Shipping and handling is always a big concern for buyers.   They don’t want to feel like they are getting ripped off.   Nor do sellers want to violate the ebay rules for over charging for shipping and handling.   If you get caught by ebay (because ebay sees it or it gets reported by another ebayer) you could face some serious consequences.

If you are a regular seller or a casual one, it’s best to know the weight of your item.   Do a rough pack of your item.  Know how it’s going to be package, whether it’s a manila envelope or a box, and what packing materials will be needed.  (Packing peanuts, bubble wrap or another material.)  One great hint if you need to take up some extra space in a package and want to do so cheaply, try using balloons.  Yes I’m talking about your typical party balloons, and blow up to the size needed and place in the box to take up the extra space.   This way you won’t be paying for a heavy packing material.  

Weigh the item/s using the estimated packing materials you will be using.

If you are a casual seller, a bathroom scale will at least get you a close ball park of the weight of your package.  But make sure your scale is on track for weight.   To make sure it’s on, try weighing a 5 or 10 pound bag of sugar or flour.   By doing this you will at least know if your scale is on track or way off, and you can adjust your calculations.

If you’re a regular seller, or even a casual seller, I highly suggest buying a postal scale.   These can be purchased directly on ebay from other sellers, over the internet, or from the post office.  But make sure your scale will weigh a minimum of 30 to 40 pounds.   This way you will be covered if you’re sending out packages that weigh a little more.  It’s well worth it.

One mistake that I see other sellers make often is only sending out package parcel post because they think it’s the cheapest rate.   But actually sometimes it’s cheaper to mail out a package first class if it weighs 13 ounces or less.  

Remember never mail anything media mail unless your sending out books because that is a direct violation of the postal rules, and should you get caught, it wouldn’t be pretty.

By knowing the actual weight of your package you can actually find out what it is going to cost to mail, right from your own computer, without running to the post office.

If I posted a link here, you wouldn’t be able to see it unless you were a member of the group, so please bear with me and follow my directions for going to the usps web site, and getting to the calculator.

Google this “usps shipping calculator” and then the first choice should be a link directly for the usps shipping calculator.

Once you are there, simply type in the weight of the package, your zip code and if I don’t have the exact customer’s zip code, this zip code will be right on for first class, priority mail, and media mail.   I use the zip code 44111 because it’s not only easy to type but it’s also easy to remember as well.   It won’t be correct for parcel post because parcel post is based on zones across the country.

So now that you know exactly what it will cost to ship your item, it’s time to consider what handling fee you’re going to charge.  Keep in mind that you can’t charge on overly high fee, and most feel it’s only appropriate to charge for packing materials.   (Not your gas to the post office, nor your time “standing in line”, or any other factors.)  

I personally charge $1.50 to the actual shipping cost, rounded up slightly to make an easier number to work with.   Either the nearest dollar or the nearest quarter of a dollar.   (.25, .50, .75 or the nearest dollar)   But keep in mind that .60 cents of that does go towards the bright flourcent green delivery confirmation label from the post office. 

Just as a side note you can go to the USPS web site and request having a bunch of these delivery confirmation labels delivered to you FREE.   It really saves to be prepared, and have them already on your package.  Then when you pay for the delivery confirmation they will scan your package.  To do this on the web site, click on “all products and services”.    Then click on “supplies (shipping).   Then click on “forms and labels”, and choose the ones you want and the number that you want.   

I do print out my postage on my computer using the paypal shipping service, but I don’t use the delivery confirmation that comes with it.   I cut it off and discard it, and use the green label from the post office.   The reason that I do this is because I want my packages to be scanned locally and my post office put up a fuss doing that using the delivery confirmation purchased online.   I do this because I want my customers to know that their package is indeed on the way to them, and they can go to track and confirm on the usps web site and know the date that it was mailed out.   

Sellers should always keep a hard copy of all the details of the transaction.   You can’t rely on paypal to keep all this information should you need it.  So when I log into paypal I always print out two packing slips.   One I enclose in the package, the other I keep myself.   And on that paper I add the following information, as seen on this old one.   Only I added a new green delivery confirmation label, so you can see how I keep my records of this information.

On the bottom of the page I add m little copy of the print out from the paypal label.   If you take your item to the post office you might want to do each package individually so you might want to tape the receipt of that here.   Even though paypal doesn’t recognize a post office receipt as proof that the package was posted.   They only recognize delivery confirmation, which is why it’s so important to have it scanned locally.

I use the email system right on ebay to email the customer to let them know the date the package was mailed out or will be mailed out, and also the new delivery confirmation number from the green label.  When I do that I mark “customer emailed” on the paper.

The next day I check the number for track and confirm and once the number is in the computer and registers in the computer, I then click go for “Get current event information or updates for your item sent to you or others by email.”   Once I do that, I tick both boxes for all current activity and all future activity.   For the fist name, I use my ebay ID, and for the last name I use the buyers ebay ID.   Then I send to both my email addy and the buyers email addy.   Once I have done this I write on my paper, “delivery confirmation in computer, emails set up.”

After the package is delivered, I mark the date it’s delivered.

And after feedback is left, or after 60 days, I mark that I have deleted pictures and the write up from my pages in the sellers sourcebook.

Anywho….. the main thing is to not over charge your customers for shipping and handling. 

I can’t count the times I see sellers state they don’t charge a handling fee, but only what to post office charges, but when you look at the shipping charge, you know that it’s overpriced.   Be more aware of what actual shipping rates are, and for each class offered by the post office.