Can't print international labels using "ship now" for hours

[captainroy]

For about 3 hours now I cannot ship international first class using the Paypal "Ship Now" link.  I just get an error message saying, "we can't process your label now.  Please try again later."  I know from experience (as early as this morning) that this is a label that should cost me about $5.00.  But when I try to print directly using Amazon, Ebay, or directly through USPS I get a shipping cost of $14.00.  Is anyone else experiencing this?  If so, has anyone found a way around it? 

[Whac-A-Mole]

$5 is probably for documents,any package would cost you more,you are shipping a physical item in a box,right?

go to USPS and understand the difference

[Maggie150]

Going to "USPS" and understanding "The Difference" has Nothing to do with the Question. 

Point is: International Labels are not printing and are instead yielding an ERROR MESSAGE with a TRY AGAIN LATER TAB 

That has absolutely nothing to do with the type of shipment be it LETTER RATE, LARGE ENVELOPE, PARCEL, PRIORITY ETC> ETC> ETC> Period. 

I've known the difference for couple decades and it still has not resulted in alleviating my Paypal International Label Issue 

It has cared not if I know the difference from at least 10 am CST as it simply refuses to do anything but tell me TRY AGAIN.

Whether this is also effecting Domestic labels I do not know

Perhaps it is due to them updating some of the effective USPS jan 22 rate changes 

WHATEVER It Is, Is Highly Annoying and Disruptive to the Performance of my Business 

[ct21]

Starting today we cannot print international labels - domestic US labels print fine. New USPS rates took effect today - not a coincidence I imagine.

This has disabled my business since we cannot print first class labels on the USPS site (not to mention the hassle of copy/pasting each field of the address for every shipment).

Not the first time PayPal has stopped my business dead in its track due to its flawed software.

[captainroy]

This apparently indeed tied to the new first class rates.  The Paypal "ship now" link no longer works for international packages.  When I try Ebay or Amazon or direct on USPS, I get a shipping rate of $13.00.  Just this morning the exact same package for exact same contents shipped for $5.10 to Europe.  When I tried to ship through Stamps.com, I at least got an explanatory message.  It says, "due to changes in first class rates, only document can be shipped at the document rate of $5.10.  All other shipments must be shipped at package rate." (which is the $13.00)  So in the course of one day, my first class international rates have more than doubled.  I either have to shut down over 50% of my sales or double the prices on all my products.  This is going to cost me a lot of money.  😞

[Mr_Philadelphia]

I'm having the same problem printing 1st Class Mail (not package) labels through paypal.  Printing 1st Class Package labels through ebay is not a problem.  It's most certainly related to the postal rate hike because the price of the new label through paypal has not changed.  

[RegulatorFix]

Any workaround yet?

Any input from Paypal if/when they are planning to fix it? 

[captainroy]

From what I can ascertain, there is no workaround as this is a permanent change.  Paypal, Ebay, Amazon, and stamps.com have all made the change.  The first class international package rate has been discontinued as of 1/21.  The change gets triggered depending on how you categorize your package contents in the customs form.  Before the change, anything you shipped fell in to what they called the "package/international flat" rate.  Now, the only way you can get the previous rate is if you choose "document" as your package content.  Anything else, including merchandise, gift, or commercial sample, kicks you to the new rate.  Depending on where you're shipping, I've seen a rate change of up to 154% (4 oz to Netherlands, increased from $5.10 to $13.00).  In other cases, the change was only 66% (8 oz to UK, increase from $8.00 to $13.30).  

The only way I see around this is if enough people complain and USPS changes their practice.  This is absolutely absurd and will impact a lot of business.  Everyone, including me, has gotten used to the annual increases of a few cents.  That's called inflation and it's the cost of doing business.  But to increase postage rates by 154%, with no warning that I ever received, is beyond the pale.  

[ct21]

Do you know where USPS has documented this change in the international package rates? The only official info I can find is just the usual rate adjustments, I don't find any official USPS statement about this reclassification.

If you are correct, this is a huge impact to many companies that ship international. We commonly ship 2oz padded envelopes for about $3.50 to most any country. Now we are looking at over $10 for the same shipment, about a 300% increase. This will destroy our international sales.

[captainroy]

I have seen nothing direct from USPS.  That's why a lot of people are making fun of sellers like me because they think I'm complaining over a few pennies (which was all that the USPS notice mentioned).  However, the increases for us international sellers are up to 154% in my case (or as you noted, 300% in your case).  The only "detailed" description I've found about the change was forwarded to me by a "shipstation" customer.  Apparently members there received the following notice yesterday:

"IMPORTANT: First Class International Flats – Mandatory Service and Price Adjustments
Starting January 21, 2018, First-Class Mail International Service for Large Envelope or Flats containing merchandise will no longer be available directly from the USPS."