What happens when I go to the post office?

[bargainarea]

First-time seller here. I will be shipping my package soon and I will be using a tracking number. Should I always do this to avoid problems? Once I print my shipping label and bring my parcel to the post office what happens next? I assume they scan my parcel but do I pay the shipping to the post office? or have I already paid using eBay since I have a shipping label? I'm confused as to what 's happening with shipping. Is the amount of the invoice I sent to the buyer the amount paid to me in my PayPal minuseBayy and PayPal fees?

I am baffled by shipping. If you don't charge enough (ie; the package was a bit too heavy) or you charge too much because you over estimated what happens in those cases?

P.s. The stage I'm at now is to send the buyer the invoice then wait for the payment to appear in my PayPal (if the buyer is okay with everything of course)...then ship.

[momcqueen]

You've bought the postage label online and taped it to your package. It has tracking. Good. 

Take it to the post office. Stand in line and get an acceptance scan. 

Your job is done.

[momcqueen]

Paypal will deduct your fees upfront from the monies you've received from the payment from the buyer.

You won't be allowed to use the paypal funds for 21 days, however. Paypal holds monies collected by all new sellers to ensure you're selling real items and not just shipping imaginary ones. After you've proved yourself to them over a period of regular selling for months, you will start to see real money real fast. 

Ebay seller fees are due once a month, usually on the 1st or 15th, depending on where you've been allotted in the payment scheduled by ebay I don't think you get to choose. 

[kitschnvintage]

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@bargainarea wrote:

First-time seller here. I will be shipping my package soon and I will be using a tracking number. Should I always do this to avoid problems?  The only way to protect yourself from an "item not received claim" through ebay or paypal is to use a shipping method that is trackable/has delivery confirmation. If you cannot prove delivery of an item ebay/paypal will make you refund the buyer. 

Once I print my shipping label and bring my parcel to the post office what happens next? I assume they scan my parcel but do I pay the shipping to the post office? or have I already paid using eBay since I have a shipping label? I'm confused as to what 's happening with shipping. If you print your Canada Post shipping label through ebay PayPal releases enough of your buyer's payment to purchase the shipping label, you do not pay (again) at the postal counter when you bring the package to have it scanned for acceptance/mailing. If you have overcharged for shipping you do not get refunded as far as I know. If you have not charged enough for shipping you will be billed for the difference ** somehow, I am not sure exactly how this works I don't use ebay shipping labels I always just pay at the postal outlet myself ** A digital kitchen scale comes in really handy for selling on ebay. I would recommend at least once packing a box weighing it and measure it and then go to your local PO and have them do the same thing to make sure your scale and measurements are in line with the PO .

Is the amount of the invoice I sent to the buyer the amount paid to me in my PayPal minuseBayy and PayPal fees? Not really?? The invoice to the customer is for the purchase price + shipping costs. Once the customer pays you PayPal takes their fees right away (you can see it in the payment transaction in your PayPal account) and ebay will bill you monthly for their fees.

I am baffled by shipping. If you don't charge enough (ie; the package was a bit too heavy) or you charge too much because you over estimated what happens in those cases?   You cannot ask a buyer to pay more for shipping than what you have quoted in your ebay listing or sent them an invoice for.  If you sent an invoice for $5 shipping and it turns out the cost is $20 for shipping you have to cover the difference. Make sure you figure out the proper shipping costs before you list an item for sale so there are no surprises for you or your buyer. 

P.s. The stage I'm at now is to send the buyer the invoice then wait for the payment to appear in my PayPal (if the buyer is okay with everything of course)...then ship. 

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[ypdc_dennis]

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@bargainarea wrote:

...Once I print my shipping label and bring my parcel to the post office what happens next? I assume they scan my parcel but do I pay the shipping to the post office? or have I already paid using eBay since I have a shipping label?

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If you buy the shipping through eBay/PayPal. Print the shipping label (expedited parcel in Canada is your cheapest choice) and attach it to the parcel (using clear packing tape is okay). Take it to the post office/outlet and get an acceptance scan. Paypal charges you for the label.  So nothing more to pay.

Or you can take it to the post office and they will print the shipping and you pay there.

It will (a) cost more, (b) for Canada, you must have the address of the buyer on the package (the post office adds the postage and bar code labels).

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[ypdc_dennis]

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@bargainarea wrote:
... I am baffled by shipping. If you don't charge enough (ie; the package was a bit too heavy) or you charge too much because you over estimated what happens in those cases?

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If you know the size of the package when listing you can use calculated shipping instead instead of guessing.

When setting up the listing you enter weight and dimensions length x width x thickness (eBay defaults to US inches, but there is a box to check to use metric -- which is more accurate for Canada Post).

When a buyer looks at your listing eBay calculates the cost to ship to them.

...

Shipping hint:

Package size can change the cost to mail. Big is not necessarily better. Canada Post (also FedEX, UPS and others) have dimensional weight surcharge for many packages. Cost is based on the higher of actual weight or dimensional weight.

Length times Width times Thickness (in cm) divided by 6000 gives the dimensional "weight" in kilograms for Expedited parcel in Canada (divide by 5000 for out of Canada).

Examples: Actual weight 1kg with

size of 20x20x10cm (0.67 dimensional) is charged the 1.0kg rate (actual)

size of 20x20x15cm (1.00 dimensional) is charged the 1.0kg rate (actual)

size of 20x20x20cm (1.33 dimensional) is charged the 1.5kg rate

size of 30x30x20cm (3.00 dimensional) is charged the 3.0kg rate

Side note:

Shipping rates for parcels are stepped rates (like a stair). For example, Canada Post expedited parcel for Canada has steps of 0-750g, 751g-1kg, 1.001-1.5kg, 1.501-2.0kg, and so on up to 30kg

So a parcel that is 400g is charged the same as one that is 700g since they both fit on the first step.

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[femmefan1946]

If you have overcharged for shipping you do not get refunded as far as I know. If you have not charged enough for shipping you will be billed for the difference ** somehow,

No, the postal clerk will not refund if you put too much postage on the parcel.

If you have not charged enough, she will ask for the difference, print another label (or count out a few stamps) and stick that on the parcel to make the payment correct.

You won't be allowed to use the paypal funds for 21 days, however. Paypal holds monies collected by all new sellers to ensure you're selling real items

This is not personal. It's a Buyer Protection and it goes away eventually.

However, you can print your shipping label from the Held funds immediately. And as dennis mentioned, PP shipping labels are often cheaper than Canada Post counter rates.