AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - Before the Auction: Stating Shipping Terms

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Before the Auction: Stating Shipping Terms continued ...

Be Exact
Saying "Buyer pays shipping" isn't enough. Determine how much the shipping will cost before you place your listing, not after the auction has closed. You'll have to figure it out eventually, right? It's better to calculate the shipping total first. This puts everything up front and leaves no room for misunderstandings after the fact (i.e., if an auction states "Buyer pays for shipping" without a specified amount, a buyer, after being informed of the amount, might claim that it's too much; however, if the amount is clarified up front, this type of situation will be avoided). Beyond the safeguard aspect, buyers appreciate the exactness and the fact that a seller has taken the time and effort to provide potential customers with the most comprehensive and exact information about a particular auction.

How do you calculate shipping costs? Well, for starters, a postal scale is a great investment for a seller and will be an invaluable tool. You should also bookmark the helpful Web sites of the various shipping companies: The United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service, and Federal Express. For example, on the USPS site, you can access schedules and costs for mailings, as well as for services such as registering packages and insurance (and speaking of insurance, this is another area you should clarify with buyers--who will be responsible for postal insurance should the buyer request it?). Also handy is being able to input your zip code and get U.S. shipping codes, which will allow you to calculate the precise shipping charges for your item.

Some sellers opt to say "email me for shipping info" or believe including more specific shipping instructions on an About Me page is sufficient. However, even though both options seem like a simple solution, you're still asking your customers to do something extra. Avoid making them go that additional step--if not, you just might lose a potential bidder. Lastly, don't make vague estimations like "I think a CD would probably cost $4 to ship." You might end up with an irate buyer who knows better and thinks you might be trying to squeeze out a few extra dollars from an unsuspecting customer.

The Method
Specify which type of shipping method (Priority Mail, Next Day, UPS Ground, etc.) you will be using for a particular auction. Again, this is where it helps to include more specific shipping information in your item description; for example, in the case of eBay, you can't rely on the shipping fields you encounter when listing an auction because there is no option for designating the different types of delivery.

Offering buyers a choice of shipping methods is a good way to indicate your flexibility and willingness to accommodate customers. So if you're selling a book, you might include this text in your auction description:

"Buyer pays for shipping, either Priority Mail ($5.40) or Book Rate ($2.48)."

And be sure to reiterate in the item description whether or not you're willing to ship internationally--yet another point of potential confusion.

If a buyer contacts you and requests a different method of delivery than what you state (for example, a buyer might need an item quickly and ask that you send it Next Day rather Priority Mail), then try to be accommodating if possible. Just be sure to clarify that the buyer will be responsible for the extra cost.

One final note: Vendio and iShip.com have partnered to make shipping even easier for sellers. You can find out more by clicking here.

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