posted on January 2, 2006 10:26:23 AM
I think with all the various shipping rate increases, (i.e.) USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc., I am going to do another study of the cost on shipping pound size items which we do the most of.
We require a signature on ALL of our shipments, a valuable (CYA) after being burned too often by buyers claiming to never receive a package and without a signature; you are up dodo creek with credit card charges or PayPal.
We also insure every shipment, so that is another addition.
Time to reevaluate the best way to ship our products.
DHL is not an option, as we have had endless problems with their deliveries to us, we certainly would not want our customers to have the same stupid, reoccurring, inaptness that we have endured with shipments sent to us by suppliers.
Along with this, we will have to reevaluate using Endicia.
I just visited ENDICIA’s site, and via the “Premium Program,” adding insurance, and signature, it still seems easier and less costly to use UPS, and certainly more convenient, as we have an account with them, a daily pick up; no forms to fill out for insurance or signature, and no hoops to jump through to handle breakage or lost items.
USPS, Delivery Confirmation, does not satisfy the requirements to prove receipt by the Buyer, by/for credit card companies and/or PayPal.
At least that is how I see it at the moment.
IF you predominately ship 1 pound or less weight packages of medium to high value and you insure them, what have you found to be the easiest, most convenient, least costly, and most secure way to ship them?
posted on January 2, 2006 11:16:11 AM"USPS, Delivery Confirmation, does not satisfy the requirements to prove receipt by the Buyer, by/for credit card companies and/or PayPal"
Says who???
WHERE in PayPal's terms do you read this???
From what I read, anything with a value =/> $250 requires SIGNATURE, and items < $250 require ONLINE TRACKING that demonstrates DELIVERY...
Personally, I think it's all a BUNCH of HOOEY!
PAYPAL (if you follow ALL the rules) WILL cYA during a chargeback for SMALL VALUE items -- they did it for me as I demonstrated here...BUT, that was only for $60!
If the item was for $600, you can bet yer Aunt Mabel's butt that PayPal would find some excuse to NOT cover you during a chargeback, regardless of hoe perfectly you followed their rules...
Ralphie & I no longer even consider the stupid PAYPAL SELLERS' UN-PROTECTION POLICY, but, rather totally consider our RISK TOLERANCE LEVEL in deciding HOW to SHIP & whether or not to accept PayPal...
Life's a whole lot easier & less stressful...
As David Steinberg used to say to his dog: "Booga, booga, booga..."
posted on January 2, 2006 11:20:22 AM
You can get signature confirmation with USPS. I require it on items valued at over $100 even though PayPal states it needs to be over $250. I don't care for UPS. More often than not, my items have arrived here in pieces. Most of the boxes look like they've been stomped on. Try and get the insurance coverage on it and they claim it wasn't packaged right. No thank you. For now, I'm sticking with USPS. Besides, my carrier is a doll! She never complains about all the packages she has to pick up off my front porch!
Cheryl
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
posted on January 2, 2006 11:26:18 AM
Unfornatually I don't think "low cost" and "most secure" are two thing's that go together when it comes to shipping.
Personally if I were shipping high dollar items at or under one pound I would give shipping options of 1st Class, Parcel Post, Priority Mail, Express Mail and then require insurance and signature confirmation or signature return receipt on the package. I would let it up to the buyer to pick his prefered method of transport via USPS based on how fast they want to receive their item. You can ship 1st Class up to 13 ounces.
If you want the all out most secure way to ship through USPS it would be registered mail. You can declare values over 15 million dollars on registered mail articles. But it is a very expensive service so it probably would not fit your bill for "low cost" but it definatly fit's the "secure" aspect.
posted on January 2, 2006 11:28:16 AM
We have had our own Merchant Credit Card Account since the early 1990's, and yes, to contest a "Chargeback," there has to be signature proof that the person actually received the item.
We tried the "Delivery Confirmation" method for a while and got rejections from our credit card processor saying that such was no actual proof; that only the signature of the receiver was actual proof.
We ran into the same problem with a "chargeback," and PayPal.
Personally, since our web sites are producing so well, I may well close our eBay store, and drop the few listings we now put on eBay, as it is simply getting to costly to use, just like PayPal, it is a costly, risky, pain in the derrière.
~"It does not matter what I think, it does not matter what you think. The only thing which matters is: What is the TRUTH!"~
posted on January 2, 2006 12:20:03 PM
I'm with Tom on the risk tolerance level. Most of the things I sell are under $100. If it's an item under $50, I self-insure. Have had only four items break in 8 years, and I've made good on those by refunding cost plus shipping. Makes things easier for my low-end buyers.
I must say, though, that if the buyer sounds like a young man or a brand-new eBayer, I'll get DC if the item was over $15.
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[ edited by roadsmith on Jan 6, 2006 07:50 AM ]
posted on January 2, 2006 01:30:36 PM
what is wrong with shipping USPS PRIORITY MAIL,if you charge your customer 5.95 shipping,it should be enough for one lb and signature receipt,plus free DC.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on January 2, 2006 02:59:37 PM
I love the link to the http://www.unitedpackagesmashers.com/?page=links.php Can't say I ever saw that one. You have to check it out and click on the smashed package link in the top toolbar. WOW, talk about smashed. I especially like there slogan "Turning parcels into pancakes...One package at a time"
[ edited by mikes4x4andtruckrepair on Jan 2, 2006 03:01 PM ]
posted on January 2, 2006 05:30:44 PM
yikes! That package smashers is great. I knew I didn't use UPS for some reason. Every package i ever got thru them is a mess.
**************
Can't touch this! uh huh, uh huh.
YOU SAID: “what is wrong with shipping USPS PRIORITY MAIL, if you charge your customer 5.95 shipping, it should be enough for one lb and signature receipt, plus free DC.”
HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT?
1 lb no zone at new rates:
Priority Mail
The average increase is 5.4 percent, with most rates at or near the average.
- The rate for the USPS-provided flat-rate envelope, as well as the 1 pound (unzoned) rate will be $4.05.
- The rate for USPS-provided flat-rate boxes will be $8.10.
THEREFORE, if you can stuff your item in a flat envelope it will cost you for 1 lb: $4.05
Add insurance at $1.35
Registered, return receipt: Signature Confirmation
- Priority Mail and all First-Class Mail and Package Services parcels, electronic option will be $1.35, retail option will be $1.90.
So that is at least $1.35 more.
So it seems to me this adds up to:
$4.05
$1.35
$1.35
Free Delivery Confirmation
TOTAL : $6.75
PLUS the time it takes to fill out their forms, and take packages to the post office. Personally, I do not see the savings here.
VIA UPS the same package costs:
$6.81 which includes shipping, e-mail notification and signature confirmation viewable on line, and no papers to fill out, PLUS they pick up every day.
I am not wanting to argue, just to get information, BECAUSE if there is a cheaper/safer way to ship, insure, and get a signature at receipt I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
***********************
roadsmith
When you say "self-insure" are you talking about using such on line insurance companies like U-Pic?
Thanks for your replies:
~"It does not matter what I think, it does not matter what you think. The only thing which matters is: What is the TRUTH!"~
posted on January 4, 2006 09:18:50 PM
If you use Endicia, you can use their insurance and you have no forms to fill out. It costs $.65 for $100 of value. Signature confitmation is $1.30 extra. $4.05 + $.65 + $1.30= $6.00
USPS will pickup for free at most zip codes now.
How do you figure your UPS rate? If you have a zone 7 or 8 rural, it will be over $8 and they don't get a signature at a residential address unless you pay extra. ($2?)
What kind of volume do you do? If it is in the hundreds of packages per day, you might be able to get a deal with FedEx for 3 day air that will beat UPS ground.
posted on January 6, 2006 07:11:13 AM
roadsmith,
please read my thread,did I say insurance is included in 5.95 shipping fee?
I said USPS priority box (not envelope),free DC and signature confirmation.
If you are making good money on your item,use some of that to subsidise your shipping is not going to kill you,just for the peace of mind if you want to insure the item either thru U-PIC or USPS or whoever.
If you are shipping USPS priority,you can ask USPS to come and pick up the packages,check their website to see if your area offers such service.
My area does and I will handover one priority package and a few first class packages,I use U-PIC for insurance.
/ lets all stop whining !! /
posted on January 6, 2006 07:51:18 AM
hwahwa: Sorry, my mistake. I meant to say "refunding cost plus SHIPPING," not "insurance." I've edited my post now.
I should know better than to browse these threads late at night!
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