SELLING

[siberbunny]

How can anyone sell on Ebay with a shipping price of $ 17.10 priority mail for a 2 pound package from Virginia to California 23139 to 93449 ? How much price increases until you can't? Everything I sell on Ebay costs more to ship than the price of the item

[dbfolks166mt]

     Shipping has always been an interesting dynamic due to the number of options. While your 2 pound example is good for the weight it also depends on the dimensions. I plugged the info into Pirate Ship based on the zip codes and a package size of 8 x 3 x 12 and got the following for a plain box. I also looked at the USPS priority mail flat rates. It's amazing what you can put into a flat rate, regular or padded, envelope. I ship a lot of items via those methods. It kind of depends on what you are shipping. 

     You have a lot of breakable items but you can wrap those in bubble wrap inside a regular box and then slide it into a padded flat rate envelope. I usually list multiple shipping options so buyers have the option to choose the cheapest rate based on their location unless I know that regardless of the location there is only one lowest rate. I just shipped a set of sockets from Virginia to CA that weighed over 4 pounds that I put inside a box then inside a flat rate envelope. Cost to ship was $7.60.  I am also in Virginia. 

[lepke1979]

What are the dimensions of the box you are using? And can you make it smaller?

[richard1rst]

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@siberbunny wrote:

How can anyone sell on Ebay with a shipping price of $ 17.10 priority mail for a 2 pound package from Virginia to California 23139 to 93449 ? How much price increases until you can't? Everything I sell on Ebay costs more to ship than the price of the item

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That is completely irrelevant. Shipping is NEVER based on the value of the package. Only the size and/or weight. Pound of gold/pound of lead - it's all the same.

[chapeau-noir]

I don't see those vases and the like fitting inside a box with adequate bubble wrap and then being able to be crammed into a padded flat rate.  It's one reason I no longer sell glass - it's heavy and needs extra care - it's expensive to ship if it doesn't fit into the medium flat rate top-loader (which has got pretty pricey in itself).  UPS and Fed-Ex do not deliver to all addresses (and some incur a rural charge) - I've been asked over and over to please not use those methods because the customer is forced to drive a distance to pick up the package. Since I have to go 25 miles round trip to pick up UPS or Fed-Ex, I understand.

ETA: I used calculated shipping, but population distributions mean that the cheapest option also has the lowest population.  

[dhbookds]

How can anyone sell on Ebay with a shipping price of $ 17.10 priority mail for a 2 pound package from Virginia to California 23139 to 93449 ? How much price increases until you can't? Everything I sell on Ebay costs more to ship than the price of the item

First, it's a question of how much a BUYER is willing to pay......and there are those in Cal/WA/Arizona that are willing to pay.............  Secondly, VA is near to a vast population center......so the assumption that everything will have to be sent to the farthest point (and therefore is the highest shipping price)  is incorrect......... but @siberbunny seems to be using flat rate......and therefore isn't giving the advantage of calculated rates.......

[symu1233]

This happened with me too, What are the dimensions of your product?

[reallynicestamps]

Have you worked out how to use Calculated Shipping?
This gives your customer an exact cost for shipping to his doorstep based on the dimensions and weight of the package and on the destination.

Since the value of the item is not a criterion for shipping cost, Some Things Are Not Meant For Mail Order.

[dnasilver]

Think about this. You are shipping across the country. Have you ever drove from Virginia to California? Everyone has to ship somehow, so it is not like you are at a disadvantage. 

[joseh1445]

It depends, if the item is really fragile.  Just my opinion.  When I used to ship a +40 pounds computer.  The weight with bubble rap and box was between 44-48 pounds.

[downunder-61]

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@symu1233 wrote:

This happened with me too, What are the dimensions of your product?

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Please stop spamming these boards.

People come her in genuine need of help, your reply is simply a copy of another experienced members reply.

[2013grotz]

Simple answer is you gotta be very careful about how you ship, and especially what items you choose to ship.  I can say I've definitely been exceedingly picky about what I choose to put on ebay for the shipping reason.  Higher shipping cost means you have to choose increasingly more expensive items to make the sales effort worth it.  Of course, higher FVFs make it worse.  And then the opposite problem comes that you really shouldn't be putting high value items on ebay for scammers that will use the buyer MBG to take you for the item and the money charged for it if they can.

[gamersbaystore]

Yep, its no longer feasible to sell a lot of products that require priority. Its why I try and sell lightweight items that are cheaper to ship with first-class or media mail.

The ridiculous shipping rates are the whole reason I stopped selling game consoles. It costs more to ship them what I could sell them for, a total waste of time.

[varebelrose]

Don't neglect to price check Parcel shipping as well. While Priority is often cheaper in general if you get the eBay postage discount, sometimes parcel can be significantly cheaper for larger/heavy packages going long distances.

[gamersbaystore]

It is relevant if those higher shipping rates are scaring buyers away. Its not very enticing to pay $10 shipping on an item that costs $10 itself.

The government is making inflation worse by allowing the postal service to continually raise its rates to ridiculous heights.

The postal rates are so high its getting to the point where its no longer feasible to buy anything online.

Without a doubt USPS is bringing our entire economy to its knees.