Big sellers who use usps first class for $1000 plus coins
logger7
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I don't get this; I will usually ship priority when warranted, especially over $500 items. This is the holiday season, mail is clogged with a lot of extra holiday cards, gifts, etc., is there any good reason not to pony up and ship priority, etc.?
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It's worth spending a little extra to avoid 'item not received' claim IMHO
Best wishes for the added volume this holiday seasons
I almost always use first class. Typically takes only one extra day (at the most) for a lot less money. Still able to insure, track, get signature, etc. Why would I pay so much extra for one day earlier? Might as well just ship overnight with that thinking.
On a $1000 or more coin, the only way to go is registered in my opinion.
Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.
I guessed ...... my guess is coming from the buyers' side
As a buyer and seller, I don't really care how the coin gets to me, as long as it does, lol. Registered is the only one that annoys me a bit as a buyer, as it can be REALLY slow. But on certain levels of packages, I totally understand sending that way. I see almost no difference in first class and priority packages coming to me or shipping to others. One day difference max.
To HI too?
Delivery time is the same on first class and priority. Price difference is $2.66 vs about $7,00.
I generally use the $750 Ebay sig confirmation line as when I switch to the Priority box,
Registered scares me on $1500 plus coins as Ebay is quick to refund a slow delivery.
Big stuff will be Fed Ex overnight from here on in.
Typically first class arrives in the same amount of time. And having just experienced it - Priority is not guaranteed - we just had a regular Priority Package take 16 days to arrive.
So, really no reason not to use first class if you’re able too.
Is fedex overnight comparable to usps registered in cost?
Collector, occasional seller
First Class Mail is super fast. Add the tracking number and you are (almost) bomb proof.
Under around 600 miles you're wasting your money on priority regardless of value. If I buy an ounce of gold and pay $20 for registered mail and resell that ounce and ship registered, that's $40 that I have to recover [or eat as the case may be] from the new buyer. Plus there are some who would expect me to eat another $37 in PP fees.
When I send to Hawaii, I put in big box so it can go on the shipping container barge from Los Angeles ... just kidding.
Not sure the differences to HI. I know the few times I've shipped there (and at least one of those was to you) I've always been pleasantly surprised how fast first class delivered.
Just looked up the last thing I sent you. Took 4 days to go from KY to HI first class. Not sure what priority would be, but it is usually 2-3 days, so I would guess 3 days.
Gonna find out on the next sale.
We all have a different scale of values.
I have coin acquaintances who won't consider $1000 any substantial amount to risk, while I will protect $50 or $100.
Use USPS Priority Next Day Air instead of FedEx Overnight.
Price wise USPS Priority Next Day is comparable to USPS Registered.
Registered is slower than First Class as I've waited 11 days for a coin shipped under lock and key from 2 hours away.
A bit sour on the post office overnight service (though I believe Fed ex is the middle man. Three, maybe four years ago at most, I could send a USPS overnight printed thru Ebay for $12 and add insurance at the PO for $3 per thousand. Now it is about $22 for the label and full insurance rates apply ($10 per $1000.)
$3000 coin shipment went from $22 insured to about $55. As long as that extra money goes to Jeff Bezos, than I suppose all is cool.
On 3 different occasions I've had my carrier pick up priority packages from my mailbox and they were delivered to HI in 2 days.
Last I checked it was about $3 extra for businesses that do priority.
Advantages: mail is faster than average, packaging is included for free. The parcel at least gets a little more respect by workers. $50 free insurance covered.
On expresses, I have been getting at least 1/3 that don't meet the delivery guarantee times and are therefore free, now a no hassle situation where you just log in to your usps company account and get a check in a week or so.
Where do you live? That's pretty good!
And if you're buying insurance on the other shipping classes, the registered fee is actually less (it includes insurance).
I just insured a $300 coin in a small priority box for $15.25. Registered fee begins at around $20. Any insurance over $700 always goes registered.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
Dude, IMO that makes zero business sense. You really need to self-insure and use ebay/ PayPal tracking as that shipping method is (almost) bomb proof.
I agree, if you do a decent amount of business. That could be shipped for $2.66 self insured. Saves $12.29 on that package. After 25 packages, you have saved enough to self insure and pay for a loss yourself.
Central Iowa
Unless you have private insurance...Fed-Ex is a major gamble! They do not insure coins...even if you purchase insurance. A few years ago I came home and found a $25,000.00 package that required a signature sitting on the hood of my car out in my driveway. No way no how will I ever use Fed-Ex to ship and I don't like shippers that ship to me via Fed-Ex!
IMO that's smoe serious overkill. If a seller wants to eat that kind of shipping fee that's up to him, but as I buyer if I had to cough that up, I'd be somewhat upset and it would likely be a deal breaker. A $2.69 bubble pack envelope is all that's needed.
It just depends on your level of risk tolerance. To some people a $500 loss is a huge deal. To others, it's just a rounding error in their inventory sheet. One thing is for sure. Over time, you will, on average, lose money by paying for insurance. We get threads here every few weeks about something missing in the mail. Often, it arrives eventually, but sometimes things are lost. During that same time period thousands of other packages were sent and received with no trouble at all.
Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances. Funny thing is on Friday I went to the PO to check on a package. The clerk commented that when insurance is in force that extra care is taken to ensure that it gets delivered. Believe it or not. Also some feel that once the USPS accepts the package that their obligation ends. In private casual transactions like the ones commonly done on the BST board, they might well be right.
I'm not sure what the auctions are currently doing for shipping, but I found that HA and GC usually shipped priority with their private insurance coverage as an economical option. However I don't think there is a grading service that charges less than $20 to ship any package, except for Anacs specials with shipping thrown in.
I tend to agree unless of course the package arrives empty.
Wisdom has been chasing you but, you've always been faster
their referring to the shipper and not the USPS. In the case of bullion, I usually prefer to buy it from the large sellers on and sometimes subsidized by eBay for the very reason that they're more likely to make good on lost or damaged shipments.
I purchased insurance for my coins through Hugh Wood this year. My coins are insured in my house, bank, and storage facility. They are also insured when mailed, at shows, and traveling to shows. The requirement for insuring coins through the mail is to have signature confirmation. Sending coins using Priority Mail vs. First Class adds no value.
Before HWI, I insured sales over 50.00 through EBay and used registered mail to insure packages worth between 5,000 and 25,000. The savings by using HWI instead of paying insurance at the post paid for my HWI policy in two months. I did have one 1,300 package that was damaged by the post office and the coins were lost. I was paid by HWI within 30 days and had no problems.
Appreciate the info.
The safest way to send a valuable coin is Fist Class USPS w tracking packaged like this ......
I ship every day and most of the time I use the small bubble env that ErrorsOnCoins uses for items <$100. More expensive items I usually upgrade to Flat Rate Priority, either the small box or padded envelope (it will contain the larger Priority box too). It's a sense of security for me to be in these (free) durable boxes plus up to $50 insurance is FREE for only $7.05. That's ANYWHERE in the USA. Don't forget to factor in the cost of packaging. Bubble env are at least $0.25 each, boxes $0.50+ each. And yes, a postal employee/friend told me that insured packages ALWAYS get more respect during their travels. That's important since my parcels are going a LONG way from Alaska. I have not had any parcels get lost or damaged in 10 years.
AND First Class is only available up to 16 ounces. Shipping rolls of coin or other larger items usually go out FR Priority. I stopped using FedEx when I learned they don't insure coins or bullion.
I follow this rule. For anything under that, it's first class, and insured if the value is > $20.
Pretty much that.
I ship all gold eagles priority insured while double eagles go registered.
Last I looked FDX won't insure the gold.
seller always owns the package until he has proof of delivery. Shipping losses are between the shipper and the carrier. Buyer bought coins, not hassles with the post office.
No Way Out: Stimulus and Money Printing Are the Only Path Left
I'm not a big seller but my customers are happy.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Registered takes forever and is much more expensive. Unless it is one of a kind or over $25k, I think Registered mail is overkill.
Use a private insurance carrier... Much cheaper IMHO.
https://www.shipandinsure.com/ (with membership, can use Priority and above at USPS, FedEx, USPS, $10k-$75k cap depending on shipping service)
https://www.shipsurance.com/ (without membership, can use First Class Mail, cap $2500).
Best advice for December shipping is don't follow the tracking. updates are stranger than the Twilight Zone man on the airplane wing, episode.
They require an initiation fee of around $125 (not sure why) plus you have to enter all info before midnight on shipped items, no first class with them, only boxed items are covered. Hugh Wood and others are better.
To each his own just be careful with strange mail sent to your address that contain not much more then newspaper articles magazine other things you don’t subscribe apparently or other items. Here is the game. You send out some ounces of gold or other valuable items. They say nothing but send to the address a package with proper weight but not to proper department or without return address. Your a small shop so Mail opener gets it. Asks around no one wants it and it gets tossed. A few weeks later they put claim in with (fill in blank) eBay on return. Now your money gets reversed. It happens your ripped off.
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
I guess the shipping time is comparable between priority and first, but the safety probably isn't.
Checks from USPS always clear though, so if something gets lost, you're covered.
Not to stir the pot, but (when a package gets lost).....it assures you of 'zero' returns !
In terms of losses, my worst was 2004 with a well wrapped priority mail flat parcel to Ron Paul, never was delivered; had first classes, one to ICG at least not get to the destination, lost in space. Never had a loss with express, though had some damaged packages and mystery events.
While I do not sell coins, I have shipped and received high value items ($1K-4K)....I use registered for those items. First class insured for lesser values (Under $1K). No issues.... Cheers, RickO
First Class with Signature Confirmation is just as fast as Priority and just as secure. On a bubble envelope weighing 4 to 5 ounces the extra cost of Priority is a waste.