posted on January 19, 2003 06:43:59 AM
These are the rules I use to determine which way I ship an item. I developed these for my assitant who I am training to do all my shipping for me. I figured that some of you may find this helpful.
Shipping Weight Rules
1. Media Mail – USPS – Normally the cheapest if available.
a. All books, tapes, CD’s, albums, video’s, and video game
2. First Class – USPS These can not be Priority Mail Boxes
a. Cheaper than Media Mail if under 5 oz. CD’s are generally under 5 oz.
b. All other items under 13 oz.
3. Priority Mail – USPS
a. All 13 oz to 1 lb (16oz). items.
b. Items 1 lb to 2 lbs that are packed in Priority Mail Boxes.
4. Parcel Post – USPS
a. All 1 lb to 2 lbs items that are not packed in Priority Mail Boxes.
b. 2 lb to 3 lb boxes that are not in a UPS Residential Rural area.
c. 2 lb to 4 lb boxes which all we have is a PO Box Address.
5. UPS Ground
a. All 2 lbs and over packages that are going to non-rural Home, and business addresses.
b. All items over 4 lbs.
This I have found to be the cheapest way to ship all items. I have a good cheap source for boxes, so the free boxes from USPS does not mean much to me.
I would be glad to here any comments.
"For I know the plans I have for you." says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 21:11
posted on January 20, 2003 03:06:14 PM
I like your rules. I will print them up and work them into our system.
How do you handle your shipping.
1. Do you estimate the weight packed up?
a. If you estimate, do you have any rules?
2. Do you use a shipping calculator in the write-up?
3. Is there a shipping calculator in which the potential buyer puts in the weight and their zip allowing one calculator to always be in your write-ups without any changes?
4. Does the AW calculator work?
We are on the West Coast and ship a large variety of items. Fixed shipping would be rough on the buyer. I add some handling but want to be fair to all.
posted on January 20, 2003 09:15:50 PM
I use fixed rate shipping some complain, but most are ok with it. I normally charge what it would cost to the ship to the farthest zone. I overall make about $2.00 per auction to cover handling bubble and boxes. I can get pretty close to what shipping is now just by looking at an item. The worst for me to ship to is the UPS rural area's. I seem to loose on most of those.
"For I know the plans I have for you." says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 21:11
posted on January 21, 2003 11:02:48 AM
Very helpful. For my B/M website (retail only) I've just been using UPS zone 6 and letting the buyer know if it is significantly less - only way I can compete against the biggies with free shipping. I kind of break even. I'm going to try to adapt this to a simpler system with possibly mofifications for auction sites - retail buyers seem to understand shipping costs better than auction site buyers. Maybe it's me??
