Kevin's Shipping Tips

Kevin’s Shipping Tips!

 

Tip 1)  Choose the Right Carrier for Your Business.

Which carrier should your choose? This is entirely your decision and it should be based on what is most economical for the items you sell and whether you prefer home pick-up or drop off at their counters. Also, there is no one size fits all answer. I ship some items by UPS but most by the US Postal Service (USPS). In many instances, DHL and FedEx are cheaper than UPS. I suggest you spend some time on all of the carriers’ web sites comparing prices for shipping the particular items that you sell. Your decision depends also on the items you sell and how they are packaged.

For an item under four pounds USPS is usually the cheapest rate and fastest service. For items over four pounds, DHL usually has the cheaper rate. UPS, DHL and FedEx includes $100 of insurance as well as tracking with every shipment. USPS charges 40 cents for tracking and insurance is additional as well.

Finally, you need to either have the carrier pick the items up from your home or you will have to drop them off at their counter. USPS provides free pickup (see the USPS site for details) while UPS charges $3 per package (at the time of this writing). For a free USPS pickup, remember that at least one box needs to be mailed by Priority Mail. Learn more from www.usps.com/pickup.

Tip 2)  Get FREE Shipping Boxes.

USPS has some advantages over UPS by providing free shipping boxes for Priority Mail. Usually, the cost per package is only a dollar more than first class or even Parcel Post and most packages travel coast to coast in two to three days. Best of all, FREE boxes for shipping items by USPS Priority Mail are available from the USPS website. Currently, the site is http://ebaysupplies.usps.com.  

If the items I am shipping do not fit in these free shipping boxes, I order my boxes at substantial discounts from www.uline.com.

Tip 3)  Use Inexpensive Packing Material.

Packing material such as bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts can be very expensive. Likewise, most customers do not like to receive the clingy Styrofoam peanuts. I only use them when I am shipping extremely delicate and breakable items. Otherwise I use inexpensive standard newspaper that I have lightly crumpled. If the ink can come off on the item I am packing (such as a clothing), I place the item in a plastic bag first before using the newspaper.

If the items you sell require bubble wrap, save your money and get your supply free from stores that receive their products bubble wrapped. These would include furniture stores, or those who sell china, collectibles etc. They would be very happy if you hauled away their bubble wrap.

Tip 4)  Determine the Shipping Price.

The first decision you need to make is, will you be charging a flat rate or using eBay’s automatic shipping calculator? According to eBay statistics, most customers prefer a flat rate. I have also heard from eBay Sellers that sometimes either eBay or the carrier’s site get the calculated rate wrong and so, they have stopped using it. Personally, I use a flat rate for items under 5 pounds, but it is your choice as a seller.

• You need to determine the total weight of the item, package and packing material.
• Place your item in the box you will use to ship it along with the packing material.
• Then use your digital postal scale and note the weight.
• Assuming you are shipping by USPS, go to http://ircalc.usps.gov/
• Select the United States as your country, select “package” enter the weight and your zip code. Now enter the zip code in a rural town in the US that is the farthest away from you. (go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp  to look up zip codes by city)
• Select “continue”
• Select the way you will ship the item (Express, Priority, Parcel Post or Media)
• Select any extra services (such as delivery confirmation) or if none, select “continue”
• Your total rate is provided.
• Add any handling charge (I suggest no more than $2-3)
• You now have your flat standard shipping rate to anywhere in the 48 states.

For International shipping calculations, select the country first, then repeat the steps above.

Need a top quality, multi-featured, yet inexpensive Postal Scale? Below is the one I recommend. Click Here or on the picture to learn more.

Tip 5)  Ship Quickly.

Do you want Fantastic Feedback and Return Customers? Use the FREE USPS eBay stamped boxes, the FREE Priority Mail labels with your return address printed on it, pack the item properly as described in Tip # 3, and ship the item by Priority Mail within one business day of payment. You could not write better feedback than you will now receive. Many of those customers will come back for more items and/or refer their friends to you.