allow for packaging, when measuring your item add 5cm or so to each measurement. Also add a reasonable amount to the actual item weight. For example, a reasonable over estimation for a single disc DVD would be 250g 24x22x7cm. This would provide a calculated combined weight of 1kg for 4 of them.

5. While I don't believe anyone should ever charge a handling fee for domestic sales, you should consider adding a handling charge of a few dollars to your international sales. With our low dollar value, most buyers won't even notice. It will help to offset the larger eBay fee caused by the higher postage cost, and also any additional packaging required.

Obviously you'll eventually discover whatever works for you, but it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to work out that what you are currently doing just isn't working.

Good luck with your future sales 😊

[siddieswans]

That would be helpful if I had a problem ... but I don't. I was trying to understand the OP's problem. Thanks for explaining how eBay Plus postage labels work, but My Post Business works fine for me.