It seems that many people don't understand how shipping works.  This is unfortunate, as it's an important aspect of eBay.  

****This Guide Needs Updating with the New Postal Rates,
effective in May of 2007.
Until this notice is removed,
the Postal rates quoted in this guide are incorrect.****   

 Did you know:

• To ship your parcel, many shipping companies will charge you almost up to a full pound more than your package weighs, not the actual weight of the box. 

They round up to the next highest lb.

Example:

You're shipping an item that weighs  1 lb & 2 ounces.  Did you know that you will be charged to ship 2 lbs? 

When deciding how much shipping and handling that you should charge .....research how much it costs to ship 2 lbs.

  But wait .....how much does the shipping box weigh?   

A small square priority mail box,  box  #4, weighs approx. 7 to 8 ounces.

• Are you using a # 4 priority mail box? 
• Don't forget the weight of packing material. 
•  If you use paper to pad your box,  extra ounces can add up fast.  
• Packing peanuts are light, but can  be difficult / expensive to obtain.  
• The peanuts themselves aren't that expensive, but they can be expensive to have them shipped due to odd package size. 
• Sealing tape & address labels can add 1 to 2 ounces to the weight or more.

Hopefully,  you can place your 1.2 lb  item,  into a #4 free priority mail box, w/ padding, for close to 2 lbs.

Don't go over 2 lbs.  If your parcel weighs 2.1 lbs, you'll be forced to pay 3 lbs shipping. 

      The maximum cost to ship 2 lbs priority mail is $6.05. (Shipping the item in a standard, regular priority mail box, or your plain packaging, using free online delivery confirmation w/ no add-on services, total parcel not weighing any more than 2 lbs.)

 (Don't try to use FLAT RATE PACKAGING, Priority Global packaging, or Express mail packaging, or you will be charged for those services.)

2 lbs for $6.05 includes Hawaii, Alaska, + coast to coast shipping.   You can list this item w/ a S+H cost of $6.05 to $6.50 to be sure that you won't have to pay the shipping yourself. 

If the box ships close to your location, you'll have some extra money to use towards your time and packaging costs.  If the shipping is the maximum of $6.05 , at least you haven't lost any money.

But....... is that a good deal for your customer?

• Is your item worth $6.50 shipping? 
• Is this a $1 item?  Will your customer be upset when they realize that they didn't get a good deal?

You may think this isn't your concern,  but you'll get negative feedback from unhappy customers, regardless if it was their fault for bidding. 

Many customers don't understand shipping.   All that they know is that they now feel ripped off.  

So, if you are selling an item for $1, w/ $6.50 S&H,  make sure that your item is worth $7.50 to the average person,  or be prepared for possible negative feedback.

Back to our example:

What if your 1.2 lb item won't fit into a #4 priority mail box? Perhaps you are using a #7 box.  

• The #7 box weighs between 11 and 13 ounces when assembled & taped.
• Once you add packaging, you're most  likely going to be over the 2 lb weight mark. 

So, now you're going to be charged for a 3 lb package....a 3 lb package.  Your nice, 1.2 lb item is now going to be shipped at a 3 lb Rate !!!!!!

Shipping priority mail for 3 lbs costs between $5 to $9.  If you attempt to charge all of your customers $9.00, many people won't bid, and you have a good chance of not making a sale (unless your item is in high demand.) 

 Customers will complain anyway,  even if the item is in high demand, and you were the only one selling it,  they still won't accept that  S&H costs do exist, and must be paid.

If you are shipping something that weighs over 2 lbs, you may be able to save $$ w/ FLAT RATE PRIORITY MAIL. 

(Your item must fit into specific packaging to qualify)

• If your item will fit into a flat rate priority mail box, the shipping cost will be $8.10
• Note: Your item must weigh over 2 Pounds (fully packaged to ship - including the weight of the box, padding, labels and tape) for you to even have a chance at saving money this way.
• Items shipping close to your location, weighing over 2 lbs, may ship for less w/ regular priority mail.
• You must use the specially marked Post Office Flat Rate Priority Mail Boxes to get this price.

So, how much do you charge for heavy items that vary in cost to different states? 

Will you use the eBay shipping calculator?

• Many customers don't check the shipping calculator. 
• Sometimes, the calculator doesn't work.  Sometimes, it gives the wrong total.
• The shipping calculator can earn you Negative Feedback.   How?
• The shipping calculator tells the customer $5, but actual shipping is $12.50
• They bid w/ the intention of paying $5 shipping, so they don't want to pay more.
• You don't want to lose your money, by paying the shipping yourself.
• Are you starting to see how negative feedback could happen?

To play it safe - you can include the shipping calculator. (Make sure that you are using it correctly)  Practice using it in your auction.  Go to your auction page,  try some sample zipcodes in the calculator. 

Go to the Post Office website and check the actual cost to ship the lbs to the zipcodes that you tried.

Make sure that your shipping calculatos is working correctly. -

- You don't have to do this for all of your auctions -  just 3-4 to check the calculator.

Put information into the auction body area itself.  For example - add a statement like this:

" This item weighs 6 lbs.  Your shipping costs will be for Priority Mail based on your zipcode.  The shipping costs will be between $6.65 and $12.95 depending on how far away you are located. "

• $6.65 is the lowest shipping cost to ship 6 pounds Priority Mail to a  US address - considering that the item, when packaged - does not weigh over 6 pounds - you are using free online delivery confirmation, and you do not select any additional services.
• $12.95 is the highest shipping cost to ship 6 pounds Priority Mail to a US address ( same rules apply as with the lowest cost above. )
• If you are charging a handling charge, be sure to add that to the cost in the auction body and in the shipping calculator and shipping section.  If you post costs in the auction, you are not allowed to add additional costs after the sale is made.
• If you are charging handling costs - don't lie and say that you are charging actual shipping.

New Ebay Policies: - eBay has changed their policy on handling charges.  They still allow handling to be charged, but they are now removing auctions that they consider to be charging excessive amounts. 

If you are going to be charging handling fees, read eBay's topics regarding handling charges.

Will you leave the shipping blank and ask your customers to contact you for the shipping and handling total?

Don't ever do that. 

Yes, other sellers do this, well, don't be one of them.

You'll lose many customers that way.   I won't bid on an auction without a LISTED S&H.  According to ebay, if the S+H isn't listed,  & you place a bid,  you are obligated to pay the S+H, regardless of whether you agree with the cost or not.

     The smart buyer will not bid if shipping and handling isn't listed.  Most buyers won't email for a S&H quote.  I've stopped bothering w/ emailing, because many times, you get stupid answers from sellers. 

For example:  You email a seller, tell them your  zipcode, ask for a shipping and handling quote.   The seller emails back with:

1. Shipping is determined after the sale.

2. I won't know shipping costs until I go to the post office.

3. I haven't boxed the item yet, so I can't tell you.

All of these answers are unacceptable.  The smart buyer won't buy from these sellers.  Do you want to pay an extra $25 for S+H? If not, don't bid unless the S+H is listed in the auction.

What if answer #4 is "I charge actual shipping only."  Don't trust this statement! Actual shipping can mean different things.  1 seller takes their items into a retail packaging and shipping service and considers THAT actual shipping. Shipping with a retail service costs MUCH more.  Still, if a seller wants or needs to use their services, they become convinced that they can say "actual shipping costs".  A parcel that would normally cost $4.00 to ship may cost $12.00 to ship with a retail service.

Sellers need to:

1.Get a scale for home

2. Learn to use a web site to find out shipping costs. The post office, and UPS both have an online method to determine shipping costs.

3. List all shipping, handling, and any required costs (insurance or delivery confirmation) in the item listing. Or at least list a range of costs, from the minimum cost to the highest cost possible to ship the item.

Etta's Tea Room Secret Hassle -Saving Tips:

     We print out all of our shipping labels with paypal.  If an item weighs 11 ounces, and the box weighs 8 ounces - for a total of 1 pound 3 ounces - we automatically print the label for 2 pounds.  Why?  That way - you don't have to weigh packing peanuts, tape, & labels before printing your postage.   What if you want to throw in a little extra gift?   What if the customer just ordered something else that may be light weight?  You are paying for those 2 pounds, you may as well use them.

Print your labels all at once.  As the label comes out of your printer, write down the item(s) sold in the margin above the shipping label.  Don't cut out the label until you are placing it onto the correct package.

Earn trust with your local post office.  If you ship a lot, and your packages frequently weigh a lot less than your label (As in the above example)  They will start to trust your packaging, knowing that you always make sure to pay the correct shipping costs.  This speeds processing of your parcels.

Maybe you like UPS shipping. 

Possibly you are a new seller, and are planning to offer UPS shipping. Some important points to consider:

     If you are going to ship UPS,  make sure that you are shipping with a UPS owned location.  Many companies claim to be a UPS shipping center.  Many stores will accept UPS packages for mailing.   What may be happening, (and they won't tell you) is that they are storing the packages there until they have enough parcels to make a trip to a UPS center. 

     Your shipment may not be actually sent to the UPS office for several days after you drop it off.  Also, if something happens to your parcel before it reaches the UPS office,  the UPS is not responsible for your parcel.

Some negative issues with UPS shipping:

1. Difficulties / increased cost to Alaska/Hawaii.  If you ship w/ the US post office, Alaska +Hawaii do not cost any more than any other state located in zone #9.  If you are located on the east coast,  it will cost you the same price to ship priority mail to the west coast, or to Alaska or Hawaii.  This is NOT the case with UPS shipping.   Many sellers who use UPS shipping just refuse to ship to Alaska/Hawaii.  This reduces your customer base, & isn't very fair to your fellow Americans.

2. UPS does not deliver to PO Boxes.  Many customers have a PO box as their mailing address.  This causes additional work for you, & delayed shipments,  as you need to contact your customers for an alternative ship address when they provide you with their PO box address.

3.  UPS doesn't deliver on Saturdays without high fees.  Many UPS shipments take 3 days for delivery .  That means that most of your parcels must be shipped on Mon/Tues to have the parcel arrive that week.  The PO does business on Saturdays.  They deliver to homes on Saturdays.  Also,  some work is done on Sundays.  The PO doesn't actually deliver to customer's homes on Sundays, but they do continue to sort mail,  and ship that mail between different postal centers.  So, your parcels don't  "Sit in the post office over the weekend"  like some people say.  Your priority mail parcels are actually in the process of being delivered over the weekend.

4.  UPS increases rates with gas prices.  How can you be sure that you are charging your customers enough, if the price fluctuates?  (The PO  raises rates,  but the public is informed in advance of the rate increases.)

We are not trying to say that priority mail is the only way to ship anything. UPS shipping has it's problems, but we do use their services when shipping non-ebay heavy items, such as gifts to family, or returns to companies.  The closest UPS location (for us) is a 30 minute drive, and their hours are restrictive.  Their receiving window is only open from 330 PM to 530 PM, sometimes changing to 4 to 6, etc.

It is difficult for us to get there, but we do use that UPS office to ship heavy items.  The price is more affordable for 10 pounds and up, (If the item doesn't fit in a priority mail flat rate box) and they do usually give you an estimated delivery date within 3 business days.  

The US Post Office provides FREE boxes in several sizes to ship priority mail, 2 sizes boxes for flat rate priority mail, and also free packaging for Express Mail and Global Priority**

Thanks for the many nice email comments we have received. :0)

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