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At What Point Will Shipping Costs Kill Your Online Sales?

Started by joe_collector,

77 posts in this topic

joe_collector

joe_collector

Posted
Posted

It used to be that when CP and the USPS raised rates, it would be the "cost of doing business", but this latest round of rate hikes has made me reevaluate the entire online commerce business model. This is no longer a few percentage point increases here and there, but a massive spike where shipping costs to some locations doubled or tripled.

 

In my view, 2007 was the year things finally went out of whack.

 

All those collectibles you own suddenly got a lot more difficult to sell, and these rampant price increases have to impact your future purchases, especially as "shipping profiteering" has gone off the map.

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Fan4Fan

Fan4Fan

Posted
Posted

Already there... I radically pared down my want list and my maximum bids.

 

A lot of eBay auctions are auto-eliminated based on $8-$10 shipping for a single book.

 

I am looking forward to the next local convention that will be about a 20-minute drive.

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Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

Posted
Posted

I just had to charge some poor sap $23 to ship a box 1 pound and 1 ounce to the UK. I felt guilty giving him the total and I'm not making a penny off shipping. crazy.gif

 

A FF OmniBus to Australia was something like $34. screwy.gif

 

I always tried to ship international because it was good marketing -- why limit your potential bidders? That said, I think the USPS did just that. If this doesn't kill international shipping, it will put it on life support.

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october

october

Posted
Posted

Domestic shipping is still ok, especially when buying 3-5 books that fit in a flat rate envelope, but international shipping is really out of control.

 

That said, before you weep for your collector friends across the pond in jolly ole England, remember the strength of the Pound versus the Dollar. That usually tempers my sympathy. tongue.gif

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

international has been made a lot more difficult/expensive

 

the U.S. isn't THAT much more. I decided to leave shipping at $3 for now. That's enough to send one comic via first class mail with D.C. in a cardboard sandwhich. I don't make money on it. After paypal takes its % of my $3.00, I break even. Luckily, for now, shipping supplies are free. Just my time and effort.

 

I don't think international has been more than 5% of my sales anyway, even including canada.

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rjpb

rjpb

Posted
Posted
I just had to charge some poor sap $23 to ship a box 1 pound and 1 ounce to the UK. I felt guilty giving him the total and I'm not making a penny off shipping. crazy.gif

 

A FF OmniBus to Australia was something like $34. screwy.gif

 

I always tried to ship international because it was good marketing -- why limit your potential bidders? That said, I think the USPS did just that. If this doesn't kill international shipping, it will put it on life support.

 

I tried to estimate shipping fairly on a couple of non-comic shipments to Australia, and probably lost a couple bucks on each one. Combine that with the nearly 4% paypal charges for international transactions, and I think in the future I'll limit anything that doesn't fit in a flate rate envelope or box to U.S. only.

 

The other shocker was when I had to charge $30 shipping to a buyer in Singapore for a box of 25 comics that he won for $20. I only hope he had calculated that into his bid (still less than cover price).

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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
Domestic shipping is still ok, especially when buying 3-5 books that fit in a flat rate envelope, but international shipping is really out of control.

 

That said, before you weep for your collector friends across the pond in jolly ole England, remember the strength of the Pound versus the Dollar. That usually tempers my sympathy. tongue.gif

yeahok.gif but true...
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greggy

greggy

Posted
Posted
Domestic shipping is still ok, especially when buying 3-5 books that fit in a flat rate envelope, but international shipping is really out of control.

 

That said, before you weep for your collector friends across the pond in jolly ole England, remember the strength of the Pound versus the Dollar. That usually tempers my sympathy. tongue.gif

yeahok.gif but true...
makepoint.gif
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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
Domestic shipping is still ok, especially when buying 3-5 books that fit in a flat rate envelope, but international shipping is really out of control.

 

That said, before you weep for your collector friends across the pond in jolly ole England, remember the strength of the Pound versus the Dollar. That usually tempers my sympathy. tongue.gif

yeahok.gif but true...
makepoint.gif
Canada Post is a whole different ballgame.... sumo.gif
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greggy

greggy

Posted
Posted
Domestic shipping is still ok, especially when buying 3-5 books that fit in a flat rate envelope, but international shipping is really out of control.

 

That said, before you weep for your collector friends across the pond in jolly ole England, remember the strength of the Pound versus the Dollar. That usually tempers my sympathy. tongue.gif

yeahok.gif but true...
makepoint.gif
Canada Post is a whole different ballgame.... sumo.gif
frown.gif
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blutobc

blutobc

Posted
Posted
I just had to charge some poor sap $23 to ship a box 1 pound and 1 ounce to the UK. I felt guilty giving him the total and I'm not making a penny off shipping. crazy.gif

 

A FF OmniBus to Australia was something like $34. screwy.gif

 

I always tried to ship international because it was good marketing -- why limit your potential bidders? That said, I think the USPS did just that. If this doesn't kill international shipping, it will put it on life support.

 

I echo Zipper's comments in that overseas shipping has pretty much reached the saturation limit. Local shipping is still palatable, even Canada shipping isn't too bad with 1st Class International. But there is already enough worry associated with overseas shipping(time lag, potential loss of product and/or package damage due to long transport time) that I don't also need buyers upset over the shipping costs. I am considering dropping everything but Canadian shipping from my ebay sells. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
I just had to charge some poor sap $23 to ship a box 1 pound and 1 ounce to the UK. I felt guilty giving him the total and I'm not making a penny off shipping. crazy.gif

 

A FF OmniBus to Australia was something like $34. screwy.gif

 

I always tried to ship international because it was good marketing -- why limit your potential bidders? That said, I think the USPS did just that. If this doesn't kill international shipping, it will put it on life support.

 

I echo Zipper's comments in that overseas shipping has pretty much reached the saturation limit. Local shipping is still palatable, even Canada shipping isn't too bad with 1st Class International. But there is already enough worry associated with overseas shipping(time lag, potential loss of product and/or package damage due to long transport time) that I don't also need buyers upset over the shipping costs. I am considering dropping everything but Canadian shipping from my ebay sells. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

If a buyer such as myself from the U.K. wants the book, he has to accept that he's going to have to bite the bullet re Global Priority and Global Express/Airmail Parcel post fees. As long as you're not overcharging, no problem. As for potential loss, insurance is usually a necessity, and as for the wait for the books to arrive, that's the drawback when you collect an American collectible but don't live in the U.S.

 

That said, sometimes books get here via GP in under 5 days.

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greggy

greggy

Posted
Posted
I just had to charge some poor sap $23 to ship a box 1 pound and 1 ounce to the UK. I felt guilty giving him the total and I'm not making a penny off shipping. crazy.gif

 

A FF OmniBus to Australia was something like $34. screwy.gif

 

I always tried to ship international because it was good marketing -- why limit your potential bidders? That said, I think the USPS did just that. If this doesn't kill international shipping, it will put it on life support.

 

I echo Zipper's comments in that overseas shipping has pretty much reached the saturation limit. Local shipping is still palatable, even Canada shipping isn't too bad with 1st Class International. But there is already enough worry associated with overseas shipping(time lag, potential loss of product and/or package damage due to long transport time) that I don't also need buyers upset over the shipping costs. I am considering dropping everything but Canadian shipping from my ebay sells. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

If a buyer such as myself from the U.K. wants the book, he has to accept that he's going to have to bite the bullet re Global Priority and Global Express/Airmail Parcel post fees. As long as you're not overcharging, no problem. As for potential loss, insurance is usually a necessity, and as for the wait for the books to arrive, that's the drawback when you collect an American collectible but don't live in the U.S.

 

That said, sometimes books get here via GP in under 5 days.

How about paying cost to Canada? confused-smiley-013.gif
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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
I just had to charge some poor sap $23 to ship a box 1 pound and 1 ounce to the UK. I felt guilty giving him the total and I'm not making a penny off shipping. crazy.gif

 

A FF OmniBus to Australia was something like $34. screwy.gif

 

I always tried to ship international because it was good marketing -- why limit your potential bidders? That said, I think the USPS did just that. If this doesn't kill international shipping, it will put it on life support.

 

I echo Zipper's comments in that overseas shipping has pretty much reached the saturation limit. Local shipping is still palatable, even Canada shipping isn't too bad with 1st Class International. But there is already enough worry associated with overseas shipping(time lag, potential loss of product and/or package damage due to long transport time) that I don't also need buyers upset over the shipping costs. I am considering dropping everything but Canadian shipping from my ebay sells. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

If a buyer such as myself from the U.K. wants the book, he has to accept that he's going to have to bite the bullet re Global Priority and Global Express/Airmail Parcel post fees. As long as you're not overcharging, no problem. As for potential loss, insurance is usually a necessity, and as for the wait for the books to arrive, that's the drawback when you collect an American collectible but don't live in the U.S.

 

That said, sometimes books get here via GP in under 5 days.

How about paying cost to Canada? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

If I want the book badly enough...

 

Actually it'd be cheaper to come and visit. tongue.gif

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Point Five

Point Five

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Posted
The other shocker was when I had to charge $30 shipping to a buyer in Singapore for a box of 25 comics that he won for $20. I only hope he had calculated that into his bid (still less than cover price).

 

Interesting...was it a guy named Joe, perchance? If so, then I sold him a large lot a few months ago, and he paid the $20 shipping with no problem. (Can't imagine there are that many guys in Singapore buying bulk lots of comics...)

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Sal

Sal

Posted
Posted
The other shocker was when I had to charge $30 shipping to a buyer in Singapore for a box of 25 comics that he won for $20. I only hope he had calculated that into his bid (still less than cover price).

 

Interesting...was it a guy named Joe, perchance? If so, then I sold him a large lot a few months ago, and he paid the $20 shipping with no problem. (Can't imagine there are that many guys in Singapore buying bulk lots of comics...)

 

did you slip some pr0n and chewing gum in his package, just to make sure the authorities are on their toes?

 

insane.gif

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