posted on January 18, 2001 05:55:18 AM
Does everybody here own a postage scale? For those that don't, how do you know what the item's shipping cost is going to be?
I've only recently started to sell things, and realized that I have no clue about such matters.
posted on January 18, 2001 06:07:13 AM
You can get shipping costs by going to http://www.usps.com
I don't have a postal scale myself, but I do have an old kitchen scale that works pretty well. I usually weight the item, then add a pound for packing. This works pretty well for me.
posted on January 18, 2001 06:07:23 AM
I've been selling for about 6 months. I do not own a postal scale. I've been using a kitchen scale that I had. It's not always completely accurate, but it's been pretty good so far. The scale only goes to 4 lbs. though, so if you're selling items that are heavier than that, it may be difficult. I've seen some scales like this that go a little higher, but not much. Hope this helps.
posted on January 18, 2001 06:12:45 AM
I guess a lot of sellers use Priority Mail service for this very reason. When I started out, I only shipped Priority. Then a few times I started offering First Class on smaller items, and taking them to the PO to be weighted prior to listing them. After a while, I got very good at eyeballing something and knowing exactly what it will cost! At least I did til the postage rates went up, now I am all discombobulated!
posted on January 18, 2001 06:15:31 AM
You can get an adequate scale (meant for weighing food) at most BIG grocery stores. they measure up to 5 or 10 pounds.
Ceck their accuracy and adjust them with bags of sugar or flour or pound packages of butter.
OVERESTIMATE the weight, and always weigh items with their packing material. You will be close, and won't have any of those unpleasant surprises at the PO.
posted on January 18, 2001 06:21:24 AM
You might want to try and go to the U.S.Postal Services website and look around there.You will more than likely be able to download or print out some information that may help.I also just use a cheap kitchen scale.Seems to work for me anyway.The thing I don't like is just when you think you know the rates they change them!
What is "dicombobulated"?
--------------------------------- If I had money I'd be rich!
--------------------------------- My Bit
posted on January 18, 2001 06:22:14 AM
Hi,
I started out with a kitchen scale and adding a bit for packing and accuracy buy I got burned a few times, other times I made some money. But I didn't think it was fair to the ones that I accidently overcharged. If they paid by Paypal, I reimbursed the difference if not I apologized and offered credit towards next purchase. The post office I used at the time was a little country office and the guy would look at the package, pick it up, and then come up with a weight so a scale wouldn't have helped me. HOWEVER now they built a new modern high-tech computerized office and I was getting burned a lot so I broke down and bought a scale (10 lbs). Now I'm right on the money every time (if I pack it first, one extra wad of paper can sometimes throw you over with priority).
edited for poor spelling
posted on January 18, 2001 06:23:19 AM
Oops did not see that link for US Postal!Oh well that is the place anyway.
--------------------------------- If I had money I'd be rich!
--------------------------------- My Bit
posted on January 18, 2001 06:30:21 AM
LOL, wow, I've never even heard of a kitchen scale, but it seems it's pretty popular with users. I just got an account with a company that lets me print out postage with my printer (gotta read those CG's again.. dunno if I'm allowed to post the company).
Anyway, I'm expecting one of those nifty digital postal scales as a free bonus for signing up with this company, but don't know when it'll get here. So I *was* trying to ride it out, but if the kitchen scales are that cheap, it's something to look into.
posted on January 18, 2001 07:20:38 AM
I used a spring-type postal scale until I went with "that company" which is Pitneyworks/Clickstamp and got their digital scale. Both were 5lb scales.
For heavier items I take the package and weigh it with myself on the bathroom scale. Then I just weigh myself and find the difference. This has been very accurate. Occassionally I end up printing postage for 20 cents over the amount. Only once have I ever been under the required postage.
posted on January 18, 2001 07:34:01 AM
I have two scales, both of which I bought on ebay. One small one to weigh up to 10lbs, and one larger, bench scale to weigh up to 100lbs. That combination works very nicely for all my stuff.
The Royal ex2 is the 10lb one and it works so nicely! You can find them listed on ebay very affordably.
For a large scale I have an NCI digital. This is a very nice one as well.
posted on January 18, 2001 07:39:28 AM
I don't know if they are still offering this, but when I signed up for Stamps.com they gave me a free scale (10 lbs.).
posted on January 18, 2001 07:49:04 AM
Hi ExecGirl! Yes, I believe stamps.com is still giving out those scales but they are the WORST! My first one didn't work at all. The second one I thought worked. Sold it on ebay. It worked for about a week and she wrote me that it went wacky! I wrote them & they sent a new one which I forwarded on to my buyer and I'm afraid to ask her if that one is still working. Have two friends who got them and neither one of theirs worked either.
But I must say, each time I wrote to report that one didn't work (even though it took them a while to respond) they sent a new one very quickly!
posted on January 18, 2001 08:06:05 AM
I mostly ship lightweight packages. For weighing those, I use my $9 kitchen scale and it is always accurate - I have never been off. It weighs up to 1 pound, 2 ounces. After a while, I got to where I could guess most of the time what a package weighed if it was between two and five ounces and I just used the scale to double check my guesses.
For the few heavier packages I need to weigh, I use a 10# kitchen scale, and I don't think it's ever been off either.
Between having the scales and using the USPS web site rate charts, I never get caught off guard at the Post Office. I am amazed at how many people do have that problem, but I guess a lot of it depends on how accurate the scales are at any given Post Office!
