I have been charging a Fixed Shipping Rate and I have really gotten burned lately with under estimating the shipping charges.
Can you tell me how the Actual Shipping Charges works with the automatic winner notification? How and when do I let the winning bidder know what the actual shiping charges are?
I am really curious how all of you handle the shipping charges. I have to do something soon.
posted on October 20, 2001 04:04:43 PM new
I use AuctionWatch but don't use automatic notification because it is not always reliable. I have a template I use and paste in the auction #, name and shipping charge and send it myself. A little more work but infinitely more reliable.
posted on October 20, 2001 04:12:59 PM new
If you want to state actual shipping charges you might want to provide the approximate weight of the item (I would estimate a little high to allow for packing materials) and your zip/postal code so that the buyer can use one of the shipping rate calculators. I would think most of the standard providers of shipping (UPS, Fed-ex, USPS) have rate calculators on their websites. I know that Canada Post provides such a service based upon the weight of the package and the postal codes...
Maybe some people with more experience have better ideas...
posted on October 20, 2001 05:41:27 PM new
It sounds to me as though you're guessing what the items will weigh, otherwise you would know in advance what the shipping charges should be, or pretty close to it anyway, so that you're not eating too much of the cost yourself.
A scale is a must.
And it's been my experience that buyers do not click on the shipping calculator links anyway. Neither International or domestic, so I don't bother with them anymore myself.
posted on October 20, 2001 08:13:03 PM new
In my S/H I try to be as actual as I can. One of my widgets can be mailed for 80 cents but I charge $1.50 to pay for my envelope, but if the buyer buys two of them I still charge the same. I lose a little in handling but then I only have to use one envelope for two widgets. There is no way, at least that I have found, to charge actual shipping. I don't think buyers will be unhappy if you charge a small handling fee. I wouldn't if I was buying. I think time and material is worth something.
posted on October 20, 2001 09:06:10 PM new
"Actual" shipping charges is the biggest sinkhole any seller use in his terms or his quotes. Quote a fixed shipping charge that covers more than the "actual cost" to cover your real world expenses.
For example, the postage on most of my items runs about $2.00. The materials typically run $.50. Most of the time I charge $3.00, more if it's heavy and less if it is far less.
The only time I use close to an "actual" charge is if I use Priority shipping and have free USPS materials to pack it up.
Whatever little extra I might make from fixed shipping charges is usually eaten up auction or payment fees. The idea of a fixed charges is to make sure that the post office doesn't dip into up your profits.
