Shipping Preferences

[grann-4629]

Is it possible, as an eBay seller, to use your own shipping method? For example, if I sell something, can I take it to my post office, purchase postage there then ship it, or do I have to use an eBay 'label' and the associated rules?

tks 😎

[john_koenig99]

It's up to the seller to choose the shipping method. As long as it's delivered before the estimated date, which is given by eBay (that's the tricky part, if the shipment is untracked).

[chicweb]

I personnally use multiple shipping carriers depending on the situation.

Canada Post (multiple services included with Zonos to the states), UPS, Chit Chat, etc.

Internationally, I prefer using Chit Chat. Less expensive than Canada Post (But can take a bit longer). So it is important to configure it correctly. I use Table Rate with a fixed price per country and business policies.

Took me a bit of time to tweak everything (and after 2 years, I still do some finetuning from time to time). But, yes, you can use whatever shipping carriers you want. Just be careful at the delivery time.

[flipistics]

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@grann-4629 wrote:

Is it possible, as an eBay seller, to use your own shipping method? For example, if I sell something, can I take it to my post office, purchase postage there then ship it, or do I have to use an eBay 'label' and the associated rules?

tks 😎

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You can absolutely use your own shipping methods ... sort of.  eBay allows you to upgrade a shipping service, but you aren't supposed to downgrade one. So if you have shipping set up as priority, you're not supposed to ship it expedited or standard (I believe UPS is considered standard fwiw). If you have shipping set up as standard, you can however send it expedited or priority instead.

If you use calculated shipping, it's probably best to send it off using the service the buyer paid for. If you use a generic shipping option, you have the freedom to use any carrier that fits the service class.

BTW, taking it to the post office is not ideal. The shipping rates you get through eBay will almost certainly be much, much lower. You can choose to do that if you wish, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[reallynicestamps]

Yes. You can use your own shipping method.

I send a lot of my domestic orders by lettermail (this is not legal internationally). While letter mail is not tracked, the cost of $1.24 for under 30g, is much better than the average of $6-8 for Expedited Lite.

But if you need to use tracking you may find eBay offers the best prices for the service. 

Never heard of Expedited Lite?
That's because it is only available to eBay sellers through eBay labels.

Even with a Solutions for Small Business account, that label would cost you $12+ at the PO counter. 

Never heard of a SfSB account?  It's free and does give you small discounts as well as access to Expedited service.

https://sso-osu.canadapost-postescanada.ca/pfe-pap/en/registration/business?sourceApp=SMB&sourceUrl=...

With Canada Post, if you are shipping goods internationally, you will have to have a Zonos account too and will pay $1.99 service fee PLUS 10% of the Trump Tariff on whatever you are shipping.

With UPS you can pay the Trump Tariff your self in advance or leave it for your US buyer to pay when it arrives. 

Don't trust FedEx. They will hand over the parcel to the US customer and charge you the tariff. 

With the eIS, again you can have the customer pay the Trump Tariff in advance and will not even get their address until they pay up. 

They elected him. I didn't. Elbows UP!

There will be several posts now telling you I am wrong. 

Really I'm just old and grumpy. 

[reallynicestamps]

BTW -- you can ship even the largest parcels using postage stamps. 

No labels needed.

And you can buy discounted mint never hinged postage stamps here on eBay, but I couldn't possibly tell you where. *cough*

[byto253]

Yes. Ebay labels is just another source for postage/labels.   You can get them anywhere.  Just  watch that your shipping method aligns with what you use.  I make use of a generic shipping method such as "Standard shipping" and "Economy Shipping" to provide flexibility and a reasonable delivery time frame.

[dobo5250]

I have never used eBay shipping. I always go to the post office and get satisfaction with my business card account, the best prices and best advice when I need a second pair of ears to hear about my problem shipping. Also, I usually see other eBay sellers, and for a few minutes, we discuss the trials and tribulations of selling on eBay. I have learned alot for those sellers, plus my postmistress, she is great 

[ricarmic]

As a stamp seller it is somewhat blasphemous to use labels, I've never ever used a label in 47 years selling.

As a note, whilst you can buy postage at the post office of course, you can also buy never used (they have to have full gum don't buy ones without gum it is illegal to reuse stamps) stamps here for below face value (watch very modern stuff being sold out of China it is counterfeit another modern problem).

So you know how much it will cost before you get to the post office here's the tables:

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/doc/en/support/prices/business-prices.pdf 

You'll also need this link to use the tables:

https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/tools/rate-code-table-lookup.page 

[grann-4629]

Great responses ... thanks!

Maybe it's just because I'm old (!), but this sure isn't like the old days when I could simply drop something off at the post office, pay the lady, and walk away with a receipt. There are so many choices and pitfalls. I am going to avoid the selling thing on eBay for now until it becomes, if ever, an easier and less risky way to downsize my collections.

@ricarmic - Her, at least, the label and the postsge are two different things. I make the label, and the Post Office prints the postage.

[ricarmic]

@grann-4629 yes but what I mean is that the "postage" the post office prints is also a label, not collectible to (virtually all) stamp collectors, they want actual real stamps on the parcel. (Its my bias when stamp folks talk about the to be avoided "label" it is the one that the PO prints)

[grann-4629]

Got ya. There are some really cool Canadian stamps out there now. Do buyers prefer it when stamps are attached to each other in blocks or does it matter?

No cost difference to the shipper for printed postage or stamps ... just have to have a moist ball handy, or a happy kitty to wet the stamps.

[ricarmic]

@grann-4629 "Do buyers prefer it when stamps are attached to each other in blocks or does it matter?" is a complex question to answer in terms of what's most desirable, but the simple answer is "Yes" when possible keep blocks etc together.