About shipping an item without a tracking number, And also about shipping labels

For me to ship an item in canada, the cheapest with a tracking number is like $15 if Im lucky. And i see people doing it for 2.99 and such, I am wondering, if I could like, ship one game for $10 and insted of having to pay 15 for a tracking number, just put it in the post office mail box and let it take longer to ship. But without a tracking number, sorta like your doing. like so I Cant see how much longer it will take to be here and you cant check to see if I received it. How do you still get your money through paypal if you dont have a tracking number to prove it was deliverd? do you just wait the 21 days and get your .99 cents? Cause I have some xbox games im selling, I have 17, And the only way I can really sell them is by bundles, I cannot sell one game for 10.00 and go to the post office and get a tracking number without losing all money. So I was thinking I could just put it in a parcel. and put it in the mail box and not be able to tell when it got there and wait the extra week or two for my money.

Also, do you know anything about printing shipping labels? I was thinking about doing that soon printing a shipping label through paypal. It says reduced price when you ship with a label, and that it can be tracked with those shipping labels, could i just print off a label and do the same, put it in the mailbox and not have to pay shipping?
Im sorry if this is all confusing. Im just trying to figure out something.

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Re: About shipping an item without a tracking number, And also about shipping labels

For a $10.00 item forget the tracking number.

 

It will cost you more for it even if your item gets lost

which don't happen very often.

 

Most buyers would not bid on a $10.00 item with

$15.00 shipping.

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Re: About shipping an item without a tracking number, And also about shipping labels

If you are a new seller in Canada, you basically end up waiting the full 21 days for your money regardless so you are better off to sell more and use less expensive shipping for inexpensive items.

 

You save money on some shipping labels if you print them through Paypal. The discount off of counter prices for expedited shipping in Canada and the U.S. is 18%. For Tracked packet - 14% and for Xpresspost - 8-9%.

Yes, you can put them in the mailbox however, if I have an expensive item, I often take it in to the postal outlet so that I know it has been scanned.

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Re: About shipping an item without a tracking number, And also about shipping labels

I have found that if you put the date and time you took the item to the post office in your feedback to the buyer, you drastically cut down on the number of "where is my item" messages.  Actually, since I started doing that (I ship by regular mail) I haven't had one person ask about the status of an item in transit.  All my feedback messages to buyers go like this "mailed Stouffville PO 2:00 pm Fri Feb 28 Thanks!!"

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Re: About shipping an item without a tracking number, And also about shipping labels

I sell the low price item with the non tracked postage and I am experiencing an increase of rip off artists from the US and it is becoming a huge loss. I am beginning to decrease my items up for sale. I haven't come up with a solution yet. Just too expensive in many ways. It never used to be like that but since the global system it is rampant theft. Too bad.
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Re: About shipping an item without a tracking number, And also about shipping labels

There are solutions and preventions.

 

First: self-insurance. Add a few pennies (based on the cost of your losses) to every single shipping charge as a Handling Charge or to the asking price of your items. If you have a claim, pay from the virtual Cookie Jar where those pennies are stored. While you are not happy , at least you are not losing money.

 

When you ship give the date and service in your feedback. My usual FB is "Thank you for your prompt payment. Shipped Canada Post Air Mail 1/5/2014" . This is egoboo + you bought from a foreigner+useful information." Seems to work.

 

Then, use your Seller Preferences to automatically Block bidders who have Strikes for Unpaid Items. There are other Blocks there you should also consider.

 

Low prices often attract bottom-feeders, who are unpleasant to deal with. But apparently your fly fishers (right?) make multiple orders, so the low prices of your products are offset by the high value of the total purchase.

 

BTW- have you asked eBay about those negs with positive comments? They may be removable.

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