Shipping Labels auto populating with Priority instead of Ground

[Jambearies]

Ever since the postal service's change to Ground Advantage, many of my labels are being automatically populated with Priority, even when the customer selected Ground Advantage.  The Priority label usually costs just a little bit more than the Ground, but that cost to me can add up quickly.  And I don't appreciate Etsy making the decision on which shipping method to use--it should auto populate to the method the customer has selected. 

There have been many times when I haven't caught it until the label was printed, which is now costing me in labels I have to throw away.  Not to mention the time and inconvenience of requesting a refund on the label and then going through the process to print another one.  This is yet another BUG that Etsy needs to fix.

I shouldn't have to scrutinize each label I'm printing.  Etsy needs to populate the field with the customer's choice, then, if I want to upgrade the order I can.  But it should be my decision, not Etsy's.

[mommawhazelsquilts]

It's an easy change 

[Hertfordweaver]

I am not having this problem so I don't understand. Is the customer paying for the priority postage, possibly selecting it? Are you changing any of the criteria that determine the postage?

[mommawhazelsquilts]

@Hertfordweaver  I don't give my customers a choice in shipping (I don't do calculated) and I have noticed on my labels when they come up that sometimes it is set on priority.  All you have to do is manually change it so I think that's what her problem is.  It looks like the default is priority and you have to manually change it.  At least that's what it's like on my end.

[BagmakerSupply]

@Jambearies: On our orders at least, Etsy is not yet calculating for Ground Advantage correctly - packages of more than 15.999 ounces are being charged as Priority Mail (and that is what the buyer pays) since First Class Package rate had that weight limit. While Ground Advantage does allow for packages of 16 ounces or more, those have the old Parcel Post estimated time in transit which can be significantly longer than the same package at 15.9 ounces depending on where they are going.

[hopeandjoystudios]

Even on PS it will present Priority first as the best choice when it is a few cents cheaper to ship GA. You have to scroll down to pick GA. I think it figures the cost of the box and slower time offsets the few cents. Depending on size a box for me is generally 50 cents minimum so Priority can actually be cheaper even if it costs a few cents more.

If you are aware of the issue you need to look for it. Priority is probably the most picked service so that's why it gets shown first.

[Jambearies]

I just had a package this morning that the customer selected ground, but the field populated Priority.  It was over $2 more to ship priority.  I'm just saying that the field should populate with what the customer selects, not which is faster or what Etsy thinks we should be shipping.  Yes, it's easy to fix it, but if you are a high volume seller, as I am, it's very time consuming to scrutinize every label, and it often gets missed until I'm putting the label on the package.  Then I have to go back, request a refund for the label and print another one that's correct. This is time consuming and a waste of my labels, which are also not cheap!  It should default to what the customer has selected.  This is also an easy fix on Etsy's end.

[BagmakerSupply]

@Jambearies: Totally agree with you and it seems like such an odd error. Just to make sure that we understand you, the actual order says that the package should ship Ground Advantage (and that is what the buyer is charged for) but the label is still generated for Priority Mail?

[Jambearies]

@BagmakerSupply, yes, that's exactly what's happening.

[GuernseyVintagePaper]

This must be a nightmare for you!!!  I'm a small seller who adjusts each label for dimension and weight, so the label is not a problem.  I just change the shipping method back to ground advantage.  However, on items that weigh 2lbs and over, I have to reimburse the customer for shipping overages.   That's a little annoying.  I'm not so sure Etsy is making decisions for us as much as they did not understand that Ground Advantage prices would be different from First Class/Priority prices.  One would think, by now, Etsy would know they can't just link Ground Advantage to the First Class/Priority price schedules.  Pretty sure they must know that now.  Hopefully they will make fixing this a high priority deliverable.

[BagmakerSupply]

@GuernseyVintagePaper: No clue what Etsy's reasoning is, but keep in mind that Ground Advantage packages over 15.99 ounces have an estimated in transit time like the old Parcel Post. A 15.99 ounce package from Chicago to Hawaii has a 5 day estimated in transit time, the same package at 16 ounces has an estimated in transit time of 15 days.

[AnotherTimeAntiques]

Every label deserves scrutiny at the beginning point for full accuracy.  Avoid shipping hassles from the get go.   Easy fix to pick the right shipping method.

Personally, if priority is only pennies more than GA I always give the customer priority.

[SugarTaffySoap]

Mine automatically defaults to Ground Advantage even if I enter weight over 1 lb. If I want Priority I have to scroll down and select from the drop down after entering the package weight and LxWxH.  I made an error yesterday thinking that $9.92 was priority and I obviously neglected to check the drop down to see it was set at Ground Advantage instead of Priority. Unfortunately, when I got to the post office I saw Ground Advantage (G) on the 2 lb. package and had to return home with it, reprint a Priority label, which was a few dollars more, requested a refund of the incorrectly priced label, and then head back to the post office.  Sheesh, I hope I never do that again.

Would be helpful if the system automatically changed to priority if over a pound rather than having to manually change it.

[BagmakerSupply]

@SugarTaffySoap: Unfortunately Ground Advantage no longer has the 15.99 ounce limitation that First Class Package did - I hope that when Etsy does implement the changeover to Ground Advantage in calculated shipping they include an option to have 16 ounce and heavier packages default to Priority Mail.

[RodScottHardware]

Of course they are, if you accidentally pick priority mail without realizing it, it's more money in Etsy's pockets.

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Not it isn't.  Etsy makes money from the contract they have with USPS, not from the labels alone. 

[ArtDollsbyJD]

I stopped auto populating my labels years ago. I want more control over shipping.

If you always want Ground Advantage remove priority as a possibility.