Store owners - have you recieved shipping supplies code?

[pjcdn2005]

According to an announcement on May 2, the branded shipping supplies coupon code for store owners would be sent out by May 31. Has anyone received one by email and/or message? I know that some sellers were able to access the coupon in the manage your store section but I haven't been able to do that and haven't yet received a coupon code.

http://announcements.ebay.ca/2016/05/02/7769/

[momcqueen]

My tape has arrived. It does not stink, and is sticky. 

I'll know whether FedEx has brokerage fees on top of import fees in mind for me within a week or two. At that point, I will pursue it with the seller as per Raphael's advice.

But, for now, I have nothing to complain about as far as the tape goes. It is opaque and says ebay in colour against a white background. And it sticks as should be expected; it is currently holding a dusty, used box shut as a test. It doesn't stink anymore than any other printed product. It's not as if I'm overwhelmed by the smell of solvent like other sellers indicated elsewhere. 

So there's that at least: the tape is good if you're getting it for free because your store subscription has a coupon valued at enough to pay for it as mine did. 

[tch_ca]

The tape should say "Ebay Merchandise, Steal Me!"....As should the rest of the grossly overpriced merchandise that provides free advertising for Ebay. They should be giving it away for free for those who want it.

[momcqueen]

Trust me, I won't be using it on anything without tracking.

[ricarmic]

Regarding theftable, to my mind, it only makes a difference within Canada.

Anything going to the USA or internationally is going to have a customs form on it anyway that identifies the contents. I don't think having been purchased on eBay makes it more desirable to a thief.

I live (perhaps in the safe) stamp world, but I ship very colourful and actually "valuable" stamps on the outside of the packages (to most countries). I have not noticed any heightened losses when I'm shipping packages with the nice hockey stamps on them or the latest Star Trek stamps and souvenir sheets on them.

Once sufficient time has gone by, I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has noticed an increase in theft by using the eBay labelled stuff. I will be very surprised if it does make a difference.

I mentioned this in a different thread but in my wee post office in my wee village, one is forever seeing all the Amazon taped boxes in the pile of packages waiting to be picked up. Everyone who comes into the post office sees that their neighbors have no problems buying from Amazon. So far nobody sees anything eBay. I think having branded stuff will help increase the exposure.

I'm not a fan of the branded stuff inviting people to sell, I think that's a bit of an odd thing to put on it, my preference would just be the ebay logo. 

[momcqueen]

"I mentioned this in a different thread but in my wee post office in my wee village, one is forever seeing all the Amazon taped boxes in the pile of packages waiting to be picked up. Everyone who comes into the post office sees that their neighbors have no problems buying from Amazon. So far nobody sees anything eBay. I think having branded stuff will help increase the exposure."

I agree that eBay exposure is good. This is a bare start. I want to see actual paid advertising.

Those branded Amazon boxes stem only from Amazon or FBA-warehouse sales. They are always tracked, won't disappear the way Small Packets from a lowly independent eBay seller might. I post very little without tracking now; I've lost risk tolerance for it.

I'll use the tape with Expedited Parcel and Tracked Packet but I don't want to draw any extra attention to my domestic lettermail. When I first started selling here, I had WAY too many INR claims. Now I have few to none. (Knock on wood.) I won't change whatever is working.

[tch_ca]

The EBAY logo is a beacon for theft. Tracked or not. As an example, all my shipments are insured by my business insurance up to 2500.00. One condition is that I'm not allowed to use my full business name (short is ok) as a "from" because it potentially gives away the content of the parcel. I also use verbiage that is accurate but not common in my customs declarations and rely on customs codes from proper identification should customs feel the need. Postal theft (and FEDEX/UPS) fro valuables is huge....My $8000 shipment vanished for 10 days (it was marked as delivered and signed for) but no one at the receving end ever signed for it. It was strangely delivered by hand by Canada Post 10 days later (after a case had been opened) and signed for "again"....So why add a beacon to a system that's already prone to theft.

[ricarmic]

I appreciate your concerns, I think we all have them. I would be interested to know what your actual loss rate is.

Here is mine:
http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/My-experience-including-2015-Self-insurance-cookie-jar/m-...

[recped]

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@tch_ca wrote:

The EBAY logo is a beacon for theft. Tracked or not. As an example, all my shipments are insured by my business insurance up to 2500.00. One condition is that I'm not allowed to use my full business name (short is ok) as a "from" because it potentially gives away the content of the parcel. I also use verbiage that is accurate but not common in my customs declarations and rely on customs codes from proper identification should customs feel the need. Postal theft (and FEDEX/UPS) fro valuables is huge....My $8000 shipment vanished for 10 days (it was marked as delivered and signed for) but no one at the receving end ever signed for it. It was strangely delivered by hand by Canada Post 10 days later (after a case had been opened) and signed for "again"....So why add a beacon to a system that's already prone to theft.

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When I see a pile of boxes that I might be able to steal........the pile includes names like

Amazon

LL Bean

NewEgg

Tiger Direct

MEC

REI

The Bay

Sacks

eBay

TSN

Apple

Western Digital

Sony

etc. etc.

I'm pretty sure the eBay one won't be my first choice as it's just as likely to some cheap oddball item or used clothing or some other worthless item that I can't flip in five minutes and that's what the thieves really want.

[momcqueen]

Cheap, oddball. Haha. Right, like used socks.

I think the temptation to steal from eBay as opposed to Sears is that Sears will have a Loss Prevention Dept to scrutinize a theft whereas stealing from eBay is stealing from a single person who may or may not be sophisticated enough to prove they've been had.

[tch_ca]

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@ricarmic wrote:
I appreciate your concerns, I think we all have them. I would be interested to know what your actual loss rate is.

Here is mine:
http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/My-experience-including-2015-Self-insurance-cookie-jar/m-...

---

Sure we all have them. But by making your packages even more visible than what they need to be, you increase your chances of a loss. Be it it Ebay, Amazon, Apple or anything else...

[momcqueen]

Here's my first to go. I really have no issues with the aroma of the tape or the integrity of the stickiness so it's hard for me to imagine what those earlier negative reviews on the product from other sellers were all about. Unless Ebay Shipping Supplies received and distributed a bad batch. To me, it's just good tape. Nothing wrong with it. (Of course, I'll report back if it vanishes en route to the buyer because it's so pretty and colourful.)

[squidboytoys]

did you pay any duty fees or taxes when you received the supplies from FedEx? 

[momcqueen]

No. FedEx doesn't collect at the door. Unlike UPS and Canada Post, FedEx will send you a bill in the mail if import fees are due.

I won't know if any are due until a few weeks pass.

Regardless, future eBay Shipping Supplies orders will be shipped via USPS. Raphael said so at Board Hour when I raised this. He's quoted earlier in the thread.

If import fees are due Canada Post, they will be less as their brokerage fee is a $10 handling fee. Plus applicable tax.

[sylviebee]

I ordered on June 15th.  I just received the notice that it was shipped today.

They have a one day handling time so clearly they didn't meet that standard.  I guess that means an automatic fail for shipping time.

The notice says it was shipped via USPS and I was provided with a tracking number that doesn't work.  I think that means that it hasn't even been shipped yet.

[brettjet38]

I have not received my 100 bubble mailers the only thing I could get for FREE without paying ...

But, if they arrive with any fees or brokerage I will refuse them and send them back to the sender.

The whole COUPON was a SHAM anyway, everything offered is being is price inflated for Canadians.

[mr.elmwood]

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@brettjet38 wrote:
I have not received my 100 bubble mailers the only thing I could get for FREE without paying ...

But, if they arrive with any fees or brokerage I will refuse them and send them back to the sender.

The whole COUPON was a SHAM anyway, everything offered is being is price inflated for Canadians.

---

Mine arrived the other day. No charges. I like them. To me, this little kickback is more than the increase in store fees.

The next coupon is supposed to be out in July and I will order another 100 bubble mailers. I won't have to order from those thieving at Uline.

[momcqueen]

As I've mentioned elsewhere in this thread, FedEx drivers do not collect duty at the door, unlike the folks from CPC or UPS. 

If import fees (mostly brokerage fees) are due, you will receive an invoice via lettermail a few weeks later. (Or not, depending on the situation with Canada Post.) 

[sylviebee]

Maybe they're finding that shipping over the border via courier comes with a whole set of problems.  Jeez, they could just have asked someone, almost any experienced Canadian eBayer would have told them about problems associated with over-the-border courier shipments.

Maybe they found out via trial and error and maybe they're mixing it up.

As I mentioned above:  My order was shipped via the Post Office and not courier.

[cumos55]

On June 15... at the Chat Session... It was indicated that eBay is working to establish a Canadian source for shipping supplies...

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Also with respect to boxes  with markings on the outside.

Recycled boxes used to me my source of cardboard for shipping.  The box was split at the bound corner  and the opposite corner....  and  all markings were placed on the inside of the prepared box for shipping....  one box provided enough cardboard for the shipping of two books to two different destinations.

There is nothing to stop one from splitting boxes at the bound corner... turn the box inside out  and re-bind ... glue....  up the   split corner  and cover with unmarked tape at the split corner...Splitting the corner also allowed me to make the box smaller  and the size as required by the item being shipping

This was done to minimize confusion  while a recycled box was moving through the postal system.....

Split the bound corner... do not cut... and then glue the split corner back to create a box with NO markings visible... on the outside of the box.

[vintagenorth]

Sizing is very confusing. The sizes are all in inches, not in centimetres, but okay I guess I can convert that with a tape measure. However, they don't say whether the size quoted is the inside or the outside measurement. Not very well written description.

Moot point anyway, even though I have more than one store, the $35 coupon from each can't be combined and separately isn't enough to make buying any worthwhile from there. I can buy locally for about $25 per 100.