It's true that books shipped by USPS Media Mail including delivery confirmation can average around two dollars. It's also true that a book weighing between one and two pounds goes for around three dollars in ship cost by media mail. Boxes of books weighing around six to eight pounds can be mailed for $3.80. Are these true saving? Sometimes, but just because you saving in shipping cost doesn't mean it the best way. The price changes all the time depending on the weight of the book or books. Books are not made to have a standard weight or a certain number of pages in them. Media mail isn't all what a super hot mail service that some may lead you to believe. Media Mail is slow on delivery and some time takes up to three to four weeks to deliver or worse it is gets delayed. Why, well it's not first class mail. One of the best ways to ship something is by priority mail and using the boxes that the postal service provides. With a little news paper or packing material will keep your books well protected from harm. You will also get your books in matter of days, not week. Usually the book arrives at the end of the week And if you need the books for school then you do not want to use media mail. If the saving were really that big then everyone would be using Media Mail.

1. Yes, there are people on ebay that who gouge on shipping cost for extra profit, but all often people point the finger at the wrong buyers as gougers. The packing supplies in the box cost money, a that cost is classified as handling. Packing supplies cost cash to buy and they do not grow on trees as some may think. But the cost for packing supplies spread out among the customers is next to nothing.

It's easy to spot a gouger. The gouger tell you your books will be shipped priority Mail and then you get a nice yellow envelope in the mail with a stamp on it. Less that a dollar. I hate when that happens, you pay for one thing and then you get another. You can spot a seller that does this before they do it, but you do have the option not to buy anything from them ever again. Buying a stamp and then pocket the rest of the cash is jut low. I reviewed a guild were the it stated that he would email the seller a letter and explain why he is not buying from them. That's a waste of time and it's called email harassment. I'm sure the seller doesn't want to hear why you aren't buying from them. Why waste you time sending hate mail to someone? If you do your just asking for it to happen to you and your putting your self in harms way by cause trouble with a person that's never heard of you. Just don't buy from that person and move on, it's not like harassment email, or harassing the sellers does anything.

Ebay has a system for reporting unfair business practices, and as a community we can act to shape the trading behavior of our seller community. However all to often this system is abuse by people crying wolf. Some people attempt to use the system to strike back against sellers and usually fail. Only use the report system if you didn't receive your product in the mail and the seller kept your cash. Other than that it is a waste of time for you, ebay and the seller.

2. Shipping and handling fees should be as one. Packing material if used should also be in shipping cost, however 20 cent should be more than enough to cover that cost of material. Some seller charge a handling fee for packing material which is justified. Good packing will get you an undamaged product. However gas for your car and snacks on the way isn't something that you should be paying for. Average shipping cost should be around five to six dollars. Heavy text books should be around eight. Priority mail has a no weight limit box for 7.95, its a good deal to ship heavy stuff no matter the weight. This is also helpful when shipping. If your pay more than that your getting ripped of unless you are ordering multiple books at a time. Buy multi items lead to additional shipping cost. A dollar or two, sometimes 4, but not another eight dollars. That's when you know that you are getting ripped off. Medal Mail would be cheaper, but it usually come at a time cost.

Look over seller shipping charges before you buy, if it looks unfair than don't buy form them. Move on, it is simple as that.

3. Use your own books or recycling your own packing material can save on shipping cost when your a seller, but it's better to use the post office material. One reason is you do not want your mail to get mixed up because some thought it was normal mail. So use the bright red, white and blue boxes the post office supply. Pack wisely, if the item is to large for a box then wrap it.

Delivery confirmation is a tracking system that Postal service provides at a cheap $.45 for Priority Mail and $.55 for other. This is the best way to keep track of your mail and where it is going. Tracking can only be used in the United states It basically give you shipping location, whereabouts but its doesn't prevent lost. Just because it says it's been delivered, doesn't meal it been deliver to the right location. Make sure you deliver packages with a signature conformation. Tracking doesn't give an add security to the transaction. However signature conformation does. The person excepting it is forced to sign for it if they want their package. For thing that go out side the country can no be tracked. But the seller should always make sure to use a custom form. types of mailing. The buyer and the seller can check on the package's whereabouts; it gives security to the transaction, and lowers mailing costs by preventing loss.

Expensive packing materials make a pretty package, and yes there are inexpensive way to find and reus packing natural. But sellers shouldn't use trash to pack books with even if it is saving on the shipping cost. Packing bows with rial about any thing makes the product look like trash all. and if your running a business the last thing you want is your product looking like trash. Packing should keep everything secure and neat.

4. The United States Postal Service is the best bargain around for mailing books. Medial is average but it take a lots of time to get were it is going. Usually two to three weeks if your lucky. Priority Mail is best for a faster delivery time of 2-3 days. If your not getting your book that week or next then something is wrong. Some time packages get held over in the post office, but that doesn't happen all the time Media mail is only for shipping Books and CD, nothing else. Avoid the ebay shipping calculator. No matter what rate is put in it usually give the wrong price to charge for shipping. It's better to post a flat shipping cost. If your ever shipping anything out side the country they shipping cost is double and some time tripled. It's just really high to ship things to other parts of the world. Information about shipping over seas and in the states are list USPS and ebay website.

5. It's always good to offer more than one method of shipping. One isn't enough. Sellers should offer between first class mail, media mail. For over seas should have air mail and global. One inexpensive rate isn't enough, you may be saving money but at what cost? Insurance can be purchased for about a dollar. I only buy insurance when I see the seller threatens in his add that he is no responsible for lost or damage items. All to often I avoid them completely, but sometime they have something I really want or need or cheaper than other sellers. I don't want to give them an excuse to say that the item was lost in the mail so I just pay it to cover my back. The worst thing is paying for something and having a seller pocketing you hard earned cash with a lame excuse of package getting lost in the mail.

6. If you have questions about shipping cost then ask them. Try to avoid attacking the sellers. That's never good. Most sellers are easy to contact by email. Don't try to read anything in to the sellers email. The worst thing is getting an email from someone telling you what the tone of your email sound like. Your not a psychologist and even if you are one, it is not your concern to give an evaluation of the sellers mind by reading the sellers email. Yes, it happens and it's just plan spooky and weird. Good seller want your business and will response.

7. Shipping outside the county is expensive, but shipping cost is usually around eight and ten dollars. It's really nothing you can do to make it any cheaper than that. Most shipping options consist of air mail, Economy Letter Post mail and global Priority mail. If some offer to mail something by sea from Japan, then I suggest you take it. Shipping by sea take up to six to eight weeks to deliver but it is cheaper than air mail from Japan. Much cheaper. Mailing item to and from Japan some time cost up to twenty dollars depending on the weight. Packages can also be delay by weather and natural and unnatural disasters. GODZILLA!!

8. Combining shipping can save a great deal of money. Some sellers combine shipping cost to save the buyers on the shipping sot of multiply items. Avoid seller that that charge the same additional shipping cost on multiple item. If you have a question about it them you should ask them why. When you find a good seller you should book mark them or save it in your favors section. However, it's most likely the thing you buy are scatter out from seller to seller.

9. Be on the look out for seller that make items low price but have extreme hight shipping cost. Most of the tim they are trying to ntrap people in thinking their geting a real deal. The high shipping cost is usally rewarded with the cheapest and slowest shippin cost.

 10. Don't be tricked by questionable sell tatics were an item starts at 0.99, If it's been a week and no one bid on it then there is a reason why. Usually extreme hight shipping cost.

Example: A new hot game just came out. Every one is selling it for 49.99 dollars , but wait. You see one action that is about to end  and it is selling for 0.99 cent. Could it be no one seen it?!? Am I the luckiess man or woman on this world?!? When you see this quickly look down on th shipping cost because the shipping is usaully 48.00 dollars. This is dine to avoid ebay final fee and pay pal fees. An usually when you get the item in mail it was shipped the cheapest way.

Lastly, just make wise chooses and use common sense.

11. Always be careful. Beaware that some seller try to avoid ebay final selers fee by list total cost of item in shipping.

Using this guide should light your  darkest of hours on ebay.

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Try shipping  all your costmer items on the same day.  Some time waiting an extra day for an acution to end or a seller to pay is advisiable because it allows you to ship ever thing at once is stead of making multiply trips to the post office. Mailing daily is fine, but why do it when you don't have to.  The only items you mail want to mail out first is an auction item that ended very high or something that was requested by the bidder to be shipped out asap.