Beware of ebay's shipping calculator

Gday
I just sold an old album to someone in Canada and good ole ebay calculated the shipping cost of a flat rate international box as $24.95 but
the USPS actually charges $29.95. The purchaser, not surprisingly, paid me $24.95 and I see no reason why they should pay any more. I have
asked ebay to refund my 5 bucks which, considering it cost me about $15 to list and sell the album, they can probably afford to do. So, if
you are listing things that can go overseas, especially if they are heavy and not hugely valuable, make sure you get the right postage on them.
Cheers - John

On May 16, 11:56 am, Sir F. A. Rien wrote:
John Mycroft found these unused words:

Gday
I just sold an old album to someone in Canada and good ole ebay calculated the shipping cost of a flat rate international box as $24.95 but
the USPS actually charges $29.95. The purchaser, not surprisingly, paid me $24.95 and I see no reason why they should pay any more. I have
asked ebay to refund my 5 bucks which, considering it cost me about $15 to list and sell the album, they can probably afford to do. So, if
you are listing things that can go overseas, especially if they are heavy and not hugely valuable, make sure you get the right postage on them.
Cheers - John

Rates just went up - calculator's out of date. You probably also got hit by
one or more of the many hidden surcharges now popular with the USPS.

rates today, involve both volume measures and weight ... be sure to
allow for packaging difference ...

On Fri, 16 May 2008 08:19:26 -0400, John Mycroft
wrote:

Gday
I just sold an old album to someone in Canada and good ole ebay calculated the shipping cost of a flat rate international box as $24.95 but
the USPS actually charges $29.95. The purchaser, not surprisingly, paid me $24.95 and I see no reason why they should pay any more. I have
asked ebay to refund my 5 bucks which, considering it cost me about $15 to list and sell the album, they can probably afford to do. So, if
you are listing things that can go overseas, especially if they are heavy and not hugely valuable, make sure you get the right postage on them.
Cheers - John

We just had a postage increase. Was that the reason?

On May 16, 6:19 am, John Mycroft wrote:
Gday
I just sold an old album to someone in Canada and good ole ebay calculated the shipping cost of a flat rate international box as $24.95 but
the USPS actually charges $29.95. The purchaser, not surprisingly, paid me $24.95 and I see no reason why they should pay any more. I have
asked ebay to refund my 5 bucks which, considering it cost me about $15 to list and sell the album, they can probably afford to do. So, if
you are listing things that can go overseas, especially if they are heavy and not hugely valuable, make sure you get the right postage on them.
Cheers - John

John, etal,
EBay's shipping calculator is highly unreliable and inaccurate (There
is much discussion in the eBay forums related to that). I have to put
disclaimers in my auctions. My sense is that the USPS and other
shippers calculations are more complex than ESC is capable of.
Actually don't know the reasons but it don't work.
TL

I agree with everything anyone ever says about postage rates. When I schlepped the album to the post office, they charged me $23.10 so everyone is
happy. I think that, in future, I will add a decent "Handling charge" to heavy lots that go overseas.

Cheers - John