Ebay Shipping via USPS Flat Rate

Ok - maybe I'm just being dense here so come to ask for help.  I was going to try and sale some unopened software I have (WOW BC Collector's Edition).  In the past I've always used priority shipping.  Started to work on the listing and got to the shipping part.  Did flat rate - Priority mail med box.  The max ebay will let me charge for shipping is $4.00.  WTH is that?  Is there a setting or something I need to change since not done ebay in years?  Cost for a flat rate box is 10.95.

Was going to do the calculate shipping but then depending on where buyer is at the rate would be different.  I wanted it to be a flat rate.

Suggestions or hints from ya'll that do Ebay all the time?

Sounds like your one of the few people the post office is still making money off of lol.

Software, books, cd's, dvd's, etc should be shipped media mail. It's a bit slow but is by far the cheapest option. If you prefer to ship quicker consider doing first class mail with is anything under 13oz it will pretty much guranteed be under $4 and it will get there in 3 days.

Flat rate can ship upwards of like 70 or 80 pounds. I sell copper pennies and bars and ship them in those flat rate boxes and it costs me $5 to ship a 15 pound box its awesome. For lighter items its not smart to use flat rate boxes though.

Around the holidays use first class over media mail or media mail can take like a month

Sounds like you need to contact eBay and tell them you don't appreciate being told you must take a $7 loss on shipping items in that container. IMO caps for shipping are bullspit when paypal tangles up your cash with holds unless you use a tracking #.

I just listed a item on E-bay today and I was able to list my shipping cost at $12 without any trouble .  I plan on using the med flat rate box. 

I always use 1st class or media mail.Cheaper and seems to sell faster because of less expensive price.

I know in videos if under catergory you list under multiple pieces you can charge more for shipping.List as a wholesale lot under category.

If it's 13 ounces or less, send it in a padded envelope first class mail. That should only be a buck or two.

If the category is media related, books cd's dvd's etc.  Ebay will cap it at $4.00.  You can change the category and keep the keywords and charge whatever you would like for shipping.

Good idea ChefJ - didn't think about it.  I just built in the shipping, least amount of profit I wanted, and fee's in my asking price.  The item sold so I was happy.  Even w/ tracking however I had a 14 day hold on my cash.  USPS just now updated the tracking as being delivered 5 days after I got my money.

It's amazing that I paid for tracking and signature confirmation and the letter I get back finally from the USPS is that they were unable to locate any delivery info.

craiglstauction..... When a carrier attempts delivery of a sig con and the customer is not there a notice is left and the package is returned and will be held for 15 days before it is returned to sender. Your customer may have waited a couple weeks until they came to pick it up. The USPS tracking site should have shown an attempted scan a few days after mailing if this is the case. Not sure about the letter, give me some more info and I'll try to help figure out what happened.

The item was delivered that I know.  It just was never scanned at the house.  Last entry was the scan at the post office that it was heading out for delivery.  I got feedback on ebay is how I know it got delivered.  Called my local post office and he was like you will have to call them.

I know from past experience that if the carrier is a sub or new there is no telling what may happen.  We had ordered some stuff from Vexcon for our daughter who loves the Billy exterminator show.  We tracked the package every day and knew when it was to be delivered.  Well per the tracking # it was delivered to our house.  We searched everywhere for it as many times they just drop and go.  Come to find out it was a sub driver who marked the package as delivered before she even left the post office and then delivered our package to the local medical prison.  We got the package in time for daughters b-day party but my wife was very pissed off.

I still use the USPS for almost all of my shipping.  I know those men and women work hard to get me my mail each day and I like to support them back.

Sounds like you have it right that a carrier missed the scan. We have been transitioning to tracking on all packages and scanning is the most important thing. One of the PO's problems is the absolute protection of bad employees by the unions. If the PO could rid itself of the bottom 20% it would make a tremendous difference. When we go to 5 day delivery there will not be issues with sub carriers we have now. We have a lot of hard working folks at our office, but a couple bad apples make us all look unprofessional. As someone who sorts packages for delivery, I appreciate everyones business.

By the way... that was piss poor customer servive when you called your PO, bad management is another problem!

We have been transitioning to tracking on all packages and scanning is the most important thing.

I too use USPS as often as I am able. My one gripe with them is that the tracking service really sucks. It takes 24 hours just for the system to post that your package exists. Then after that, tracking is only updated once a day around midnight. All too often the package arrives before tracking even knows what's going on.

Chain of events is... 1) package arrives at PO early in morning 2-6 AM and gets arrive at unit scan. This will show up mid morning after scanners download following sorting. We do about 2000 per day at our office. 2) Carriers will perform scans on route thru the day and download scanner when they return to office. It takes about an hour for all info to filter thru. Carriers will return between 4-6 PM. All scans will typically be available on the website by 6-7 PM. I hope we can get to real time scanning at some point.

When you take your packages to the PO, go thru the window and they will give it an acceptance scan that will show up shortly after it occurs. If you drop in lobby box they will not. If you do regular mailings set up carrier pickups and they will collect all packages and give acceptance scan. The website has info on many services not readily known by people. The tracking service will continue to improve but is a work in progress. Sorry for your troubles.

Kinda funny.. the company who has been in the business the longest is the slowest to adapt to new technology

I get the e-mail from fedex confirming a package sent to me has been delivered to me before the driver has completed her short walk back to the truck.

You're right, but if UPS & FedEx had their business model controlled by Congress think what they would look like. Between union's, poor management and Congress controlling my job future, I was desperate to find something that I totally control. Good luck to everyone.