Calculating Irregular Package rates

Hello doublest -

Our site is not able to provide shipping options that are not available on eBay, as the information we provide to eBay must match their existing options.

However, if you take a look at the USPS site shipping calculator, the Large Package option incorporates the cylindrical shape and suggests that the dimensions used would be Height, Width and Length, where width is the diameter of the cylinder. So, if a Flat Rate option would not work for you, you can use that to define the dimensions of your package and should be fine.

You can see this on the USPS site at: http://postcalc.usps.com/default.aspx when you click on the pop up for package.

- Craig

From your solution it appears that it is impossible to create a calculated rate listing for a large irregular package such as a cylindrical tube that will conform to the USPS requirement for a girth measurement. I don't even see a means to submit such a listing on Ebay.It appears that if one needs to create a shipping label for a cylindrical tube, he must leave Auctiva and go to the USPS site to create and pay for the label so that he may affix the proper postage amount. Am I overlooking the obvious?

Hello doublest -

Apologies if that last response was unclear. I referenced the USPS site so you could see how they want the measurements for a cylindrical parcel. In your initial query you refer to the circumference of the cylinder, whereas the USPS site shows the diameter. If you use the dimensions as shown there and select Package as the parcel type, you can use those dimensions to acquire your label. You would use the weight, the length and the height and width measures would both be the diameter of the cylinder.

- Craig

Craig: I really appreciate your attempt to help;however, I am still totally confused. I just went to the Auctiva create listing page and went to the shipping section and tried to set up a fictitious listing. I then went to the USPS site to compare the parameters. USPS is asking for 4 criteria LxWxHxG to calculate a rate. The Auctiva section only asks for 3 LxWxH. I think I mentioned that I don't profess to be the brightest bulb in the strand,but I just don't see how I can fit 4 parameters into 3 and get a correct rate. Here is a possible scenario. If you could, Could you give me an example of how you you might enter into the Auctiva template? 4#Package length=96" width(diameter)=3"height (also diameter) girth(circumference=9.42 3x3.1414 Sorry to be a dunce, but there is just something I'm not grasping and I don't want to get a bad rap or have an item returned because of insufficient postage do to my creating a listing with an incorrect calculated postage rate inside the listing.

Hello doublest -

I am not certain I follow you - when I step through the Large Package options on USPS for an odd shaped package, only three dimensions are requested: Length, Height and Width and the Help Popup available from the Large Package option show both the Width and Height use the diameter and the Length as the third dimension.

If you are encountering a different set of requests from USPS, please file a support case letting us know the specific location on the USPS site where you encounter this and we will be happy to look into it further.

- Craig

Sorry to awaken a sleeping dog,but I just can't seem to get it through my thick skull as to how the Auctiva format melds with the format used by USPS.
As I mentioned, USPS uses 4 parameters to determine a rate;whereas, Ebay and Auctiva ony require 3 i.e. LxWxH.I called ebay help and the tech informed me that all I needed to list an oversize tubular item with calculated shipping were those measurements with diameter used 2 times. Apparently they have a conversion formula of some sort that they use. I have a ton of items that I have been waiting to list but want to be sure I am using the correct procedure to use the calculated shipping feature. Should I say the heck with it or is there a way?
Ebay and Auctiva ask for LxWxH vs. Page 4 of USPS rate calculator which has the extra parameter Girth.
Was the ebay tech correct in advising me to use the diameter 2 times plus weight?

Doublest,
Good question, the shipping calculations and options can often seem confusing. In this case I believe the answer you received from eBay is correct.

For Auctiva shipping labels, we also calculate the "Girth" (or the distance around the package) with a formula so you only have to enter the more intuitive values of length, width , and height. Our formula to Girth is essentially:
(2 x (package width + package height)) We then add length to that value to ensure the package meets the 108 inch combined package length and girth limit (ref. http://pe.usps.com/businessmai...ristics/parcels.htm).

here is a reference that may also explain in more detail: http://www.ehow.com/how_823719...late-girth-usps.html

Thanks a million Greg. Finally makes sense.