New shipping program

I just saw the blog post on the new (what appears to be mandatory) Bonanza shipping program. I have a few concerns, especially considering that this is being rolled out during the holiday shopping season.

1) I noticed that there is a “Processing Cost” fee of $0.95 that is shown on top of the other costs. Can you explain what that is? Will the cost of your shipping labels still be less than other places when that fee is factored into the total cost?

2) You mention that $2 will be automatically deducted from each transaction as a deposit for shipping labels on all purchases. But… you also mention that you don’t offer international shipments. What happens to the $2 deposit on international shipments? Is it not applied? Do we have to request a refund? Do we just lose it?

3) Can the shipping labels be paid for via other methods than credit cards? Could we use a PayPal account? Can the shipping fund be prepaid with a PayPal account?

I’m sure there will be other questions that arise, but I hope that someone from the Bonanza team will answer these questions soon. Thank you for your help.

asked 4 months ago

21 Comments

ThePostcardDepot says: October 25, 2023

I read this as well as a mandatory shipping label purchase for sales on Bonanza. The $2 “deposit” is “non-refundable”, so if you don’t use a Bonanza-sold label or don’t need to buy one for your shipping, they keep the $2, In my case, I have many less than $10 items that are not profitable to sell

ThePostcardDepot says: October 25, 2023

Under this $2 “tax”. I think the answer is to close my two stores on Bonanza before November 8. Neither one of us will miss each as sales have been abysmal here so far in 2023. BNZ is fooling itself if it thinks it’s competitive as a multi channel fulfilment center. More profitable opps elsewhere.

EmpressDepot says: October 25, 2023

From what I understood of it is that because the shipping labels will be cheaper now, that we’ll still save money even though we are charged a non refundable $2 fee on shipping labels. They basically said that this will help to keep the FVFs from going up. It does not mean I like it.

EmpressDepot says: October 25, 2023

I don’t know what they mean about labels will automatically be generated. That will be my next question within the blog. I posted a question asking if I could still purchase labels directly within Paypal but I’m thinking the answer is no…

EmpressDepot says: October 25, 2023

This is all very weird to me. I don’t understand why with eBay and Etsy shipping is all very simple and still with a nice discount and here it has not been the same.

Tammies_Treasures says: October 25, 2023

They just keep repeating- but we have the cheapest shipping rates- to every concern posted. If i pay for my shipping through payal with the earnings I make on the item sold. How will nothing change for me? Makes no sense tro me.

Tammies_Treasures says: October 25, 2023

“And, oh boy, only the tip of the iceberg of what’s coming up in the next few months” If this is just the tip of the iceburg, what will they hit us with next?

mtichenor says: October 25, 2023

Sadly, this shipping program is a deal breaker for me. I MUST be able to edit ship-to addresses when they are spelled incorrectly or an apt # has been omitted. I don’t want to fund a shipping acct where I am charged to withdraw the balance if I close my acct. There are other aspects I don’t like.

EmpressDepot says: October 25, 2023

Maybe we will be able to edit the labels after they have been generated. …

mtichenor says: October 26, 2023

Nope. In the help page about the shipping service it states, “A buyer’s address cannot be edited once a purchase is complete.”

EmpressDepot says: October 26, 2023

Quoted from the Help page on shipping labels within the blog “Yes. Thanks to a productive partnership with our postage provider, the rates offered are up to 15% below retail USPS pricing.”

EmpressDepot says: October 26, 2023

I’m thinking the discount is not enough to make up for the $2 fee in certain cases..I could be wrong but I’d have to say in most cases. I raised my shipping costs by a dollar a while back but that was for me to cover shipping supplies…etc.

EmpressDepot says: October 26, 2023

mtichenor, I saw on the Help page where it was said the address cannot be edited.

FlyWel says: October 26, 2023

I am a multi-channel seller that uses Pirateship. All of my labels are purchased through Pirateship so that I can have one single SCAN sheet at the end of the day. This $2 non-refundable charge (for something that I will NOT use) has me thinking that Bonanza just might not be worth it anymore.

NecktieGuy says: October 26, 2023

Lots of questions that aren’t being answered.

ThePostcardDepot says: October 26, 2023

Thank goodness I got to comment here last evening. They didn’t approve either of my follow-up comments on the blog. Merely making similar points here. Today’s (Oct 26) follow-up blog post still doesn’t answer key questions that many of us have been [URL removed] eg, why is a deposit even necessary

ThePostcardDepot says: October 26, 2023

No other platform I use requires a deposit. No info on HOW to opt out if you we use stamp postage for some items, have shipping integrated elsewhere. Just poorly done – and in 4th Qtr as someone pointed out.

EmpressDepot says: October 26, 2023

Now that the new blog has been written it is easier to understand and for the most part I am okay with it.

Todayontheweb says: October 27, 2023

I tried using the Bonanza labels a few times. Twice the cost was almost double then the rates from Paypal or PirateShip. Im not pay $ 6.30 to ship a Hot Wheels car that costs me around $ 4 when i charge $4.50 to the buyer. I suspend my store for now. If it does not change back closing my store.

Littleblackdog says: October 28, 2023

I am perfectly happy w/PayPal showing my costs for shipping along with their fee and any profit. If it ain’t broke… it doesn’t need fixin’!

Littleblackdog says: October 28, 2023

This nonsense should be OPTIONAL! I for one don’t need the extra questions and doubtful delivery of the unknown. I already have a perfect system with PayPal collecting funds and supplying labels… don’t need any changes. Considering closing shop if this actually goes thru.

5 Answers

This $2 shipping fee charge could be the “jumping the shark” move for Bonanza!

Why would they need to do that if it goes towards a shipping label. This makes no sense. It’s bad enough that we are charged a fee for shipping n top of the actual cost. This means they are also making money on our shipping costs.

answered 4 months ago

1 Comment

IceboxsAttic says: October 27, 2023

I am GUESSING that the reduced rate needs a guarantee of so much business and they ony way to guarantee that is to charge $2 and make it mandatory

Also, for those sellers who pay for their shipping labels using a credit card that has cash back, now with this mandatory nonsense you will loose that option.

answered 4 months ago

TWC4253
Reputation: 14
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1 Comment

Littleblackdog says: October 28, 2023

Yup. That sucks.

Every change i see is making it seem like Bonanza is going the same way as Etsy and ebay. If that happens ill close shop and just stick with building my own website and keep all my profits thank you very much!!!

answered 4 months ago

4 Comments

Elizavella_Designs says: October 26, 2023

Actually im not waiting i can already see where this site is going and am removing my items and no longer selling here. All of the chnages here seem to benefit Bonanza more than its sellers. So best of luck to you all Im out!!!

MagnoliaScreens says: October 26, 2023

Good luck, Elizavella. Have one foot out the door, myself. The other foot is standing on a banana peel. If eBonanza doesn’t opt me out of this fiasco, I’m gone too.

ToysFromAttic says: October 26, 2023

I’m closing my shop too. I’m not going to be forced into using their shipping. I use PS and love it why should I have to use theirs. Etsy doesn’t even enforce using their shipping. Bonanza blew this one. Didn’t even give much notice to this change.

Tammies_Treasures says: October 26, 2023

If Bonanza is going to be just like eBay or Etsy, sellers might as well go sell there. At least you would get some sales for all your trouble.

From a comment above " BNZ is fooling itself if it thinks it’s competitive as a multi channel fulfilment center. More profitable opps elsewhere. " Bonanza is really fooling themselves about a lot of things. I’ve been on here for 15 years, sales are abysmal, fees are NOT cheaper then my fees on eBay, and most of the time they’re more. This shipping change is very confusing and I have a hard time not believing that it’s going to benefit Bonanza, not the buyers/sellers. I’m still confused about the $2.00 charge. Why not make it SIMPLE, like shipping on ebay, or paypal – very straightforard. And while I’m at it why don’t we have a photo editor to edit our pics, we used to, how complicated would that be…

answered 4 months ago

1 Comment

Littleblackdog says: October 28, 2023

I agree on all points! This should be an OPTION for those who WANT IT.

So how do I opt out?

answered 3 months ago

3 Comments

Tammies_Treasures says: October 29, 2023

S0 far, no way to opt out has been provided.

mtichenor says: October 29, 2023

Bonanza says that you can be exempt if you manage your order fulfillment through a third-party Bonanza approved API partner. I don’t know what that means. Can someone educate me?

mtichenor says: October 31, 2023

Never mind. Bonanza just answered my question on the blog. A list of the third-party approved API partners is listed there.

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