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So, what's a good eBay shipping charge to offer?

Started by Chip Cataldo,

61 posts in this topic

rjpb

rjpb

Posted
Posted

I never sell anything for less than $10 and usually $20 on ebay, combining cheaper books in lots if I have to. At those prices I don't offer free shipping, but will combine at no extra charge. Mostly I'm selling things for $50 or more and bounce around from free shipping to charging. I ask 5.95 or more ( depending on slabbed or raw and value of book since I insure everything over $100 ( usually I still pay a few bucks out of pocket.)

 

When you get into $20 and up items your not generally selling more than one book to a buyer at a time, and I find folks calculate shipping costs into bids ( I know I do), and I haven't found much difference in auctions as to what folks are willing to pay total once you add shipping costs in. Lately I've been listing auctions with shipping charges, but offer free shipping if someone uses BIN.

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ttfitz

ttfitz

Posted
Posted
I would personally do lots as they tend to sell quicker. Have you looked at Regional Priority Rate? You have to order the boxes online from the Post office but they are free. The other catch is you need to pay and print the postage online as well. Ebay's shipping system, I believe handles regional now but Paypal still doesn't.

 

You can do regional boxes with Paypal.

 

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ttfitz

ttfitz

Posted
Posted
I can't even drive across town and back for less than $10 in gas...

 

Wow, how big is your town - or how bad gas mileage do you get - in order to burn $10 in gas to drive across town and back?

 

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snowman28

snowman28

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Okay, I think I can swing $4 shipping on one book. Even using the mailers (which are 60 cents each) I can ship one of those for like $3.47 First Class (max shipping charge for the max First Class weight of 13 ounces). I'd have to weigh two and three books with that mailer when I get them to see if they can also go first class. If I can do up to three books for $5 shipping I'll be golden since I can package up a bunch of 3-book lots in my eBay store. Then I can go $6.50 Priority for 4 to 8 books or so and offer something else for more than that.

 

How does that sound?

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

Sounds perfect, I may need to make some adjustments in my shipping as well.

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budsbundy

budsbundy

Posted
Posted

 

Anything above $6 for a single raw seems a bit steep to me.

 

 

 

 

Just curious...why do you think that?

I strictly buy on Ebay, no selling yet, so I'm not looking at it from a sellers standpoint of material costs and time.

 

3.99-4.99 shipping charges are pretty common from what I see, so when I see a shipping charge significantly higher than that, it seems steep to me, even though that's what it might actually be costing the seller.

 

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Jaymole

Jaymole

Posted
Posted

I had the same problem determining shipping costs on raw books that I just started selling on ebay.

 

I decided to sell them in cheap lots, but because of the weight, I could not ship first class, and Priority mail is too expensive for lots that will probably sell for under $10 as I cannot use flat rate envelopes because they are too thin.

 

I decided to try Media Mail with tracking and charge $4.49. I mention this in my listing so buyers are aware.

 

Hopefully this will work out and buyers won't get turned off by the longer ship time.

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gcstomp

gcstomp

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Definitely a minefield with the ebay dsr's game. I opted out by doing buy it nows from an ebay store and free shipping. I dont sell a ton but average about $100 per sale, and have done about 100 sales this year. I would like to bump it up but have a certain ebay fatigue about the hoops that are in place, and are coming down the pipeline in august so I have been waiting it out a bit before committing too much time and energy so I understand the new rules.

 

The few times this year I have tried a true auction where I start say a $100 lot at $9.99, I get burned and it sells for $9.99. So I keep away from the true low start, open auction format and have respect for those who do make it work.

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youmechooz

youmechooz

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I charge $3.95 for mailing raw books first class.

 

I use these that cost me about a $1

 

http://www.amazon.com/25-MODERN-AGE-Mailer-Securely/dp/B007JAV8YQ

 

First Class Mail costs me $2.59 and the extra $1 covers the cost of the mailer.

 

My DSR Shipping Chargers is 4.9

I think with chip, he's wanting to do more volume. I have used those in the past when part time selling on ebay. Those are great when selling up to 100 different auctions a month. With a higher volume, full time selling plan i see chip wanting, those aren't going to work.

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youmechooz

youmechooz

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Posted
I'm not offering free shipping on a $1.50 comic.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

I know it sucks for cheaper items but free shipping guarantees a 5 star rating on one of your scores.

And if you use eBay's checkout and print the label through them and never contact the buyer directly for info you guarantee a second 5 star (communication) score for yourself.

All that's left is shipping speed and item as described.

 

The "Shipping and handling charges" rating doesn't really matter at all though. Ebay doesn't actually take that particular rating into consideration when looking to see if you quality for Top Rated Plus or not.

 

This is not true, at all, as it currently stands now. You get 2, or .5%. Once you cross both thresholds (and you have to do nearly 1,000 transactions a year to lower the percentage average), you lose your Top Rated Seller status.

 

You're also not guaranteed a 5 star rating for communication even with doing what you're saying as it's going to vary by customer and what they feel they want to rate you.

 

This is also not true. If you have absolutely no direct communication between yourself and the buyer, you get an automatic 5 star rating for communication DSR.

 

Your final value fees are 9% plus you get an additional 20% back on your invoice each month for being Top Rated Plus and I'm sure your shipping fees are also to help counter the fees you have to pay for ebay (9%) and paypal (2.9% + $0.30) per transaction.

 

Final Value Fee is 10%, and has been for some time. Paypal depends on your running monthly transaction dollar amount. 2.9% + $.30 is the highest. It can go lower.

 

PS. Scheduling pickups is playing with fire. Now that eBay is considering using tracking AND reporting from the service, just using the handheld scanners that carriers use isn't enough. They don't report fast enough, and sometimes, they don't report at all. If you have the items scanned at the window, it will give you a receipt that shows what you did, AND it will show up sooner in the USPS system.

 

Then the information ebay has listed on their own site must be wrong because they state that the shipping and handling charges ratings do not count. And seriously, why would they after all? If you're charging shipping with the cost determined by the shipping service then someone rating you low for something you can't control and having that held against you is incredibly stupid.

 

Welcome to eBay! You must be new.

 

;)

 

"Holding things against you over which you have no control" is how eBay has operated since 1995.

 

For instance: are you aware that if someone opens an "item not received" case SIX DAYS after they purchased the item, in the new system starting in August, that counts against you?

 

Are you aware that shipping TIME low DSRs now count against you as a "defect"? I have a single shipping time DSR. The person, 1959ed09 (whom everyone should block), bought the item on a Federal holiday, Jan 20 this year, MLK day.

 

I shipped the item within my stated handling time, on Jan 22. He received the item on Saturday, Jan 25th, four business days after buying the item.

 

He left me a 1 or 2 DSR.

 

Under the new system, it not only counts, but it counts much more heavily, as it is now weighted into a "defect" allotment.

 

Are you aware that buyers, if they have ANY complaint that an item is not as described, are automatically funneled into opening a case against a seller? They cannot contact the seller directly unless they are smart enough to choose another option. Otherwise, they will open a case. I had a buyer open a case because he erroneously thought a slab was "cracked" because it had "glue residue" on the side. I explained it to him, and he closed the case.

 

Under the new system, that opened case now counts against me as a "defect."

 

"Holding things against sellers over which they have no control" is the raison d'être of eBay.

 

Stores have 9% final value fees and the OP has a store. I forgot to state that aspect in that post.

 

Ah, yes, that's structured differently.

 

The scanning depends on your location too and if people are actually doing their job or not. I have 2 post offices relatively close by, though neither is that convenient, and one never bothers scanning packages (this one I've only used a few times but it's still a full post office) and the other always does. While your method is different than what I'm doing it's still a testament to the quality (or lack thereof) of the people at a given location on whether the extra steps you're having to take are needed.

 

In this case, it's a technology issue. The hand scanners simply don't upload the information in a timely manner, whereas the terminal scanners do.

 

Every single post office is required to terminal scan your items if you request it. This will give you documentation that you handed the item to the clerk and it's now within the post office system. The hand scanners used by carriers do not do this.

All of this is true. Any seller not aware of these new requirements, be aware that you have even less control over dsr's than before. To offset anything negative you receive, your selling volume has to be higher. Sucks if you arent a full time seller.

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Chip Cataldo

Chip Cataldo

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I think with chip, he's wanting to do more volume. I have used those in the past when part time selling on ebay. Those are great when selling up to 100 different auctions a month. With a higher volume, full time selling plan i see chip wanting, those aren't going to work.

Correct. I need to do higher volume because I don't have the cash/credit line to purchase high-dollar books and flip them for maximum profit.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

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Fan Boy

Fan Boy

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Gee, with that much rulings against the seller in eBay - the DSR, the complaints by buyers on shipping charges and whatnot. It's no wonder many sellers are having hard time to make sure they don't lose too much money selling comics. I do buy comics from well-known sellers who did great packing jobs and had good bargains on books ... and their system on shipping quotes seem to work for them.

 

I had did my time in selling on eBay, but with me being Canadian here and to ship over to U.S. is not cheap (blame to Canada Post! :eyeroll: ), even doing within Canada is crazy enough. A lot of buyers don't understand how much work went into the packing and mailing. I only charge postage and a bit to cover the fees - enough to get me by. No profit on shipping, free labour and top service.

 

Haven't went back to do more selling there - it's been months since now. The fees in ebay is high. I may have to update my shipping policy to keep my head above water.

 

The good thing is that my DSR, feedback and status are at 5 stars 100%, so my selling ratings are good to go. :wishluck: I did got a offer from eBay if I do a listing before July 4th - I get a $10 coupon.

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Quicksilver Signs

Quicksilver Signs

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I've almost given up on selling on ebay with the way it's stacked up against sellers. I suppose when people stop selling they will hopefully wise up, but I doubt it.

 

But, the worst part of selling, being Canadian, is Canada Post's sky-rocketing prices. 5 years ago you could ship a comic for 3.00 with padding in an envelope. Now it's 7.00 and more than 1 comic will bring it over 10 a stack of comics will be over 20

 

Selling any toy or collectible at least 15.00

 

Add in ebay's ever growing fees plus US residents who think you're ripping them off on shipping and you can't win.

 

If the book's not worth 25, it's not worth it to me.

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youmechooz

youmechooz

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I've almost given up on selling on ebay with the way it's stacked up against sellers. I suppose when people stop selling they will hopefully wise up, but I doubt it.

 

But, the worst part of selling, being Canadian, is Canada Post's sky-rocketing prices. 5 years ago you could ship a comic for 3.00 with padding in an envelope. Now it's 7.00 and more than 1 comic will bring it over 10 a stack of comics will be over 20

 

Selling any toy or collectible at least 15.00

 

Add in ebay's ever growing fees plus US residents who think you're ripping them off on shipping and you can't win.

 

If the book's not worth 25, it's not worth it to me.

Thats a shame about shipping. I knew shipping prices in canada were high, even shipping within canada, so i feel for you man.

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youmechooz

youmechooz

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Posted
The Affinity mailers just arrived, so my next batch will have cheaper shipping and I'll see if that gets me better results. Here's hoping.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

Good luck chip. Find a formula that works for you. Everyone is different.

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