Newbie Seller

[motivoonline]

Hi all!

I am new to selling on ebay and looking at other people selling the same things as me, either i'm doing something wrong or other people are shipping using pigeons.

I have lots of stuff selling, where my shipping can double or even triple the price. I have heard that canada post is very expensive, but I was thinking maybe I'm not using the right shipping options?

Here is how I break down my sales to figure out prices and shipping:

Price: (My cost + my profit margin + 0.50$ (bubble enveloppe) + 0.50$ (ebay fees)) X 1.1 (to cover for ebays 9% final value fee)

Shipping: actual shipping cost X 1.1 (to cover ebay fees so it doesnt end up costing me money)

The shipping for most of my things falls into regular parcel for canada which seems to be 13$ for anywhere in the country. For the US i get mostly small packets or expedited parcels which go for around 6-7$ ...

The only ones that make sense are when im shipping stuff that doesnt weigh anything and fits in an envelope so it passes as lettermail and costs under 2$.

Any input is appreciated as I'm really lost here 🙂

Thanks everyone!

[pocomocomputing]

Your PayPal Fee =   Handling Charges (+) .029% Transfer  Fees.

 2.9%, not .029% ...

LOL

[redwinelaughs]

I am also a newbie seller. I had an item for sale and it did not sell. Someone emailed me and gave me an offer. I realize this has to go through e-bay so they get a profit but I don't know how to do it.

[bigbrainco]

Canada Post is the most expensive in the world.  Selling online in Canada will always be a struggle.  If I want a postcard to reach within my own CITY within 3 working days, it's $12.00.  That's about the same price it costs to have a pair of running shoes shipped to me from the US.  Good Luck!

[pocomocomputing]

Canada Post is the most expensive in the world.  Selling online in Canada will always be a struggle.  If I want a postcard to reach within my own CITY within 3 working days, it's $12.00.  That's about the same price it costs to have a pair of running shoes shipped to me from the US.  Good Luck!

Why post misinformation like this?

A simple small envelope using 30 x 15 x 1 cm weighing 100 grams using Find A Rate on Canada Post website shows that it costs locally under $10 using XpressPost (guaranteed 1 day delivery time) and under $9 Regular Parcel (no guarantee 2 day delivery time).

Using PayPal shipping would have a 25% discount using Expedited Parcel instead (guaranteed 1 day delivery time) and Xpresspost has an 8% discount (guaranteed 1 day delivery time). All well under your $12 price.

[nor-nor]

hi there. first of all, get yourself a "Venture One" card from canada post. that will give you some benefits of free or really cheap insurrance and also cheaper rates on some things. Also the package measurer that they use there (Clear plastic with envelope slots and measures) can be purchased for 10.00 and you can accurately measure your packages before sending them out. If the bubble envelope fits thru the slot they will send it as letter mail as long as it isnt overweight. hope that helps!!

[reallynicestamps]

The Venture One card is a basic. It is free and will get you a 5% or so discount on some parcel services.

From time to time they also have special offers, but not often.

Using Paypal shipping gives you similar discounts, but the big one is on Expedited Parcel, which runs 20-25% depending on how you calculate it.

You can use stamps for any of Canada Post's services (you may have to add a speciality label with postal markings and bar codes). Discount postage can be as much as 20% off PO counter prices, but you will be licking stamps. The highly decorated parcels are popular with buyers.

Canada Post pricing changes this month (January 2013) . Print out the basic letter /light packet rates.

There are also changes to what is and is not insured. Watch these Boards for updates.

Calculated Shipping is tied to the Canada Post rates, so if you have items listed with Calculated, you should be okay. If you have been using Flat Rate, it is time to check things overto make sure your charges cover your costs.

[recyclemikey]

I have two cents on this.

one.. cheapest shipping I found is through a site called eshipper.net which uses UPS / Purolator.  

two.. consider your costs and see if you can build your shipping costs into it and use free shipping on eBay.  Sellers are always drawn to free shipping, even if it costs more.

Good luck!  

[closeupfanatic]

"Canada Post is the most expensive in the world."

No it's not, but it's far more expensive that the USA. Their flat rate international packet prices have Canuckis screwed.

[avionsunantiques]

I'm a long time Venture one user.  

I recently considered using Papal shipping, but I was told that the Paypal discount is the same discount given by Venture one.

Since I do not use Paypal shipping, I can not compare side by side myself, but I can confirm that some venture one postage rates are much more than 5% less than the regular Canadapost rate.

Can anyone here confirm with certainty that Paypal shipping provides a larger discount than venture one when applied to the regular canadapost rate.

[pocomocomputing]

You have been missing out on a larger 25 % discount for PayPal shipping for Expedited Parcel Canada and USA compared to the Venture One 5% discount. Xpresspost get a 8 or 9% discount depending on where you ship.

[1madcollecter]

I litterally gave up selling when the Item I sold took 72 days to get to Australia. Thank god that the coustomer was very good about it. But boo... to Canada post. They would not even look or try to do any thing, they say that it needs to be 75day for a case to be opened. I was told maybe I should of used Ebay.

My question if any one is listening is:

Ebay claims to have the cheapest shipping available(they say its because they do not add or charge any extra fees.).....But everytime I contact a seller they always beat the shipping cost provided by Ebay. Ebay has said that this is impossibble? What going on then? Anyone?

[pocomocomputing]

Those sellers simply give you a discount on the shipping to make a sale since you contacted them. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

[pocomocomputing]

I litterally gave up selling when the Item I sold took 72 days to get to Australia. Thank god that the coustomer was very good about it. But boo... to Canada post. They would not even look or try to do any thing, they say that it needs to be 75day for a case to be opened. I was told maybe I should of used Ebay.

My question if any one is listening is:

Ebay claims to have the cheapest shipping available(they say its because they do not add or charge any extra fees.).....But everytime I contact a seller they always beat the shipping cost provided by Ebay. Ebay has said that this is impossibble? What going on then? Anyone?

You have a serious misunderstanding of shipping costs. Any seller can list anything they want to charge for shipping costs. From free to excessive if they want. Some catagories have shipping caps in the USA limiting what can be charged.

[avionsunantiques]

I get way more than 5% discount with expedited mail.  

Can you tell me where I can confirm this 25% Paypal shipping discount for expedited mail?   I'd really like to read that in writing somewhere.

Sincerely

[pocomocomputing]

Here is the eBay link to Shipping with mention of the discounts.

http://pages.ebay.ca/sellerinformation/shipping/useebaylabels.html

One way to compare shipping costs is to actually use PayPal to show you their shipping price but cancel before printing/paying.

Use the shipnow and fill out the form with an address you know the shipping costs.

www.paypal.ca/shipnow

You will need to login with the above link and it will be rerouted to the www.paypal.com/ca/ something link.

[isle_k]

You've given some great information and advice poco.

I've only bought on E-Bay but considered recently selling and shipping was my biggest concern.

Strictly as a buyer i have to say that it really irks me to see a seller whack a 17-30 plus shipping fee on something that I KNOW can be sent for a third of that...often less. I may not be selling on E-Bay but i've sent packages all over the world for years, shipping costs jacked up to make extra profit is off putting. Again just as a buyer here, i have no problem what so ever paying actual shipping, i do have an issue with sellers who use shipping for profit.

People come to E-Bay for a deal...period. 30 bucks for novelty flavored candy? or a 10 dollar shirt ends up costing 42! Insane shipping. I don't know how sellers who make those choices stay in business.

Thanks for all your input and solid information Poco.

[femmefan1946]

it really irks me to see a seller whack a 17-30 plus shipping fee on something that I KNOW can be sent for a third of that...often less.

While Canada Post's domestic rates can be startling ($12 to ship a 17x10x3/ 350 gr paperback to Alberta, please!), this complaint usually refers to US sellers.

Within the USA Delivery Confirmation is very cheap, less than a quarter when shipping labels are printed online. However, to get the same service to a foreign country means the seller has to use Global Priority and the DC version starts around $20 and goes up from there.

The cheaper service is First Class International, but that does not offer the seller the protection against false claims of non-delivery that GP does.

The best way to deal with such high shipping costs is to contact the seller before bidding and ask for a shipping quote using USPS First Class International shipping. If the seller is unwilling, just move on. The seller does have the right to protect his business, even if it means losing some sales.

[john7460141]

Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth:

Don't even think of using shipping to help make a profit. Make sure shipping prices are completely separated from you and your products. I want people to know that I have nothing to do with shipping prices and I have no control over it, And I make sure I put that on my invoice. That way they can't complain about me doing anything with shipping or shipping prices being high. You can add a handling charge which shows and covers your cost of ...well ...handling the product and having to go ship it. This should stop you from losing money on shipping and honestly charging for what you have to go through to do the actual shipping.  And if you do have a problem with a sale they can't say you tried to scam them on shipping.

You have been given excellent advice from all the people who answered you but you may still be unclear on some things that may be confusing to you just like Widgets was 🙂 What I did a while back, may depend on who answers your call, but I called Canada post and told them I was now selling on ebay and needed to know all I could on shipping and how I could work with Canada post. The girl I spoke with was great and she sent me all  kinds of information in the mail including forms I could fill out online for just about everything I needed to know for my business, it was great. It gave me a real good understanding and excellent start in getting to know almost everything you could possibly know. If I had to ask someones advice after going through all the info she sent me made it much easier to understand what other people were telling me also. And no matter how much you know there will always be some things that will be trial and error, but again knowing all the above first will make that easier to. And always keep your eyes and ears open for methods other then Canada post, there are other ways to ship besides them for certain things. 

2 specific things about Paypal.

1. (double check this) but I think paypal will give you a tracking number on things that Canada post won't??

2. If you print your labels through them and it doesn't print or print properly it will take you forever to get a refund for it.

If all else fails and your still not comfortable quoting a shipping price, take your product ready to ship to any postal outlet and get them to give you a price! after doing this a coupe of times for different items you gain a confidence you need not to have to do this. 

And again, this is just my 2 cents worth and my opinion so take it for what it's worth. 

Good Luck, 

John 

[pocomocomputing]

1. (double check this) but I think PayPal will give you a tracking number on things that Canada post won't??

2. If you print your labels through them and it doesn't print or print properly it will take you forever to get a refund for it.

PayPal shipping will use the "tracking" number for a receipt of proof of purchase of the shipping for some services like Light Packet and Small Packet. These services have no "tracking".

For Small Packet, the tracking number "receipt" was used for insurance claims on the $100 include insurance (insurance no longer available).

PayPal does not provide any tracking (delivery confirmation) on its own. It can only offer the tracking services available by Canada Post for the specific Canada Post services if tracking exists.

As for refunds on PayPal shipping labels, a seller needs to followup with PayPal to make sure they refund you after two weeks. Apparently from what I read here in these forums, the refund is not automatic sometimes. You need to contact PayPal for the refund.

[pocomocomputing]

Don't even think of using shipping to help make a profit. Make sure shipping prices are completely separated from you and your products. I want people to know that I have nothing to do with shipping prices and I have no control over it, And I make sure I put that on my invoice. That way they can't complain about me doing anything with shipping or shipping prices being high. You can add a handling charge which shows and covers your cost of ...well ...handling the product and having to go ship it. This should stop you from losing money on shipping and honestly charging for what you have to go through to do the actual shipping.  And if you do have a problem with a sale they can't say you tried to scam them on shipping.

Even if you charge actual shipping costs, buyers can and will complain about the high cost and rate you DSRs for shipping costs lower. Simply because the shipping costs from Canada Post are high within Canada and to the USA. Remember that a sale to the USA is an International sale and shipping costs are high when compared to a domestic USA seller.

Canadian sellers are at a disadvantage as far as shipping costs are concerned. So a Canadian seller must adapt to compete.

Stop thinking of shipping costs as cost. Think total price and total amount received for an item. What is the best price and shipping cost to sell an item from Canada? What is the profit I make on the total amount of income on the item minus all of the costs (fees, shipping packaging, item cost, etcetera)?

If an item has a $25 price with $10 shipping cost, the total income for the item is $35.  Now how do I market this.  If all my USA competitors can ship for $5, my item may not sell because of the $10 shipping. So I can match the shipping cost at $5 and charge $35 for the item or do I have to reduce my profit if possible by $5 and sell for $30 and $5 shipping. Or I can try $35 with Free Shipping.

Shipping costs can be manipulated so as to have a better price and shipping cost total amount.  There is nothing that says you have to charge actual shipping cost.

Some sellers may disagree with this approach. But as a seller, I am subsidizing the shipping cost from the profit in my item price to be competitive.