Shipping by USPS

[poplar1]

If you register with USPS, you can ship non-Ebay items for the same commercial cost as you would get for a USPS label purchased from Ebay.

PARADOX:
However, even if you are signed in, if you hit the tab for "Calculate a Price", it will give you only the retail price. So don't expect that to be accurate. (You will get the lower price once you actually create a label.)

Example, to ship a package from Georgia to Texas, here are the commercial rates, for a 5-pount parcel, with the retail prices marked out:

[poplar1]

Also, there is a link for printing out the postal zones from your zip code:
https://postcalc.usps.com/DomesticZoneChart

Here are the Ground Advantage Commercial and Retail rates (effective January, 2025. Subject to increase July, 2025.) You can get the commercial rate either by purchasing the label from Ebay, or by signing in to your USPS account.

[poplar1]

Priority Mail Packages:
Commercial or Ebay label (top)      Retail (below)

[poplar1]

So, a plastic 302 with a net weight of 4.5 lbs., or 6 lbs 0 oz. with packaging, should not cost $37.30 to ship, even coast to coast (Zone 8 ). I often see inflated shipping prices on Ebay listings. In fairness, whatever the seller charges will have ebay fees deducted both the shipping label and on the sales tax added to the label.

6 pounds to Zone 8:

$15.67....Ground Advantage, Commercial or Ebay rate

$24.80....Ground Advantage, Retail

$31.61....Priority Mail, Commercial/Ebay
 
$37.30....Priority Mail, Retail

[Kellogg Kitt]

That is good to know about the shipping rates.  I have a USPS account, but did not realize that an individual could get commercial rates as low as eBay rates,  Thanks for letting us know.

---------
I find it off-putting  when I see exorbitant shipping charges, and I generally avoid buying from such sellers.  I can understand padding the shipping charge by a few dollars if the items are packed well, because good boxes and packing materials do cost money, but when the "shipping" charges are inflated far beyond the actual cost of packing and shipping, it strikes me as being dishonest, especially when I know very well how much the shipping charge actually is.

When selling, I avoid the problem by simply including my packing cost in the price of the item, and then charging the buyer only the actual shipping charge.

[TelePlay]

That is good to know about the shipping rates.  I have a USPS account, but did not realize that an individual could get commercial rates as low as eBay . . .

One can also get eBay shipping rates through PayPal by using their ShipStation page.

You have to have a PayPal account to buy a shipping label.

https://help.paypal.shipstation.com/hc/en-us/articles/360061609171-Create-a-Label

I find it easier to use PayPal ShipStation than the USPS site.

[TelePlay]

The cost for a stamp from the USPS through eBay is getting ridiculously high. A 20 pound box using Ground Advantage to the New England area from Wisconsin is just over $50, twice the sale price for the item being shipped. All other shipping options were even higher. Is there a way to get a reasonable shipping rate?

[RDPipes]

The cost for a stamp from the USPS through eBay is getting ridiculously high. A 20 pound box using Ground Advantage to the New England area from Wisconsin is just over $50, twice the sale price for the item being shipped. All other shipping options were even higher. Is there a way to get a reasonable shipping rate?

PirateShip.com https://www.pirateship.com/

[TelePlay]

PirateShip.com https://www.pirateship.com/

Have you ever used it?

The PShip cost is discounted from USPS web site full price. eBay offers discounts from USPS full price. Is the PShip discount greater than the eBay discount?

Sounds like I would let eBay assign a postage amount based on weight and destination at time of sale, eBay collects that shipping cost from the buyer and passes it on to me, then I would have to put funds into my PShip account to pay for a discounted postage cost and then what, return excess postage to the buyer or pocket the eBay overcharged postage?

In an eBay listing, the buyer sees full USPS postage, no way to show a discounted PShip rate, whatever it might be.

Answers/advice for any/all of the above who have used PShip would be helpful.

[TelePlay]

Didn't know this but my last shipment with $50 shipping charge had a high FVF, about $20 which was about 25% of the sale price.

eBay includes shipping cost in its FVF calculation. From their website:

"Yes, eBay fees, specifically the Final Value Fee (FVF), are applied to shipping costs in addition to the item price. This means that the total amount a buyer pays, including shipping, is subject to the FVF.


Here's why eBay does this:

Discourages inflated shipping costs:
Without charging on shipping, sellers could set a low item price and high shipping costs to minimize fees, which is not what eBay wants to encourage.


Encourages free shipping:

By including shipping costs in the fee calculation, eBay ensures sellers who offer free shipping still pay fees on the total value of the transaction, leveling the playing field.


Simplifies fee structure:

Calculating fees on the total amount simplifies the fee structure for both sellers and eBay."

Using PShip would not get around paying a FVF on shipping when selling on eBay.

Doesn't seem right, paying a fee on shipping. And using free shipping with the shipping cost put into the item price would be a wash on the FVF.

[RDPipes]

Have you ever used it?

The PShip cost is discounted from USPS web site full price. eBay offers discounts from USPS full price. Is the PShip discount greater than the eBay discount?

Sounds like I would let eBay assign a postage amount based on weight and destination at time of sale, eBay collects that shipping cost from the buyer and passes it on to me, then I would have to put funds into my PShip account to pay for a discounted postage cost and then what, return excess postage to the buyer or pocket the eBay overcharged postage?

In an eBay listing, the buyer sees full USPS postage, no way to show a discounted PShip rate, whatever it might be.

Answers/advice for any/all of the above who have used PShip would be helpful.

Yes I have and still use it, I feel it's the cheapest way to ship.
And I know ALL about eBay seeing I've been a (for the lack of a better word) member for over 20 years.
Besides what I understood was you were asking for a cheaper way to ship, didn't see anything about eBay
being involved in it. Not too much you can do about shipping when your selling on eBay because they ding
you on shipping charges like you stated and it hasn't done anything about some sellers over charging for shipping either. It just fills eBay pockets more.

[TelePlay]

Yes I have and still use it, I feel it's the cheapest way to ship.

Thanks, will try it next sale.

As for eBay, I opened my account in 2004.

A lot has changed since then. The market for phone stuff has softened (demand has dropped for a few reasons) and eBay has jacked up total fees on seller's sales.

Offering free shipping but putting the cost of shipping in the asked price meets eBay the same fee as asking for actual shipping cost.

On top of that, USPS has penalized small part sales by eliminating the use of first class postage for anything thicker than 1/4 inch forcing sellers to put a $4-$5 stamp on a 1 ounce 3/8" or thicker small part envelope.

There are other ways of selling but selling a large quantity of phones, offering them to the greatest possible market, means eBay.

[HarrySmith]

Yeah, I would have to agree. Ebay is not what it used to be. I have been on there since 2007. Also agree it is the only place to get worldwide exposure.

[RDPipes]

At times I wonder if USPS even wants to be a package carrier anymore because
they're slowly but surely pricing themselves out of the business. Specially since
the service has gotten so poor I've even given FedEx a thought but, then I woke up.
eBay is close to doing it I think also because it's so hard to make a decent buck
on there anymore with all the Taxation (shall we say) they hit you with and making
it so you need to even pay them a extra percentage to have your item seen by a good
amount of people. I'll only sell on there if I have something worth at least $100
and then I'll give Facebook Market place a go first or even Craigslist, or all three hoping
it sells on one of the others before eBay.Thankfully, I don't sell much anymore, use to be a business
almost but, I tend to keep things and not purchase things I don't need or for sale anymore.
I don't even make pipes anymore, just trying to enjoy being retired as much as I can.

[TelePlay]

Just for fun, I asked the Google machine's AI if the USPS was getting out of the parcel delivery business. This is what AI gathered up from 5 or 6 web based reports:

"No, the USPS is not trying to get out of the parcel service. In fact, the USPS is actively working to expand its parcel business and become the nation's leading option for shipping. While the agency faces financial challenges, parcel delivery is a growing revenue stream, and the USPS sees it as a key area for future growth.

Here's why the USPS is focused on parcel delivery:

E-commerce boom: Americans' reliance on online shopping and package deliveries has created a massive opportunity for the USPS.

Shifting mail landscape: Traditional mail volume is declining, while parcel volume is increasing.

Revenue potential: Parcels now account for a significant portion of the USPS's revenue.

"Delivering for America" plan: The USPS has a ten-year plan to modernize and improve its operations, including streamlining package processing.

Competition with private carriers: The USPS is competing with companies like UPS and FedEx for parcel business, and is investing in infrastructure and technology to improve its services and compete effectively.

While the USPS has faced criticism regarding its financial stability and operational efficiency, the agency is actively working to adapt to the changing landscape of mail and package delivery. The "Delivering for America" plan, despite facing some challenges and criticism, is a key example of the USPS's commitment to modernizing and expanding its parcel business."

Made me laugh, words are easy to say, results are hard to deliver. AI is not the end all word on anything.

Ground Advantage jacked up prior to GA being introduced rates and efficient or effective delivery has decreased considerably from First Class and Priority (the former now non-existent for anything other than less than 1/4" envelopes and Priority rated generally double that of GA. When started, GA was the same as First Class pricing and delivery time, no longer the case by a long shot.

Seems GA is back to pony express speed and the horse can only carry one or two parcels at a time.

Seems GA bundles on a pallet before putting the pallet on a truck and that hangs up a parcel for 2 to 5 days before leaving the first USPS distribution center, unless it's a really busy center which shortens the palleting time to a normal day's processing before shipment to the next location.

Post office told me that GA stamped parcels traveling more than two states away get put on an airplane, I now seriously doubt that ever happens. The pony is always a truck, never a plane (I watch tracking twice daily on stuff I ship and that's what I've been seeing over the past 6 or so months).

And as long as the USPS is losing money, rather than find ways to cut bloat and waste to keep rates down, they'll just keep raising rates until it is cheaper to ship using FedEx or UPS.

Correct me if I got this wrong.

Looking forward to using PShip.