There’s a lot more cost that goes into shipping than just the cost of the shipping label. Your time, the cost of shipping supplies, such as tape boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, gas to the post office, or UPS, etc. People used to understand that shipping was not shipping, but shipping and handling. We’re not the only ones who get discounts off shipping shipping is a profit center for many businesses. All the major online retailers get discount off shipping and they pocket the difference.
That's the way I'm structuring & re-focusing my business. Doing it as more of a service rather than a discount. You get the item that I have but you have to pay me for finding, storing, taking care of it & then shipping it. Prices vary on the market value. I will give people good deals especially on the holidays if they're being reasonable but beyond that I'm here for progress not to send a piece of junk to some one who doesn't appreciate it.
When I recently started selling on ebay again ( after a 10 yr hiatus) lol I got super nervous about overcharging for shipping. I sold my first pair of shoes and realized I charged the person $6+ more than actual shipping( not even thinking about fees & supply cost🤦♀) I immediately sent the buyer a refund and didn't really think things through. The buyer never even responded "Thank you" or acknowledged my refund. Needless to say, I quickly realized after assessing that transaction after fees & supply cost I really didn't *need* to refund anything, but out of courtesy I should have only done only about $3. Since then, I haven't voluntarily refunded shipping (as I've gotten a lot better with shipping from watching you and other youtubers) and haven't been asked to either. 😉 "Have a Happy Thanksgiving Kevin & family!" 🦃
I totally agree with u and I appreciate u explaining it like u did cause I have refunded extra shipping before and I realize now that I probably lost a little doing that!
If I'm selling an item that I'm not sure of what the shipping costs are, I will put in the description that I will refund the difference in shipping. For example, I shipped a large painting and had no idea what it would cost to ship. (I normally don't sell paintings) I charged $150 for shipping and ended up refunding $60 since I was so far off on my calculations. Otherwise, I do not automatically refund shipping cost.
100% in agreement with everything you said about shipping. glad someone brought this up. i been bringing it up for a while in facebook reseller groups.
I generally don’t give shipping refunds unless agreed upon first. I also don’t give my shipping discount for smaller items, but sometimes if it is a big item that calculated shipping is high I will either do flat rate or I will tell the customer in the description to contact me for a shipping price based on the zip code they are purchasing from, but even then I keep enough to cover costs such as packaging and fees. I am perfectly ok with this. Great video topic Kevin. Bill
We absolutely agree with you on this!! We will refund for multiple sales but always calculate the costs associated with the shipping and refund accordingly.
About 30% of our store is books with free shipping. We rarely accept offers on books because we are competing with so many, however our book offerings are very niche. We offer mostly vintage, antique or collectible books & book lots. We will have reevaluate our shipping approach after the first of the year because the USPS media rate increases put the cost of shipping on par with Ground Advantage
Agree with you 1000%. I never refund shipping unless it’s a combined shipping discount that they asked for - after they payed for without waiting for me to invoice them.
And I’ve been in store retail for 36 years- online seller since the 90’s. My store goes up and down basically with the amount of work that I give it! Thanks Kevin- love your content!
For context i use calculated shipping on everything but CDs DVDs and video games. I generally don't issue refunds for excess shipping unless I am asked if I can combine shipping, which I will. Most of the time the amount is trivial, a buck or two here and there. I will however issue a refund for shipping where I grossly over estimated the size and weight of an item I am shipping, leading to a high shipping cost, my buyers don't expect it, but it has been appreciated. I do however lose money at times on some larger heavier items that I over pack, but they are usually high value items so I am comfortable there.
You've had a few related videos recently such as how to decide the shipping charge (free, calculated, discounted, flat rate). This issue and others all go away when you allow offers and use calculated shipping. If you really want to discount shipping use a smaller size and weight in your listing. I don't normally combine shipments unless they were purchased together. The main reason for this is you cannot insure the combined shipment, you can only insure for up to the highest priced item. Thaks for making videos that get a good discussion going!
8:01 you should be factoring your fees all of them.into your item price that's why doing the race to the bottom is not the wisest thing to do. been reselling full time for 25 years I bake fvf's and handling into the it price and do calculated on the majority of my items and flat rate on small light weight items under 1lbs I do free shipping on lightweight flat items over $75
Another thing to do is toggle off the option of putting the cost of shipping on the label. I like your analogy of the free shipping being built into others cost and when they buy multiples… also I have NEVER asked someone to pay extra when I’ve underestimated the shipping weights. I’ve only had one time I’ve chosen to rebate shipping costs without pre-negotiations.
I have refunded overage on shipping when asked to. Never 100% of overage, as I do what you do by deducting something for fees and packaging cost. I do calculated shipping. Being located in Maine, I feel that’s my best option. I think flat rate may work best when you are located in the middle of the country. I’ve tried it and the price is either way over, if they are close or way too low if shipping to west coast. If I base it all on flat rate to the west i feel it inflates shipping to much of the country and may turn off sales.
I only refund shipping overages if buyer has asked before buying... like you said.. we pay a fee on shipping plus shipping supplies & our time is worth money too
We always tell people just pay the shipping if overage is 2.00 or more we will send a refund, under 2.00 not worth the labor. Main reason we discount by sending refund is Taxes We also on occasion will send a refund on free shipping items when person has bought 8-10 or more items. But most of our Free Shipping items are built on idea buyer is going to buy 2 or more as when they buy one we do not really make any money.
Agree with your shipping. If they send an offer I typically won't send a shipping discount. On multiple orders, do same and deduct my costs. If I get shipping wrong in my calculations, I send refund if it's over 3.00. I can't see sending a couple bucks, I don't think most people will miss a couple bucks. I send a lot of fragile items, so it's hard to calculate what the end shipping will be, after packaging.i just try to be fair.
I agree with your statements in regard to shipping costs. If they ask ahead of time, absolutely I'll discount. If they buy and pay separately, I do not as I've already incurred fees based on the amount paid and they agreed to terms at the time of purchase.
I typically do not offer a discount on shipping, buyers do not realize that we pay eBay a percentage of the shipping cost in fees, plus I have to package the item up( supplies expense), as well as take it to the post office.(time & gas expenses)
I do combine the shipping and send a partial refund, not the entire amount because of fees, etc. I do mention that I will combine shipping in my listings, so I do feel obligated to do so. I also have a lot of repeat buyers and so I think that helps.
Refunding overage of combined shipping or overcharge of straight shipping is the right thing to do. Great honest customer service most always comes back to you tenfold . Once a buyer finds out he was overcharged for shipping, he's not coming back and may even leave Ebay (because he's been screwed). As a seller, don't give the buyer a reason to look elsewhere. Many sellers have ridiculous shipping fees. I wont purchase from a seller who inflates shipping fees, no matter how much I want/need the item. I'm a longgggg time seller on ebay (1999) . Everything you do as a seller on the platform reflects on all the sellers. As the saying goes "Do the right thing even when no one is looking". PS.
Shipping Fee Question: Most Sellers know they pay fees on the shipping portion of the sale, but your comment reminded me of a related question I have been meaning to ask. When eBay runs a deal for Sellers of hot items (electronics, high end watches, etc) to draw in high end buyers and either reduces or eliminates the Final Value on the Selling Price, in Hot Categories as they sometimes do, what fee percentage is charged on shipping related shipping portion then? If they waive all the Final Value Fee, are they waiving all the their Shipping Fee?
I’m late to the conversation about shipping refunds, but I mistakenly refunded the overages when I first started selling in my eagerness to get good feedback and because I did not understand the fee structure. I now do exactly what you do by refunding a portion of the overage making sure I cover eBay fees on shipping & my supplies. Also, since I first heard you talk about “shop EBay 1st”, I’ve been using that as a slogan. Not that I’m an influencer or anything 😂, but when the topic comes up, I suggest at least first compare to Amazon. Thanks for your entertaining and informative videos!
I've always used calculated shipping, and I have a shipping RULE to add the weights for combined shipping for items sold within a 7 day period. That works well.
I only give a shipping discount if the buyer asks. I charge a flat rate for shipping and even if i spend less on the label i dont refund. Never have any issues and sometimes i charge less than actual cost so it evens out in the end.
I'm on your side on this one! They have agreed to the terms of the deal. That being said - I am strictly a clothing seller so its a bit simpler for me. I charge $2 per additional item bundled. All shipping policies are flat rate - it charges the highest one in the bundle then 2 bucks per each item. I track my shipping charges to customer and my actual label costs.I buy labels on my business credit card and have a seperate business checking account that I pay the card off with each month. The difference in shipping charge vs actual label price piles up. I use that checking account to purchase my shipping supplies. I've had orders of 8-10 items that I can get into a medium flat rate box. 15 bucks towards my next order of poly bags. It's business.
I will only refund on shipping if it was over $10 or more. Even then they do not get the $10 back, it is usually about $5.00 and under. Like you said I have to pay fees and even pay for the packing materials.
95% of our items are calculated shipping, and our repeat buyers know that we automatically send shipping refunds after shipping the item. I use a Rollo scale now, and I love it. Great video as usual
I always add the ability to make offers into each listing I post. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when someone sends me an offer and I accept then asks after I accept for a shipping discount either before or after they pay for the item.
If you offer a partial refund, then it messes up your sold items, like it'll have "refunded", but what I tell my buyers, if you want to save $ on shipping, then wait for me to send you an updated invoice with the correct shipping amount on the invoice! But if they pay for the shipping without asking for $ back, then I just let it be. But, the thing is, boxes, bubble wrap, ink for the printers, paper for the printers, tape for the boxes, all that stuff adds up!
I price my items with the expectation that the shipping is paid for each item by the buyer (flat rates stated). If they buy multiple and ask before purchase about a shipping discount, I’ll typically find a way to make that work, taking into consideration that I can usually accept a slightly lower price than listed, depending on age of listings, etc. After the fact, I kindly let people know that I can offer items at my great prices because of the shipping costs being covered by the buyer, and that has been met with understanding most of the time. It’s worked for me for 25 years, may not be for everyone.
Calculated shipping, if you pass along shipping discounts does not over charge the buyer. It is very accurate. I just wish we could charge calculated + fees.
I agree with you Kevin, we’re not obligated to refund shipping. I made a video about this as well, it’s a super controversial topic *on a side note, I started the video off with a good laugh when I saw your dog chasing the chickens during your intro 😂😂
I like to charge a little more than what I think it’s going to cost for a few reasons. 1st reason is the cost of shipping is always going up and I live on the west coast and If am shipping to the east coast shipping can be expensive. 2nd reasoning is everyone knows shipping supplies can be very expensive so I build the cost of supplies into the shipping cost.
Garfield Taurus, NES System, FSU Jacket Shirt Jersey, Holiday Inn Jacket, Wii Sports and Sports Resort, LU Hats, Radio Shack Computer, Ralph Lauren Polo Jacket, Coach Wallet, Carhartt Shirt, Liberty Bobblehead, Brutus Beanie Baby, Yoda Plush, Steelers Football, Scrabble Tiles, Carolinaopoly, Merchandise, Hinge Butt Template Kit, Scrabble Game. Thanks Kevin Take Care.
I charge flat rates in shipping as well! I also offer combined if asked, however if it’s 2 small items I usually ship most of the xtra however, like you keep a few bucks for my supplies and fees!
As far as asking a buyer to pay more for shipping if I made the dumb mistake of under-estimating the shipping weight or container size, I don't. I have been selling on eBay for 26+ years and if I can't properly estimate a shipping weight or needed box size, that is on me. It is all in the cost of doing business. We learn from our mistakes.
I had the same problem. I asked eBay cause I’m new. They said. If the buyer wanted all the different items at one time and didn’t pay yet then it will be one cost for shipping. But if they buy two items here and bought it. And two items later and paid then no.
I will do combined shipping on any items and only add costs if the items are heavy or bulky. My thought is if they agree to buy multiple items at once then it saves me time, resources, and shipping costs ultimately in the long run. I do flat rate on 99% of my items. Like you, I win some loose some but I feel it evens out.
It is a touchy subject Kevin. I shipped an item on Wednesday and paid a little more than I charged. But that was a choice. I don't know what the chance of combining shipping on some items. It has to be worthwhile... Also yes, should be before purchase #ebaygiftcards
I had a customer that had asked about combined shipping which I did then when I went to ship it cost me $15. I shipped it out and messaged the customer that it did cost me $15 more and that I just learned a lesson. I did not ask for any money but they told me they would cover it and sent me a money order for $15. Totally unexpected. If a customer does not ask for a discount on ship then I do not. If they ask I do discount shipping
I don't really get multiple sales from one buyer since I primarily sell fragile collectables. I have in the past refunded buyers a few dollars if the shipping they paid is $5.00 or more than what it should have been I find it odd that the times I have refunded buyers for shipping overage (without them asking for it) I have never once been thanked so I don't tend to refund as much as in the past. Lol
Over 90 percent of my items are free shipping, which I include shipping in the price. On my free shipping policies I recently set to lower 48 states only. Hope it won't affect ebay international.
I only refund shipping if I'm combining orders and it's been agreed upon to do so beforehand. There has been a rare exception a few times where an item came in WAY under the listed shipping and I refund some of it without them asking. (Usually where I had messed up on dimensions or weight and buyer payed like $30 shipping and the item ended up being like $8 to ship.) In those cases I will usually refund them part (not all) as a sign of goodwill, and explain that the shipping ended up being less then previously thought. It's resulted in additional purchases from those buyers on more then one occasion. I know it's hard to believe, but there are enough scummy resellers out there that sometimes by showing you're "one of the good ones" it can buy you return customers.
I do refund shipping when someone buys multiple items. I do it because morally, I don't believe in profiting on shipping way over and above my cost of shipping supplies. I make my profits on my selling price. I also think that the good will I gain, when the buyer mentions in the feedback comments what I did, is worth the effort. I list with calculated shipping. Remember, ebay gives us shipping discounts, sometimes 22% and more depending on what shipping methods we use. That is usually enough to pay for my shipping supplies.
I have never ever agreed with eBay making you pay fees on shipping. Ebay has nothing to do with the shipping. Totally separate thing I don't remember seeing eBay going with me to ship it out. Plus the customer already paid the shipping so why should I have to pay more ,when it already been paid.
I just received a return request for a bracelet. When they received the package, they said it was cut open and no bracelet. I’m sure eBay with grant them a refund. But what steps would you do first. I don’t think it should be made easy for buyers to claim they didn’t receive. I love your shows and always value your input.
#GiveAnEbayGiftCardForChristmas Thanks, Kevin, for another informative video. I combine shipping and occasionally refund partial shipping $ without being asked if it seems warranted. I DO keep enough $ for packaging and fees.
Because we sell in fear on eBay (crazy negative feedback) I refund on combined orders. Occasionally the shipping comes out way less and I refund some. Here is what I ALWAYS do…I refund newbies a $1 or $2 as a shipping discount because they don’t understand eBay and are quick to leave negatives. Remember buyers are often sellers and they know what the shipping should be. It is a crap game with crossed fingers every time we sell and wait for feedback. EBay needs to strike buyers who are habitual negative leavers. Ask Kat the Nurse Flipper. Love your videos. Great family.
quick question...love watching your videos...and like your background landscape....what part of virginia do you live at? How much land do you own, and who maintains it? I never see any footage of you on your riding mower..lol...be well...best to you and the family this holiday season...PC
Shipping refunds are an unfortunate side effect of resale YT, they paid for an over all value of an item, if all my items were free shipping with the shipping costs baked in would i refund them then... also no. (unless requested and agreed on) Its hard enough to make money, without giving what youve made away. Does Amazon, Walmart, Baba, give a refund...heccccck no! P.S. Im one of the few apparently that enjoyed the history lessons, miss the random tid bits of knowledge.
How about when u.s.p.s doesn't take responsibility for damaged packages and I have to refund. Packages that where packages properly but excessively mishandled but i don't refund after i have to refund customer. Or when they loose a package and I have refund and take my time to fill claims etc.
I hate when I send offer out, its accepted. I get an email saying they will pay 4 days and ask me can I ship Priority mail instead of the Media Mail as listed. Want me to pay the difference. At that point I sometimes cancel sell and block buyer. I see issues down the road I dont want to deal with. Half the time they never pay for it anyway. I have to wait 4 days for ebay to step in for non payment 😠
I don't run into the problem on single items of shipping being less or more than what the customer pays. I add in my fees and shipping supplies in the price of my item and give my customers my discount rate on shipping so what they pay and what I pay is always the same except in the case of someone close by, I may be able to upgrade from GA to Priority for a few cents less than what they paid. I will refund a buyer the difference on combined shipping if it's over several dollars only because my fees and shipping supplies are added in on the listing price of the item. And of course I will do combined shipping if they ask first. I'm retired from accounting so I'm a big spreadsheet person and have a spreadsheet that has all the formulas for me to come up with my price of the listed item. I don't list as many items as you do but if I did I might do things differently. I tried several ways with shipping when I started selling and this seems to work best for me now but it doesn't mean I won't change it in future. But as long as it's working, I'll continue. Appreciate all your insight and ideas on reselling. I've learned a lot from you!
I usually refund shipping if it is kind of crazy. If they buy three items and the shipping is $20 but it only cost $12 to ship them together, I would refund. I guess I hope it the positive will come back around some day. Love the idea of Ebay gift cards. That’s all I want for Christmas.
I just had a person buy 12 items and didn't ask for combined shipping. It was about 60 in shipping overages. Normally I never refund unless the buyer asks but this time I offered. Honestly I dont know why lol Like you said tho there's fees so I will definitely be calculating that too when I go to send them a refund.
I guess the phrase hashtag isn't going away like I had hoped xD. eBay giftcards is a good idea to bring buyers back to eBay, never thought of that one.
Same, I don’t refund unless they ask. A lot of the times when someone buys multiple items the combined shipping equals out with the added weight. So there isn’t always a bunch to refund on multiple items. I’ve had to tell buyers that the bump in shipping service will absorb all shipping costs applied. #GiveAnEbayGiftCardForChristmas
Right in all my item descriptions- "We do combine shipping whenever possible on multiple items and will send you an invoice for the reduced rate upon request. No worries if you've already paid, we'll send a partial shipping refund." I think it's only right if I'm paying less shipping because of a repeat customer that I pass a portion of that savings on to them. I do it every time and without being asked.
I don't think you're wrong about the shipping, but I do typically send a refund (even if not requested) when shipping has been "overpaid." I have had instances where someone has bought, say, three books and paid shipping on each, for a total of $15 shipping, but the shipping only cost me $8, I would return probably $5 in shipping- I would not return the full amount, necessarily. If I sent the items in a brand new box (as opposed to a recycled box), I would keep a little for that, etc. Also, I am a part-time reseller. I actually go to the post office and pay there for my packages to be mailed (call me crazy if you like), so the price I paid in shipping is listed right there on the label- so the buyer will know what I actually paid versus what they actually paid. Right or wrong, I don't want the buyer thinking I overcharged shipping and then take the risk of getting dinged on feedback. And I have actually received some feedback comments thanking me for the shipping refund.
If you are paying at the post office for shipping you are paying full retail price. You are paying WAY too much. Please start using eBay shipping. You will save so much money.
@@commonwealthflipper Thanks Kevin! Especially since I'm selling more and more, I definitely need to do it. Funnily enough, the day I made the initial post, I also saw one of Julian's (Bearded Thrift Machine) flip videos and he also mentioned to never pay at the post office. So, I need to look into a Rollo printer... and I'm guessing a scale is necessary as well, correct?
I went on eBay and put 3 vintage items in my cart (all small, lightweight) totalling about $75 US, I'm in Canada. I went to checkout and the shipping was going to cost more then the items😢. The items were all from the same shop. I know these items can all fit in the same box and shipping should at the most be $27 to $40 Canadian so I did not buy. Can eBay not automatically combine shipping? I'm an Etsy seller.
You also offer 5% off for people who order from your store so there's already one discount in place. I don't think there is a right way to do it. When I buy something on ebay, I stick to what is being offered and when I sell something, I do the same. Unless, someone contacts me and we make a different agreement. I don't have a hard and fast rule, but I do agree you need to consider all the fees. I don't think many people realize just how many fees there are on ebay and that you pay fees on shipping too.
To me if you as a seller combine the shipment into one package then it's only right to refund the buyer shipping. I've been selling on eBay for 23 years now and I always do it. Think about it, it's the right thing to do with no gray areas whatsoever. Now if you sell 4 items to a buyer and you ship 4 packages then go for it, but if you choose to ship one package then you should refund. You get a refund on the fees too so it's a wash.
Just last week, my customer messaged me about how nuch they loved the item and asked if I would consider discounting. I agreed and decreased the purchase price by 42% buyer pays shipping fees. ** So the customer then purchases the item and selects local pickup as to avoid paying for shipping!? . People are amazing. 🤬🤯 Ultimately in the end , I canceled the sale.
I will refund if the difference is $5 or more. No particular reason - that's just the number I've always used. Thanks for another great episode! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Can I ask a newbie question. If someone is shopping on your Ebay store, is there a add to cart option or do they buy items separately? also, if they order multiple items from your store, does it combine shipping atomatically? Sorry I don't shop on Ebay.
I’m confused. You said if you refund shipping you’re losing money because you’re paying fees on shipping but not on the shipping you refund. So how would that equate to losing money on fees if you refund?
There’s a lot more cost that goes into shipping than just the cost of the shipping label. Your time, the cost of shipping supplies, such as tape boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, gas to the post office, or UPS, etc. People used to understand that shipping was not shipping, but shipping and handling. We’re not the only ones who get discounts off shipping shipping is a profit center for many businesses. All the major online retailers get discount off shipping and they pocket the difference.
That's the way I'm structuring & re-focusing my business. Doing it as more of a service rather than a discount. You get the item that I have but you have to pay me for finding, storing, taking care of it & then shipping it. Prices vary on the market value. I will give people good deals especially on the holidays if they're being reasonable but beyond that I'm here for progress not to send a piece of junk to some one who doesn't appreciate it.
When I recently started selling on ebay again ( after a 10 yr hiatus) lol I got super nervous about overcharging for shipping. I sold my first pair of shoes and realized I charged the person $6+ more than actual shipping( not even thinking about fees & supply cost🤦♀)
I immediately sent the buyer a refund and didn't really think things through. The buyer never even responded "Thank you" or acknowledged my refund. Needless to say, I quickly realized after assessing that transaction after fees & supply cost I really didn't *need* to refund anything, but out of courtesy I should have only done only about $3. Since then, I haven't voluntarily refunded shipping (as I've gotten a lot better with shipping from watching you and other youtubers) and haven't been asked to either. 😉
"Have a Happy Thanksgiving Kevin & family!" 🦃
I totally agree with u and I appreciate u explaining it like u did cause I have refunded extra shipping before and I realize now that I probably lost a little doing that!
If I'm selling an item that I'm not sure of what the shipping costs are, I will put in the description that I will refund the difference in shipping. For example, I shipped a large painting and had no idea what it would cost to ship. (I normally don't sell paintings) I charged $150 for shipping and ended up refunding $60 since I was so far off on my calculations. Otherwise, I do not automatically refund shipping cost.
100% in agreement with everything you said about shipping. glad someone brought this up. i been bringing it up for a while in facebook reseller groups.
I generally don’t give shipping refunds unless agreed upon first. I also don’t give my shipping discount for smaller items, but sometimes if it is a big item that calculated shipping is high I will either do flat rate or I will tell the customer in the description to contact me for a shipping price based on the zip code they are purchasing from, but even then I keep enough to cover costs such as packaging and fees. I am perfectly ok with this. Great video topic Kevin.
Bill
We absolutely agree with you on this!! We will refund for multiple sales but always calculate the costs associated with the shipping and refund accordingly.
I really love your little house that you have your shop in. Thank you for sharing
About 30% of our store is books with free shipping. We rarely accept offers on books because we are competing with so many, however our book offerings are very niche. We offer mostly vintage, antique or collectible books & book lots. We will have reevaluate our shipping approach after the first of the year because the USPS media rate increases put the cost of shipping on par with Ground Advantage
Agree with you 1000%. I never refund shipping unless it’s a combined shipping discount that they asked for - after they payed for without waiting for me to invoice them.
And I’ve been in store retail for 36 years- online seller since the 90’s. My store goes up and down basically with the amount of work that I give it! Thanks Kevin- love your content!
For context i use calculated shipping on everything but CDs DVDs and video games.
I generally don't issue refunds for excess shipping unless I am asked if I can combine shipping, which I will. Most of the time the amount is trivial, a buck or two here and there.
I will however issue a refund for shipping where I grossly over estimated the size and weight of an item I am shipping, leading to a high shipping cost, my buyers don't expect it, but it has been appreciated.
I do however lose money at times on some larger heavier items that I over pack, but they are usually high value items so I am comfortable there.
You've had a few related videos recently such as how to decide the shipping charge (free, calculated, discounted, flat rate). This issue and others all go away when you allow offers and use calculated shipping. If you really want to discount shipping use a smaller size and weight in your listing. I don't normally combine shipments unless they were purchased together. The main reason for this is you cannot insure the combined shipment, you can only insure for up to the highest priced item. Thaks for making videos that get a good discussion going!
8:01 you should be factoring your fees all of them.into your item price that's why doing the race to the bottom is not the wisest thing to do. been reselling full time for 25 years I bake fvf's and handling into the it price and do calculated on the majority of my items and flat rate on small light weight items under 1lbs I do free shipping on lightweight flat items over $75
Another thing to do is toggle off the option of putting the cost of shipping on the label. I like your analogy of the free shipping being built into others cost and when they buy multiples… also I have NEVER asked someone to pay extra when I’ve underestimated the shipping weights. I’ve only had one time I’ve chosen to rebate shipping costs without pre-negotiations.
I do shipping the same way you do. It evens out and is usually fair all the way around.
I have refunded overage on shipping when asked to. Never 100% of overage, as I do what you do by deducting something for fees and packaging cost. I do calculated shipping. Being located in Maine, I feel that’s my best option. I think flat rate may work best when you are located in the middle of the country. I’ve tried it and the price is either way over, if they are close or way too low if shipping to west coast. If I base it all on flat rate to the west i feel it inflates shipping to much of the country and may turn off sales.
100% agree on shipping. Aside from supplies it takes several minutes to go in and do the refund. Time is money.
Completely agree. With this.
I only refund shipping overages if buyer has asked before buying... like you said.. we pay a fee on shipping plus shipping supplies & our time is worth money too
Yes, I consider everything you do...And I am with you 100%...I like to make my buyers Happy!
We always tell people just pay the shipping if overage is 2.00 or more we will send a refund, under 2.00 not worth the labor.
Main reason we discount by sending refund is Taxes
We also on occasion will send a refund on free shipping items when person has bought 8-10 or more items. But most of our Free Shipping items are built on idea buyer is going to buy 2 or more as when they buy one we do not really make any money.
Agree with your shipping. If they send an offer I typically won't send a shipping discount. On multiple orders, do same and deduct my costs. If I get shipping wrong in my calculations, I send refund if it's over 3.00. I can't see sending a couple bucks, I don't think most people will miss a couple bucks. I send a lot of fragile items, so it's hard to calculate what the end shipping will be, after packaging.i just try to be fair.
I never refund any shipping unless terms where agreed to BEFORE the sale but never AFTER the sale.
I agree with your statements in regard to shipping costs. If they ask ahead of time, absolutely I'll discount. If they buy and pay separately, I do not as I've already incurred fees based on the amount paid and they agreed to terms at the time of purchase.
I typically do not offer a discount on shipping, buyers do not realize that we pay eBay a percentage of the shipping cost in fees, plus I have to package the item up( supplies expense), as well as take it to the post office.(time & gas expenses)
I do combine the shipping and send a partial refund, not the entire amount because of fees, etc. I do mention that I will combine shipping in my listings, so I do feel obligated to do so. I also have a lot of repeat buyers and so I think that helps.
Refunding overage of combined shipping or overcharge of straight shipping is the right thing to do. Great honest customer service most always comes back to you tenfold . Once a buyer finds out he was overcharged for shipping, he's not coming back and may even leave Ebay (because he's been screwed). As a seller, don't give the buyer a reason to look elsewhere. Many sellers have ridiculous shipping fees. I wont purchase from a seller who inflates shipping fees, no matter how much I want/need the item. I'm a longgggg time seller on ebay (1999) . Everything you do as a seller on the platform reflects on all the sellers. As the saying goes "Do the right thing even when no one is looking".
PS.
I agree on combined shipping. Where they purchased multiple items. However, I would not expect a refund on a single item purchased.
Shipping Fee Question: Most Sellers know they pay fees on the shipping portion of the sale, but your comment reminded me of a related question I have been meaning to ask. When eBay runs a deal for Sellers of hot items (electronics, high end watches, etc) to draw in high end buyers and either reduces or eliminates the Final Value on the Selling Price, in Hot Categories as they sometimes do, what fee percentage is charged on shipping related shipping portion then? If they waive all the Final Value Fee, are they waiving all the their Shipping Fee?
I’m late to the conversation about shipping refunds, but I mistakenly refunded the overages when I first started selling in my eagerness to get good feedback and because I did not understand the fee structure. I now do exactly what you do by refunding a portion of the overage making sure I cover eBay fees on shipping & my supplies.
Also, since I first heard you talk about “shop EBay 1st”, I’ve been using that as a slogan. Not that I’m an influencer or anything 😂, but when the topic comes up, I suggest at least first compare to Amazon.
Thanks for your entertaining and informative videos!
I've always used calculated shipping, and I have a shipping RULE to add the weights for combined shipping for items sold within a 7 day period. That works well.
I only give a shipping discount if the buyer asks. I charge a flat rate for shipping and even if i spend less on the label i dont refund. Never have any issues and sometimes i charge less than actual cost so it evens out in the end.
I'm on your side on this one! They have agreed to the terms of the deal. That being said - I am strictly a clothing seller so its a bit simpler for me. I charge $2 per additional item bundled. All shipping policies are flat rate - it charges the highest one in the bundle then 2 bucks per each item. I track my shipping charges to customer and my actual label costs.I buy labels on my business credit card and have a seperate business checking account that I pay the card off with each month. The difference in shipping charge vs actual label price piles up. I use that checking account to purchase my shipping supplies. I've had orders of 8-10 items that I can get into a medium flat rate box. 15 bucks towards my next order of poly bags. It's business.
I will only refund on shipping if it was over $10 or more. Even then they do not get the $10 back, it is usually about $5.00 and under. Like you said I have to pay fees and even pay for the packing materials.
95% of our items are calculated shipping, and our repeat buyers know that we automatically send shipping refunds after shipping the item. I use a Rollo scale now, and I love it. Great video as usual
I always add the ability to make offers into each listing I post. It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when someone sends me an offer and I accept then asks after I accept for a shipping discount either before or after they pay for the item.
If you offer a partial refund, then it messes up your sold items, like it'll have "refunded", but what I tell my buyers, if you want to save $ on shipping, then wait for me to send you an updated invoice with the correct shipping amount on the invoice! But if they pay for the shipping without asking for $ back, then I just let it be. But, the thing is, boxes, bubble wrap, ink for the printers, paper for the printers, tape for the boxes, all that stuff adds up!
I price my items with the expectation that the shipping is paid for each item by the buyer (flat rates stated). If they buy multiple and ask before purchase about a shipping discount, I’ll typically find a way to make that work, taking into consideration that I can usually accept a slightly lower price than listed, depending on age of listings, etc. After the fact, I kindly let people know that I can offer items at my great prices because of the shipping costs being covered by the buyer, and that has been met with understanding most of the time. It’s worked for me for 25 years, may not be for everyone.
Calculated shipping, if you pass along shipping discounts does not over charge the buyer. It is very accurate. I just wish we could charge calculated + fees.
I agree with you Kevin, we’re not obligated to refund shipping. I made a video about this as well, it’s a super controversial topic
*on a side note, I started the video off with a good laugh when I saw your dog chasing the chickens during your intro 😂😂
I like to charge a little more than what I think it’s going to cost for a few reasons. 1st reason is the cost of shipping is always going up and I live on the west coast and If am shipping to the east coast shipping can be expensive. 2nd reasoning is everyone knows shipping supplies can be very expensive so I build the cost of supplies into the shipping cost.
The U-Haul packing paper boxes are perfect for board games
Garfield Taurus, NES System, FSU Jacket Shirt Jersey, Holiday Inn Jacket, Wii Sports and Sports Resort, LU Hats, Radio Shack Computer, Ralph Lauren Polo Jacket, Coach Wallet, Carhartt Shirt, Liberty Bobblehead, Brutus Beanie Baby, Yoda Plush, Steelers Football, Scrabble Tiles, Carolinaopoly, Merchandise, Hinge Butt Template Kit, Scrabble Game. Thanks Kevin Take Care.
I charge flat rates in shipping as well! I also offer combined if asked, however if it’s 2 small items I usually ship most of the xtra however, like you keep a few bucks for my supplies and fees!
Really enjoy watching your channels
sometimes shipping is part of the sale price covering shipping material's ect,
As far as asking a buyer to pay more for shipping if I made the dumb mistake of under-estimating the shipping weight or container size, I don't. I have been selling on eBay for 26+ years and if I can't properly estimate a shipping weight or needed box size, that is on me. It is all in the cost of doing business. We learn from our mistakes.
Agree! I changed to flat rate and have had good results!
I had the same problem. I asked eBay cause I’m new. They said. If the buyer wanted all the different items at one time and didn’t pay yet then it will be one cost for shipping. But if they buy two items here and bought it. And two items later and paid then no.
I will do combined shipping on any items and only add costs if the items are heavy or bulky. My thought is if they agree to buy multiple items at once then it saves me time, resources, and shipping costs ultimately in the long run. I do flat rate on 99% of my items. Like you, I win some loose some but I feel it evens out.
It is a touchy subject Kevin. I shipped an item on Wednesday and paid a little more than I charged. But that was a choice. I don't know what the chance of combining shipping on some items. It has to be worthwhile... Also yes, should be before purchase
#ebaygiftcards
Give an ebay gift cad for Christmas - great idea
I never refund extra shipping. We give enough discounts and offers that any extra shipping money balances that out a bit.
I had a customer that had asked about combined shipping which I did then when I went to ship it cost me $15. I shipped it out and messaged the customer that it did cost me $15 more and that I just learned a lesson. I did not ask for any money but they told me they would cover it and sent me a money order for $15. Totally unexpected. If a customer does not ask for a discount on ship then I do not. If they ask I do discount shipping
Turners Commonwealth Comedy session made me chuckle today. Thanks for another video 😊
I don't really get multiple sales from one buyer since I primarily sell fragile collectables. I have in the past refunded buyers a few dollars if the shipping they paid is $5.00 or more than what it should have been I find it odd that the times I have refunded buyers for shipping overage (without them asking for it) I have never once been thanked so I don't tend to refund as much as in the past. Lol
Also remember with promoted fees you get zero of that back if you refund.
Thank you for answering on video! I appreciate your answer!
Over 90 percent of my items are free shipping, which I include shipping in the price. On my free shipping policies I recently set to lower 48 states only. Hope it won't affect ebay international.
I only refund shipping if I'm combining orders and it's been agreed upon to do so beforehand. There has been a rare exception a few times where an item came in WAY under the listed shipping and I refund some of it without them asking. (Usually where I had messed up on dimensions or weight and buyer payed like $30 shipping and the item ended up being like $8 to ship.) In those cases I will usually refund them part (not all) as a sign of goodwill, and explain that the shipping ended up being less then previously thought. It's resulted in additional purchases from those buyers on more then one occasion. I know it's hard to believe, but there are enough scummy resellers out there that sometimes by showing you're "one of the good ones" it can buy you return customers.
I do refund shipping when someone buys multiple items. I do it because morally, I don't believe in profiting on shipping way over and above my cost of shipping supplies. I make my profits on my selling price. I also think that the good will I gain, when the buyer mentions in the feedback comments what I did, is worth the effort. I list with calculated shipping. Remember, ebay gives us shipping discounts, sometimes 22% and more depending on what shipping methods we use. That is usually enough to pay for my shipping supplies.
I only do calculated shipping on heavy and large items.
I have never ever agreed with eBay making you pay fees on shipping. Ebay has nothing to do with the shipping. Totally separate thing I don't remember seeing eBay going with me to ship it out. Plus the customer already paid the shipping so why should I have to pay more ,when it already been paid.
I don’t know how to combine shipping 😳Thank Goodness I haven’t had a multiple sale. 🤷♀️
I just received a return request for a bracelet. When they received the package, they said it was cut open and no bracelet. I’m sure eBay with grant them a refund. But what steps would you do first. I don’t think it should be made easy for buyers to claim they didn’t receive. I love your shows and always value your input.
#GiveAnEbayGiftCardForChristmas Thanks, Kevin, for another informative video. I combine shipping and occasionally refund partial shipping $ without being asked if it seems warranted. I DO keep enough $ for packaging and fees.
Because we sell in fear on eBay (crazy negative feedback) I refund on combined orders. Occasionally the shipping comes out way less and I refund some. Here is what I ALWAYS do…I refund newbies a $1 or $2 as a shipping discount because they don’t understand eBay and are quick to leave negatives. Remember buyers are often sellers and they know what the shipping should be. It is a crap game with crossed fingers every time we sell and wait for feedback. EBay needs to strike buyers who are habitual negative leavers. Ask Kat the Nurse Flipper. Love your videos. Great family.
I have never had a negative feedback over something like this.
Usually, $5 is my point to refund. But I do hold money for fees and packing material
I agree with everything you said. I do the same with the shipping.
quick question...love watching your videos...and like your background landscape....what part of virginia do you live at? How much land do you own, and who maintains it? I never see any footage of you on your riding mower..lol...be well...best to you and the family this holiday season...PC
Shipping refunds are an unfortunate side effect of resale YT, they paid for an over all value of an item, if all my items were free shipping with the shipping costs baked in would i refund them then... also no. (unless requested and agreed on) Its hard enough to make money, without giving what youve made away. Does Amazon, Walmart, Baba, give a refund...heccccck no! P.S. Im one of the few apparently that enjoyed the history lessons, miss the random tid bits of knowledge.
I think its a good business practice to refund if ithey way overpaid for shipping.
How about when u.s.p.s doesn't take responsibility for damaged packages and I have to refund. Packages that where packages properly but excessively mishandled but i don't refund after i have to refund customer. Or when they loose a package and I have refund and take my time to fill claims etc.
I live in Seattle and ALL my customers (like 80%) are in the east. Shipping kills me :(
I hate when I send offer out, its accepted. I get an email saying they will pay 4 days and ask me can I ship Priority mail instead of the Media Mail as listed. Want me to pay the difference. At that point I sometimes cancel sell and block buyer. I see issues down the road I dont want to deal with. Half the time they never pay for it anyway. I have to wait 4 days for ebay to step in for non payment 😠
Like adhdave just did with that whatnot show oh boy what a bite he took 😮😮😮
I don't run into the problem on single items of shipping being less or more than what the customer pays. I add in my fees and shipping supplies in the price of my item and give my customers my discount rate on shipping so what they pay and what I pay is always the same except in the case of someone close by, I may be able to upgrade from GA to Priority for a few cents less than what they paid. I will refund a buyer the difference on combined shipping if it's over several dollars only because my fees and shipping supplies are added in on the listing price of the item. And of course I will do combined shipping if they ask first. I'm retired from accounting so I'm a big spreadsheet person and have a spreadsheet that has all the formulas for me to come up with my price of the listed item. I don't list as many items as you do but if I did I might do things differently. I tried several ways with shipping when I started selling and this seems to work best for me now but it doesn't mean I won't change it in future. But as long as it's working, I'll continue. Appreciate all your insight and ideas on reselling. I've learned a lot from you!
I agree w u. And i learned something! Thanks!
I usually refund shipping if it is kind of crazy. If they buy three items and the shipping is $20 but it only cost $12 to ship them together, I would refund. I guess I hope it the positive will come back around some day.
Love the idea of Ebay gift cards. That’s all I want for Christmas.
I just had a person buy 12 items and didn't ask for combined shipping. It was about 60 in shipping overages. Normally I never refund unless the buyer asks but this time I offered. Honestly I dont know why lol Like you said tho there's fees so I will definitely be calculating that too when I go to send them a refund.
I guess the phrase hashtag isn't going away like I had hoped xD. eBay giftcards is a good idea to bring buyers back to eBay, never thought of that one.
Same, I don’t refund unless they ask. A lot of the times when someone buys multiple items the combined shipping equals out with the added weight. So there isn’t always a bunch to refund on multiple items. I’ve had to tell buyers that the bump in shipping service will absorb all shipping costs applied. #GiveAnEbayGiftCardForChristmas
Love you Kevin, but I think it is good customer service to refund overage.
Right in all my item descriptions- "We do combine shipping whenever possible on multiple items and will send you an invoice for the reduced rate upon request. No worries if you've already paid, we'll send a partial shipping refund." I think it's only right if I'm paying less shipping because of a repeat customer that I pass a portion of that savings on to them. I do it every time and without being asked.
You use it as a selling point and state it in your listing.
Like I said no problem at all with it. I think it can be a good tool to attract some customers. Do you keep enough to cover fees?
Yes, and a dollar extra if it requires extra shipping supplies. I give them a "reduced" shipping rate, not the whole thing.@@commonwealthflipper
Just one question for you.... Why is the commonwealth cabin so small? If your cabin was like 3 times the size you could store much more inventory
Question: what do you mean by “sorted Scrabble tiles”?
there is an additional fee for shipping the “long” items
I don't think you're wrong about the shipping, but I do typically send a refund (even if not requested) when shipping has been "overpaid." I have had instances where someone has bought, say, three books and paid shipping on each, for a total of $15 shipping, but the shipping only cost me $8, I would return probably $5 in shipping- I would not return the full amount, necessarily. If I sent the items in a brand new box (as opposed to a recycled box), I would keep a little for that, etc. Also, I am a part-time reseller. I actually go to the post office and pay there for my packages to be mailed (call me crazy if you like), so the price I paid in shipping is listed right there on the label- so the buyer will know what I actually paid versus what they actually paid. Right or wrong, I don't want the buyer thinking I overcharged shipping and then take the risk of getting dinged on feedback. And I have actually received some feedback comments thanking me for the shipping refund.
If you are paying at the post office for shipping you are paying full retail price. You are paying WAY too much. Please start using eBay shipping. You will save so much money.
@@commonwealthflipper Thanks Kevin! Especially since I'm selling more and more, I definitely need to do it. Funnily enough, the day I made the initial post, I also saw one of Julian's (Bearded Thrift Machine) flip videos and he also mentioned to never pay at the post office. So, I need to look into a Rollo printer... and I'm guessing a scale is necessary as well, correct?
I don't always refund but if it's a huge amount I do . Most ppl appreciate it but a few can't even bother to say thank you and very annoying.
I went on eBay and put 3 vintage items in my cart (all small, lightweight) totalling about $75 US, I'm in Canada. I went to checkout and the shipping was going to cost more then the items😢. The items were all from the same shop. I know these items can all fit in the same box and shipping should at the most be $27 to $40 Canadian so I did not buy. Can eBay not automatically combine shipping? I'm an Etsy seller.
I would love to switch to flat rate shipping but how does that work with international sales ?
My son has that keyboard from when he was young 😊
#ebay gift cards for Christmas. Kevin, saw the American bubble boy bag of coffee...we live in Utica NY where Utica Coffee originates ☕️ ☕️ ☕️
You also offer 5% off for people who order from your store so there's already one discount in place. I don't think there is a right way to do it. When I buy something on ebay, I stick to what is being offered and when I sell something, I do the same. Unless, someone contacts me and we make a different agreement. I don't have a hard and fast rule, but I do agree you need to consider all the fees. I don't think many people realize just how many fees there are on ebay and that you pay fees on shipping too.
To me if you as a seller combine the shipment into one package then it's only right to refund the buyer shipping. I've been selling on eBay for 23 years now and I always do it. Think about it, it's the right thing to do with no gray areas whatsoever. Now if you sell 4 items to a buyer and you ship 4 packages then go for it, but if you choose to ship one package then you should refund. You get a refund on the fees too so it's a wash.
Just last week, my customer messaged me about how nuch they loved the item and asked if I would consider discounting. I agreed and decreased the purchase price by 42% buyer pays shipping fees. ** So the customer then purchases the item and selects local pickup as to avoid paying for shipping!? . People are amazing. 🤬🤯 Ultimately in the end , I canceled the sale.
Take it easy on that vintage keyboard! Lol
I will refund if the difference is $5 or more. No particular reason - that's just the number I've always used. Thanks for another great episode! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Hell no!!! With eBay's increasing fees there's no way I'm giving away the little profit I make on this pitiful site.
Can I ask a newbie question. If someone is shopping on your Ebay store, is there a add to cart option or do they buy items separately? also, if they order multiple items from your store, does it combine shipping atomatically? Sorry I don't shop on Ebay.
I’m confused. You said if you refund shipping you’re losing money because you’re paying fees on shipping but not on the shipping you refund. So how would that equate to losing money on fees if you refund?
Actually, according to Google, your closer to Charlotte then you are to Washington. So, the Panthers would actually be the closest team to you.