Ideas for inexpensive heavy items?
Summary: The discussion centers around strategies for increasing the weight of parcels to take advantage of cheaper USPS shipping rates for packages over 3 pounds. sfau starts by sharing their method of using filler material to up the weight, while others, like craziegirl*com and fm2000, express concerns about annoying buyers with unnecessary items. onefootflipper uses old trading cards as filler and informs buyers about the extra items. There's debate over whether it's better to charge for the actual weight versus trying to adjust the package weight for cost savings, with some participants noting potential USPS penalties. broto_64 and others suggest simply buying labels for heavier weights without adding filler, though some report being charged differences when actual weights are lower than declared.
What are you all using to up your package weights? I used two boxes and paper grocery bags for a pair of pjs. Is everyone disclosing to the buyer as to why there is a lot of packing material in the boxes or doing nothing? I do not want to annoy the buyers with having to deal with all the excess packing material, but I have been eating some shipping lately and now I am breaking even so the savings helps....
thriftgirl_62
·3 months agoI saw that 3lbs. was less than 2lbs. last week and wondered what happened. I decided to reinforce the sides with extra cardboard to get the weight over 2lbs.
Since this is a real ongoing thing, you can include a usable gift like a cotton tote bag, drawstring backpack, a sticker book for kids, etc., and use heavy brown paper packaging.
golfingaddict
·3 months agoI had an order today that was just under 3 pounds.
Double boxed using a shipping box I had sitting around "voila" over 3 pounds and saved a couple of bucks.
However, it might be confusing to the buyer that receives their fragile underwear carefully packaged and double boxed.
There used to be the time where a padded flat rate mailer would be less expensive for that item than 2 pound ground advantage. Now it cost less and takes up more room for me to ship it by box(es) with 3 pounds.
The Post Office has gone so crazy with their increases over the last several years. I don't even think they know what is going on.
authentic*vintage
·3 months ago"just under 3 pounds" would already qualify - I just shipped an order that was 2 lbs, 14 ounces and it qualified on its own.
golfingaddict
·3 months agoYes, you are right, it was just under 2 pounds
adamcartwright
·3 months agoThe 3 lb. rate is triggered at 2 lb. 1 oz., so you didn't need to do all that.
golfingaddict
·3 months agoYes, you are right. It was just under 2 pounds.
golfingaddict
·3 months agoBuyer order 2 packages. Each was 12 ounces. I put them in a box and they weight 1lb 8 ounces. I put them in another box to get them over 2 pounds.
Just got my numbers wrong in my original posts. The point is the same. The buyer will get a double boxed item because of the Post Office increases.
lakefor94
·3 months agoI would never ship "junk in a box" ;)
I never ship anything to a buyer that they are not expecting.
glenvonnie
·3 months agoI see a lot of my competitors charging outrageous prices for shipping, especially the ones who think they are going to make more money by using the free priority mail boxes.
When I'm buying anything I sort by lowest price including shipping, I think a lot of buyers also sort by free shipping, taking advantage of the options the shippers give us is what every business does or should do to maximize sales and profits.
Nobody is going to thank you for increasing their cost.
Higher density foam in a box actually looks good and like you made an effort to protect the product, it's easy to use too.
I also use shrink wrap rather than tape to wrap bubble wrapped items, it's cheaper, easier to put on and take off.
lakefor94
·3 months agoCopy that @glenvonnie I like to make sure every order is packed effectively to avoid any chance of damage. I was referring to the sellers that are adding absolute junk to their shipments, like bags of dirt, rocks or anything else they can dream up to increase the weight to that desired poundage.
I do the same when shopping eBay, Lowest Price including shipping. I expect most of my buyers do the same. I have always been very careful when listing with calculated shipping as to not raise any eyebrows with the buyers.
glenvonnie
·3 months agoI actually made foam for 35 years, I was responsible for $50+ million a year. Furniture, automotive, carpet cushion, church pews, packaging, memory foam, mattresses, pads, pillows , baby beds, and even the Select Comfort foam which is a story by itself.
That's why I recommend the higher density foams like carpet cushion or memory foam, the carpet cushion is the easiest to find, but only new, never used.
Did you know that carpet cushion is made up of as much as 90% used carpet cushion that is recycled, it's called "take-up" what the installers rip up and sell back to be turned into new cushion.
It was loaded with staples, nails, wood, plastic, installer's tools, dog and cat pee and anything else you can imagine even money which I collected every night. We had machines that would take everything solid out and then mix the rest with the most terrible chemicals you can imagine along with steam at 275 Deg to sterilize it.
I've even seen horse hair cushion from the 1920s come back, they do the same with used furniture and bedding foam including the quilted mattress covers and the Select Comfort beds that were returned after the free trial period.
Select comfort employees would throw the whole bed in the balers, including the air pumps, air bags, and remote controls which I sold here for as much as $135 each.
glenvonnie
·3 months agoOK, the secret is:
High density carpet cushion, somewhere around 6 or 7 pounds per cubic foot.
It adds weight and protects your items, you can get remnant rolls at big box stores like Menard's or Lowes, it's clean, looks and smells good.
Don't get the cheap, whitish, 1 pound stuff.
winterpalace25
·3 months agoI do not want this sent to me and I have to dispose of it. Bad idea. This whole overweighting thing is going to create bad customer service. Just weigh and measure as usual and let your buyer pay the shipping.
glenvonnie
·3 months agoYou already have to dispose of the box and packing material, bubble wrap, kraft paper, Styrofoam peanuts, newspaper, etc. substituting urethane foam for those shouldn't make a difference and it lowers the seller's cost which should lead to lower prices, it also protects fragile items much better.
I had to raise my prices by $1 for everything that weighs 12 ounces or less because of these rate increases.
I had a 1 pound item which would have cost $8.13 to ship, when I got it to 2.1 pounds the shipping cost went down to 5.89 so I didn't have to raise my prices for the other similar items by 2.24 each.
The Postal Service wants us to save money by shipping 3 to 5 pound packages to keep us from using Fedex and UPS, we're helping them.
winterpalace25
·3 months agoI understand. Thanks for your reply.
broto_64
·3 months agoYou don't have to add filler to up the weight, just buy the label for a 3 pound package and done, doesn't matter so long the box is under 3 pounds. Yes, you can literally mail a package weighing 14 ounces under a 3 pound label, the only time USPS cares is when the package is HEAVIER than the label's weight.
albertabrightalberta
·3 months ago@broto_64
Are you sure this will happen even after USPS raised the price on lighter weight packages?
How is this not underpaying shipping?
broto_64
·3 months agoThe rules state if the weight is OVER...
It's not.
authentic*vintage
·3 months agoActually, sellers who are doing this are now getting hit with the bill - I tried to warn people on other forums that this would happen - they do care - the rate is the rate, whether the item is under or over weight - if the USPS was going to allow the lower weight classes to apply to the discount, they would have included it - unfortunately, we are now seeing that applying the higher weight on the label to an underweight package is resulting in audits and bills to those sellers.
winterpalace25
·3 months agoThe post office, with their electronic equipment, is busting this. Watch for the difference to be sucked out of your earnings.
adamcartwright
·3 months agoThe USPS is looking to bust anyone who underpays.
broto_64
·3 months agooh wow well then, you have to figure too though, to save a measly dollar (if it's that much) we're now using a LARGER box and adding more weight to it, all that isn't free either, in fact bigger boxes cost more too.
le-5262
·3 months agoI usually just pack my items and try and do my weights fairly accurately...
Any time I have tried to "cheat the system"...
just doesn't work out for me.
krazzykats
·3 months agoI rarely state the correct weight or size on my packages and always round up.
Been doing this for years and have never had one come back, or an extra charge to myself or my buyer.
The post office does not care about overstating the weight/size as long as its paid for.
🐈⬛
adamcartwright
·3 months agoIn the past, before the recent rate changes, rounding up would be welcomed by the USPS, because if anything, you would pay more than you owed.
Now, rounding up might mean you've paid less than you owe and will trigger a charge.
krazzykats
·3 months agoJust print the label for 3 lbs. if it’s cheaper and call it a day...
🐈⬛
authentic*vintage
·3 months ago"Online sellers who thought they could game the system on new discounted USPS rates are finding out the hard way how the Automated Package Verification system works as packages with over-declared weights hit with rate adjustments.
The confusion started last week as shippers who purchase labels through eBay, Etsy, and third-party providers like Pirate Ship noticed new steeply discounted rates for 3-5 lb Ground Advantage packages that made these shipments significantly cheaper than lower weight packages."
"...now reporting that the APV system which automatically weighs and measures packages in transit caught at least some of those packages and charged them the difference between the lower 3 lb rate and the rate they should have paid for the actual weight."
https://www.valueaddedresource.net/usps-apv-overstated-ground-advantage-weights/
gurlcat
·3 months agoThis is awesome, I have always felt kinda bad for just throwing away perfectly good pork ribs, chicken bones, etc. Now they have a purpose!!
kel_2756
·3 months agoI am a new seller and terrified of selling prices. Any advice?
christworks
·3 months agoYou need to start a new thread. That's not the topic of this thread.
luckythewinner
·3 months agoJust curious - what does the fact that it is inexpensive have to do with weight or shipping cost?
sfau
OP3 months agoTo add to the package to make it heavier. Sometimes a 3 pound package is cheaper to ship than 15 ounces. So I sell a lightweight item and shipping is $9 I need to add something to bring the package weight to 3 pounds so I can ship it for $6. The question becomes what to add that is inexpensive and not a burden to the buyer.
albertabrightalberta
·3 months agoWhy do you feel that you need to add something to the package to make it heavier?
If the package weighs 15 oz., charge the buyer what it costs to ship a 15 oz. package! If the package weighs 3 lbs., charge the 3-lb. weight. The buyer sees the shipping cost and is clearly okay with the price or they wouldn't have purchased it.
@sfau
So you want the buyer to make a second purchase of a heavier item that they don't really need just so they (or you) can save $3?
As I said earlier in the discussion, just charge for whatever weight the package weighs. Your buyers don't need or want extra "stuff" in their package that they now have to add to an already overfull landfill.
Although I don't claim to be expert at predicting the future, in this case, I will predict that sellers will be back complaining about the negative feedbacks they received for "saving on shipping" and sending junk the buyers didn't need.
And then they'll complain about USPS backcharges they get of underpaying postage.
krazzykats
·3 months agoIt's cheaper to mail 3lbs than 2lbs...
I just put 3lbs on it and let it roll. The post office is not going to care if I send a 15oz package using the 3lb rate. No need to stuff the box unless necessary for protecting the item.
🐈⬛
inhawaii
·3 months agoIdea:
Don't ship heavy items.
Sell them locally in person -or- offer local pick up only.
sfau
OP3 months agoActually it is the opposite - 3 pound package can ship for less than a 13 ounce!
reallynicestamps
·3 months agoUmmm- Wouldn't marking the weight at three pounds, even if it was 15 oz, have the same effect as adding stuff to make it weigh more?
Do you really think any of the workers will care?
Do you think the machines on the conveyor line are looking for packages that don't weigh enough?
Is your carrier going to be unhappy that their bag is two pounds lighter than they thought it should be?
tarotfindsandmore
·3 months agoIt's been mentioned previously, but apparently there are sellers who are being charged for the difference already. So, if they put three lbs on a one lb package and the one lb package was 10 bucks while the three lb package was 6-7 bucks, they're being charged the 3-4 dollar difference in the same way we get charged when we have a listed weight that is lighter than the actual weight.
christworks
·3 months agoI have seen the reports of that. What I would like to know is whether they dropped their packages off or had them scanned at the counter.
I am hesitant to to believe things I hear third hand, particularly when I have a USPS source who told me directly there would be no additonal charges if you overstated the weight until they dropped the weight classes under one pound. That was the plan two weeks ago. They also told me the clerk's workstation will always flag a package when they scan it if any package was outside the tolerance. I have the clerks scan all my packages and they (and my postmaster) are aware I am overstating the weight to get cheaper postage. (Nobody at my local USPS knew anything about this until I told them.) So far none of my packages have been flagged and I have not received any additional charges.
What I want to narrow down is whether having the clerks scan the packages at time of drop off somehow makes a difference. I do not know that it does
There are other questions that should be asked. What zone were the packages going to? I noticed a price increase on Zones 6-8 in the 3LB-5LB weight class last week, along with what appeared to be an increase in price for rural areas, no matter what zone I was shipping to. I am wondering if there was an error in some of the pricing when this rolled out, and that is what contributed to supposed charges after delivery.
adamcartwright
·3 months agoThey're looking for packages that underpaid on postage, so I think you'd get caught if you did that.
reallynicestamps
·3 months agoFWIW- I rarely get clothing wrapped in anything more than the storage bag the manufacturer uses in the warehouse plus a Tyvek or poly bag. There might be some tissue paper when the garment was folded after manufacture.
Two boxes is overkill for something unbreakable like cloth. And bubble wrap is much more effective than tissue for breakables.
jdbelt1960
·3 months agoWhen I buy something, I do not want to have to go through a bunch of junk to get my item. I want a right-sized box and sufficient wrapping. Trying to package a 1lb item to weigh 3lbs is not a good business model. Just price your items and shipping cost accordingly.
sin-n-dex
·3 months agoWhere I live we pay to have our trash picked up (if over the 1 can limit). If I started getting all sorts of junk with my packages so sellers can save money I'd be upset about having to pay the city to remove all that trash from my driveway. And sometimes I order lots of stuff in about the 1 lb weight range.
pickapaper
·3 months agoI'm not changing anything about the way I ship.
I think a lot of buyers are not aware of what shipping costs actually are, let alone the up and down charges that the PO has been doing. Even if a seller puts a note in a package explaining that they are sending a bunch of filler junk so that shipping will be cheaper, will buyers really understand that? And will they care?
I don't know if it will happen but I won't be surprised if, in the near future, a seller comes on here complaining because they received a neutral or negative for sending that "filler junk". I know there have been some extensive threads on here about buyers being upset about receiving "free gifts" or religious brochures and the like. I can only imagine how some will feel about receiving some of the filler stuff mentioned in this thread, especially having to dispose of it.
authentic*vintage
·3 months agoYou took the words right out of my mouth.
albertabrightalberta
·3 months agoPersonally, I just charge my buyers for the actual weight of the item. If my 15 oz. package costs more than a 3 lb. package, the buyer pays the 15 oz. price.
To those of you who send the buyers a bunch of "junk" in your lame attempt to save yourselves money, do you realize that many people live in cities, counties or areas that charge for trash pickup or have a certain number of bags they pick up without charge but charge extra if you go over the minimum?
If I had to pay extra to dispose of your trading cards, rocks, extra boxes, grocery bags or whatever other packing materials you use so you can save money, I would NOT be happy!
evelyb30
·3 months agoIf you want to send all of those plastic grocery sacks to buyers in the Northeast or most of the Northwest... THANK YOU. They're like gold here since stores aren't allowed to use them any more. I once got a package padded with (clean inside) grocery bags and was happier about those than the merchandise.
tarotfindsandmore
·3 months agoSwitching to heavy weight craft paper (for void fill) and regular-heavy weight boxes will get most of your packages up to the 3 lb mark. There's no need to start digging up the garden, just use the sturdier counterparts to the items you're already using to pack (or should be).
bonanza125
·3 months agoI have never had to contact a buyer in regards to packaging I am using.
annadryl
·3 months agoI used to tumble polish rocks and have a lot of them around. So I am literally including a pound or two of actual (but very pretty) rocks as my "ballast". No customer comments or complaints so far...
lovefindingtreasures2
·3 months agoI love rock collecting and I would be delighted to receive a package with tumbled stones in it! 10 star review from me!
gurlcat
·3 months agoWhat a neat idea, also calling it "ballast" -perfect. 🤣
fm2000
·3 months agoAnnoying buyers is why I haven't included any extra items to increase weight... even though I really, really want to. I worry some buyer might see extra items inside and panic, figuring I accidentally sent them someone else's items. Or, they get mad for sending them unwanted things in the box they now have the burden to dispose of. Or, worst case, I include some innocent random item that somehow offends the buyer and they go absolutely nuts (happened to someone on the Amazon forums years ago.) Probably just being a bit paranoid I know. I certainly don't blame anyone for doing it, only my hyper vigilance keeping me from doing the same.
gurlcat
·3 months agoWhat was the innocent random item that offended someone on Amazon??? @fm2000
onefootflipper
·3 months agoI am mostly using my endless supply of early 1990s cheerleader trading cards. But I have also slapped in books and VHS tapes.
I usually send the buyer a note saying something like "You can toss the extra item I sent you out, it is only there because my shipping rate is preferring slightly heavier packages right now." Never had one even comment back to me on it.
You definitely want to pad though, I have already seen a dozen different photos of people being hit with adjustments for being underweight.
fm2000
·3 months agoYour buddy Kevin on YouTube is also reporting people are being hammered with under-reported weight adjustments. Since the system was set up to detect both under and over reported weight and charge or refund accordingly, I always assumed there would be an automatic under-weight penalty, barring official word they modified the system to not penalize under-weight labels.
onefootflipper
·3 months agoYeah, poor Kevin is both very popular and one of the first channels in the space that people tend to find, so he has people contacting him CONSTANTLY. I do not envy the number of messages he gets per day. Us youtube people do chatter amongst each other sometimes but I know he gets so many messages that I feel bad even sending him one in the first place. However it does give him an edge up on various trends.
soh.maryl
·3 months agoHave not sold here for many years, but I don't see PJs as needing as much packaging as for instance, champagne glasses.
chapeau-noir
·3 months agoIt's not that - note the rest of the thread.
craziegirl*com
·3 months agoRealistically, if there wasn’t a shipping availability for the item, I was selling on eBay. I would find a different platform to sell it on.
sfau
OP3 months agoThere is shipping availability - right now it can be cheaper to ship 3 pounds than 12 ounces so we all need to add filler to bring up the weight.
zzzz-0-zzzz
·3 months ago · EditedUsing ebay's shipping calculator:
https://www.ebay.com/shp/calc/rates
I found that USPS Ground rates (when sent to a nearby zip code)
9oz to 2lb = ~$6
2lb 1oz to 5lb = $5.58
Kafkaesque. So you should pad packages between 9oz & 2lb to be 2lb 1oz.
This doesn't seem to apply when the box is sent a long distance.
I'd get a few rocks, wrap them in the plastic wrappers paper towels come in - forming a "ball" - tape the ball up, then tape it securely to the bottom of the box - trying to distribute the weight evenly.
christworks
·3 months agopickapaper
·3 months agoThat was my first thought, remembering comments from posters in the past about scammers returning a "box of rocks" for a refund instead of the actual item. I can see this happening now, with someone filing a NAD claim, that they received a box of rocks. And it would be true.
broto_64
·3 months agoYou don't have to add filler to up the weight, just buy the label for a 3 pound package and done, doesn't matter so long the box is under 3 pounds.
glenvonnie
·3 months agoYou're ensuring that the Postal Service doesn't destroy the item of course, whatever it is.