eBay

taylermd2014 · ‎02-08-2015

Hi there, I'm new to e-bay. I hope to be selling soon. My ? is...Where to find info on shipping charges ect. I'v been reading on this board and it seems very complicated.

could someone please head me in the right direction?? Is there a site I could go to? I would like to sell world wide in the near future. But, to start I think It would be better if I kept it closer to home ..Canada & Us.

Thank you for any info you can provide.

downsizing2018 · ‎02-08-2015

Good Morning,

So start small with your items, and go to the Canada post site. You can enter the size and weight of the item you are selling, (boxed and ready for shipping) and a postal code and the site will give you a cost. After a while you will know the approximate cost without having to look. At the Canada post site you can use a Canada, USA and international location to ship to.

Canadapost. ca and "find a rate"

reallynicestamps · ‎02-09-2015

Get a tape measure. The ones from IKEA are free and in metric.

Canada Post went metric in 1974 and any other system will be inaccurate.

Get a digital metric scale. I use a Starfrit that I got on sale from Canadian Tire for less than $20. It measures up to 5 kilos.

Use Paypal shipping wherever possible. You will need a printer for this.

PP not only allows you to keep track of your shipments, but offers discounts on some services of 5%to 18% off PO counter prices.

When you use PP labels, you just drop off your parcels in the nearest mailbox. No need to deal with PO counter clerks.

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

Note that this is the Business section. It offers a few options that are not on the Personal section.

Don't forget to weigh your items with packaging. (You don't actually have to package them, but allow something for the weight of cardboard, bubblewrap, kraft paper, peanuts, poly envelopes, whatever)

Oh and by the way, bubblewrap ain't free. Remember that when you decide on the asking price of your goods.

A couple of advices (yes, it's a word! I just used it!).

Paypal will hold your customer's cleared payment for 21 days when you start out. However, you can use that money to print the PP shipping label. Ship promptly.

Don't start your items at 99 cents. EBay encourages this, because eBay employees don't sell here and are clueless. Start at a price that at least covers your costs, including your eBay fees.

EBay does have fees. You'd be amazed at how many newbies don't understand that. Allow about 20% of your customers' payments for assorted fees. (It's a bit high, but better too high than too low.)

You have 50 free auctions every month. When you feel comfortable doing so, you can also list 50 more free on eBaydotCOM.

SELL WHAT YOU KNOW; KNOW WHAT YOU SELL.

And good luck in your new endeavour.

Well, maybe I'm not a fancy gentleman like you, with your... very fine hat. But I do business. We're here for business. -- Captain Malcolm Reynolds

pjcdn2005 · ‎02-09-2015

The Canada post calculator that another poster mentioned is great but it will sometimes give you a price even though the dimensions that you entered are not allowed for that service. This is especially true got expedited USA. It's a good idea to go to the CP site to note which services are available to different countries, what they include and their min and max measurements.

You can also use the search function on this board for information.

maximus7001 · ‎02-14-2015

Do not deposit trackable paypal shipping items into a postbox. Make sure you see with your own eyes that the items are scanned into the system at a post office. We get a scan in receipt at the post office here. If it is not scanned in and goes missing then there will be no way to make a claim.

Also buyers expecting tracking will get antsy and may cause you problems.

reallynicestamps · ‎02-15-2015

YMMV

I've been selling by mail, everything from postage stamps to woodstoves, since around 1975.

I have literally never had a problem with dropping an item into a mailbox (if it fit).

I've had a few items arrive very slowly. And I've had claims of non-delivery on items that were not Delivery Confirmed.

But items with barcodes not been scanned on arrival? Never.

Paypal doesn't care if your item has been sent. They only need proof that it has been delivered.

And, 17 cents a minute.

I can drop a parcel into two mailboxes, one within a block of my house with 9 am pickup, and one with 5pm pickup three blocks away. The nearest post office is a 15 minute walk and has a 5 pm pickup.

At minimum wage it costs me $1.70 to walk to the PO rather than the postbox. Given the high success rate of postbox shipping, why should I spend my time in a PO lineup?