Storage Auctions
The Marketplace => Selling Venues => eBay => Topic started by: nkrause77 on September 24, 2012, 07:57:51 PM
-
I am new to selling on ebay. Not selling a lot of volume, just basically things I can't unload locally.
I am finding that I am so far off on my shipping estimates that I am paying for shipping out of pocket on majority of items.
I did go buy a scale to help and am now estimating my shipping cost as if I was sending everything to Sea World in San Diego (about 2000 miles away) and will see if that helps.
Sold a medium sized purse and figured $6.95 would cover shipping. Not even close came out to be $10.81.
Then when you add the FVF on shipping it is a losing battle.
Anyone willing to share how they stay on top of shipping charges?
Thanks
-
Anyone willing to share how they stay on top of shipping charges?
Thanks
1) Weigh and measure the item you are shipping.
2) Use Calculated Shipping...it automatically calculates THEIR cost based on your zipcode to their zipcode.
3) Build in a couple of dollars in handling charge...takes care of any problems usually.
I'm sure there will be one or two folks here who will react to the handling charge, but I have put it in for going on 9 years now and while my rating for that category is only 4.9, what can I say...it works for me.
I let them know I am including it in their total charges so they know exactly what it would cost them and if they don't want to buy it they don't have to.
-
I am new to selling on ebay. Not selling a lot of volume, just basically things I can't unload locally.
I am finding that I am so far off on my shipping estimates that I am paying for shipping out of pocket on majority of items.
I did go buy a scale to help and am now estimating my shipping cost as if I was sending everything to Sea World in San Diego (about 2000 miles away) and will see if that helps.
Sold a medium sized purse and figured $6.95 would cover shipping. Not even close came out to be $10.81.
Then when you add the FVF on shipping it is a losing battle.
Anyone willing to share how they stay on top of shipping charges?
Thanks
"There is no right way to eat a reese's!"
There are multiple ways to ship products depending on thier size and weight, so there is no one best way to ship. It sounds like you are offering free shipping and working the shipping cost into your total product cost. Hard to tell where you are going wrong other than underestimating total weight of shipped item (item + shipping media + packaging).
Anyway here are a few tips that might help, and hopefully others will add some more. My tips are for shipping with U.S.P.S. only.
Use media mail for books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, video games, disc drives. cheaper than standard mail by weight.
When selling/shipping the same product over & over across the country consider the flat rate boxes & envelopes, or when it turns out the winning buyer is far away or in an expensive zone use a flat rate box instead of standard mail by weight. Can ship items up to 70lbs for one flat rate. Small boxes ship for $5.35, medium boxes ship for $11.35, large boxes ship for $15.45. "If it fits, it ships!"
Not everything is fragile and needs to be protected with a hard box. Consider using large envelopes or padded envelopes, cuts down on the overall weight.
When shipping something relatively heavy but wont fit in a flat rate box, consider using the Regional rate boxes. They come in regions A, B, C, but that's really the weight limit. region A items up to 15lbs, region B items up to 20lbs. region C items up to 25lbs. Once you choose the appropriate box, use the zone calculator to determine the shipping price. Shipping to San Diego (zone 8) for me would be $9.62 for regional box A, $15.46 for regional box B, & $45.02 for regional box C. (The Regional rate box C would probably not be a good option for shipping something cross country).
Disassemble anything that can be a let the bidders know it will be shipped unassembled.
Hope this helps! ;D
-
I'm sure there will be one or two folks here who will react to the handling charge,
Why do you say this? I think it's a perfectly acceptable charge. There's the cost of the box, packing materials, printed label, the labor to put it all together, then of course the time to go to the post office.
-
I am finding that I am so far off on my shipping estimates that I am paying for shipping out of pocket on majority of items.
What carrier and what shipping method are you using?
-
Why do you say this? I think it's a perfectly acceptable charge. There's the cost of the box, packing materials, printed label, the labor to put it all together, then of course the time to go to the post office.
Yep, pretty much the eBay SELLERS here would get it, but there are always buyers who over-react on this kind of thing. The boxes are pretty much free for the taking at a vareity of spots and of course for usps you can use their free boxes.
I use UPS and USPS. I take all my shipments to a UPS store 1 mile away and they have a usps pickup there of course.
I print both sets of labels through eBay (helps on costs though I couldn't tell you just how much) and I also have separate UPS and USPS accounts for those times I deal directly with someone not buying through eBay.
I also don't print up the labels showing the cost of the shipment. I have seen buyer's feedbacks for other sellers who say, "It cost $4.50 to ship it but he charged me $6.00". Thanks, but no thanks.
-
Shipping...
Here's the deal with that..
1) You need to learn the tricks of USPS...
- I.E. Shoving small boxes into a flat rate evelope, so it ships at 4.90
2) Order Flat Rate Boxes from USPS - They are free
3) Get an account with FEDEX or UPS with Discounts on it (Join some existing association that has discounts.) How do you know what associations exists, research my friend.
- I get 74% off Fedex Express
- I get a flat 30% off all fedex ground, regardless of wieght
- Associations don't have $$ amount requirements, if you get a rep and ship a lot, they will give you discounts, but you need to maintain a certain volume
- With assocation discounts, sometimes it cheaper to ship ground instead of home delivery just do the match and add the surchage to ground. Fedex doesn't give good discounts to home delivery.
- Do automatic billing with fedex with an AMEX card that has 5% off Fedex charges
- Use the Free USPS Flat Rate boxes and ship that out fedex, Fedex don't care - a box is a box to them.
Shipping makes and breaks people, study it learn it, love it. So you can compete on a level playing field. I don't endorse some of the above, but if you can't beat em join em. You need to eat too.
-
Pretty much MM and Luke have summed up my ways.....
You really can fit a ton in the flate rate envelope. Box item, shove it in and tape the sh*t out of it!
Print shipping at home from USPS site and you save .20-.30 cents. It adds up.
Plus, as stated, you can 'hide' shipping cost. And arrange pick up to avoid gas to post office. And get free delivery notification/tracking.
The only packing supplies I buy are shipping tape and shipping label sleeves.
Boxes and peanuts I get from behind stores, especially the Mall.
Tape is cheap at dollar stores, goodwill and eBay.
Shipping sleeves can be cut out but I hate taping down shipping labels and I think it adds a nice professional look. I got 1000 for $10 off eBay.
I prefer the sticky labels for the printer since the USPS labels don't fit in the sleeves very well. Have to crop and have gotten attitude from postman. But the sticky labels do add 10 cents to the cost (more when they jam up!).
-
Use the Free USPS Flat Rate boxes and ship that out fedex, Fedex don't care - a box is a box to them.
Fedex might not care but the USPS does and it is a felony to use their boxes like you just suggested. Me I'd rather dish out the $.20 for a shipping box, it's a whole lot cheaper than a lawyer.
-
Fedex might not care but the USPS does and it is a felony to use their boxes like you just suggested. Me I'd rather dish out the $.20 for a shipping box, it's a whole lot cheaper than a lawyer.
Frankly, it's hard for me to imagine it is a felony, but I don't really know. What I do know is this.
Several years ago the interior (brown side) of usps boxes was not imprinted with the words that indicated that the box was to be used ONLY for priority shipping. I turned the boxes inside out on more than one occasion and used them for both usps mailings and ups mailings.
Once I sent a BOOK through usps using a box treated in that fashion. It was returned to me a few days later with a note saying I couldn't use the box like that. I THINK the box was opened by usps to see if it really WAS a book being mailed under the media mail rate, otherwise I doubt it would have been a problem.
NOW, all the usps priority mail, flat-rate, etc boxes have messages printed on the brown side, which pretty much eliminates using that old technique.
I can't remember the last time I've bought a box though. Grocery stores (especially small ones) often don't flatten their boxes (or bind them for disposal) relying instead on people coming around for boxes for moving or in OUR case, shipping. I go to one spot that unpacks various dry items like crackers, etc and I get maybe 10 to 20 boxes at a time all the same size. Since I send a lot of eBay items that are "breadbox" size, this works great for me.
Large boxes can be obtained that used to hold lawn mowers, patio sets, even sofas.
-
Frankly, it's hard for me to imagine it is a felony, but I don't really know.
http://faq.usps.com/eCustomer/iq/usps/request.do?create=kb:USPSFAQ&view()=c%5Bc_usps09091%5D&varset(source)=sourceType:embedded&referrer=faqsitemap#Using2
Using Express Mail® service or Priority Mail® service envelopes for other mail
If any Express Mail service or Priority Mail service packaging or packaging supplies e.g., Priority Mail tape to seal a Parcel Post package, are used on any other class of mail, the applicable Express Mail or Priority Mail price will be charged.
Misuse may be a violation of federal law.
Turning the packaging inside out to conceal the Priority Mail / Express Mail insignia is specific misuse that is not allowed.
Using boxes that are ordered at The Postal Store® for other uses
The terms of Agreement for the use of United States Postal Service shipping supplies is as follows: I understand that Express Mail service, Priority Mail service, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.
-
http://faq.usps.com/eCustomer/iq/usps/request.do?create=kb:USPSFAQ&view()=c%5Bc_usps09091%5D&varset(source)=sourceType:embedded&referrer=faqsitemap#Using2
Using Express Mail® service or Priority Mail® service envelopes for other mail
If any Express Mail service or Priority Mail service packaging or packaging supplies e.g., Priority Mail tape to seal a Parcel Post package, are used on any other class of mail, the applicable Express Mail or Priority Mail price will be charged.
Misuse may be a violation of federal law.
Turning the packaging inside out to conceal the Priority Mail / Express Mail insignia is specific misuse that is not allowed.
Using boxes that are ordered at The Postal Store® for other uses
The terms of Agreement for the use of United States Postal Service shipping supplies is as follows: I understand that Express Mail service, Priority Mail service, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International packaging is the property of the United States Postal Service and is provided solely for sending Express Mail, Priority Mail, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International and Priority Mail International. Misuse may be a violation of federal law.
Seems even the post office has questions about this. My guess is that if a business ordered 100,000 boxes or even 10,000 boxes and then used them all for inappropriate mailings there would be a problem, but to come after Joe Schmoe for his twice a year mis-use would be a losing proposition.
By printing their message on the brown interior surfaces they took the route that would eliminate most of the problem.
On the other hand, using those boxes as fillers inside larger boxes for padding MIGHT not be a violation, especially if they were sent in re-useable condition....that is they could be used by the recipient for their intended use.
Could you find a section in the code about THAT Alloro ? ;D
-
The point being is that the USPS pays for and supplies these boxes to the consumer free of charge for the purpose of shipping via the USPS. Using these boxes for any other purpose violates that implied contract and essentially means the boxes (owned by the USPS) were stolen. Now you can play any game you want over the wording, but anyone with a half-assed grasp on reality can see that the misuse of these boxes is flat out wrong.
-
The point being is that the USPS pays for and supplies these boxes to the consumer free of charge for the purpose of shipping via the USPS. Using these boxes for any other purpose violates that implied contract and essentially means the boxes (owned by the USPS) were stolen. Now you can play any game you want over the wording, but anyone with a half-assed grasp on reality can see that the misuse of these boxes is flat out wrong.
Speaking of half assed grasps....
Going faster than the speed limit is also against the law as is talking on a cell phone while driving (at least in California), but it frequently happens ....doesn't mean it's right, but it happens.
On the other hand the pricing of gasoline MAY be legally done, but like no down payment house loans is IMO truly morally reprehensible.
-
Y'all can go on fighting but I think we can all agree it comes down to the box companies forming special interest groups to lobby our goverment for tighter box regulation!
Just more big goverment telling us how and when we can use boxes!
I for one, am starting a campign for Pro-Box-Choice! COME ON!!! Who's with me?!?!
......anyone?.......hello?.............. i have doughnuts.....
-
Alloro is right on, using USPS boxes without using the service is theft. The cost of those products is embedded in the price of shipping. Ebay shippers are infamous for shorting us on postage all the time, so it is not surprising that some think stealing postal products is fine.
-
Alloro is right on, using USPS boxes without using the service is theft. The cost of those products is embedded in the price of shipping. Ebay shippers are infamous for shorting us on postage all the time, so it is not surprising that some think stealing postal products is fine.
Yes, it is theft (probably theft of services) but on a scale so small I would consider it next to miniscule. My comparison to the "legal" theft by gasoline companies on price gouging and by banks on the allowing of no-down-payment loans is by way of saying this box issue is really a tempest in a teapot.
And my comment early on in this conversation that I doubted it was a felony still holds up IMO. It may be a misdemeanor. Don't really know or care.
The fact that that the post office got smart and put wording on the brown surface of the boxes says it all IMO. They knew there was no reasonable point in going after the few people who misused the boxes and they made the logical choice to eliminate the problem at the source...their design of the package.
The misuse of these boxes no more added to the deficit running of the post office than pouring even a gallon of water in the Pacific ocean. If they would stop the use of third class mailing by advertisers and the bulk mailings of other advertisers at reduced rates they would not only free up the service for its orginal purpose but would save millions (maybe hundreds of millions) in dollars and trees by not delivering "mail" that goes dirctly from the mailbox outside our doors to the wastebasket inside our homes.
The fact is that the use of first class mail has diminished so much due to email, texting, social networks that it is hardly a viable way of communicating at all. Bill paying online has cut into it too. All my opinion....yours may vary.
-
Yes, it is theft
Here is an article on the subject of the boxes, including turning them inside out for reuse.
thedenverchannel(dot)com/news/reusing-cardboard-postal-boxes-illegal
-
.If they would stop the use of third class mailing by advertisers and the bulk mailings of other advertisers at reduced rates they would not only free up the service for its orginal purpose but would save millions (maybe hundreds of millions) in dollars
The fact is that the use of first class mail has diminished so much due to email, texting, social networks that it is hardly a viable way of communicating at all. Bill paying online has cut into it too. All my opinion....yours may vary.
Post office is the same as Amtrak. Lose of millions, they are blamed, but congress and past legislation have tied their hands......
feature=youtube_gdata_player
-
No one lives their life to a letter of the law, no one.. Period.
Let's get real here, hey "Bob What are you in for?", I killed 50 people, and you "I used a USPS box for something it wasn't intended for"
When you put metal on the curb for the sanitation company to pick up and some scrapper rolls by in their pick up and takes it. (That's Illegal)
When you buy something on ebay or amazon, and you don't pay sales tax on the item, regardless of the state. (That's illegal)
When you sell something on Craigslist, Garage Sales, Flea Market, Ebay and don't report the profit as income (That's Illegal)
When you "Dumpster" dive for boxes and supplies (That's Illegal)
Let's not get on some moral ground of what's legal or not. It's just called a "Loophole" in the system.
You here politicians talking about closing loopholes etc. When you close a loophole, all they do is make it so it's harder to abuse without a penalty and enforce it (if it's worth the $$ enforcing).
Did you know if you get a ticket for going 1- 14 mph over the speed limit, the judge normally frowns upon that? That's why most tickets are written for people going 15 mph or over. (Unless it's a school zone - they become a little stricter their)
Also, to the person that buys the plastic label holders, just walk into fedex, you can get those for free, no need to spend money on it.
Also get yourself an industrial shredder, I got one from a locker, I bought it just for the shredder. Anyway, as we all know their's plenty of papers you can shred in just about every locker to last a long time. If not, just shred all the advertisement mail and newspaper you get.
Like I said, I don't condone anything illegal. I just recognize it as fact and that people do it. You do whatever makes you feel morally special inside. But the original posted wanted to know why shipping kills him and and not others and I answered that question.
-
No one lives their life to a letter of the law, no one.. Period.
Speak for yourself. Yes I've done things that were illegal out of ignorance for the law, but if I know something is illegal I don't do it. (My one exception being breaking the speed limit. But even then I only do that to keep up with the flow of traffic, which I relate to being more safe than holding back traffic and forcing people to weave around me.)
When I figure the shipping cost I figure in the postage, the box, the packaging, tape, label printing, etc. So swiping a box someone else is paying for when I'm being paid to supply it is wrong both legally and morally. You can fool yourself into thinking it's okay to do because it's a small crime, but for the USPS it's an expensive crime and the rest of us pay higher postage rate because of it.
-
Speak for yourself. Yes I've done things that were illegal out of ignorance for the law, but if I know something is illegal I don't do it. (My one exception being breaking the speed limit. But even then I only do that to keep up with the flow of traffic, which I relate to being more safe than holding back traffic and forcing people to weave around me.)
I understand that you would not knowingly break the law, but I would ask if you have ever heard the expression "Ignorance of the law is no excuse (or no defense)" ? Not seeing a "no parking" sign and parking there anyway is not knowingly breaking the law, but it is still breaking the law as any ticketing officer will tell you.
As to your "one exception" regarding the speed limit. A strict adherance to the law would to be to go the speed limit and let the others "pay" (in whatever manner) for the fact they are breaking the speed limit. To justify or rationalize the fact that you would maintain a higher speed to facilitate traffic flow is just that....rationalization...and your then "interpretation" of what the law means or how it should be applied.
I have been criticized in more than one thread for MY strict use of language...what words MEAN and MY justification of THAT is that words and our use of them are the only thing that either holds together or breaks apart the many daily communications we have.
When we say (or write) something it leads to back and forth communication like we all do here; in writing of course there is a delay in "reaction" time and sometimes a second party will say something like "You know what I meant". My response would be "No, I know what you wrote; YOU know what you meant".
Anyway, civil discourse is what it's all about and name-calling doesn't really come into it for me (and not saying it does for any particular member on these forums, but there are some who are into that).
Each of us is entitiled to our own opinions and what works or doesn't work for us, whether it's posting large pictures, using boxes one way or the other, or speeding down the highway, and I personally have never said "My way is the only way". I would never think that.
-
I understand that you would not knowingly break the law, but I would ask if you have ever heard the expression "Ignorance of the law is no excuse (or no defense)"?
I wasn't making an excuse. I was pointing out the difference between ignorance of the law and willfully breaking it. You know...doing something while NOT knowing it is illegal, versus doing something that you know to be illegal. The first I can understand, the second defines a person.
This whole line of being entitled to something for free seems to be a prevalent idea these days. Perhaps I'm old school, but I still believe in being responsible for myself, carrying my own weight, and NOT expecting others to pickup my slack or to pay for me to have something.
-
I sure miss Money4nothing & RockintheRetro; I'm tired of hearing the male "hens" bicker. ;D
-
I sure miss Money4nothing & RockintheRetro; I'm tired of hearing the male "hens" bicker. ;D
Cluck, cluck ! ;)
Question: Why did the chicken cross the road (quickly)?
Answer: To avoid the drivers maintaining the flow of traffic.
-
To storme:
My overall point in commenting on big oil and banks (and leaving out dozens of other financial and moral deficits committed in this country and the world) is that the misuse or theft of a cardboard box is like a grain of sand in comparison and is truly (again) a tempest in a teapot.
-
"2012 Florida statue 316.0083"
A notice of violation and a traffic citation may not be issued for failure to stop at a red light if the driver is making a right-hand turn in a careful and prudent manner at an intersection where right-hand turns are permissible. "
I wonder how many people got tickets and paid when they thought they were in the wrong, when they weren't :P
Ignorance works in both directions.
-
Anyone willing to share how they stay on top of shipping charges?
Thanks
I charge flat rate shipping. When calculating shipping charges, I have the item in the box I'm going to use to ship and measure box dimensions and weight. I then get a quote from UPS and USPS using my zip code in NJ and 90201 (one of the furthest shipping destinations from me) and round the quote up a dollar or two. That's the shipping I list for my auctions. The Buyer's location usually it ends up being closer and I pocket the difference in price. I prefer UPS, cause the shipping charges are not on the label and the buyer is none the wiser shipping was less then they paid. I have always used this method, I never used the shipping services from Ebay or Paypal. Although from reading here, there's shipping discounts available for power sellers, something I wasn't aware of.
-
I prefer UPS, cause the shipping charges are not on the label and the buyer is none the wiser shipping was less then they paid.
USPS hides the hipping cost also.......
-
USPS hides the hipping cost also.......
In eBay shipping and PayPal shipping, you have the option of the USPS label showing the cost or not.
-
I have a 100% score on eBay and there's two things I do on shipping so I don't lose money.
1. Use eBay's flat-rate shipping boxes. I crammed 70 cds in the large flat-rate box, duct tape that puppy together and paid only the large flat-rate shipping for a very heavy, heavy box.
2. If I cannot use flat-rate shipping I put a shipping fee on the item and then on my description I write:
I will calculate the shipping by going to the post office and give you the "exact" amount it will cost me to ship the item. It will take me a day to get the item boxed and over the post office. I do not in any way want to make money off of you the buyer on shipping. Please have patience.
Yes, it is an "extra" trip for me on having to go the post office, get it weighed, then contact the buyer with the exact amount. But why do you think I have that 100% score? I don't inflate the shipping cost. When people discover I'm going to go through this extra trouble, they BID on my items. I have sold almost everything I've put up on eBay, but I also ship world-wide and yes, that's an extra trip to the post office to check on the price of that international shipping cost.
I don't care. I want to sell. So if an extra trip to the post office will get me a profit, I'm there.
-
Yes, it is an "extra" trip for me on having to go the post office, get it weighed,
You can buy a postal scale for about $20, weight them at home and also print out a label to attach to the box. Then you just bring them to the PO or arrange for a free pick-up. For the cost of the scale you'll more than make up in fuel costs and time spent. As to your 100% feedback, don't get too cocky over it just yet. Because all that means is that you haven't run into that occasional buyer that is never happy with anything or that you haven't sold long enough on eBay.
-
I've been a member on eBay since 2004 and in both Santa Monica and Santa Cruz the post office was just a hop, jump, skip away. "Extra" trip was just a few blocks for me. Not trying to be cocky, trying to state a fact as to "why" my ranking is at 100%.
I did have a guy in England who attempted to give me a bad rating through Paypal, etc., but I worked it out with him. Guy wouldn't give me his exact address so I knew it was shady from the start, but he had won the item.
I knew a guy who had a 100% rating on 5000 items sold. That's just crazy good seller. I have sold less than 100 items and bought over 100 items off eBay. The items I've sold quite a variety. From original fencing T-shirts, camera gear, film equipment, to books, and at that time I did ship world wide. My Nikon camera body went to one part of the world and the lens at another.
Because I'm a writer I know how to market the item. My eBay description very detailed on every dent, scratch or imperfection down to the letter. No surprises. On most items I offer 100% back return, but not all. It's a combination of my shipping offer, truthful descriptions and quick turn around communication that I've not had problems on eBay. Those are just facts.
I no longer sell on eBay because I don't have large inventory. I'm back to Craigs or smaller forums to get a little bit more for my money now.
-
I've been a member on eBay since 2004 and in both Santa Monica and Santa Cruz the post office was just a hop, jump, skip away. "Extra" trip was just a few blocks for me.
No doubt about it, shipping on eBay is something that has to be watched carefully since buyer's most common "ding" to sellers is "shipping and handling charges". You can have "5" ratings on everything else and get a "4.8" on shipping.
Doesn't matter all that much in the long run as long as you don't acutally get negative feedback...that's what hurts the most.
****
On another note...to a fellow Californian....I saw in an earlier post you made that you are in the Mojave. How did you make the transition from the ocean areas to the desert ? ! Quite a change. I was just over at Half Moon Bay (south of Santa Cruz) on Easter Sunday...the ocean is beautiful this time of year.
-
Movie Man - you're right on the shipping.
I know exactly where you are, having lived in Santa Cruz for almost seven years. October we called our "summer." We left the hotel business in Santa Cruz and hopped over to Santa Monica for three years. Then hopped to the desert, seriously not by choice, but because it was cheap. Let's just say life's circumstance derailed my Hollywood plans for the time being.
I sure do miss the ocean though. You are one lucky dude, Movie Man. Send me a pm and tell me why you're called "Movie Man" if you don't mind.
-
yeah make sure you take into account your getting hit with fees on shipping which can really add up on more expensive shipping items. ebay prices are pretty low so chances are if you can't unload an item on craigslist there's not gonna be much interest on ebay, especially taking into consideration a hefty shipping cost
-
chances are if you can't unload an item on craigslist there's not gonna be much interest on ebay,
I'm not sure where you draw that conclusion from. But in my experience CL might reach thousands, but eBay reaches millions.