posted on June 27, 2002 05:32:03 PM new
Hi everyone. This is my first post here! I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas for me. I frequently sell multiple items to the same people and combine shipping. I seem to ALWAYS lose money on shipping when I do. Unfortunetly I do not have a scale to weigh my items so I was just wondering how everyone goes about figuring out shipping on combined orders. I charge $5.35 usually for the clothes I sell. That covers insurance, shipping and handling. And many times if they win two outfits its well over 7.00. Thanks for reading! Shannon
posted on June 27, 2002 05:39:22 PM new
Get a postage scale from WalMart then weigh the items, Record the weights of the items then you can have a accurate shipping weight for the items. From that you can determine the true combined shipping weights & quote the correct price.
posted on June 27, 2002 07:20:01 PM new
sometimes you can find them at garage sales and / or flea markets. That is where I got mine for $5.00, and it works like a charm.
[ edited by wrightsracing on Jun 27, 2002 07:20 PM ]
posted on June 27, 2002 07:34:31 PM new
We use a kitchen scale that we purchased at FredMeyer for less than $10. Put the items in the box and weigh them then go to USPS.COM and use the rate calculator.
posted on June 27, 2002 07:55:22 PM new
You might try stating in your auction something like this: Shipping will be $5.35. I am happy to combine multiple wins to save you shipping. Each additional win within a 7 day period will be charged at $2.00 each. Win one item shipping is $5.35, win two items shipping is $7.35 win three items shipping is $9.35 and so on...
Toptwo
[ edited by Toptwo on Jun 27, 2002 07:59 PM ]
posted on June 27, 2002 08:11:00 PM new
I can never figure out why clothing sellers cheat themselves. Clothes go for next to nothing on eBay in the first place and then the sellers are timid about shipping. Odds are you are losing a lot more money than what is apparent. The difference between what it costs you to ship and what you charge them is just one piece of the overall picture. Are you truly being compensated for your time and expenses?
Personally, I would charge a fixed fee for each auction and not combine AT ALL. If someone buys a half-dozen of your things, upgrade them to a faster shipping method.
Unfortunately, so many eBay clothing sellers have rolled over in response to buyer demands that many buyers now expect that you will combine and perhaps toss in a freebie, too. Such unprofessional behavior is to the eventual detriment of all eBay sellers.
posted on June 27, 2002 08:14:15 PM new
Hi Fluffy,
I actually make a lot of money on the clothes I sell. They always go for a lot more than I paid. I just want to be careful that I am not "overcharging" or "undercharging" I dunno maybe my idea is farfetched?
posted on June 27, 2002 08:27:44 PM new
Hi - I sell lots of clothing on ebay and do well. I also combine auctions and my TOS states that each additional auction will be 50% off of the stated shipping charge in that auction, plus a 2.00 handling charge. I add 2.00 to the actual shipping cost - S/H = for each auction. You definitely need a scale. My po gave me a copy of the pages from their manuals for the zip code zones, the priority mail chart that will tell you the zone charge for each # of weight. So all you need to do is determine the weight with the scale, look up the zone for the buyers zip code and look up the charge on the PM chart. Totally accurate. My handling covers some of the costs of listing, pictures, FVF, my time, and packing supplies. I hope this helps --
posted on June 27, 2002 08:35:07 PM new
Hi Suzyq!
Thanks so much for your post! It helps a ton. The term "such unprofessional behavior" used by fluffy caught me off guard actually. I thought it was in the seller's best interest to keep the "customers" happy to a certain extent. I really dont see how combining shipping and such practices like that are "rolling over to bidders" or whatever terminology was used. Since the bidders are the ones who pay shipping nad handling I really don't see harm in combining shipping as long as like everyone else has said...a scale is used to accurately weigh the item. Just a thought..let me know Shannon
posted on June 27, 2002 09:43:24 PM new
Shannon,
Don't worry about fluffy the wossy cat. If you want to see a bunch of out of this world posts, read those. Most don't even make common sense let alone business sense.
Anyway, here is an example of what I do. Let say the buyer bids on two items and both would have shipping cost of $5.00. I would charge $7.50 and tell the buyer that saves them at least $2.50 with combined shipping. Also, watch the sales for a weight scale. It is a must. I bought two. Both for $2.00. One reads up to 2 lbs and the other reads up to 5. If it goes over that, then a bathroom scale will read reasonably close so you can figure shipping costs. Also don't be afraid to use more than one shipping company. Depending upon weight, size and where it is being shipped to, you can find better rates and services by shopping them around.
I hope you find most of the posts here helpful.
posted on June 27, 2002 10:20:15 PM new
I bought a "baby" (the kind you weigh a real live baby on) scale at a garage sale. It works great and weighs accurately up to 25 pounds.
posted on June 27, 2002 11:01:18 PM new
I buy a lot from one seller, a volume Shooting Star Power Seller who buys entire estates and lists each estate item, has thousands of auctions running at a time.
I like how this seller solves the combined shipping cost problem. For each additional item, add 70% of the actual shipping cost to the total. If item number one and two are $10 each to ship, then the total is $17.00.
The seller doesn't have any feedback from buyers upset about shipping costs that I could find.
It makes it simple for the buyers, because you can state the terms in your auction; the costs won't be a guessing game for the buyers, nor a guessing game for the seller.
And yes, get a scale. I got two 25 pound food scales at an estate sale for fifty cents each, kept one, gave one to another seller.
posted on June 28, 2002 01:17:42 AM new
ShannonLee2000
>The term "such unprofessional behavior" used by fluffy caught me off guard actually. I thought it was in the seller's best interest to keep the "customers" happy to a certain extent.>
Keeping the customer happy makes for repeat customers. That is considered "professional behavior" in my oppinion.
I would like to thank everyone, especially the clothing sellers, for the great suggestions. I'm attempting to come up with a way to handle the new postal rates and this will help.
posted on June 28, 2002 06:55:13 AM new
Sure. And while you're busy going broke slowly, you're helping train a whole cadre of eBay buyers who expect not just something, but a whole lot of something, for nothing.
Sorry, ShannonLee, but your gross has nothing to do with your net. That which comes across the transom in the form of checks, money orders and electronic payments is not your profit. After you subtract the cost of your time, your obvious and not-so-obvious expenses, depreciation, wear and tear on your vehicle, eBay fees, fees to all those services that every auction seller MUST have (Billpoint, PayPal, IPIX, featured auctions, Andale, AW, my god where does it all end?), are you still making such a fat profit?
Or are you like 99% of the people who post to this board who don't even bother to run the numbers and think that as long as they get PayPal payments every day they're doing great?
posted on June 28, 2002 07:52:30 AM new
There is a very modest 50 cent handling charge built in to my shipping rates, and I am happy to combine shipments, but charge a set amount for each additional item. This works for me, since I make another 50 cents handling on each of the extra videos or whatever, and the customer saves as well. Everyone ends up happy.
As to a scale, shop around ebay, and online, too, to find a good one. Like another poster cautioned, do NOT buy it at Walmart. They may have the cheapest prices, but they also have some awfully shoddy products - and you don't want to buy a scale that doesn't give the correct weights!
Besides I am sure some ebay seller would appreciate the business.
posted on June 28, 2002 08:17:07 AM new
You get what you pay for in a shipping scale.
Buy a FAIRBANKS DIGITAL SHIPPING SCALE and never be unhappy again.
I tried the cheaper ones for a year or so and then bought a Fairbanks digital scale on auction on eBay.
Yes they are expensive but they have paid for themselves many times over during the past 2 1/2 years.
These are the same scales used by UPS.
Do a search on eBay and you will find them.
And no I don't sell shipping scales. I sell cast iron products.
posted on June 28, 2002 08:29:10 AM new
Actually Fluffy... I do keep very good track of all my transactions through an excel spreadsheet. I keep track of how much I have initially invested in each item, what the item sells for, The fees,(posting and selling ebay,shipping factors,paypal, AW, etc.) the profit before fees and finally the wonderful TRUE PROFIT. Which is simply a formula: What it sold for - How much I have invested. Then that number minus the fees . What I end up with is true profit. So after each batch is done I know how much overall profit I make. My auction items sell very good since they are all mostly Abercrombie & Fitch New with Tags items. This is a hot brand people go crazy over (if you look at a search). I have two large stores in my area which is rare.. So i can get the great deals..and people who win get great deals cause they cant find it any cheaper. Well now that i wrote a book...Sorry =) Shannon
-Geez since Its my first post Id like to thank most of you for being nice and VERY helpful..as far as those who aren't: I can't believe how unhelpful your comments are. To me they don't make clear sense. But Thats the beauty of these message ceneters. You get all angles of input. And for that I say Thanks!! Carpe Diem, Shannon
posted on June 28, 2002 08:43:57 AM new
ShannonLee2000,
Please, I beg of you, do not waste another minute explaining yourself to fluffythewondercat. She'll just be along shortly to tear you down yet again for not abusing your customers to her satisfaction.
posted on June 28, 2002 08:44:35 AM new
I bought a baby weighing scale at a yard sale several years ago for $5. It weights up to 25 pounds and works great for everything that I sell.
posted on June 28, 2002 10:03:37 AM newOr are you like 99% of the people who post to this board who don't even bother to run the numbers and think that as long as they get PayPal payments every day they're doing great?
fluffythewondercat, sometimes good advice and other times just a troll.
posted on June 30, 2002 10:27:25 PM new
There is one high volume seller on eBay that only charges the S&H of the item with the highest amount of S&H. If you buy 5 items and 1 item has the highest S&H of say, $5.95, they ship all 5 items for $5.95. I think that is great and it really encourages you to look through all of their auctions for items you might want since you know the extra items do not cost more for S&H. I think it is a great idea. They also start everything at $1.00 and they get really good prices for a lot of stuff. Pam
after you get your postage scale (my two were from yardsales, too), don't forget to weigh your packing supplies with the garments. i sell mostly clothes and the plastic or tyflex bags only hold one or two garments. the priority mail boxes add weight and will bump up your postage.
