How many of you ship from home?

gosteelers

Just thinkin' about starting to ship from home instead of constantly running to the post office to mail an item here, an item there. Tips, advice? Pros/cons? What kind of scale should you get, etc...

Mark

Hub

I just started a couple of days ago and I love it!! I'll never go back! You can print the labels right from Paypal. Choose any mailing service, plus del. conf. and insurance. Amazing.

jlbsquared

Agreed - I got on the paypal shipping label bandwagon a few weeks ago, and it's great - no more wasting your life in PO lines, it's cheaper for delivery confirmation, and you pay right from your paypal balance... I recommend it 150%.

Bosox1976

I've been using the paypal labels for months - Love it! Only drawback is that if you print the labels and drop them into a mailbox the tracking (delivery confirmation) numbers don't seem to be entered into the USPS computer system until delivery. No biggie, unless buyer wants to track though.

Onlypsahockey

The best thing about it is you can schedule a pick up with the P.O.
I do it online and take the packages to work with me. The carrier takes them when he delivers mail to the office the next morning. Too easy. The only drawback is I can't print labels thru Paypal for Canada.

A must for the weekend warriors like myself.

EagleEyeKid

The only drawback is I can't print labels thru Paypal for Canada.

Is there a way to do this for Canada? Paypal now prints custom's form so I would like to use this function. The only thing I recall is that they require a phone # for the receiver which I don't have.

SDavid

Where do you guys get your paper for the labels? I looked for adhesive labels at some of the big chains, but couldn't find any that were big enough.

zef204

I use paypal to print everything and I have a couple of suggestions.

1) Buy the full sheet labels on eBay. When you get them, you can cut them into thirds or halves if you don't care to really optimze. Then when you go to print the labels, put in the halved or thirded(?) sheets in the printer. You can usually choos "scaled printing" and can make the labels %70. This way they will print out on 1/3 sheet. If you do halves, I am sure that %80 and possibly even %100 or normal printing will fit on a half.


2) NEVER drop them in a mailbox!!!!!!! If you use a bubble mailer and someone else shoves a box in there it can kill the slab even inside the bubble mailer. Either schedule a pick up or go to the Post office. You do't have to wait in line if they already have postage. Usually they have a mail bin sitting at the end of the counter. Just say, "These have postage, can I put them in here?" I also would NEVER put them in the package drop at the PO, or the thing next to the automated postage kiosk for the same reason as the mailbox. Someone could drop something heavy in there and bust the slab.

3) Either buy a postage scale on eBay or go to office depot. I got mine at Office Depot for $30 and it is pretty sweet. I think you could pick one up on the bay for $15. Also, if you run out of labels that you bought on eBay, all the big office chains have the full sheet labels, but they are a lot pricier than on eBay. Staples, Office Max and Office Depot all have the full sheet labels.

4) Enjoy the time you save by not waiting in line at the PO and you are covered by delivery conf on everything. Paypal makes you buy it for $.13 on everything you ship through there.


The only time you run into trouble is International(I think it can be done now, but I haven't figured out how) or if someone asks you to send it to a different address than the address on eBay or Paypal. I always send it to the address that eBay/Paypal has on file despite the request they make. I appologize after the fact and inform them that I sell quite a few items and miss special requests from time to time, and also that eBay advises to only ship to addresses they have confirmed.

Good luck with it, it is quite liberating.

Jordan

jlbsquared

"2) NEVER drop them in a mailbox!!!!!!! If you use a bubble mailer and someone else shoves a box in there it can kill the slab even inside the bubble mailer. Either schedule a pick up or go to the Post office. You do't have to wait in line if they already have postage. Usually they have a mail bin sitting at the end of the counter. Just say, "These have postage, can I put them in here?" I also would NEVER put them in the package drop at the PO, or the thing next to the automated postage kiosk for the same reason as the mailbox. Someone could drop something heavy in there and bust the slab."



Jordan - good advice that I hadn't considered about the PO package drop, I dropped a few cards in one today without thinking. The blue mailboxes should be o.k. though - if I'm not mistaken you can only ship packages up to 16 ounces in them?

Josh

brianwintersfan

I just tried a couple and it is a lot easier and quicker then my old way. My question is how could you get 2 or 3 on a sheet when it prints out that online label record as well at the bottom??

zef204

<< <i>Jordan - good advice that I hadn't considered about the PO package drop, I dropped a few cards in one today without thinking. The blue mailboxes should be o.k. though - if I'm not mistaken you can only ship packages up to 16 ounces in them?

Josh >>

Ideally yes. But I actually had a slab busted from some guy jamming a package into a regular blue mailbox. You probably would be OK 99/100 times but I somehow hit the 100th time. Anyone can print postage at home via USPS.com, and those of us who do it often may know that you can't put a heavy package into a blue mailbox, but not everyone who tries to ship a 700 page textbook. That will fit in a blue mailbox and may crunch a slab if it hits it wrong.

You likeyly would be OK dropping a bubble mailer into a blue mailbox on the street, but who knows. I am extra carefull because I don't want my negligence or laziness cost me or the buyer $$ or the card. Also, going to the post office never bothered me much, it was the waiting in line that killed me! So to run in and drop them off in the bin is as easy as either pulling in front to a blue mailbox or finding one on the street.


JMO, I hope it helps and may save you some headache in the future.

Jordan

zef204

<< <i>I just tried a couple and it is a lot easier and quicker then my old way. My question is how could you get 2 or 3 on a sheet when it prints out that online label record as well at the bottom?? >>

BWFan,

There is an option on Paypal to not print the reciept, which is the second half of the label. But lately it has been disregarding my selection of not printing that which is why I precut the full sheets. If you put in half a sheet and select print page 1 of 1, or whatever your printer software/OS/printer settings are, it will only print one sheet, no matter how much is left waiting to print if the sheet is only 1/2 or 1/3 of a sheet. It may take some messing around and I would suggest trying it with paper because the labels can be expensive.

Also if you fuc...uhh...mess up on a label when you ar shipping, you have 48 hours to reprint the label through paypal for no charge. So you can practice with paper and keep hitting reprint label until you have it right and can actually put in a label instead of the testing paper.

brianwintersfan

I just found that and updated my profile. I must say it's a lot easier and faster so I may stick with doing it this way.
Glad I read this thread.

smallstocks

Do they let you do delivery confirmation no matter how thick the package is? Typically they sayit much be 3/4 inches thick.

zef204

<< <i>Do they let you do delivery confirmation no matter how thick the package is? Typically they sayit much be 3/4 inches thick. >>

They require delivery conf on all postage purchased through paypal. It is not an option and pn first class mail it is $.13.

sagard

1. Are there any additional PayPal fees to do this?


2. Can you print on standard paper and tape it to the package?


Thanks. I have 80 items to ship and I am looking closely at this.

zef204

<< <i>1. Are there any additional PayPal fees to do this?


2. Can you print on standard paper and tape it to the package?


Thanks. I have 80 items to ship and I am looking closely at this. >>

No additional paypal fees beyon the mandatory delivery confirmation charge. Yes, you can print it on paper and tape it, but there are 2 barcodes they say should not have tape over them.

brianwintersfan

<< <i>2. Can you print on standard paper and tape it to the package? >>



Yes as long as you don't tape over the UPC codes. In the long run it would be easier to just buy the labels and print that way.

RCGuy

don't forget,

you can use Paypal to print your USPS postage even if they buyer did not use Paypal to pay for the item.
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=18&threadid=559463

poppie

Very helpful! Thank you!

alinchitown

There are a bunch of free supplies available from USPS and eBay. For anyone who ships priority mail there is a bunch of free boxes. Of note are the flat rate envelope for $3.85 you can place about 14 cards within bubble mailers and send em off 2-3 day delivery. They also have 2 flat rate boxes that you can put up to 70 lbs. in ( not that I think 70 lbs. could fit in there) cost is $7.70.

Free Box Link

Also for those mailing intl' I use global priority flat rate mailers cost is $4.95 to most countries delivery is 2-5 days and has a tracking number already on them. The envelopes are available at the local PO you can fit a 000 bubble mailer in the envelope easily. I've used these to mail to Austrailia, Canada, and Europe, and they work well.