It has only been fairly recently that eBay updated its SYI form to include a postage calculator.  Now, when you use the SYI form, you simply add the weight, dimensions and handling charges and it automatically calculates the appropriate Australia Post parcel rates based on the potential bidders location.

Having this feature available is good for business in a couple of ways, it means:

• people know the total cost up front. They no longer have to email you for a quote, which may have turned off potential bidders who could not be bothered or did not have enough time before the auction ended.
• you are not short-changing yourself. Many sellers used to offer a flat rate which may have been lower than the actual shipping cost if, for example, the winning bidder was from the other side of the country.
• you are not overcharging your customer. Again a problem with a flat rate is that in an effort to not short-change yourself, you may have over-charged if the winning bidder was located in the suburb next to you.  Many would see this as compensation for previous losses but your customer would not see it this way and you may have received a poor DSR rating for shipping costs or even a negative feedback comment.

But of course, all of this is purely academic now because eBay has their new postage calculator.  Right?

Well what happens if you are using a third party auction management solution like Auctiva?  Auctiva does not have an integrated postage calculator.  Again, it seems as if you are faced with the above choices unless you choose one of the following work around solutions:

• you can post the listing to eBay and when it shows up in My eBay (before it gets any bids), click on Revise Item and then use the eBay calculator to add the required information.

This is one solution that might work if you only list a couple of listings at a time.  Some people though list multiple items in one go and this process might be a little bit tedious.

The other solution:

• the Ozish Postage Calculator.  I personally use this nifty little program in all my listings that require parcel post shipping quotes which is why I am happy to recommend it to you.

The Ozish Postage Calculator:

The Ozish Postage Calculator is a script (program) that gives you the ability to quote your customers an accurate postage and handling cost based on current Australia Post rates.  By placing the appropriate code into the HTML section of your item description you will no longer be losing customers with inappropriate shipping costs.

You can see it in action here: Ozish Postage Calculator demonstration.

Once you purchase this program you will have access to free updates every time Australia Post change their rates.

The following is a step by step tutorial on how to obtain, install, program and insert the Ozish Postage Calculator into your listings created by 3rd party auction management solutions such as Auctiva.  If you prefer you can watch the instructional videos located at the bottom of this post.

Download and Installation:

1. The first step is to purchase the Calculator off of eBay:
   • Click here for current listings:  Ozish Postage Calculator
2. Download the file onto your computer harddrive.
3. Double click on the icon and you will be asked to accept the licence agreement.
4. Once accepted, click on the Install button on the next screen.
5. Once installed it should open up in your internet browser.

Programming the Calculator:

1. You will need to know the weight and dimensions of your packaged item before proceeding any further.
2. Check the boxes and input the data as appropriate.  If you are unsure of what a particular item means, hover your mouse over it and a description will pop up.
3. Once you are happy with the information you have entered click on the “Create Code and Preview Calculator” button.  This will generate the HTML code and also bring up a new window with the programmed calculator.   You can now test it before pasting the code into your listing.
4. Click on the “Save Settings” button to save all of the information in the program for next time.
5. Highlight the HTML code and copy it (right click > copy)

Inserting Code into eBay Listing:

1. Open your listing in Auctiva or other 3rd party auction software.
2. Scroll down to your item description editor and swap to HTML view.
3. Move down to the bottom of the code (you will see the last sentence of your description) and paste (right click > paste) in the code you copied earlier.
4. Return to the Standard Editor.  You will notice that it does not show, don’t worry, it is there and you will be able to see it in the preview.
5. Scroll down to and click on “Preview”.  Move down to the end of your description and your calculator should show up.
6. Make sure that in the “Shipping Tools” section where you specify your postage details that you do not choose a service, leave it blank.  This then adds the line “Check item description and payment instructions or contact seller for details” to the postage details areas of your listing.  This lets people know that you have specified your postage policy in the item description.
7. Post listing to eBay.
8. Visit your My eBay page and bring up the listing to verify and test calculator.  You will probably want to do this step the first time you use it just to satisfy yourself that you have completed all the steps correctly.

Invoicing your customer:

1. Whenever an item sells, you will receive an email from eBay with the winning bidders name and postal address including their postcode.
2. Take the postcode, open up the sold eBay item and insert it into the postage calculator.
3. Send the winning bidder an updated invoice with the quoted postage.

Congratulations! Once your buyer pays you, you can post the package and neither you or your buyer will be out of pocket.  You should now receive a good DSR score for your “Postage and handling charges” when the buyer leaves you feedback.

Would you like to watch the video instead?

Part 1: How to purchase, install and program the calculator.

Click here to purchase the Ozish Postage Calculator

Part 2: How to insert the code into Auctiva.

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