AntiqueParrot
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posted on June 10, 2001 05:06:45 AM
I've seen a few people here mention this, and although I haven't added to my auctions, I am beginng to think it is a good idea to requir it. Any complaints from customers on having to pay that extra fee? (How much is it anyway?)
I know my location PO automatically fills out insurance forms for me via computer, do they do this with the confimation too?
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kolonel22
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posted on June 10, 2001 05:41:59 AM
It’s not so amusing but before I started using the Post Office’s Delivery Confirmation I would get reports from bidders they never received their items. I really didn’t know if this was due to the Post Office losing my packages or people trying to scam me.
Ever since using the delivery confirmation I have not had one single complaint. Well I had one but the great part was I pulled up the delivery confirmation / tracking number and was able to write back the bidder that according to the Post Office her package was indeed delivered and delivered on time several weeks ago. She insisted it wasn’t. I gave here the tracking number and low and behold she was able to locate the package and later apologized to me.
I do NOT charge extra for delivery confirmation / tracking. I just work the cost of it into my starting bid or tack it on as part of my shipping and handling fee. I have NEVER received a complaint and it is well worth the additional cost.
Heath & happiness
The Colonel
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tomwiii
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posted on June 10, 2001 05:52:55 AM
If you PRINT your postage via www.ENDICIA.com, then DC is FREE for PRIORITY MAIL and $0.12 for MEDIA MAIL!
This has saved me a BUNDLE in time & moola -- PLUS their live CS is FANTASTIC!
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avaloncourt
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posted on June 10, 2001 11:07:14 AM
I have to agree with Tomwiii. Endicia has been an outstanding choice for PC Postage. I love the free DC on Priority and find I'm using Media Mail a great deal and using the 12 cent DC with that.
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AntiqueParrot
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posted on June 10, 2001 11:28:57 AM
When you buy postage online - how do you weigh your items? Also when you take them to the post office, do you still have to stand in line so they can weigh them to be sure your postage is correct?
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dubyasdaman
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posted on June 10, 2001 11:51:54 AM
I do NOT charge extra for delivery confirmation / tracking. I just work the cost of it into my starting bid or tack it on as part of my shipping and handling fee.
This one always makes me scratch my head. What exactly is meant by "I work the cost of it into my starting bid"? Please explain the logic behind such a statement. If I'm missing something here, please enlighten me.
Adding a charge such as DC or insurance or handling or whatever into a starting bid is USELESS. Raising the opening bid by a certain amount to cover fees doesn't in any way guarantee that said fees will be covered by a higher selling price. As a matter of fact, higher opening bids often end in LOWER final bid prices.
The ONLY way to make sure that your fees are covered is to list them in the auction, either as a stated handling fee on top of actual postage or as a flat-rate shipping and handling fee. When you "build the fees into the starting bid" you are in effect eating the fees yourself.
I'm NOT saying that eating fees yourself is always a bad business move. What I AM saying is that anyone who thinks he's covering his fees by adding them to the starting bid is deluding himself as he is actually paying the fees himself out of the profit (or loss) made on the bid price.
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avaloncourt
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posted on June 10, 2001 01:59:29 PM
A scale is generally used to weigh. If you have an accurate scale there's no need for a re-check at the post office. The only thing you'd have to wait in line for is if the item is insured. Otherwise, you can drop the packages yourself or give them to your carrier if you don't have too many.
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nanntique
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posted on June 10, 2001 03:04:34 PM
??? If you print your own postage, where does the DC barcode get scan for the first time?? If you do not stand in line at the Post Office , and just drop it into the bin, collector or whatever; who gets triggered to scan the DC? OR is it already scanned by your postage service? I am probably making this more complicated than it is.....
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HarryWhitehouse
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posted on June 10, 2001 03:17:14 PM
nanntique asked..
"If you print your own postage, where does the DC barcode get scan for the first time??"
A good question!
Please see my May 11th post regarding DC scanning on the following AuctionWatch thread...
http://www.auctionwatch.com/mesg/read.html?num=2&thread=368950&id=368950
Hope this is helpful.
Harry
[ edited by HarryWhitehouse on Jun 10, 2001 03:17 PM ]
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psyllie
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posted on June 10, 2001 09:28:43 PM
Endicia sure sounds interesting. What's the cost for DC for parcel post shipments? I send out a good amount of stuff that way.
I DC every package and build the cost into the shipping/handling fee quoted in the auction. The only package that has gone missing on me was a first-class shipment that could not be DC'd.
I had one potential bidder the other night who emailed me to ask whether I would send out the item bare-bones with no DC or insurance. I emailed her back to tell her no can do since she wanted to use PayPal--and while all this was going on, someone jumped in and BINed the item without caring about the DC. The first bidder was devastated!
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avaloncourt
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posted on June 10, 2001 10:45:19 PM
The DC fee for Standard Mail (Which includes Parcel Post) is 12 cents through Endicia.com
Gotta love 'em. Lately I've been converting to Media Mail with DC. It has cut down on the Priority Costs quite a bit and the travel times have been very reasonable. I also had 3 pieces in the last 10 days get routed through the Priority Mail sorting centers. I think the Delivery Confirmation sticker on the Media Mail throws off some people and they stick it in with the Priority. I won't complain.
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