How do I find what customer reads as shipping cost on their end?

[snuffiecat]

Trying to make my first invoice.

[dmil8030 · Accepted solution]

On the Canadian site we get a shipping fee according to our postal code.  I got $10.09 for Expedited Parcel. 🙂

On the US site when I entered your buyer's 90210 I was told to contact the seller.  Did you have a shipping fee stated for the US?  Either way, I'll assume you've seen this link to our postal rates and how to get them:

http://www.canadapost.ca/cpotools/apps/far/personal/findARate?execution=e1s1

If you want to know what someone else sees, you have to be signed out of the ebay you are looking at.  When you sign in anywhere, you will always be treated as a Canadian. ... natch.

[femmefan1946]

Do you mean you have made a sale but you didn't have the shipping fee stated in the listing?

Go to canadapost.ca

Go to the Business section

Enter the postal codes for you and your buyer

Enter the dimensions and weight of your parcel.

Click to get a choice of shipping services.

Enter the most reasonable one.

Cheap small items go Letter or Light Packet. Relatively cheap, Air Mail but no insurance or confirmation of delivery.

Heavier go Small Packet USA or International. Insured up to $100 against loss or damage in transit. Do NOT ship overseas by Surface.

More valuable go Expedited Domestic or USA. Insured as above plus Delivery Confirmation.

That is the most basic - the size, price and destination would decide the service you choose.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

Is this the $35 Wonder Woman comic? For USA use Small Packet and let the customer know that the package is insured. If there is a problem, Canada Post will cover you.

For Canada, it's harder, because there is nothing in the price range of SP.  Either you use Expedited, which printed through Paypal will give you a 25% discount from the PO counter price, or Regular Parcel which starts cheaper but with no discount, is not.  Both are insured and Delivery Confirmed.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151048452295986&set=oa.406256072762821&type=1&relevant_cou...

Since this is a difficult question, I thought you might enjoy a snapshot of the Wonder Woman skit by Browncoats Burlesque at the recent CAN-CON 2012.  This involved Bollywood dancing. 😮

[snuffiecat]

The buyer stated that my shipping cost was not what it reads on their end. I got an estimate through Canada Post website but I think the rate was far too high. Why does it not show what they were given on their end when Im making the invoice? Or am I missing something. Thank you for all the advice. Don't think it will be a real sale anyways. Thanks for wrecking ebay bad buyers...

[dmil8030]

Hi again, 'snuffiecat',

Is that all the buyer said, - "Your shipping is not what it reads on my end"?  Did you ask what it reads on his end? 

If you click on the link I provided you can get the shipping rate.  You need to use metric measures - dimensions and weight - or you will not get an accurate reading.  I took a wild guess for a try-out and entered 20x30x4cm and .5kg, entered the 90210 postal code, and for Small Packet Air I got $10.10.  How big is that and what would it weigh when it's packed for mailing?

If you absolutely have no metric rulers or tape measures in your house, and no postal scale (is there a digital kitchen scale?), you can use what you have and make your conversions:

http://www.metric-conversions.org/conversion-calculators.htm

I agree with you, - I don't think it will be a 'real' sale.  Maybe, - good to keep an open mind.  I believe that a 'real' buyer would hastily tell you quite specifically what the shipping fee was on his end and not hope to sneak a freebie out of you.  But you're the one who announced to the world you have no idea what you're doing. 😄

[dmil8030]

Oh, and a word about invoices, - when you go to send an invoice with an altered shipping (when someone buys 2 or more items and you offer a combined rate), do not click 'Recalculate'.  Apparently that takes you back to square one.  Just enter the new amount, Preview, and Send.

[femmefan1946]

While you could send a comic book by LetterPost you would have no Delivery Confirmation or insurance.

I get a bad vibe from this customer too, although 90210 is a real zipcode and lots of (wealthy) people do live there.

If you use Small Packet shipping the cost your customer see would be less than the Delivery Confirmed Expedited, however the parcel would carry only insurance from Canada Post against loss or damage.

If there is a claim, you would have a little work to make the insurance claim. And there would always be the burning question of the honesty oof the buyer.

Choose your service. Send your customer a link to canadapost.ca. Tell the customer which service you are using and try to promote the protections as being for his benefit. (They really are for yours.) Mention Canada several times. Mention US Customs. Mention Homeland Security. Mention your excellent packaging. Sell the sizzle.

And if worst comes to worst, you can offer a Mutual Cancellation if he seems reasonable, or go for the Unpaid Item Dispute if he refuses to pay.