Doesn't this seller know he is losing money?

[musicyouneed]

I was doing some CD research and I came across a Canadian seller that is losing money on each CD he sells.  Priced at $3.43 with free shipping.    The shipping alone in Canada is $3.28.  I calculated the fees and he/she is losing $.53 cents on each CD, that is not even including tape, envelope, paper, and time.  This seller has a terrible business sense/model.

[musicyouneed]

Hi, there are 2 slots, one 5MM and the other is 20mm.  104 grams under 20mm is $3.28 to ship within Canada.  Both are letter mail but the 20 MM is oversize lettermail.

[femmefan1946]

@slaneyenterprises 

A P stamp cover the 30g letter rate of90 cents.

The 50 g rate is $1.27.

The100g rate is $1.90.

[femmefan1946]

@imbuzzy 

@musicyouneed 

The maximum for Letter Rate is 2 cm thick and 500 grams.

Put a jewel box in a bubble envelope and you are over 2 cm and need to use Parcel Rates.

But if the CD is in a card envelope, it would fit through the slot and also be lighter weight.

[femmefan1946]

@travis7s 

keep volume up to become/maintain Power Seller

Volume without profit is just keeping yourself busy. Most sellers are interested in an income stream.

Same with PowerSeller *.

No point in losing money to get slightly lower fees.

It is possible the seller is willing to lose money to repair a poisoned account, but it seems easier just to abandon it and get a new one.

I agree with @recped . Poor arithmetic and worse bookkeeping.

*Does this still exist? I am only familiar with Top Rated Seller these days.

[recped]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

@imbuzzy 

@musicyouneed 

The maximum for Letter Rate is 2 cm thick and 500 grams.

Put a jewel box in a bubble envelope and you are over 2 cm and need to use Parcel Rates.

But if the CD is in a card envelope, it would fit through the slot and also be lighter weight.

---

Regular CD in a Jewel case goes in a bubble envelope just fine, one layer of cardboard (not two) can be added and you are still within 2cm.

Cassette tapes are tricky, you need to crush the bubbles on one side of the envelope to get through the slot. I sell a lot of cassettes, I've crushed a lot of bubbles, glad I only need to do that for Canadian orders!

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@recped @musicyouneed 

If you had to hazard a guess, what would you say your delivery success rate would be for cassettes/cd's/DVD's in Canada and how often do you hear about items arriving with some sort of damage? Heavy things fall on top of light things quite often during the sorting process.

-Lotz

PS. I believe things are better now that the majority of mail goes to community mailboxes. My concern has always been in my travels, the number of times I have spotted package guts on the side of the road. Maybe in some cases, people without the instructions on how to use a garbage can but other times very likely porch theft or those trained pooches reported on the news.

[musicyouneed]

In my years of selling CD's and a few DVD's, I have heard of only 2 that have been crushed where I had to refund after the buyer sent pictures, one looked like it had been run over by a truck or car or whatever they use in the PO.  I wrap my CD in a material, then use 2 pieces of cardboard on each side and then into a bubble envelope.  I think most of them arrive in tact from what I have heard.  Lots of buyers have sent me emails saying that it was the best wrapping they have had ever.   

[recped]

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@lotzofuniquegoodies wrote:

@recped @musicyouneed 

If you had to hazard a guess, what would you say your delivery success rate would be for cassettes/cd's/DVD's in Canada and how often do you hear about items arriving with some sort of damage? Heavy things fall on top of light things quite often during the sorting process.

-Lotz

PS. I believe things are better now that the majority of mail goes to community mailboxes. My concern has always been in my travels, the number of times I have spotted package guts on the side of the road. Maybe in some cases, people without the instructions on how to use a garbage can but other times very likely porch theft or those trained pooches reported on the news.

---

I have never had a report of damage for a cd or cassette. In 20 years on eBay I've had 4 damaged in transit shipments (roughly 1 in 10,000), all International.

1 x LP ( a 4 inch "slice" in the box).

1 x Snow Globe!!! (I tried to shave some packaging weight, did a bad job, all on me).

2 x 7" singles (fork lift tire tracks on the outside of both packages that were sent the same day)

[recped]

I also wrap cd/tape in cardboard except for the Canadian orders, 1 layer of cardboard for cd's and none for tapes so they fit the slot.

Most cd sellers just toss them in a bubble envelope with no extra paddling.

Interesting that we both had the "tire track" issue!

[ypdc_dennis]

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@imbuzzy wrote:

"It is over 100 grams cannot go through the letter slot."

I have zero experience shipping music cd's, but the ones I have in my collection are only about 10mm thick.  Can't they be securely packaged and still be under the 20mm limit?

If so, then lettermail  within Canada would be the cheapest legitimate option.

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You are correct. Unless it is a double thick cd, they can be securely mailed and sent as oversize lettermail in Canada. Same for dvds and blurays.

-..-

[bpl521_sell]

Is there any issues with sending a DVD/CD as above to the U.S. using letter rates. I believe under the regulations it states that it's only for printed material. If one was to send a DVD and package it under 2cm how are you handling the customs form etc?. I would assume if you brought a letter sized envelope to the post office with a customs form declaring a DVD they would want you to ship it by parcel?

Unacceptable items

• small packets
• goods
• film, audio or video recording (diskettes, CD, DVD)
• unsealed self-mailers and envelopes
• items prohibited by law or defined as dangerous goods in Canada or in the destination country (see Non-mailable Matter or International Destination Listing for more information).

Unacceptable when attached to a postcard

• photographs
• samples of merchandise or similar articles
• cloth, embroidery, spangles or other decorative articles
• cuttings of any kind
• fold-back sheets
• other items that stick out or are in raised relief

[recped]

If you put them in a mailbox and don't add a customs form they will probably go through fine.

When this "no goods" policy first started many seller took that route, I don't know if it's still feasible. If you take them to a post office you will probably have to lie when asked what is inside.

[musicyouneed]

You cannot send CD's/DVD's as letter mail to the US.  They should be sent small packet.

[femmefan1946]

Never run a red light when there is a cop around.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@bpl521_sell wrote:

Is there any issues with sending a DVD/CD as above to the U.S. using letter rates. I believe under the regulations it states that it's only for printed material. If one was to send a DVD and package it under 2cm how are you handling the customs form etc?. I would assume if you brought a letter sized envelope to the post office wiphilosophyth a customs form declaring a DVD they would want you to ship it by parcel?

---

UPU rules from January 2018 divide letterpost between countries into letters and merchandise/goods. Canada Post, USPS and others have tried to have that as the standard before then (with mixed results).  One main reason was to cut back on the tons of letterpost being sent with cheap Chinese merchandise (that cost way more to process than what was paid).

At the counter -- not as parcel -- Small Packet is the minimum upgrade the clerk should be pointing you at (not insured, not tracked and flat rate for all of USA) or Tracked Packet (tracked with insurance).  You can print the Small Packet label online (Shippo will even let you add 3rd party insurance).

2019 Canada to USA

to 100g, 2cm thick, letterpost, stamps: $3.12

to 100g, Small Packet: $7.32

101 to 200g, 2cm thick, letterpost, stamps: $5.45

101 to 250g, Small Packet: $8.96

201 to 500g, 2cm thick, letterpost, stamps: $10.90

251 to 500g, Small Packet: $11.75

Once you hit 200g, letterpost to the USA loses the big price advantage over Small Packet (plus Small Packet can be thicker than 2cm).

For under 200g to the USA I use the looks like a letter, feels like a letter, is a letter philosophy. For International mail, 100g is my philosophy switch point.

-..-

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

@femmefan1946 

Had a bazaar and delightful conversation with an eBay CS this evening.

Their suggestion for one to improve your seller rating was to sell a large volume of very low priced items but to make sure they all included tracked service.  and if shipping is too high where you are, just use a different shipping company.

<Where is the rolling on floor smiley?>

-Lotz

[bpl521_sell]

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@ypdc_dennis wrote:

---

For under 200g to the USA I use the looks like a letter, feels like a letter, is a letter philosophy. For International mail, 100g is my philosophy switch point.

-..-

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That is good advice, even if one has to sacrifice some weight by including extra paper wrapping to ahem .. make it appear that it is all paper

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

If you are mailing a large quantity of these oversized letter type items and are concerned they are going to pass the test, you could always go to your local post office and ask if you can copy their plastic template. Just transfer the measurements to piece of either rigid cardboard or coroplast plastic sheet(similar to what they use for boulevard signs). At 1 point in time you could order these template from Canadapost with your small business account. I believe as of now they have been discontinued. There are some sellers on eBay that do have them for sale. Free plug to a seller in QC selling for 20 bucks.

-Lotz

PS. Always be careful using sharp knives. 

[pocomocomputing]

I have not sold on eBay in a few years now. 

How do you ship Small Packet USA or International today using discount postage stamps?

The old way was with a CN22 Small Packet manual two part form which you filled out and then put on the package with the appropriate postage rate in stamps then drop in the corner mailbox. No need to go to the post office.

is it still the same?

I have some old CN22 forms. Are they valid or has that changed? Can you still get them?

[bpl521_sell]

I believe the CN22 (green) was discontinued, but you can create one electronically and print out. As I understand it's just a printed barcode with the customs info. Once received at the post office it's scanned and the customs info is received. I don't believe you need to go to the post office, as long as the bar code portion is printed and attached to the packet it's fine.