Maximum Postage Costs policy and US Tariffs issue

[kangamoose_shop]

Ebay has a Maximum Postage Cost policy for many categories, sellers are required to offer an inexpensive option, but are allowed to charge more for additional shipping options.

Since US tariffs are in effect, many sellers have decided to raise their shipping cost to cover the extra amounts involved, especially since EBay isn't collecting tariffs from buyers, but Royal Mail IS.. 

For an item such as a coat, the maximum is just £11.  Video game is £3.50

If Ebay can't manage to collect tariffs, it seems to be that they should abolish these ridiculously low maximum postage charges. Doing the math, if a seller sells a video game to the US for £30, the tariff is £3 plus an additional Royal Mail handling fee of 50p., all that IN ADDITION to the actual shipping cost.  And the maximum (least expensive option) for shipping that item is £3.50! 

And of course, no Ebay protection unless a tracked service is used.  Here is a link to the current Ebay policy page.  

Ebay Maximum Postage Costs policy 

[81naut_51]

Afaik that is only for domestic shipping. With manual international shipping (not via GSP)  you can charge whatever you like for postage 

[kangamoose_shop]

I read through the policy page, I see no exceptions..  While the page info may simply be contradicting the GSP policy, this page does state:

"The maximum postage and packaging costs apply for all items listed on eBay.co.uk, even if you're not a UK seller."

and 

"If your eBay account is registered in the UK and you're listing directly on eBay.com, you're required to specify a postage cost within the specified limit for the category."

[81naut_51]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the question but there isn't a least expensive option for international sales.  I do see the Maximum postage costs for each category - but only for domestic sales in the UK.

Are you saying that if you are listing on eBay.co.uk, that the maximum postage you can charge to ship a coat to usa/australia/france/peru is £11?

Maybe because your location is not based in the UK that your options are limited? I have attached images of a DVD on sale (UK based)  which shows price for UK postage is £4.99, postage to USA is £29.99 and to Finland its £37.64 (none of these are GSP- they are all manual postage costs set under "business policies" for a broad postage cost or the "postage rate tables" for very specific country postage costs (Postage preferences > Rates and exclusions > Use postage rate tables)

[rainbowtrax]

I can confirm that the maximum postage costs only apply to UK postage. You can set whatever price you like for any foreign destination.

That said, these maximum postage costs for the UK were imposed years ago before sellers paid FVF on postage. They were only implemented to stop sellers from loading the postage price to save on fees so are now completely pointless and have been for years. They also haven't been changed in over a decade while postage prices have escalated.

This has been raised time and again but, for some reason, ebay refuse to abolish or even update them.

[kangamoose_shop]

Slight edit:  "They haven't changed in a decade..."   Meaning the PRICES haven't changed, correct?

Do you mean that the policy page is outdated or oddly worded and doesn't apply, or I've simply misunderstood the page contents?  Because I don't see any distinction written on that policy page between domestic shipping and international shipping. Maybe I blinked while reading it. 🤔 

Please copy and paste  where the policy page specifically states that a limit only applies to domestic. 

The way things are going, I would not be suprised if the old man across the pond signs an order that all marketplace prices must now include shipping in the item price, so the item value itself  jumps up and more tariff charges on that higher value. For now, raising shipping prices seems like a good way to reduce tariffs charged to US buyers, and my question about Ebay maximum postage cost policy pertains to that. 

Even if a UK seller in London sells a video game to another buyer in London, the max of £3.50 that the policy page shows seems ridiculously low.

Of course, the standard  Ebay advice  for increasing sales is to offer free shipping.     

[rainbowtrax]

I'm just telling you how it actually works, regardless of whatever the info page does or doesn't say. Ebay are renowned for not being clear; it'll just be yet another instance. But I know for sure that, in practice, it doesn't apply to international postage.

On that page, it does say, "You can offer multiple postage options, such as express delivery, or overseas postage, and can include options that are more expensive than the maximum postage cost.

However, you'll need to offer at least one affordable postage option to buyers that is within the limit and it must include all postage costs, such as handling and insurance" which does at least imply that it doesn't apply to international postage. This being ebay, that's probably the best you can hope for.

[rainbowtrax]

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@kangamoose_shop wrote:

Even if a UK seller in London sells a video game to another buyer in London, the max of £3.50 that the policy page shows seems ridiculously low.

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Just to add, the reason why the max prices are ridiculously low is because ebay invented these over a decade ago and have never updated them so they're still only in line with what postage cost over ten years ago.

[kangamoose_shop]

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@rainbowtrax wrote:
Just to add, the reason why the max prices are ridiculously low is because ebay invented these over a decade ago and have never updated them so they're still only in line with what postage cost over ten years ago.

The ebay.cn  Ebay China page is loaded with all the different country EBay site policies, and nothing for sale or purchase. They probably keep that site WELL updated!

I'm impressed that Royal Mail came up with a US tariff solution,it's approaching 2 weeks since most postal services pulled the plug on the USA.  Someone at RM deserves a promotion.

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