Tried the new eBay first class shipping envelope-results
uscoinguy
Posts: 150 ✭✭✭
Obviously this is a small sample. After reading on the forum about other sellers having success with this, I thought I would try it. I had some low priced coins I could list.
I shipped 19 raw coin orders using the cheaper First Class Envelope Rate with no real tracking, between OCT 2 and OCT 11. (eBay says they have their own tracking system). I bought the recommended eBay 8x6 cardboard envelopes.
As of today-10/17:
11 show as delivered
8 show as not delivered.
3 of the 8 have feedback so I know the buyer got them. I have no idea about the other 5 at this point, except 1 buyer says he did not get his coins. He will wait a few more days, then make a claim. After 30 days I can make a claim with eBay to get my money back after I give the buyer a refund.
Also one shows no tracking from the post office, and no acceptance. As a top-rated seller this will hurt my 100% on time next day shipping rating. Now I will have to go through the hassle of calling eBay and disputing their tracking system, and ask them to remove these 2 hits to my record.
I seriously doubt I will ever use this process again, there is way too much hassle/risk with their "phantom tracking" system.
Comments
In September and October. I used the service 39 times. As of today, the September shipments show 24 delivered, 5 "shipped" or "in transit ". Of the 10 October shipments, it is 8 delivered and 2 "shipped".
Only one of the "shipped" have even inquired.
Yes, it's kind of spotty on the tracking but spending $3.50+ to ship even a 19.99 coin isn't worth the extra $3 to get the better tracking. You are also paying $3.50 to get tracking and no insurance. While I would be paying 57 cents or 81 cents to get imperfect tracking AND insurance. These are the coins and stamps I previously threw in an envelope and paid 70 cents to ship with no tracking and no insurance.
I still love ebay standard. I wish I could ship $500 gold coins that way.
I use Standard Envelope shipping and it appears about 3-4% never register in the system. On the other hand, it only takes 7 or 8 shipments to save me on postage what I'd save on the Top Rated Seller fee discount. I don't worry about whether or not I get the seller discount as the savings on shipping are significantly more.
happy as a bug in a rug with SE shipping. have a few boxes of coins ready to go to happy buyers homes via this method.
if i could get 1000 free listings each month on an account but the caveat is nothing listed over $20, like a SE shipping only account, i'd have 1000 listings. 5000 would be more difficult but if i could get that many free a month, i'd give it one heck of a try.
Despite the failure to scan, my compliance is still 98.79% and most of the transactions on that account (my cheapo account) are shipped via eBay standard. So delivery scans alone aren't required to meet it. Feedback, for example, also counts. To wit, the 98.79% is based on 165/167 transactions complied. The two defects are one uploaded late and one with no carrier scan. So even the ones that have an acceptance scan but no delivery scan don't seem to count against me.
That's the spirit! LOL
I have 10,000 free listings (fixed price) on both my accounts. But I just can't do it. I want to...I just can't. LOL. They gave me 10,000 free for making the managed payment transition early and they have persisted for going on 3 years!
Just for fun, I tried it on an auction for a corroded large cent no reserve. The coin closed for $7, I shipped it for 81c with tracking, got positive feedback 4 days later. Received one today in my PO box that I knew was there from the delivery scan.
This is great, and I may sell more cheap stuff now that way just to get rid of it. I think it will be great for YNs and others to get involved with the hobby on a limited budget.
I'm referring to the ones that never get an acceptance scan.
YOU SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK !!!!
i would ask to do a consignment with you but as you say, it is a LOT of work/organization etc.
10k. wow
i don't think i have 10k coins. i bet i could get them though. LOL
i know it is only like .15 per listing per month over the 250 or whatever but on 500-2000 listings, that'd be a lot of fees if enough stuff isn't selling!!!
I had a Basic Store for a while but kept bumping up against the 1,000/month listing limit. For the cost of about 150 more listings at the Basic Store rate, I upgraded to a Premium Store.
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i'm checking my accounts now just in case. do you physically see that number somewhere or do you see the regular info but you just aren't charged for the extra listings?
i'm curious if i MAY be overlooking it on any of my accounts.
Based on my experience, those are rare enough not jeopardize top-rated seller status for me.
I agree.
It is about the only way to sell inexpensive material.
Everything I sell ships either same day or next day. My "Tracking uploaded on time" hovers around 95-96%. That's just the way it is here.
Sooo close...
when presented at the counter for acceptance scan I was told there is no acceptance scanning on these.
I too love the label. I mostly use it with a single coin in a flip taped inside the packing slip and a blank sheet of paper and placed in a #10 envelope. Have to cut the blank bottom off of the 4x6 thermal label to fit it on the business envelope.
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt
???
I> @MasonG said:
I meant that you're only 1 or 2% away. Although, as you said, the shipping savings is better. That's why I opened the 2nd account for the cheap stuff.
@MasonG said:> I meant that you're only 1 or 2% away. Although, as you said, the shipping savings is better. That's why I opened the 2nd account for the cheap stuff.
Maybe that is best option- open a second seller account for the cheap stuff. thanks for the idea!
Yes. I actually did it before the eBay standard shipping even existed. I was shipping everything 1st class with no tracking at all in that account. At that time, my main account had Top Rated Plus and I wasn't going to sacrifice that. Now, they actually both are Top Rated, but I don't really care on the "discount account". It's all about the cheaper shipping.
I can't do anything about it. Either the post office scans the envelopes in time or they don't.
At least ebay on their standard envelope will refund via insurance the "lost" claims about a month after you generate the initial label. Happened to me too. Up to $20 per sale or $50 total. Sorry for your trouble. Hopefully after explaining the deficiencies of the system the buyer will take the refund and not leave you problem feedback.
What would it take for the usps to track these from counter to delivery, is it that complicated?
I would suspect USPS's justification for the poorer tracking is that it's what the sender gives up for the much lower rate. It probably saves them little or nothing.
Coinlearner, Ahrensdad, Nolawyer, RG, coinlieutenant, Yorkshireman, lordmarcovan, Soldi, masscrew, JimTyler, Relaxn, jclovescoins
Now listen boy, I'm tryin' to teach you sumthin' . . . . that ain't an optical illusion, it only looks like an optical illusion.
My mind reader refuses to charge me....
The question is what type of scan technology would it take for them to put the standard envelopes on a par with the others, is it really that much more expensive to turn the unscannable code into a scannable one?
Yes. They aren't scanned with a scanner. Since they only go through the automatic sorters, they have to be "scanned" by the sorter.
Don’t forget that the standard envelope is a partnership. The quality of tracking is likely something that was accounted for when negotiating this deal between eBay and USPS. eBay understood that the tracking was not 100% reliable and that’s why they contracted for insurance. Ebay realized that the pricing of the standard envelope would allow sellers to justify selling many more items, which increases their revenue. That calculated benefit likely outweighed any other concerns.
The deal likely could not have been accomplished with better tracking, because then the service would be too expensive and sellers couldn’t justify listing as many low value items.
And if the cheaper service was as good as their first class with tracking incentives may have been bad for the more expensive business.
I think the cheaper service is better. Tracking + insurance for 57 cents vs. $4+ for tracking and no insurance? It's a no-brainer.
I still call it the greatest innovation ebay has ever had.
For collectors who don't spend big bucks on their collections? Absolutely.
How do you get the envelopes and do you use eBay shipping labels
Thanks
Frank D
You use your own envelopes, print the labels through eBay like a regular first class label.
I have shipped 34 envelopes this way. All were trackable and all were shown as delivered. Go into seller hub and shipping labels and you will see the tracking number. Sometimes it doesn't say delivered there but click on the tracking number on the RH side and all mine were shown as delivered.
keep your eye on the option for shipping selected when you land on that page, as well as the weight.
the ebay system as selected other shipping tiers and filled in inaccurate weights.
The ebay system fills in whatever weight you have in the listing. If you have no weight, it picks 1 ounce.
Same with the shipping tiers.
then the listing puts other numbers besides 1 in the listing automatically probably using some predictive data from previous listings. it does not always choose wisely. lol
i NEVER fill out that data.
Depending on which to your using it might have a default based on something you sold before. I've never had it fill in anything on its own. The phone app, in particular, seems to use my prior listing as a default.
Unless you know how the coin is going to be packed and shipped, how can you choose wisely?
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not me, the algo.
If you insist...
Unless the algo knows how the coin is going to be packed and shipped, how can the algo choose wisely?
my point exactly.
to be fair, i'm sure from the standpoint of all of ebay sales, patterns tend to emerge but with a lot of exceptions.
many single coins it chose 2oz. some multi-sales it chose 3 while 1 oz actually sufficed. they were small.
people think automating the world is a good idea, history will eventually prove otherwise. (another convo for another day)
I use a #10 business envelope for single coins in a flip taped to the enclosed packing slip. Have to cut a little bit off the label so it fits on the #10.
For multiple coins in flips I use the ebay 4x8 cardboard envelopes and buy them with my quarterly $25 store coupon. They weigh an oz but you get to ship up to 3 oz for just over a buck.
FWIW I have shipped over 50 standard envelopes with no loss.
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt
i've never tried them but i have received a few over the years, including a couple from forum members!
they are VERY secure imo, even though i don't use them.
best to tape the flap closed on the 4x8 cardboards
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Debt