You’ve heard the tips – don’t overcharge for shipping. That is great advice, indeed, as nothing turns off audience like sellers who gouge you for the shipping costs. It’s also a practice that may rack up bad comments.
However, I’m going to perform Devil’s Advocate here and declare that you don’t go overboard and provides so much of some slack on shipping that you’re chipping away pictures profits. It’s good to consider the “hidden costs” associated with shipping: bubble wrap to be able to secure your breakables, mp3, shipping envelopes, boxes, and so on. Then there’s the gas you invest your car to take hundreds of trips to the mailbox.
You might think I’m currently being cheap, but, if you added up your eBay expenses for the season (as some did for his or her recent taxes) there's a chance you're shocked to see how all the packing materials and gas to your car added up as well as took a little chunk through your eBay profits. And, consider me, they do mount up.
Some people are more surprised to find many people underestimated the weight of their packages, causing their profits to shrink even further.
How can you become fair to both you as well as your buyers?
1. Buy a new scale. It may audio simple, but purchasing a scale can save you a bundle in shipping and delivery. If you’re just eyeballing the weight from the package, you can frequently guess too low, and be in for quite a shock when you attend the post office and find out the package might cost twice what you considered to ship.
2. Know the dimensions of your packaging before listing an item. Some packages cost more to ship for their dimensions. Knowing the weight alone isn’t enough.
3. Offer the buyer a number of shipping methods. Some desire speedy delivery with Convey mailing, while some prefer to save money with parcel post while the wait is for a longer time. It’s always a wise decision when using parcel article or other slower soil shipping to alert you by email that it will take anywhere from 8 to be able to 10 days.
4. Save yourself money regularly by using boxes which were used. Most stores are definitely more than happy to allow you to rummage through their old boxes and take some home along. But, do remember to select boxes that are presentable, secure and strong enough to your items. And, if you have breakables, don’t skimp for the bubble wrap.
5. Give yourself a little handling fee that will handle your expenses. Some sellers add while on an additional $1 or $2 to the shipping fees for his or her handling fees (depending on the price tag on the item and how much packaging you should use). I really advocate doing this because your expenses will add up if you undertake a lot of promoting on eBay. Be sure to become upfront with your buyers that you have a small handling fee so that they can’t complain about the item later.
Being fair to both yourself as well as your buyer will keep the two of you happy, and keep more of your profit in your pants pocket.