posted on July 11, 2002 08:52:49 PM
The new zone stuff on priority mail is already on my nerves!
Within the hour of the auction ending I email the winner asking for the mailing address. About half reply within 24 hours.
Now I have to keep track of those that reply and keep emailing those that do not.
I am considering pulling contact info before to get the zip code before emailing the winner. BUT I am not even sure if that includes the zip code. It has to be less work and waiting time.
I have read the thread by JACK and I total agree with the idea. But ebay makes lots of changes we really don't need and seems to rarely make a change we do need.
I am just wondering what the rest of you are doing to get the zip codes.
I used to use fix shipping rates and once I can figure out a nice average I will go back to a fixed rate but in the meantime I am going crazy!
posted on July 11, 2002 09:07:47 PM
eBay may be afraid that a lot of the zip codes are now invalid as eBay is almost 7 years old and very few buyers update their contact info when they move. There would be a lot of bad shipping quotes with a lot of bad zip codes.
Maybe sellers can try to average out the Priority Mail zones as all being a "4" or "5" and they will lose a little on some zips and make a little on others. It may balance out in the end.
posted on July 11, 2002 09:21:26 PM
If they don't respond to your request for a zip code, send them an invoice showing shipping to zone 8. If that doesn't get a reply, you have an NPB on your hands.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on July 11, 2002 09:22:13 PM
Most of my winners have registered within a couple of months. Occassional, one maybe an oldie but that is not the norm for me.
I would rather have an old zip code and I code indicate the zip used in my quote then to have no zip code at all.
I am not sure if about using a fixed rate yet. There is lot of competion out there and until I get a better feel I am using actual shipping. I have found one seller in my area that is charging $7 for a 2 pound package. That seems high to me but it might me the zone 4 or 5. If I was the bidder and in zone 1 I would not bid. But the seller did not even bother to tell you his zip so you don't know.
posted on July 11, 2002 09:25:44 PM
sparkz - I thought I would give them 5 days from the close of the auction and then quote it at zone 8.
I am wondering how many idiots just send the winner bid amount. I have removed my mailing address from the request for the zip code to prevent them from paying just the winning bid.
posted on July 11, 2002 09:50:54 PM
What I am doing is in my auction that will go for either 1st class or the 1st priority rate I state the amount in my auction. The other there is no rate in my auctions. In the check out box I say..."Please see "Payment and Shipping Details" for auctions that can be paid instantly with PayPal. If the auction requires calculation for postage, please wait for my WBN email. Thanks.
If the auction requires calculation for postage in my Payment and Shipping Details there will be no postage amount only the words to be calculated at end of auction. I suppose you could say please email me your zip code when you receive eBays EOA notice and I will then send you your WBN.
Now I will see if it works. It has with about a half dozen ones so far.
If a seller lives on the East or West Coast and bases his or her shipping estimates on Zone 4 or 5. That seller without a doubt will lose a lot of money in the long run.
Now if the seller were to base his or her estimate on Zone 7 it would work out about right.
posted on July 11, 2002 10:54:56 PM
70% of the population of the United States lives in the Eastern time zone. The people in that time zone will benefit the most from the new rates. The West Coast and Alaska/Hawaii will benefit the least.
An East Coast seller could charge the rate for a 4 or 5 zone and be okay but the West Coasters may need a zone 6 to avoid losing money. That places the West Coast sellers at a distinct disadvantage and Alaska/Hawaii is the very distinct disadvantage range.
posted on July 12, 2002 01:23:53 AM
as somebody in this thread has already mentioned eBay always makes changes nobody needs.
I bet anyone who dares 5 bucks that they will make the adjustments just when we all are either nuts or have found a way to cope. Call it "improvements", charge for it and make any other way to deal with it either impossible or illegal
posted on July 12, 2002 06:51:25 AM
Many may not like what i'm going to say but fire away if you want to. The way I read the above messages is that now everyone wants forced CHECKOUT on the winning bidder to solve their problems.
I don't see eBay making any changes such as adding the winning bidders zip code.
Why should they if it will cause problems for eBay with people that have moved or didn't update their contact information.
All it means is that the seller has to work harder to extract this information from the winning bidder in order to complete the transaction.
Learn to live with. That would be the same as requiring all bidders to fill out the CHECKOUT information eBay implemented and everyone detested for it took the personal touch out of the transaction.
You either want CHECKOUT or you don't want it. If the bidder had to fill out CHECKOUT after the final bid to be able to purchase what he won then our problems would be solved. Ebay could make it a requirement, but they don't want to inconvenience the winning bidder or make it harder for them, so they let the seller do all the work.
Personally i'm all for checkout for with the eBay program I use it makes my work easier.
posted on July 12, 2002 07:35:33 AM
I used to go through the process of e-mailing and re-e-mailing winning bidders in an effort to get a mailing address...so I could calculate S/H/I costs and send them a final total.
(As I've said, I don't do flat-rate. I specify that S/H/I is additional and that shipping method is per buyer's choice.)
Now, however, if 2 e-mails don't get the proper response, I simply let eBay do the "nagging."
As for the USPS zone nonsense, it seems to me that the Postal Service initiated the Zip Code system to do away with the old "zone" system. (Anyone in California old enough to remember, for example, "Hollywood 28, CA"?) Now they're bringing back the zone structure?
Oh well, USPS is, after all, a federal government operation. And government is notorious for fixing what isn't broken.
posted on July 12, 2002 08:05:12 AM
For 6+ years, until about 6 months ago, I fought daily with trying to get a winner's address so that I could figure shipping on heavier items, particularly those going UPS!
I finally got sick and tired of begging for addresses or zip codes, and I use a flat rate, and things work MUCH better. I get a number of "Instant" payments via PayPal this way, and I don't have to keep up with the lazies who just can't get it through their heads that I need the address to calculate shipping.
Sorry, but the lack of buyer response over the years, and the constant work at keeping up with you sent their address and whose was still missing created this decision, and frankly it was a great one.
Regarding the USPS, we are sending less and less through the USPS. We do handle one item which usually ships 1 lb. or under, and we ship that USPS, but now, over 3 pounds, it goes UPS.
It makes one wonder about the USPS - they say they are losing business to e-mail, and others, so they raise their rates, and bring in zone shipping to run more customers off - makes wonderful sense!
posted on July 12, 2002 10:16:16 AM
Your right Alaska is at a disadvantage when it comes to the shipping cost. Just about everything is zone 8 except for the Seattle/Portland area. That would be zone 7.
The advanatage or silver lining is that I don't have to mess with the whole zip code thing. I still charge a flat fee. $6.00 for my 2lb rate with the option of a slower parcel post for $4.50. It does not seem to have caused a drop in my sales.
We don't have the option of using Fed-Ex or UPS ground up here so it has been a bit frustrating not having options.
So see as frustrating as it is for you-all....it could be worse.
posted on July 12, 2002 10:36:29 AM
Hey, that means Alaska is probably Zone 7 for me as I am near Portland...This really is a pain, I just started auctions again after taking time off for travel, and I will see how it goes. If it becomes too much of a pain, then I am going to assign a shipping cost for everyone, but maybe but a note saying if they are on the West Coast, they can contact me and I will let them know if I can do better on the shipping...
