Where are new eBayers (not Stores) getting eBay-branded shipping supplies from? (but moreso: why?)
It seems like, a fair percentage of the time when I shop on eBay, I end up receiving the item with one form of eBay-branded packing material or another. As a seller/buyer (half and half) and a participant in eBay for, wow... about a quarter a century now, ... I find it quite odd whenever I receive an item in an eBay-branded box or with eBay-branded tape. One even had a "thanks" card from eBay taped to it.
Sure, there's a tiny little itty-bitty discount for Stores to buy packing material, but it seems so... "you have to go out of your way to use this" to me. It doesn't seem like a natural thing someone would do on their own. Boxes aren't sold at a great price ($1 ea for a small box), nor is tape. Everyone's favorite Bezos Empire has them cheaper, and that hot new China-State-Sponsored online retail store has them even cheaper (if you can wait a while).
eBay has never done anything to incentivize me to subscribe to "stores", including never advertising free packing materials, or even telling me about the subscription, ... despite selling a fair number of items (more than many "stores" I've seen).
I don't think there's anything wrong with eBay's shipping supplies - I guess I just feel left out. Somewhere, there's a fountain of presumably-free packing materials that I'd like to stand under and collect some 😉
Really, I'm wondering "why? and where?" more than "how?". The "where" would lead to the "how". Also, if anyone themselves uses eBay shipping supplies!
deltilogical
·2 years agoI see surplus ebay branded supplies at yard sales and philatelic club auctions and in free boxes.
glenvonnie
·2 years agoAnybody can buy them here:
https://www.ebay.com/str/ebayshippingsupplies
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoI joined CVS club for 5 bucks a month. I get 10 bucks returned to use in store every month. Because of the club I get emails every week of "one item 4 bucks off or 35% off entire purchase....plus some small cash back to use in the store. I bought 5 electric toothbrush refills...for around $15. with all the discounts last month.
I also get 20% off on certain items...plus that 35% off sometimes and maybe there's a 3 or 4 bucks off total purchase...which I can use together...Staples, Walmart, Target are too expensive for me.
I buy all my supplies there...tape and envelopes....small and large.
Yea, I know going there every other day for something 4 bucks off or entire purchase 35% is a pain...lucky my CVS is next to Traders Joe's and 3 blocks from the post office...and I ride a motorcycle.
44012
·2 years agoSometimes if you participate in a survey they will reward by sending free packaging. I have received tissue paper, thank you cards and some stickers in the past.
lamber9347
·2 years agoI use eBay shipping supplies for every sale I have.
Why and where- because I accumulated a large stock from all the years I did have a store, and the coupons used to be rather large. I used to be able to purchase several different items with one quarterly coupon and we would get four a year.
Why- because they are good quality, never had an issue with anything using an eBay logo. Makes my packages stand out. I feel secure using them. The tape works good, the Poly mailers are my favorites, and the thank you cards are a nice touch.
Why and where- because I accumulated so much stock that I haven't needed to purchase any shipping supplies in years and now I am just using up all that I have....
luckythewinner
·2 years agoSure, there's a tiny little itty-bitty discount for Stores to buy packing material
eBay stores get a coupon quarterly for $25, $50, or $150. If you order $50 worth of supplies and use a $50 coupon, you get a "tiny little itty-bitty" discount of 100%.
falconsys
OP2 years agoIn that "$25, 50, 100 off" thing, I was rather thinking - geez, if you're paying that much a month for a Store, the services provided by the Store are not nearly enough to warrant it unless you're selling 1,000+ items a month. $25 off $500 of boxes isn't really that great a deal 😉 Plus, the big stores I buy from are never the ones using the eBay packaging, ha. That's what was so confusing. (usually, the jerks are abusing Priority Mail packaging inside another box instead... ugh! Yes, we notice. No, you shouldn't be doing it!)
Anyway, these have been some enlightening replies. I sorta figured eBay might give some away every now and then, but never seen it done (eBay never gave me anything for all the times I've answered surveys and sent feedback 😉 ). Something I must be missing, but hey. Limbo land of being too small for a Store, but big enough for it to be noticeable.
eze-right1
·2 years agoIf one is making the company a good chunk of change, they should still give the supplies away without a coupon, store or no store.
ckimodog
·2 years ago@falconsys
I got my shipping supplies from eBay as a gift for volunteering here on the community forum. So did a lot of us. In some respects eBay does appreciate their sellers and those who try to help. No gold watches, but hey it was still a nice gesture.
Happy Selling.
albertabrightalberta
·2 years agoWere those supplies for community volunteers?!?! There was nothing indicating they were for boardies.
I thought they were gifts sent to random sellers. Even the note said, "we hope it will make your holiday selling season a little brighter."
eze-right1
·2 years agoI don't sell here anymore but when I did, I used my own boxes and tape. eBay supplies were about the same price and sometimes more, which brings to mind a question: Why don't they give sellers a BIG discount on shipping supplies, if not free? Real talk, with all the fees we pay, they should throw us a bone, store or no store.
I still won't sell here anymore though, as much as I'd like to. They got hacked before, a previous CEO's associates harrassed a couple, fees got crazy high and now because of the present tax situation, they want my social security number. The first three statements killed the last statement.
sapphire_studio
·2 years agoSomeone might have a second ebay account they are building up and using ebay branded supplies they have recieved at a discount from another store they run.
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoStores subscribers at the Basic level and above automatically get a quarterly coupon which they can use to purchase eBay branded supplies. Even at the inflated prices charged by the single authorized seller, those packaging materials are cheaper than comparable items elsewhere IF you use the coupon.
When you see the eBay branded items being sold by sellers other than the authorized one, that seller must have surplus; either they purchased excess of some item(s) or perhaps they're going out of business, or perhaps the available eBay materials don't meet their needs but they use the coupon and immediately re-sell because there's a narrow profit to be made.
redlinear
·2 years agoI BUY mine on eBay. Mostly eBay branded tape.
I get almost all of my shipping supplies off of eBay. (search, find, buy)
There's nothing free about it (except USPS boxes from USPS)