eBay, etc. General Question/Answer Thread

[kaydelongpre]

Several comments:
For first class mail, the price is the same whether it's going to your next door neighbor or if it's going to Alaska. Up to 16 oz/15.9, the item can go first class.

At 15.3 oz., the seller should have paid for a 16 oz. label. (It would show as 15.9 oz; for some reason, a 1-lb. first class parcel doesn't show 1 lb.) The fact that she only paid for 8 oz. and didn't get caught merely indicates that she cheated the post office and they didn't catch it. They (USPS) handle thousands of pieces of mail per day and can't weigh every one of them.

Had you been charged for the postage due, you could have forwarded a picture of the proof and if honest (which clearly she isn't!), she'd reimburse you.

ETA: I just reread your post. The packing materials brought the weight over the first class threshhold and over 1 lb. She should have paid for a 2-lb package! Ugh!

I'm curious. What did the listing show as the shipping method and how much did you pay for shipping?

Listing had Standard Shipping and I paid $6.00!

And here I was assuming USPS weighed all packages one way or another...oops!

 

[BeenBurned]

Just yesterday I got a package from a seller who specified Small Flat Rate Box in the listing, for which I paid $7.20. I received the package, a non-USPS box, and it weighs over 3 lbs. Her label says Small Flat Rate Box. If it was scanned by the new USPS system, she will automatically be charged the difference. Ouch!

I'm not sure if underpayment results in a loss of the eBay discount when they charge you the difference. I have gotten refunds for overpayment of postage on a couple of items I sold. The refund was for the discounted amount I actually paid minus the discounted amount I should have paid.

While this might come across as being mean and spiteful, TBH, I hope she does get charged for the extra cost. When sellers cheat the system (and especially those who get away with it), they're sticking to those of us who abide by the rules, pay our fair share and do things the right way.

 

[N.M.Nevuhmynd]

Without being able to see the seller's history, I have to wonder if maybe they just don't know. New-ish sellers and even many long term sellers have been caught up in a sea of changes over the last two years or so and many are simply overwhelmed. If/when they get hit with the auto-corrected charge, they may not understand why.

 

[Catbird9]

Just yesterday I got a package from a seller who specified Small Flat Rate Box in the listing, for which I paid $7.20. I received the package, a non-USPS box, and it weighs over 3 lbs. Her label says Small Flat Rate Box. If it was scanned by the new USPS system, she will automatically be charged the difference. Ouch!

.......

Without being able to see the seller's history, I have to wonder if maybe they just don't know. New-ish sellers and even many long term sellers have been caught up in a sea of changes over the last two years or so and many are simply overwhelmed. If/when they get hit with the auto-corrected charge, they may not understand why.

That was probably true in the case I mentioned above. It was a new seller with (0) feedback.

I'm a long term seller and I usually offer "free" postage, meaning I pay it myself for items I sell. I definitely have been paying attention to shipping costs and you're right, it's challenging keeping up with all the changes.

 

[whateve]

Just yesterday I got a package from a seller who specified Small Flat Rate Box in the listing, for which I paid $7.20. I received the package, a non-USPS box, and it weighs over 3 lbs. Her label says Small Flat Rate Box. If it was scanned by the new USPS system, she will automatically be charged the difference. Ouch!

I'm not sure if underpayment results in a loss of the eBay discount when they charge you the difference. I have gotten refunds for overpayment of postage on a couple of items I sold. The refund was for the discounted amount I actually paid minus the discounted amount I should have paid.

I've never gotten a refund or overcharge for postage. Did it show up in your seller account on ebay? Do you use a postage scale? Was it a significant difference? I'm wondering if they let a difference of an ounce or two slide.

 

[holiday123]

I've never gotten a refund or overcharge for postage. Did it show up in your seller account on ebay? Do you use a postage scale? Was it a significant difference? I'm wondering if they let a difference of an ounce or two slide.

It's under your seller dashboard. I am terrible at guessing weights since my scale broke. I refuse to buy a new one because I keep saying I'm done selling on eBay...and then I keep selling. I finally started overestimating weight and did actually receive a refund. You get an email from eBay with either overpaid or underpaid adjustment. A screen snip of my account below.

 

[Catbird9]

I've never gotten a refund or overcharge for postage. Did it show up in your seller account on ebay? Do you use a postage scale? Was it a significant difference? I'm wondering if they let a difference of an ounce or two slide.

It's under your seller dashboard. I am terrible at guessing weights since my scale broke. I refuse to buy a new one because I keep saying I'm done selling on eBay...and then I keep selling. I finally started overestimating weight and did actually receive a refund. You get an email from eBay with either overpaid or underpaid adjustment. A screen snip of my account below.

I got an email notification both times. I use a regular bathroom scale, not a postal scale. I weigh myself, then weigh again holding the package in my hands. It's rough, but I add a couple of ounces to be on the safe side. It's not accurate if the package weighs less than 1 lb, so I guess on the high side. So far I've only gotten two adjustments, both of them for underpayment.

The Manage Shipping Labels page is very hard to find. I don't see it on my seller dashboard or my All Selling page. Here's the link that should work for you if you are signed in to your eBay account when you click it (I don't know if this works on mobile devices):
https://www.ebay.com/ship/lmng

Here's a screen shot:

 

[whateve]

I got an email notification both times. I use a regular bathroom scale, not a postal scale. I weigh myself, then weigh again holding the package in my hands. It's rough, but I add a couple of ounces to be on the safe side. It's not accurate if the package weighs less than 1 lb, so I guess on the high side. So far I've only gotten two adjustments, both of them for underpayment.

The Manage Shipping Labels page is very hard to find. I don't see it on my seller dashboard or my All Selling page. Here's the link that should work for you if you are signed in to your eBay account when you click it (I don't know if this works on mobile devices):
https://www.ebay.com/ship/lmng

Here's a screen shot:

Thanks! I think I saw a link to this page once but never went there. I don't see any adjustments so I guess I didn't have any.

 

[whateve]

Weird, I got a paypal payment but my ebay account isn't showing the sale. I made another sale at 8 this morning and I didn't get the email from ebay until 10.

NM: Just got the email and it is showing on my orders page now.

 

[Catbird9]

Weird, I got a paypal payment but my ebay account isn't showing the sale. I made another sale at 8 this morning and I didn't get the email from ebay until 10.

NM: Just got the email and it is showing on my orders page now.

I've noticed delays receiving notifications from eBay lately. They're making a lot of changes, and things in general seem to be getting glitchier.

 

[whateve]

I've noticed delays receiving notifications from eBay lately. They're making a lot of changes, and things in general seem to be getting glitchier.

What's weird wasn't that I didn't get the notification but that after I saw the payment, I looked at my orders and it wasn't there, and it was still showing in my active listings.

 

[BeenBurned]

Weird, I got a paypal payment but my ebay account isn't showing the sale. I made another sale at 8 this morning and I didn't get the email from ebay until 10.

NM: Just got the email and it is showing on my orders page now.

I've noticed delays receiving notifications from eBay lately. They're making a lot of changes, and things in general seem to be getting glitchier.

What's weird wasn't that I didn't get the notification but that after I saw the payment, I looked at my orders and it wasn't there, and it was still showing in my active listings.

Same here.

In fact, I had an automatic UID opened a few days ago, after which the buyer made payment on August 5. I STILL haven't gotten the email telling me that the item was paid for. However my ebay shows "Payment was recorded and this unpaid item case is now closed" and I got the Paypal payment email.

 

[Catbird9]

What's weird wasn't that I didn't get the notification but that after I saw the payment, I looked at my orders and it wasn't there, and it was still showing in my active listings.

Same here.

In fact, I had an automatic UID opened a few days ago, after which the buyer made payment on August 5. I STILL haven't gotten the email telling me that the item was paid for. However my ebay shows "Payment was recorded and this unpaid item case is now closed" and I got the Paypal payment email.

They're getting ready to start rolling out the new payment processing system. I imagine this will involve eliminating many of the connections between eBay and PayPal eventually. There are bound to be glitches...

 

[BeenBurned]

Is anyone finding that their listings with IPR (with BIN) are defaulting back to not requiring immediate payment?

 

[whateve]

Is anyone finding that their listings with IPR (with BIN) are defaulting back to not requiring immediate payment?

No. I haven't noticed that. All my listings are BIN with IPR, no offers accepted, and I always get payment at the same time as the sale.