Etsy is not calculating shipping and combining items correctly (2)

[ForeverWindingWool]

I had a customer who checked out, choosing three variations on one listing, and purchased a total of 5 skeins.  Etsy did not combine the items to calculate shipping but charged shipping on each individual skein ($5.98 EACH).  This means my customer was overcharged by $20!  I've been wondering why I haven't been getting any sales during this sale for the past seven days, but if people put multiple skeins in their cart and get charged an exorbitant amount, I can see why they would back out of their purchase!   

I would like Etsy to correct this error, refund the customer, and ensure that there is no issue with my shop's calculated shipping profiles. I believe this is a serious matter that needs immediate attention to prevent further customer dissatisfaction and potential loss of sales.  I hope other shops aren't experiencing this problem because it would definitely be a sales killer! 

Does anyone have any suggestions for whom to contact beyond the forums?

[BagmakerSupply]

@ForeverWindingWool: "... ensure that there is no issue with my shop's calculated shipping profiles ..." What Etsy charges for shipping is based completely on how you set up your shipping profiles. They charge what you told them to charge. https://help.etsy.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014115187-How-to-Set-Up-Shipping-Information-for-your-Lis... In particular what do you have set up for the 'additional items' value?

"I would like Etsy to ... refund the customer ..." Why should Etsy refund the customer? The excess shipping was paid to YOU and you have that money so it is up to you refund it.

[ForeverWindingWool]

@BagmakerSupply Well, I am currently using one shipping profile for all 82 of my listings.  That's why I'm concerned that all of my listings might be having an issue with "calculating."  Nothing is different regarding weight or package size since the yarn is the same size as all the other yarns.   
Just to provide some context, this is a new listing that I'm referring to. 

I understand what you're saying; I'll refund the customer, but I want to ensure that any customer who buys multiples isn't charged as if there were only one. For example, when I go to print the shipping label, it shows five single boxes of $5.98 since there were five skeins of yarn purchased. Normally, there would only be one box of $10 since they would all be calculated together.

[BagmakerSupply]

@ForeverWindingWool: Step 1 is to make sure that the shipping profile is actually attached to the listing in question. Step 2 is to check the shipping profile itself to make sure that some Etsy 'update' did not remove or change some setting / value which now is causing a miscalculation.

We use calculated shipping and our only issue to date is that Etsy sometimes wants to put it in a bigger box than is required.

[AutumnHollowStudio]

You need to check your shipping profiles and make sure everything that you input into the respective fields is correct and current. If you have more than one shipping profile attached to multiple listings, check those and make sure what you want to charge for additional items is correct. The shipping fees paid by buyers is determined by the shipping profiles you create.

It's not uncommon for older listings to have an outdated shipping profile that the seller forgets to update. But Etsy doesn't owe your buyer a refund - you do, since the money for the shipping was paid to you.

[ForeverWindingWool]

@AutumnHollowStudio I have all 81 of my listings on the same shipping profile.  There is no extra charge for additional items.  It is strictly done by weight.

[TandemElementsShop]

i tested it for you by putting these 4 in my cart and the shipping (u.s.) shows as $14.30

https://www.etsy.com/listing/77283818/hand-dyed-brown-wool-yarn-worsted-weight?ref=cart

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1210424524/hand-painted-yarn-variegated-with-pink?ref=cart

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1394485206/cobalt-blue-hand-dyed-wool-gradient-yarn?ref=cart

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1443995895/hand-spun-merino-wool-yarn-gift-for?ref=cart

[JMOldeVintage]

@ForeverWindingWool  - Do you use Etsy's Calculated Shipping?

To an extent yes, calculated shipping only takes into account the weight & size of the item when figuring out the shipping cost.
(I say size too because big bulky things can lead to a large box & then dimensional weight charged.)

I added 5 items to my cart - 1 ultimate sock yarn & 4 small tools. The shipping cost increased with addition and shows a total of $8.65 First Class shipping.
Adding the Karbonz needles increased shipping cost to $14.42. I do not see the class of shipping - I would guess Priority? All I see is "Shipping".

Placing 4 skeins of the sock yarn in my cart & the price for shipping was not x4 - it was an incremental change. So I'd guess you have a box size calculated shipping can choose from to place all items in one box.

I get this nagging feeling there is something going on with shipping charges in general. In another thread a US shop was able to list an item & long story short it's in the shop but NO shipping charge shown. They use Calculated Shipping. On the listing page Etsy asked me for my zip code but that did not trigger a shipping fee. In fact I carted the item & believe I could have checked out with "involuntary free shipping". The listing in question was also newly listed. And then the threads where shops can't enter an item's size & weight. 

[SugarTaffySoap]

@ForeverWindingWool  This is why I use Fixed Shipping. I was issuing so many partial shipping refunds to customers for high shipping overge < (I can't type this word correctly because it changes to the word "coverage"- ugh ) plus I was getting messages from buyers. It was ridiculous. I use fixed shipping (and additional item charge). Happy seller, happy buyers.

[hopeandjoystudios]

I set it in the listing..easier to control. Yes if it is squishable you can understate the item size. Don't use box size. It will quickly put it in an oversized box. Oversized rates are crazy especially to further zones,

[funkydreamsmosaics]

I think your issue is in SIZE, not weight.  Here's why:  I put 4 skeins of the sock yarn in my cart.  It is charging me $12.86 for FIRST CLASS.  If it were a weight issue, it would have bumped me to priority, so it still thinks it is under a pound.  (I know it's GA, but I'm just re-stating what the cart says.)

I went and looked at rates, and to get anything close to that cost required a box that was 18x12x9.

For the order in question, when you got to create a label, what box dimensions is Etsy using?  (You don't have to buy the label to see these.)

Or is it charging for 2 boxes?? 

[ForeverWindingWool]

@funkydreamsmosaics  I agree.  I checked, and all five shipping labels were for boxes that measured 11"X8"x4".  I went in to check my shipping preferences to see if anything had been changed without me knowing.  I thought perhaps they had made some of the box parameters that I had chosen smaller. Multiple box sizes were there that could have been used with several 8"x4"x4" items, but I went ahead and clicked to add more box sizes just in case.  

I hope it was a one-time glitch and that Etsy hasn't changed something behind the scenes with how they calculate packages for shipping

[hopeandjoystudios]

You can easily refund her the shipping overage. But yes if an issue you need to find out what it is. Something you have done or Etsy. You don't want to scare off sales.

[hopeandjoystudios]

What are you using as item size? The calculator sees that as a solid 3D block. I assume even with profiles if you have one for say an 10x5x5 at 12 oz for a skein of yarn, it sees each item as that size and keeps raising the box size for multi item orders. 2 would be 10x10x5, 3 15x10x 5  4 20x10x5 etc. If you quote a larger size it adds up to oversized even faster...especially if the box you have enabled is even larger than necessary but all you have that fits it. If you have NO correctly large enough box I think it goes by item size. Make sure you have no really large box in your package preferences. I removed all mine over a cubic foot so it would default to combined item size alone.

[ForeverWindingWool]

Ok, I apologize for being so late.  I had to leave and just now got back.  @JMOldeVintage , your test was the most helpful.  Thank you for taking the time to do that.  It was sock yarn that was purchased, my newest listing.  As I mentioned, it has the same shipping profile as all my other listings; I give each listing item's measurements and weight.  I'm an old hand at this, so I know how to adjust the listings to get the results I need.  Shipping calculations from Etsy are close enough, so I'm pretty happy with them.   

Upon attempting to print the shipping label, I noticed something unusual. The pink shipping box on the left was not as it should have been.  In fact, there were 5 of them! So there were FIVE shipping labels being created, one for each 4 oz. skein of yarn.  Unless there was a very large order, this seems highly unusual, doesn't it?

Normally, you will have 1 shipping label unless it was an excessively large size order with multiple skeins, but we're talking five 8"x4"x4" skeins of yarn.  It will easily go into a 15x11" envelope.   If I had accidently put the wrong weight or size it would have given me a higher estimate (and charged the customer more than what was necessary) but it STILL would have only been one shipping label on the left.   All 5 shipping labels are for 4 oz.

I'll keep an eye on things.  It must be a one time thing since I don't see others complaining.  My concern was that there was a glitch in my shipping profiles and that people were getting socked with excessive shipping and backing out of purchases. 

Thank you for all your suggestions and help.  You helped me trouble shoot.  If I continue to have problems I'll let you all know.

[AutumnHollowStudio]

Did your customer place one order for multiple items, or a separate order for each item?

[ForeverWindingWool]

@AutumnHollowStudioOne order, three variations of a single listing with five items total. I had the same thought.

I'm refunding the customer and mailing the order this morning, so it will have to be a mystery that will be solved at a later date.