posted on April 17, 2006 06:41:22 PM new
sort of Ebay related. Because if you shipped on Ebay and charged what I had to pay today to have an O-ring shipped the customer would freak.
Paid $2.00 for what was probably a .30 cent O-ring. Shipping was $7.50.
Guess that is their minimum wage payment or something. Sheesh.
Postage would probably be under $.90 cents. The website says they ship UPS or RPS. I'll bet it comes in a first class envelope.
"Shipping Policy
Shipping charges are based on the policy established by General Foam Plastics Corporation, and are calculated based on the total order weight.
Standard Shipping
Shipped Ground by UPS or RPS Within the Continental United States ONLY, usually takes 5 to 7 business days for delivery."
posted on April 17, 2006 08:24:53 PM new
I pass up plenty of auctions or BIN if shipping is way out of line. I would rather pay more for the item and get less shipping. Most time I can find one with decent shipping and a decent price too.
**************
Some minds are like concrete,
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
posted on April 18, 2006 05:45:39 AM new
That's what I count on, my reasonable (cheap) shipping drawing bidders who then bid more than the first minimum bid because I'm fair. It does help I have an endless free supply of bubble wrap and decent size boxes (from where hubby works). I'm able to keep shipping costs down but I know not everyone is as lucky on supplies.
posted on April 18, 2006 07:00:13 AM new
I've seen worst on ebay.
I try to keep my shipping fair as well but living in Florida has it draw backs as I can't use fixed shipping. I do use a calculator but I wonder if most bidder's see it?
posted on April 18, 2006 09:16:18 AM new
So you have not received your item yet?
If they really did ship UPS, the shipping cost is probably pretty close.
Now if they shipped RPS, I want pictures. RPS was bought out by FedEx a few years back and dropped the RPS name at that time. They now call it, FedEx ground.
posted on April 18, 2006 04:48:45 PM new
well they shipped it FedEx ground. 1 pound and the online configurator shows a shipping charge of $6.12 so I guess they weren't off by much.
lady I live in Florida and I use fixed shipping. I figure postage from here to California and it works for me. It always seemed like most of my packages went to California anyway.
posted on April 22, 2006 10:40:53 AM new
Don't feel bad...I got charged $17 shipping for 4 lighter weight yards of cotton fabric; another whooya in the cosmetics dept. tried to charge me $25 shipping on a small handful of samples sent for $1.97; off of ebay, we ordered a small computer part for a company and we got charged: $16 shipping!
As a seller, I understand putting all overhead and transaction fee costs in the shipping, but gees!
I sell a product where I cannot include all of my ebay, paypal, vendio, etc., transaction fees or the cost of the items will be passed up by buyers...it's just too competitive. Anyone got any ideas?
posted on April 22, 2006 10:44:27 AM new
Are you saying that you cannot sell your product at a price that covers all of your costs?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
People put their hand on the bible, and swear to uphold the constitution. They do not put their hand on the constitution, and swear to uphold the bible.
posted on April 22, 2006 01:02:44 PM new
That's exactly right: ebay buyers are cheapsters, always looking for something for nothing...so here we came along with a truly revolutionary company and manufacturing methods that brings something to true quilters for the first time: absolutely perfect appliques, but the overhead cost is enormous, which is why we are the only known company doing this right now...so as of yet, ebay quilt product buyers are still equating us with the hand-cutters making imperfect products or using inferior fabrics.
They also just don't realize we use professional, purchased packaging. Example: there's a granny cutting out little tulips in vases and shipping the stuff for 70 cents in an envelope and maybe she got $5 for the sale. Then there's us, Laser Quilt: we've used high end fabric, the top bonding agent--one order will have a base cost of $3.50-$4 just for materials and overhead; and have no less than $1.06 in packaging, and the package weight will cost buyer no less than $2.21 in shipping...so our ship costs are $4.75 for first batch of appliques, and 50 cents thereafter.
To ebay buyers, it looks like highway robbery next to what that granny is doing...but for us, it still represents an overall average loss of $2 doing the transaction.
We've done repeated marketing studies on this and found ebay buyers do things that they'd never consider doing while standing in a checkout line or buying form an independent website.
Say, someone with this same name you use is on ebay...been a member for 6 years and not one purchase or one sale. Are you a board monitor or something or is this just a coincidence?
posted on April 22, 2006 02:01:42 PM new
I think you need to reexamine your model.
#1 - your packaging costs way too much. What in the world are you packaging appliques in that it's costing you $1.06?
#2 - I would consider selling wholesale. I would look at the feasibility of eliminating signature packaging all together - go with plain poly bags, produce in larger quantities which generally allows for lowered by piece cost and market your items to the little old ladies and their competitors. Show them that you have a higher quality and consistant item which you can supply to them in quantities and allow them to service a greater number of customers in a smaller amount of time with increased customer satisfaction to build increased loyalty. Let the little old ladies battle it out among themselves... you just supply the ammunition.
As for the ebay seller - just coincidence. I'm not a monitor. If anything I'm known as one of the board hotheads. Not only that, but I openly use and endorse a Vendio competitor.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
People put their hand on the bible, and swear to uphold the constitution. They do not put their hand on the constitution, and swear to uphold the bible.
posted on April 22, 2006 02:17:22 PM new
Melisaa - email me at [email protected]. I have some suggestions that might be able to help you out a bit.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
People put their hand on the bible, and swear to uphold the constitution. They do not put their hand on the constitution, and swear to uphold the bible.
[ edited by fenix03 on Apr 22, 2006 02:17 PM ]
posted on April 22, 2006 09:05:03 PM new
What I do is start my items for 9.99 and when it sells the profit is the profit on my investment and part for my labor. The profit dose not go to my fees for selling. Profit from selling my item is the amount that my investment made for me.
My fees are added to my shipping, thats how it needs to be if you want to get paid for your packing material, & cover your fees for selling.
When I had my shop my profit was broken down into Labor, profit and expenses on my investment. For example if I bought a piece of furniture for 500.00 I had to make sure that by adding Labor, profit, & expenses I was still within the range for selling the furniture at a reasonable price, not that I was overpricing my item because of my expenses. But you need to make all the costs back if you want to stay in the green and not be in the red.
