eBay

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-04-2023

Anyone else feeling totally stumped when they go to use their quarterly coupon for shipping supplies? (to arrive shortly). Currently there are 35 items listed on ca. 7 items are under 35.00 CAD. 5 of them are stickers/thank you cards. On dot com there are 45 items listed. Majority with variations for quantity so in theory more item choices. 35 of those items have options under $35.00 USD. Do you spend more to get what you really want or buy the bare minimum to not let your credit go to waste?

-Lotz

https://www.ebay.ca/str/ebayshippingsuppliescanada

https://www.ebay.com/str/ebayshippingsupplies

intimewithmusic · ‎01-04-2023

After asking the same question out of frustration back in 2019 I found a great stress reliever... It's called "Staples".

regs43 · ‎01-04-2023

All the items are heavily over priced becasue shipping is baked into the price and no discount if you buy multiples becasue the shipping is baked into each item (a reason I detest Free shipping and opften look elsewhere if I want multiples). I buy the closest amount of items without going over the coupon amount or if I do by a few dollars (this was more of an issue before the tax was charged)

I used to get the Anchor $210 store coupon for years (now premium $70), and have a surplus of Tape lol like 400 rolls laying around. I been getting bubble mailers for the past year or two and still have 4 or 5 boxes of that on hand. Smaller sizes of the bubble mailers or variety in quantity would be nice. some other product options would be welcomed, I use catalog paper envelopes for a lot of shipments to mail hockey cards under 30grams so if they offered something along thoese lines I would get that. I have tons of Poly bags laying around (no use for them came in starter packs). I got the tissue paper about 3 years ago I am on the last few sheets of that. I have bought the ebay stickers a few times to get the most out of the coupon, as its a cheaper item and just cut them up and close paper envelopes with them (can cut them in half and get double the use saying "ebay" and "thank you")

rocketscollectibles · ‎01-04-2023

I did not even receive my coupon yet and yes this is scammy

A high percentage of sellers don't/won't use anything they have. I use bubble mailers and small white envelopes, they have nothing i can use really. They sell a 12 rolls of tape for $45.92, 100 bubbles mailers for $63.98... The only thing i can take is polymailers or useless stickers, and still need to pay taxes, so still have to pay an amount for something i don't need. Or i can take items to pay the difference and end to pay basically market price or more. It's maybe correct for higher subscriptions but with the $35.00 this is awful. They do not even let us stack two coupons to be able to pick items worth to pick, coupon expiration each quarter is not for nothing. To me it looks like a marketing strategy more than an actual help to sellers. They clearly do profit on people taking items and paying the difference. Pretty sure they use the argument of giving 'free supply' in their subscriptions as a plus, and then we're doing them free advertising by shipping with the eBay name on our packages

Last quarter was my first time with a coupon i took 100 polymailer and i used maybe 5. At this point i'm thinking about selling my coupon or reselling the supplies. There is nothing useful i can do with this $35.00

femmefan1946 · ‎01-04-2023

My attitude is that the coupon is a discount.

So if what I need is $45 and I have a $35 coupon, my purchase costs me $10 (plus tax on $45 and "free" shipping).

Which is a better deal than driving to Staples, hoping what I want is in stock.

Because we shouldn't be shipping goods to the USA by Letter Rates, eBay doesn't get the advantage of free advertising, since I cover their name with stamps or Air Mail stickers.

dinomitesales · ‎01-04-2023

Yeah I've just kind of accepted that everything there is overpriced (mostly because they're shipping them via Canada Post). That being said, it's not a total waste. Last quarter I ordered the 100 pack of #0 bubble mailers - after the $35 credit I ended up paying $15.74 out of pocket so they cost me approximately 16 cents each. That's cheaper than I can get bubble mailers for from any Canadian/online retailer.

The quarter before that I did a pack of 25 boxes and they ended up being 18 cents each after the credit was taken into consideration. I think that's a pretty fine deal for boxes.

Not the greatest incentive, but it definitely could be worse. It would be awesome if they let you save the coupon to stack two of them or something, but I doubt that will ever happen.

brettjet38 · ‎01-04-2023

....I simply have not used my last two coupons, Thank You!

Plastic and wasteful items, stickers, cards, just eco waste!

flipistics · ‎01-04-2023

The biggest issue I have by far with the shipping supplies is the lack of larger quantities. In the States they can order bubble mailers in 400 quantity for example, which reduces the markup due to the built-in shipping. In terms of price though, the price of shipping supplies over the last 2 years has increased significantly everywhere.

The ebay prices don't actually seem that bad in general. For example, the 12.5x12.5 record/book easy-fold mailers are about $1.80 a box. The roughly equivalent boxes from Staples are about the same price, and the ones from Uline are between $2 and $2.40 a box (not including shipping). The bubble mailers are slightly higher priced, but they're also higher quality imo (although not nearly the quality they were 2 years ago) and they don't fluff up too much which is important for lettermail.

I usually use my coupons for the bubble mailers, although I also used one for the easy-fold boxes this quarter as well. It will make shipping books out a lot easier rather than cutting up a 12x12x12 box.

ilikehockeyjerseys · ‎01-04-2023

I look at it like it's a $20 coupon that is pretend for $70. When you compare the markup, that is what it is.

From a value POV, I never understood why eBay does this. It seems very short sighted. A lot of work eBay has put in over the last 10-15 years has been to improve standardization across the site when it comes to the customer experience. Mostly through the Money Back Guarantee. It seems like eBay tried to shake the reputation as a sketchy people doing a bad job selling you junk from their basement in favor of forging a reptuation as a place where you can feel comfortable buying from legitimate sellers of all sizes.

Why would they want to discourage people from using eBay branded supplies by making them so much more expensive than unbranded supplies, or re-using boxes from competing services? eBay's goal with the shipping supply store should be to break even, or even use it as a slight loss leader as part of their top rated sellers program in order to give top rated sellers incentive to use proper shipping supplies that also have the eBay brand.

Maybe I am wrong, and the shipping supply store is a huge money maker. It seems like there would be more value in turning each eBay transaction into an opportunity to market eBay's brand than there is making a few bucks off of some boxes.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-04-2023

@flipistics wrote:
The biggest issue I have by far with the shipping supplies is the lack of larger quantities. In the States they can order bubble mailers in 400 quantity for example, which reduces the markup due to the built-in shipping. In terms of price though, the price of shipping supplies over the last 2 years has increased significantly everywhere.
The ebay prices don't actually seem that bad in general. For example, the 12.5x12.5 record/book easy-fold mailers are about $1.80 a box. The roughly equivalent boxes from Staples are about the same price, and the ones from Uline are between $2 and $2.40 a box (not including shipping). The bubble mailers are slightly higher priced, but they're also higher quality imo (although not nearly the quality they were 2 years ago) and they don't fluff up too much which is important for lettermail.
I usually use my coupons for the bubble mailers, although I also used one for the easy-fold boxes this quarter as well. It will make shipping books out a lot easier rather than cutting up a 12x12x12 box.

@flipistics

I look at it from a reverse perspective. If many of those items were available in smaller quantities, many occasional sellers might buy several items at once. For me I would like the cb mailers you noted but in a lot of 25 or 50. Just to much cash to tie up for as long as it would take me to use them. And that's how many of the items are sold in the USA without it being a problem. Even discontinueing the small sample lot of supplies was a bit of a head scratcher. ($35.00)

-Lotz

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-05-2023

For anyone that is about to purchase eBay shipping supplies be on the lookout for your eBay Bucks Certificate. There appears to no longer be a way to track your balance (that I can find) but coupon showed up in my promo mail in gmail and then later in eBay mail around the 2nd. Was able to apply along with quarterly coupon to save a few more Shekels Canadian on my purchase. As I recall you had to accept an offer to be a winner, winner, turkey dinner. Only thing I purchase now on eBay is shipping supplies.

-Lotz

intimewithmusic · ‎01-06-2023

Staples minimum order for free delivery is $35. If you online order most things should be available. In the case of these 6 x 4.7 boxes I get 90 for the same price as 25 from eBay.

Oh oh @femmefan1946... I feel a rant coming on... Trying to resist.. awh p**p. Rant unleashed... ;>}

Everybody knows the prices of eBay Shipping Supplies are MYTHICAL...

If eBay were to join reality and supply branded shipping items competitively they would have to put a stop to the huge huge huge shipping overcharges that have gone viral into an unreal "other dimension" on the platform. Take this one for example: SEE PHOTO

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lister's value $13.55CAD (Most of us are selling them for under $2)

Item Location: California

Item Weight: 7 Grams

Shipping to southern British Columbia: $179.52 UPS Worldwide "Saver".

I see this ALL the time. Not just an occasional listing error. Not an "OOPS".

How are our customers and POTENTIAL customers ever going to take eBay seriously when they allow sellers to inflate shipping on the sly like this when they set mythical prices on thier own shipping supplies?

A hundred and eighty dollars shipping for a 7 gram teeny $2 part we all know will go lettermail.....

In the words of Steve Martin, Well Excuoooze Me!"

End of rant. ........................................................................................................ I feel much better. Thank you @femmefan1946 and @lotzofununiquegoodies a paloolza!

intimewithmusic · ‎01-06-2023

PS. I DID use the coupon on the boxes. Net before tax (after coupon) = $7.96 Staples =$10.99.

Saved a whopping $3.00!

We prefer unbranded shipping supplies because outer logos elude to the contents in the container. ""Oh LOOK bad dudes... Here's another box from eBay! Grab that one.""

Often the branded boxes are used for the inner box in a double boxed fragile order. Same with the tape. It never goes on the outside of a package. We like it because it's not clear. We use it on art,. posters, photographs etc or orders where customers have to cut it away from other packing material like bubble wrap, plastic or glassine paper. To make it easier for them to find it we want them to see it.

eBay tape only goes on the insides of orders as not to elude what could be in the package which has our name on the outside.

InTimeWithMusic

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-06-2023

@intimewithmusic wrote:
PS. I DID use the coupon on the boxes. Net before tax (after coupon) = $7.96 Staples =$10.99.
Saved a whopping $3.00!
We prefer unbranded shipping supplies because outer logos elude to the contents in the container. ""Oh LOOK bad dudes... Here's another box from eBay! Grab that one.""
Often the branded boxes are used for the inner box in a double boxed fragile order. Same with the tape. It never goes on the outside of a package. We like it because it's not clear. We use it on art,. posters, photographs etc or orders where customers have to cut it away from other packing material like bubble wrap, plastic or glassine paper. To make it easier for them to find it we want them to see it.
eBay tape only goes on the insides of orders as not to elude what could be in the package which has our name on the outside.
InTimeWithMusic

When you compare the prices (Dot ca store to Dot com) they match pretty close...Kinda. Canadian priced items are about 2 bucks +_ more for identical items. The problem is the limited variety of products and/or the quantity choices or lack there of for Canadian sellers.

For another interesting comparison the Canadian site uses 5 days handling vs 1 day with US store. Gives the appearance that the Canadian store is a part time gig with limited intent to build the business...so to speak.

-Lotz

intimewithmusic · ‎01-08-2023

It's safe to say a lot of us end up buying something we don't really need just to use the coupon. It would be a big help if you could accumulate a couple of coupons towards a larger purchase.

With respect to the variety I have no idea why eBay doesn't include their own marketing merchandise with shipping supplies. They could very easily add the mugs, t shirts, shopping bags etc. Seems to be a huge oversight on the part of eBay not to make it available to store owners when they have all that promotional stuff already sitting there.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-09-2023

@dinomitesales wrote:
Yeah I've just kind of accepted that everything there is overpriced (mostly because they're shipping them via Canada Post). That being said, it's not a total waste. Last quarter I ordered the 100 pack of #0 bubble mailers - after the $35 credit I ended up paying $15.74 out of pocket so they cost me approximately 16 cents each. That's cheaper than I can get bubble mailers for from any Canadian/online retailer.
The quarter before that I did a pack of 25 boxes and they ended up being 18 cents each after the credit was taken into consideration. I think that's a pretty fine deal for boxes.
Not the greatest incentive, but it definitely could be worse. It would be awesome if they let you save the coupon to stack two of them or something, but I doubt that will ever happen.

@dinomitesales

If you are nervous about the eBay advertising (boxes), what I do is open at seam and reverse assemble, either retaping or you can hot glue. I do that as a matter of routine.

-Lotz

flipistics · ‎01-09-2023

I use the eBay branded bubble mailers for most things that fit in them and have basically had no issues with theft at all. As for boxes, at least for Canada, if you mark as "do not safe drop" I can't imagine there being any issues unless it happened on the courier side of things.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎01-09-2023

@flipistics wrote:
I use the eBay branded bubble mailers for most things that fit in them and have basically had no issues with theft at all. As for boxes, at least for Canada, if you mark as "do not safe drop" I can't imagine there being any issues unless it happened on the courier side of things.

@flipistics

With manual hand written bills, in the past there was a place for special handling notes. With CP/eBay Labels and Shippo currently there is no place to add the do not safe drop. When it's documented on any computer generated bill the driver "should" see on their scanner. Doing that way (in the bill body) it is a bit more official as a back up vs just writing it on the box.

-Lotz

It still displays on a fedex manual bill

flipistics · ‎01-09-2023

@flipistics
With manual hand written bills, in the past there was a place for special handling notes. With CP/eBay Labels and Shippo currently there is no place to add the do not safe drop. When it's documented on any computer generated bill the driver "should" see on their scanner. Doing that way (in the bill body) it is a bit more official as a back up vs just writing it on the box.
-Lotz
It still displays on a fedex manual bill

You can select it with Canada Post if you use Snap Ship and it's clearly written on the label. I'm not sure about the eBay labels as I never use them.

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-09-2023

The majority of items I order online have branded boxes and I haven't had a problem with theft and in many cases, those items are quite a bit more expensive than most items I would purchase on ebay.