eBay Confirms Some Lower but Perplexing USPS Rates

by: terry

Just plain stupid, looks like my buyers are going to get bonus lead fishing weights with their order.And my light weight fishing lures sit unsold because of the higher shipping rate. PO would make more money lowering the light weight items, now I have to put 5 lures together, ebay gets $5.50 to $6 per package instead of $22 for 5 packages. Glad this is my last year, I'm tired

by: Rexford

I feel sure that someone will be manufacturing and marketing "shipping weights" just for this purpose.

Does USPS every consider ethics, fairness, and doing the right thing, or is it all about the money? (Of course we know the answer to this question.)   If UPS beats USPS' price even by 1 cent I ship UPS, just for reasons like this.   And as I understand it, on UPS Ground, USPS delivers the last leg for UPS, so why do they let UPS beat their price?

by: Shanna

Have a 12oz package going NC to FL. 12oz price $6.25. 2lb 12oz price $5.83. You are not allowed to ship over your listed weight, but I see no rule that you can drastically under list the weight.

by: etectra

In the meantime USPS management is wasting millions on ads about great Ground Advantage is. I see them on Facebook Marketplace, in business magazines and on TV.

No one uses USPS due to these ads - its like flushing money down the toilet.

People use USPS over FedEx & UPS in this rural area of small towns, and one larger city of 30,000, due to locations. There are five post offices in small towns in a 9 miles radius including the one my my small town. There used to six as a small town 3.5 miles away, with a population of 150, use to have a post office operated out of a room in the postmaster's home for many years until she retired.

In the case of our local post office it actually saves USPS a bundle of money as only a couple streets and the main highway through town are on a rural mail route. Everyone else gets a free postal box, thus saving USPS from having to deliver all this mail.

Locally FedEx and UPS require a drive to a nearby city of 30,000 (30 miles round trip). UPS packages are usually left as Staples as the local UPS transport hub is only open a few hours in the morning and in the afternoon - there is no UPS store.

If USPS wanted to pull in some extra cash they should allow for UPS & FexEx packages to be dropped off at Post Offices. USPS would simply scan these, collect a fee, with UPS picking them up. USPS would provide no insurance - that would be on UPS. Optionally charge the person who drops it off a token fee of $1.00 or $2.00, possible in addition to a UPS paid fee, which would be far cheaper than having to drive 30 miles and waste at least hour of your time.

by: DTSM

It would far more sense to lower rates from 0 to 5 lbs instead of confusing people with the 3 to 5 lb window.  

by: airbrake

I checked Postal Fees to several zip codes around the lower 48 four days out between Ebay and Pirate Ship and they were the same - no difference. This was for packages weighing between 8oz. and 4 pounds. Ebay is again blowing smoke.

by: etectra

"Smart Ship Tip: Visit the eBay shipping calculator for the latest pricing on all shipping services."

The eBay shipping calculator has a VERY LONG RECORD of being wrong.

Earlier this year if I left the destination zip code blank it was suppose to give the range of prices from minimum to maximum. Yet when I inputted the two most costly zip costs representing the farthest geographical locations in Alaska and Hawaii from my location was more.

As least as recently as the fall of 2025 it did not calculate cubic rates correctly as it was not rounding the dimensions down to the nearest quarter of an inch to calculate the rate, thus overcharging for the next highest tier of disqualifying the package from cubic rates altogether.

In the fall of 2025 eBay listing form did not allow decimal points, thus customers were overcharged for cubic rates if the seller was paying USPS discount onto the customer as opposed to charging retail as cubic rates are a commercial rate only. eBay was also overcharging for packages by incorrectly calculating dimensional rates for USPS. A 12.4" x 12.4" x 12.4" package under USPS rules is not subject to dimensional rates as the dimensions are rounded to the nearest inch, but eBay told sellers to round up.

Of course eBay also did not add cubic rates for many years after other label providers proved them and even after they were added they did not work right as decimal values are required as well as the correct rounding rules.

eBay shipping had been about one thing only - ripping its users off!

by: Andy

@Shanna: "You are not allowed to ship over your listed weight, but I see no rule that you can drastically under list the weight."

The USPS and their Automated Package Verification system look only at whether the package type, dimensions and weight match the postage paid. What the next higher or lower rate might be does not enter into it, so even though we currently have this weird situation where lighter packages cost more than heavier ones, the APV is simply looking to see whether the details are consistent with the price paid.

by: Proline

USPS doesn’t know how to run a business and never will

by: Tahiti_Tom

We are just selecting the 3 pound rate if it’s cheaper, even if the item weighs under a pound. In the past, the Postal Service has never adjusted for this. If they do start to adjust, I guess I will go buy some fishing weights and start giving customers those for free.

by: Bethofvt

I have a few books I was going to donate to the library sale. I might just send a book with each package under 2 pounds. I will print explanation cards to enclose

by: ChathamCenter

@ Rexford, the combination UPS-USPS is called "Ground Saver." I personally have had nothing but trouble with it, and I avoid it. I just did a Google search and apparently the two players have reconciled whatever problems they were having, and the service is up and running again.  

UPS Ground is the same as always, UPS all the way.  

by: terry

@Tahiti_Tom
USPS is weighting package, if it only weights 8 oz and you put 3lb, they are charging a underage fee

by: DW

There's more than this beginning July 12. Check the Federal Register.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/15/
2026-09785/domestic-competitive-products-pricing-and-mailing-standards-changes

"USPS Ground Advantage
Prices

USPS Ground Advantage retail prices will remain the same.
USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial Ounce Price Points

The Postal Service is revising the USPS Ground Advantage—Commercial ounce price points (4, 8, 12, and 15.999) to reflect the same price for each ounce price point within a zone, similar to Parcel Select Destination Entry ounce price points."

This means it will be cheaper for me to send a 4 oz bubble mailer to 98604 if I include it in a box of sand that weighs 3 pounds.