Priority or Ground advantage?
I'm older than dirt on here but 99% of the time I've shipped Media Mail or Priority envelope. I am trying to branch out from books and media. I've been using my own boxes and on the selling form select Ground Advantage and put in the weight and dimensions. Should I also be offering Priority? I guess this is a silly question, have pity.
8 comments
fm2000
·2 years agoCheck out the Ground Advantage Cubic rates if your packages are under a cubic foot in size, GA Cubic almost always beats Priority. You have to buy it from a third party provider like Pirate Ship but the savings can be significant and definitely worth looking into.
Priority used to almost always be about the same or cheaper than Parcel Post/GA except when it was a large package going a long distance, now the opposite is true, GA is almost always cheaper than Priority, unless the package is in/close to your postal zone. This changed with the last postage increase (and is a significant departure from the past.)
If you have never shipped a board game before, be very careful; first package it up in the box you will ship it in and take the measurements carefully. The box may incur a special over-length surcharge (the USPS just added this this year, applies to all services but media mail), in addition it might already be over a cubic foot all packed up, so you might get really clobbered with the shipping if you are not careful.
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoThe surcharge is $4 for length over 22 inches via either Priority or Ground Advantage, so try to stay below that if your item can be safely packed.
nobody*s_perfect
·2 years agoI would offer only Ground for packages up to one pound, and only Priority for packages of 1+ to 5 pounds. Above 5 pounds, the savings with Ground can be significant, so I'd offer both and let the buyer choose whether they want it cheaper or faster.
eBay's discounted label prices for Priority are often lower than the cost of a label for Ground Advantage, for packages up to 5 pounds going to Zones 1 - 4.
keziak
OP2 years agoThank you. I've learned that in some cases Ground Advantage rates are better than Media mail but haven't mastered the comparison with Priority.
lakefor94
·2 years ago@keziak if the items are expensive, i.e. $100 and up, up, up and you have the margin, think of UPS Ground if they are in your wheelhouse.
At least compare the pricing and if it is close, I roll with UPS, especially this time of year.
If it is inexpensive, roll the dice with USPS GA.
If you have not already delved into PirateShip.com make sure to check out their pricing, especially if they offer a USPS Priority Cubic price on your USPS Priority shipments.
keziak
OP2 years agoThank you for the tip. Non-media mail rates are fairly new to me (except for the flat rate envelope). I am listing a board game tonight and on the listing form included both Priority and Ground Advantage. Now I'll need to be alert to see what service the buyer wants.
rainbowcomicsandcards
·2 years agoIf you buy your labels via eBay it should default to the on the buyer has selected. Will normally have a (Buyer Selected) bubble behind it. We actually offer on some of our listing the choice of Priority, Ground Advantage, and Local Pickup and it will give them the options. Hope that helps.
keziak
OP2 years agoI need to start doing this. Thanks for your advice.