Ebay shipping option for under $20 items
logger7
Posts: 8,669 ✭✭✭✭✭
A dealer told me today that on orders on ebay $20 and below you can get a shipping label for around the regular first class postage and you get a delivery confirmation upc but not other tracking. Has anyone else used this?
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Yes, I use it a lot. I really don't think the insurance for it is going to last long. I've had quite a few claims made for non-delivery. More in the last 6 months than I've had in the last 6 years! I just hope ebay is keeping track of those that make claims. Probably 25% or more never show being delivered. I suspect the majority of them are dishonest folks, though I hope I'm wrong. So far every claim has been paid so I will continue to use it.
How about others using ebay standard delivery? How many claims and non-deliveries are you experiencing?
Mine are very securely packaged...Heavy manilla envelope with thin cardboard inside. Costs extra because it adds an ounce so I don't think it's packages being damaged.
I'm not a big seller on ebay and have had no lost stolen items in a while.
One thought on the issue of items that get stolen in mail, if they look like mint sets or proof sets which are a huge part of what the usps handles, the chance of a thief targeting them goes down a lot.
I have used the eBay "standard envelope" many times. First, I use 8" x 6" thin cardboard mailers which are more sturdy and cost only 20 cents each when bought in bulk (100 or more). Second, the tracking for these only occurs in major distribution hubs not at every point in handling, so a buyer may see "delivered" on eBay but it's only been scanned at their nearby distribution/sorting center and will take an extra day or two to arrive. I have had a couple of buyers ask and I told them to be patient and explained the distribution center tracking, the packages did arrive after a day or two. I've never had to make a claim.
I have used the eBay Standard Envelope. It does have issues. I shipped about 100 envelopes and eBay paid me two insurance claims for none delivery.
Pros:
cost effective for shipping coins under $20
Printed eBay label with postage paid.
insurance
Cons
Tracking System - the tracking is done by the regular mail sorting machines and is unreliable. The tracking system causes confusion with buyers. The package tracking can be shown as delivered, and it will be delivered the next day.
Package thickness - if package is too thick, it will have a postage due amount. This is inconsistent on how it is enforced.
Limit on number of coins shipped.
High number of lost packages
Exposure to negative feedback and higher number of customer complaints.
I've shipped more than 500 of them. No claims. Love it for raw coins, stamps and postcards.
Package can be up to $50 but no single item over $20.
It is 1st class, so it must be less than 1/4 inch thick.
BTW, there's a couple other threads on here with other testimonials.
I've used it for over 1,000 shipments so far and I think it's great- tracking and $20 insurance for 53 cents. How can you go wrong? It's easily saved me a couple thousand dollars in postage and allows me to sell inexpensive stuff that otherwise would not be practical.
edited to add... There is a downside- you'll sometimes get one back stamped "Postage Due". In that case, I've just reprinted the label and put the item back in the mail. I've never had one come back twice. Also, it's best not to hand them over to the clerk at the counter- not everybody at the post office understands what "eBay Standard Envelope" is.
That last point is definitely true. I usually just toss them in the slot. Today, I had a registered so I went in. When I handed the "ebay standard", she looked at me like I had 2 heads. Read it. Felt up the envelope. Read it again. Then tossed it in the bin.
I've done that with the exact same response up until the "toss in the bin part". The envelope was handed back to me with the comment "53 cents isn't enough". No point arguing, I just took it back and went and dropped it in the slot in the wall.
i haven't had any problems yet but am not shipping as much as you all. then again, i never really had any problems before either shipping this way. the extra layer for piece of mind is nice though, especially at the cost.
I have a few clerks stick mine through their size slot and they have always passed.
Around half of all of them I have shipped have yet to say "delivered". Only 3 or 4 claims though so most buyers are honest.
Did receive a claim of "item not received" just this morning. The odd thing is the buyer gave me positive feedback for it 3 weeks ago. Go figure. Idiot.
Used a few dozen times on both the buying and selling end. No problems yet.
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
Just started using the method the last couple of weeks. So far, not enough time elapsed to make much of a judgement call, other than it is certainly handy to use and a great savings. Will see if I run into any non-delivery problems; so far the gal at the post office hasn't had any problem when I turn them in.
Here's the problem with Ebay Standard Envelopes: They buyer can request a refund if the envelope is one day late. The seller can't file a claim for 30 days after the last scan. When you refund the buyer, and the Ebay Standard Envelope arrives you are out the cost of the item and the shipping.
Not really a problem
I am on my second one. Talked to customer service today, he told me if the item gets delivered between now and March 27, I have no recourse. If it doesn't get delivered, I can file a claim.
You can contact the buyer and ask him to pay for the item.
I also have used this method hundreds of times. I have yet to lose a single one.....
The 'tracking' isn't particularly dependable, but I have not had a single claim.
If this happens enough to enough people that sounds like a good start to a Class Action Suit against ebay. They are forcing you to refund the buyer with no recourse if it isn't lost. I have always wondered what would happen in this situation. Lucky it hasn't happened to me so far( KOCK ON WOOD! )
**> @djm said:
I use it for low cost coins, paper money and postcards.
I use a 6 by 9 inch catalog envelope with the packing slip/receipt folded in half. postcards and paper money are inserted in another small envelop taped to the packing slip coins are in a 2X2 and secured to a 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inch piece of card stock so it doesn't rattle around.
So far a little over 100 shipments and had to refund two of them but eBay payed me after 30 days.
I use to ship those items via first class mail with no tracking or insurance anyway but that alone prevented me from obtaining top rated seller status because a tracking number didn't get uploaded. I wish eBay would also offer this option for paper ephemera like maps and small travel brochures which would allow me to sell (unload) lots more stuff economically.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
But, again, worse problem with regular 1st class. Since it costs about $3.50 to go package rate with no insurance or 53 cents to use ebay standard, they'd have to lose 1 out of 7 to not be worth it.
Since I have no claims in over 500 packages, I effectively have $1500 in my self insurance fund
Another benefit of eBay standard envelope is the claim process is easier and faster than filing a claim with the post office. I filed one earlier this week and was paid two days later. The last claim I filed at the post office took nearly a month.
edited to add... Another benefit is that, with the delivery confirmation, eBay standard envelope has nearly eliminated "lost item" claims. I used to ship inexpensive items without tracking as it was cost-prohibitive to pay $3.50 to mail $5-$10 coins. For some reason, the loss rate of items shipped without tracking is much higher than it is for tracked items.
Agree.
It really depends on your comp. If people are thinking of it as a replacement for Priority Insured, it really isn't. [Although I would argue that it is more cost effective than even that shipping method for inexpensive items.] But when you contrast it with simple first class letter shipping, it is a slam dunk.
As you said, I used to ship $2 to $20 items via 1st class letter all the time. The post office would "lose" roughly 2 per 1000 - or the buyer was lying. But I didn't care because to ship those same 1000 items via package rate would cost $3500. Even if I ended up refunding $40 (2x$20) to two scammers, it was still much cheaper than shipping everything via 1st class parcel.
And even if you paid the $3.50 to go 1st class parcel with tracking, you still weren't insured. So you still had to pay out of pocket for lost items. Or, of course, you could pay $1.25 to insure your $20 item. Then you are really just trying to donate money to the post office.
I wish they had the option of shipping $100 coins this way, even if they only carried $20 in insurance. It would still be more cost effective to ship $100 coins and lose a couple than to pay parcel rates with insurance.
This is arguably the GREATEST INNOVATION that eBay has ever had since its founding. The only thing even close was PayPal. I've been doing eBay since 1997 and I remember going to the bank daily with checks and money orders and then having bounced checks or money orders my bank wouldn't accept. Then you had to wait for them to clear and then ship. PayPal (and now Managed Payments) makes it easier on the buyer and easier on the shipper and dumps the money right into my account.
Agreed. I keep hoping they will expand into other categories. It's kind of odd that they do coins but not all paper categories. Coins are tougher on the mail handling equipment.
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love your analysis. it is the very simple and effective way of looking at it. even if you lose a few, you are still WAYYYYY ahead of the game. some people have a difficult time disassociating the emotional part out and refuse to participate in some things because of a few little losses/negativites. (is that a word?)
there is a reason billion-dollar corps/insurance companies etc use that formula. because it works. (for better and worse)
Agree. The USPS insurance rate is ridiculous given how reliable they are. It has to be the most profitable part of their business. They charge $3.15 for the first $100 in insurance. And above $300 is $1.55 per hundred. They'd have to lose more than 1% of packages. Smh...
I'm starting to use ebay standard envelope for shipping. But a number of things I've sold for under $50 that should qualify don't give me the option. Since I offer free shipping, can buyers cause cheap sales to go the regular first class at around $3.50 anyway?
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for the first inquiry. you have to have that option selected when you make the listing. if you have an account where you ONLY have items that qualify, you can just set a business policy for that and it edits/verifies ALL the active listings, whether BIN or auction, so long as the auctions don't have bids or less than 12 hours left. you can have more than one business policy selected for certain listings but if you have a lot of listings you need to be VERY organized with this or it will bite you a bit.
the second inquiry. i cant get my brain to fully comprehend, so i'll leave that one to someone else. i will say it is hard to imagine ANY buyer forcing my hand on how i ship other than just threatening to cancel a sale if i don't do it a certain way but i will always consider a request on a case-by-case.
The limit is $20 per item or $50 per order. I had an order that went less than a buck over and had to ship regular...it was 3 coins.
Be aware- if your three coin order is under $50 but one of the items is over $20, it won't qualify for eBay standard envelope.
On the other hand, if each item is under $20, you could ship them separately, using 3 different eBay standard envelopes, even if the buyer pays as a single order. You can print up to 5 separate labels for a single order.
ebay Standard Envelope requirements
You can only use it if you get the option to use it when you print a label from ebay. To get the option the item sold has to meet the requirements.
I use these ebay paperboard envelopes. Ebay store owners can apply their quarterly shipping supply coupon I tape the coin, in a flip, to the packing slip and off she goes.
I tried but couldn't find a quick way to do it. Perhaps I should have tried clicking ship from the individual coin listing, not from the order page?
I was MAD that I had a coin bid up to $21 last week. $19 would have made me more money. Lol
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you made me think. how about in those situations, you sell the buyer a coin for .10, some random junk, then combine the listings and print out a label from the new listing? take a little back n forth but you would list it as a HIGH bin price so someone else didn't snag it and when that person puts in an offer, just accept?
You could, but it's a lot of effort to save $2... and a little dishonest.
My Ebay>Selling>Orders>Shipping Labels>Actions>Print Another Label
There may be a faster way to do it, but that is one.
" for the first inquiry. you have to have that option selected when you make the listing. "
I thought so also... but I never did select that option when making a listing. But the option shows up automatically when I go to purchase postage and print postage. If the item sold is in the correct acceptable categories, and it is under $20 (before postage and taxes) the option shows up and I select it. If it is not in the correct categories, or over $20, the option does not even show up.
.> @jmlanzaf said:
You can always post it with a first class stamp(s) , forget about tracking and insurance and cross your fingers. That's the way some of us did it before "eBay standard envelope"
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
Top-rated seller discount.
I used to do that also, but not on my coin account where it would cost me the discount.
Good point but you can still maintain your top-rated seller discount as long as 95.00% of your transactions have tracking uploaded within your stated handling time, in addition to receiving a carrier scan. So... one or two now and then should cause no problems.
You gave me a good idea though. I may open a separate account for listing other paper ephemera that doesn't qualify for the eBay standard envelope rate.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
Yes. I have a second account I use for stamps. Those were always going 1st class anyway.
If they had eBay standard 10 years ago, I'd probably be retired. Lol
ebay is making some changes within the system. no announcement i've seen, just noticed some page chages.
the relist/sell similar bulk screen is 10x faster now.
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so you forewent what by your description was a respectable amount of money over a little bit of tracking? or you just being facetious?
If you lose "top-rated seller" it is 10% of ALL of your fees which amounts to 0.9% of total sales. It is a couple bucks on the one item but it is a couple thousand dollars in lost discounts over the course of a year. It would be "penny wise and pound foolish" to try to save $2 in shipping on the one item.
i read it as you would have sold more if you had the tracking option (i presumed for peace of mind/loss prevention) but didn't sell as much, by choice, therefore missing out on a HUGE amount of sales because of the risk no shipping w/o tracking over a decade or so not by the savings of some fees because of not having the TRS disount(s).
not a big deal either way but now i'm curious which analysis you are aiming at. never know; may come up with a new/better way to doing/looking at this.
Perhaps your inventory is different. When I did the free return shipping for 30 day returns I had the unscrupulous taking advantage and using my inventory for free for 30 days. If ebay would reduce the return timeframe to 14 days I would try the discount again.