Shipping from a seller's perspective
goodriddance189
Posts: 2,388 ✭✭
i'm getting pretty tired of people complaining about shipping charges. for example, i charge a flat rate fee of $3 for raw and graded cards with no insurance. to the buyer, it looks like my actual price is about $1.75 ($1.10 for shipping, and .60 or so for bubble mailers). it looks like i'm coming out with a buck or more with each shipment.
but they never bother factoring in other stuff. it's not like i have an assembly line of chimps packaging up all my cards. far from it. i am a college student, and i handle every single transaction. this means- going to Office Depot to buy bubble mailers, going to the local shop to buy holders, driving around town trying to find cardboard boxes, coming back home, sorting through all the mail, and matching each card to each payment. after i've done that, i take each order and cut up cardboard boxes for protection. i usually wrap 2-4 pieces of study cardboard around top loads, and 2 around graded cards. i've sat on the floor with an x-acto knife for an entire afternoon cutting up cardboard, so the buyers' cards can get to them unharmed. those little cardboard pieces you get aren't mass produced. they have to be cut to each order, and it takes time. after i'm finally done with that, i use either tape or rubber bands (hey, more expenses) and package them up. after spending the next few hours filling out addresses (and it sometimes takes that long trying to decipher crappy handwriting), i set em aside. after everything is packaged, i put a return address label (those ain't free either) on each one, then head to the post office to spend another half hour waiting in line. when i have 20 or more orders to ship out, it sometimes takes up the entire afternoon.
this method is sometimes tedious, but i've never once had a complaint about a damaged card. so tell me this- is all this not worth the extra buck?
but they never bother factoring in other stuff. it's not like i have an assembly line of chimps packaging up all my cards. far from it. i am a college student, and i handle every single transaction. this means- going to Office Depot to buy bubble mailers, going to the local shop to buy holders, driving around town trying to find cardboard boxes, coming back home, sorting through all the mail, and matching each card to each payment. after i've done that, i take each order and cut up cardboard boxes for protection. i usually wrap 2-4 pieces of study cardboard around top loads, and 2 around graded cards. i've sat on the floor with an x-acto knife for an entire afternoon cutting up cardboard, so the buyers' cards can get to them unharmed. those little cardboard pieces you get aren't mass produced. they have to be cut to each order, and it takes time. after i'm finally done with that, i use either tape or rubber bands (hey, more expenses) and package them up. after spending the next few hours filling out addresses (and it sometimes takes that long trying to decipher crappy handwriting), i set em aside. after everything is packaged, i put a return address label (those ain't free either) on each one, then head to the post office to spend another half hour waiting in line. when i have 20 or more orders to ship out, it sometimes takes up the entire afternoon.
this method is sometimes tedious, but i've never once had a complaint about a damaged card. so tell me this- is all this not worth the extra buck?
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<< <i>i'm getting pretty tired of people complaining about shipping charges. for example, i charge a flat rate fee of $3 for raw and graded cards with no insurance. to the buyer, it looks like my actual price is about $1.75 ($1.10 for shipping, and .60 or so for bubble mailers). it looks like i'm coming out with a buck or more with each shipment.
but they never bother factoring in other stuff. it's not like i have an assembly line of chimps packaging up all my cards. far from it. i am a college student, and i handle every single transaction. this means- going to Office Depot to buy bubble mailers, going to the local shop to buy holders, driving around town trying to find cardboard boxes, coming back home, sorting through all the mail, and matching each card to each payment. after i've done that, i take each order and cut up cardboard boxes for protection. i usually wrap 2-4 pieces of study cardboard around top loads, and 2 around graded cards. i've sat on the floor with an x-acto knife for an entire afternoon cutting up cardboard, so the buyers' cards can get to them unharmed. those little cardboard pieces you get aren't mass produced. they have to be cut to each order, and it takes time. after i'm finally done with that, i use either tape or rubber bands (hey, more expenses) and package them up. after spending the next few hours filling out addresses (and it sometimes takes that long trying to decipher crappy handwriting), i set em aside. after everything is packaged, i put a return address label (those ain't free either) on each one, then head to the post office to spend another half hour waiting in line. when i have 20 or more orders to ship out, it sometimes takes up the entire afternoon.
this method is sometimes tedious, but i've never once had a complaint about a damaged card. so tell me this- is all this not worth the extra buck? >>
perfect post.. that about sums up my situation also..
and
cost of your time.
(this is seperate from the expenses of all you do,
like gas, materials, wear & tear on your car etc.)
I have not had many complaints, but I have always
had to just explain that while the $1.75 was the Postage,
(or the SHIPPING part of the fees).
The rest was called HANDLING...
Hence the term, Shipping AND Handling
tell them that!
it's not like i have an assembly line of chimps >>
sounds like a great idea for a business venture
That is your problem all the big sellers use em
I don't see 3 bucks as exorbitant. I charge 2.50 to ship up to three raw cards (.50 for each additional), 3.00 for slabbed under $50, and 4.00 for slabbed over $50 (these go Priority Mail).
Insurance is optional up to $50, over it is mandatory.
With Ebay now giving us the ability to pick the specific shipping method it's hard not to properly inform the bidders about shipping. Some do not use this and explain it in the description. I do both and find that the more info given, including return policy, the less hassle.
I appreciate sellers who say everything up front and respond to questions. I sometimes shy away from listings that do not explain, or charge prices like $5 for a slabbed card that will ship by 1st Class Mail. Even with insurance that card costs a little over two dollars to mail. The extra seems a little much for handling and packaging costs. Some charge even more.
I am also finding more people who do not take Paypal. Maybe it's because I'm searching more often and looking more closely.
I recently looked at 3 nice 59T raw commons. The seller wanted $2 each for shipping. I asked about combined shipping before bidding. He did not respond. I figured I just would not bid over low book including the shipping, 10-11 bucks total. The cards cost under $5, the shipping was $6. The seller said he expected the cards to sell for more money. I paid the total and explained that the 11 bucks was really low book and not a problem. He sent all three cards in separate packages, out of courtesy I guess. Nice cards that should grade within my standards for the registry. I do wish that he had responded to my pre-bid question or explained his shipping policy in the listing, but I'm happy.
I see many Ebay buyers as uninformed about shipping prices, and paying a little more than they should at times. I also see that we collectors like to pay a reasonable price for S&H and know what it costs.
Don't see your shipping as out of line Will, but people will always complain.
This is the worst part about receiving payments via mail. Its amazing how many people don't supply a return address period, along with those that supply there's in writing like a doctor filling out a prescription. At list with a paypal payment the address is clear and a label can be created with ease
shipping charges are fairly basic and combined shipping, insurance rates are all spell out in each of my auctions.
Shipping for single cards is $2.50, which includes 1st class postage, mylar sleeve and bubble mailer. Insurance is extra and recommended. I accept Checks, Money Orders, and Paypal. If you wish to pay via paypal, click on paypal icon below at auctions end and you will be prompt directly to paypal payment instructions. Same day multiple card winners, shipping for 1-2 cards is $2.50, 3-5 cards $5.00. 6-12 cards $8.00. Insurance up to $50.00 is $1.30, $50.01-$100.00 is $2.20. For each additional $100.00 worth of insurance over $100.01 add $1.00. example: $200.00 = $3.20. $300.00 = $4.20 and so forth
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
"All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
It also bothers me when people talk about bubble envelopes like they’re so expensive. Parrothead88 on ebay sells 250 bubble envelopes for something like $10-15, which makes your actual cost roughly $.10-.15/shipping. You can also get team bags/pennysleeves/toploaders/etc. For wholesale prices off ebay that will bring your costs down.
My costs to ship cards are:
$.49-$.60 for postage
$.10-$.12 for bubble mail
$.50-$.75 for toploader/team bag/cardboard pieces/pennysleeve
So charging $2 leaves me maybe $.50 “profit” which I think is reasonable, especially when most sellers are charging $3-$5 to ship raw single cards. As a buyer, it’s very frustrating to pay $3+ (I don’t mind $3- I think it’s kind of just before the “too high” range) and get a card in nothing more than a pennysleeve or toploader w/$.49 postage.
Also, why not use the cardboard pieces from busting wax instead of cutting them up? I've got 9405840584058 pieces of cardboard from UD/etc. that work just fine to protect cards.
<< <i>I recently looked at 3 nice 59T raw commons. The seller wanted $2 each for shipping. I asked about combined shipping before bidding. He did not respond. I figured I just would not bid over low book including the shipping, 10-11 bucks total. The cards cost under $5, the shipping was $6. The seller said he expected the cards to sell for more money. I paid the total and explained that the 11 bucks was really low book and not a problem. He sent all three cards in separate packages, out of courtesy I guess. Nice cards that should grade within my standards for the registry. I do wish that he had responded to my pre-bid question or explained his shipping policy in the listing, but I'm happy. >>
Actually, if you wanted to press the point, when a seller charges you three times for shipping but ony sends it in one envelope, it can be construed as mail fraud. I know a friend who actually got an eBay seller into trouble with the USPS for that...long story short, he bought eight commons from the 1956 Topps set for around 99 cents apiece, the seller said that the buying price was really low when compared to book value, and there would be no adjustment...then shipped them all in a standard envelope inside a team bag. He took his envelope and a copy of that email to the postal inspectors, and the guy ended up refunding the S&H cost.
If the seller expected the cards to go for extra money, then he should have raised his opening bid or placed a reasonable BIN on them. If he insists on charging three times to ship three cards, they damned well better arrive in three envelopes. At least spell it out in the auction description, so I can adjust my bid accordingly or avoid those types of sellers entirely.
Just a point.
Vintage Cards Specialist/Hobby Historian
Vintage Baseball Cards website:
http://www.obaks.com/vintagebaseballcards/index.html
plus gas is around $2/gal in most parts of the country. but of course all of my buyers have air-powered cars they use to get to the post office so they think I should deduct that from my shipping costs.
On a side note, what about "combined shipping"? Something to the effect of $0.75 to $1.00 for each additional is what I charge and most sellers I've dealt with do too.
Brian
Hockey set! Always looking to buy, trade or upgrade 1966 Topps to 1969 OPC.
<< <i>The reality is it costs to sell on ebay and things like toploaders, etc. are costs of doing business..and I’m not sure all/99% of those costs should be passed on to the buyers. >>
I am not sure I understand this. Businesses need to recover their costs. Restaurants cover their labour costs by charging enough for their meals to pay the servers/cooks/etc and still turn a profit. If, in an auction environment, you cannot accurately predict the amount your goods will fetch on the open market (as opposed to fixed prices), then I see no issue with charging enough "handling" to cover your overhead. THAT's how to deal with the cost of doing business.
<< <i>It also bothers me when people talk about bubble envelopes like they’re so expensive. Parrothead88 on ebay sells 250 bubble envelopes for something like $10-15, which makes your actual cost roughly $.10-.15/shipping. You can also get team bags/pennysleeves/toploaders/etc. For wholesale prices off ebay that will bring your costs down. >>
Not every seller on eBay is doing enough volume to justify purchasing 250 bubble mailers at a time. Most of us regular Joes just buy 10-packs at Staples.
I charge $3.75 shipping. It ALWAYS includes insurance.
I send every package out with insurance for the simple fact if anything happens,
both myself and the customer are covered. This prevents either one of us from
losing anything-money or merchandise. 99% of what I sell is graded cards and
I put the card in a plastic holder to protect it from scratches (Which, I actually do
right after it either comes back from PSA or I purchase it) and then it is taped
between (2) pieces of cardboard and put it inside the bubble mailers. Everyone
has their own way of doing shipping, and I just feel as long as it is "reasonable",
nobody should complain about it...... AND.......if they do, they should not bid! I
like to think I treat people fair on their shipping charges and sellers do the same
when I buy from them. It is not unreasonable to actually charge a bit more than
actual cost, as others have said on here, the time involved and other materials
that are used in the packaging (taping, labels etc.). On the other hand, I DO get
VERY ANGRY when I pay $4 for shipping and get a card in a top loader with just
a 37c stamp attached to it in a regular envelope with no protection whatsoever!
I think all anyone can ask for is just to use some common sense and also a sense
of "WHAT'S FAIR"? Once again putting my lil' 2cents worth in!
I charge $4 for cheap cards (under $50) and $5 for anything im insuring for over $50. I've had a few people complain about the amount i charge but this shipping charge includes shipping in a BOX with foam padding, tamper evident security tape, Insurance and Delivery Confirmation. If you add it all up and figure in time and gas the box may say it only cost $3.65 or whatever to ship but the sellers come out on the short end of the stick most of the time if they do a good job of packaging the cards.
Just my 2 cents.
Paul.
STEELERS4LIFE
But I strongly disagree with the philosophy of trying to recoup all of your selling costs with shipping. All you end up doing is reducing your selling price, and if you are selling multiple items, then you lose the 1st card shipping amount on every sale, if you combine shipping.
I went to home depot yesterday, and bought some items. They had had them shipped into the store for me, had them stored, needed a sales person to get it off of a high shelf, took my credit card and paid the mastercard fee, put the small items in a bag, and helped me load large ones into my car. they also agreed that if I decided later I didn't want or need them, I could bring them back for a full refund, and didn't charge me a penny for shipping or handling.