Excessive Shipping Charges Policy

Sellers may charge reasonable shipping and handling fees to cover the costs for mailing, packaging, and handling the items they are selling. While eBay will not prescribe exactly what a seller may or may not charge, eBay will rely on member reports and its own discretion to determine whether or not a seller’s shipping, handling, packaging, and/or insurance charges are excessive. Shipping and handling fees may not be listed as a percentage of the final sale price.

Sellers who want to be sure they are in compliance with this policy may charge actual shipping costs plus actual packaging materials cost (or less).

In addition to the final listing price, sellers are permitted to charge:

Actual Shipping cost: This is the actual cost (i.e. postage) for shipping the item.

Handling Fee: Actual packaging materials costs may be charged. A handling fee in addition to actual shipping cost may be charged if it is not excessive.

Insurance: Sellers offering insurance may only charge the actual fee for insurance. No additional amount may be added, such as “self-insurance”. Sellers who do not use a licensed 3rd party insurance company may not require buyers to purchase insurance. This is a violation of state law.

Tax: Only actual applicable federal, state, country, city, VAT, and equivalent taxes may be charged.

For cross border transactions, sellers may not collect tariffs and duties. However, buyers may be responsible for actual, applicable tariffs, and duties as requested by respective country laws.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

Listing cancellation
Limits on account privileges
Account suspension
Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
Loss of PowerSeller status

Some Examples

Examples of violating listings:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (2001, DVD)

BIN: US $1

Shipping: US $11 First Class USPS

Explanation: The actual cost to ship this DVD would be less than $3 using First Class Mail stated in the listing. This seller is charging all costs for this item in the shipping price thus hiding the “true” cost for this item from buyers.

New Pink Motorola L6 L 6 Unlocked Slvr GSM World Phone

BIN: US $98.95

Shipping: US $64.84 UPS 2nd day air

Explanation: The seller has clearly stated that UPS 2nd Day Air will be used to ship this item, thus overall shipping charges are inflated.

Sony 2 GB Memory Stick Pro Card

BIN: US $37.35

Shipping: US $26.99 Standard Shipping Service

Explanation: The seller states that the item will be shipped “Standard Shipping Service” and not an Overnight service. Given the small size/weight of this item, overall shipping charges are inflated.

Examples of Listings in Compliance:

NEW SONY ERICSSON T237 GSM UNLOCKED COLOR PHONE * FEDEX

BIN: US $36.95

Shipping: US $18.95 Standard Overnight Flat Rate Shipping Service

Explanation: The seller is shipping this item via Fed Ex Standard Overnight and states the actual flat rate cost in the listing.

Creative Labs Zen Micro Photo 8GB Pink MP3 Player

BIN: US $195

Shipping US $11.99 UPS ground

Explanation: The seller is sending the item via UPS ground and is charging actual shipping prices plus a reasonable fee.

SOLID STATE Abstract Art Painting Taylor HUGE

Painting measures 36” x 24” / canvas supported by panel

Starting bid: US $20

Shipping: US $40 USPS ground

Explanation: The shipping charge is greater due to the size/bulk of the item being shipped and custom crating.

Why does eBay have this policy?

This policy reduces the potential for confusion among bidders about the full cost of an item. Listings that include excessive shipping fees lead to a poor buying experience and un-level the playing field by putting sellers who charge reasonable shipping charges at a disadvantage. These listings undermine the trust and legitimacy of eBay’s marketplace.

Related Help topics

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