A question about USPS and eBay shipping

Me | 9/1/2024 | Paul R.

[Mean Daddy]

Agree with you 100% but I see a lot of counterfeit items on eBay where with Amazon, returns are no hassle. Very rarely do business on Feebay any longer. I have a Prime account and between my adult children using it, it pays for itself in about two months and I do comparison shop and with s&h costs, rarely does anyone beat Amazon.

[Mean Daddy]

I had bought a pristine, autographed Fergie Jenkins baseball off of Feebay and the seller mailed me one that was toned with a faded signature. Filed a claim & the seller couldn’t understand why I wanted a refund in spite of the fact that what was advertised, didn’t match what was delivered.

[ridesthemiles]

AND-— USPS is now saying that ANY CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE OF THEIR MAJOR SORTING CITIES WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE EXTRA DAY ADDED TO THEIR MAIL DELIVERY.

I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHICH CITIES THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT-—BUT I WOULD GUESS THAT AVAST AMOUNT OF USA REAL ESTATE IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THOSE “EXTRA DAYS OF DELAY” IN DELIVERY.

[dynoman]

I was stuck because it would have cost me $80 to ship them back.

[Gigantor]

Check what again?

[Does so]

eBay allowed exorbitant shipping fees the last time I was buying hand tools—only last year.

(Manual—not powered—drill only $10, $70 shipping fee).

[Gigantor]

I’m talking about sellers and the percentage of the sale that Ebay takes.

I said that Ebay stopped sellers from dodging fees by overcharging for shipping. In the old days Ebay took a percentage of the selling price, this left a loophole for sellers to charge a lot for shipping and pocket the difference.

Ebay now bases their cut on the total of the selling price and shipping charge.

[Paul R.]

That’s a good thought, as I used to send calendars to many relatives as gifts. I cut back on that because the shipping by 1st Class Mail was as much as the calendar. :-(

[Paul R.]

Noted & thanks!

[Paul R.]

Is "eBay envelope" a special category one sees when setting up shipping for a listing? I began a listing to take a look at the shipping options and did not see "eBay Envelope". I just put in a weight (3 oz.), dimensions, and had selected USPS First Class Mail Large Envelope, which noted:

2 to 5 business days Max. 13 ounces, 15 by 12 by 1 inches

And it came back with the $2.05.

If I go onto usps.com, max thickness is 1/4", and then you jump to a package rate which starts around $5. :-(

Agreed about the tracking. And of note, I have received items in envelopes from US eBay sellers that sound like what you describe, even exceeding the 1" thickness maximum I ran into.

Can I find somehow, literally, "eBay envelope" ? I simply don't see it in the many options under "Select a shipping service". ???

[Paul R.]

Thanks - I just now tried the link you gave: It came back with the same shipping cost, $2.04, via. “USPS First Class Mail Large Envelope 2 to 5 business days, as when I made up a trial (only set it up part way) listing. That link is helpful because I can check the shipping without having to start an actual listing. :-)

[Paul R.]

It is a negotiated rate so only ebay sellers can use it. I mostly sell small lightweight items.

That's pretty much what I thought it must be...

If you had a 3 oz. item over 1" thick, it is then still a "package", right?

Unfortunately(?), I don't "do" Facebook.

[Paul R.]

...you might want to look at Pirate Ship.

I heard that operation was set up by the Houthis...

Sorry, long day, couldn't resist!

[Paul R.]

Agreed.

[Paul R.]

Thanks for all the info., “All”! :-)

[MomwithHope]

“If you had a 3 oz. item over 1” thick, it is then still a “package”, right?”
Yes and mine are about the same weight and thickness. I put in the package dimensions each time. Always about 3.95. PO window about 1.20 more depending on where it is going.

“Unfortunately(?), I don’t “do” Facebook.”

Me neither I use it for a local small town community news page which is very valuable, and a local buy sell page. Sometimes I use a wider marketplace. And our small town has a give page with free things people just want to gift to someone who can use it. Worth it.

[daniel1212]

Ebay must be loosing sales due to Amazon (for best service relative to quality and price) and Temu (for many cheap items. Providing free (labor: parts at approx. cost) basic bike repair as a part of a evangelical ministry in a "low income" (a relative term) densely populated city, I pray and search for the best prices relative to quality. For 20'' and 26'' tubes, its Walmart (4 pack for $13) and Slime 1050 Rubber Cement (8oz. @ $7) as well as a gal of Fast orange hand cleaner ($11). And for cheap bikes as well.

But for Tires, it usually is Amazon, aside from certain sales in actual bike part retailers as Source BMX.

For the best patches, it is Ebay (48Pcs 30mm Round for under $3). Ebay can also be good for certain auto parts, and has the best search function, unlike Amazon. .

However, for almost all cheap items such as bike set covers, lights, grips etc. then it is Temu (though they recently made it harder to search by lowest price).

Thank God I can get such.

[Gigantor]

Next time you’re looking at the shipping options, look for the “info” button next to the Ebay Envelope. It has a bunch of requirements. I know that flat, flexible items like baseball cards and post cards are good because they are able to go through the automatic sorting machines - that’s listed as a requirement.

Certain categories are eligible for the discount - I use it every time that I can!