eBay

hajbo · ‎09-01-2018

I have two Parker pen ball point refills that I would like to sell.
They will fit in a standard #10 envelope between two sheets of cardboard. I weighed them, they were one ounce and some change, less than two. I went to the USPS.com site to get a postage rate, for 1.5 oz letter I could mail it with two postage stamps.

Started a listing, under Shipping Details I want to use Free Shipping, under Services there is no USPS First Class Letter so I pick USPS First Class Package, and entered the weight and envelope dimensions, ebay rounds up dimensions to the next inch.
But now I will be paying 3.50 to mail a First Class Package, instead of .94 for a First Class Letter. I want to keep free shipping, and keep the listing price close to my cost, couple of bucks, I just want to send these to a loving home and be rid of them, 3.50 shipping will make it that much harder.
If someone buys this should I just skip the label and put on a couple stamps? I have bought button cell batteries on ebay that have come this way. Problem is, no tracking with regular mail, won't be able to show that the buyer got the mail, I would lose an INR case. But for such a low cost item what is the risk of that?

nobody*s_perfect · ‎09-02-2018

Two factors for you to consider:

1. The maximum allowable thickness for a First Class letter is 1/4 inch.

2. Online postage for a First Class package is $2.66 for any weight up to 4 ounces.

rschissler · ‎09-02-2018

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
Two factors for you to consider:

1. The maximum allowable thickness for a First Class letter is 1/4 inch.

2. Online postage for a First Class package is $2.66 for any weight up to 4 ounces.

In other words, the OP shouldn't be surprised when the PO rejects the overly thick envelope and returns it because of insuficient postage, or the buyer receives it with postage due, and thus gives the seller a negative for it.

kathy507 · ‎09-02-2018

I ship quite a few pattern booklets and do not want them bent to be shoved into a mailbox. If I sent them first class with stamps, that might happen to them but with the parcel rate of $2.66 I mark them DO NOT BEND and have not had an issue. Some of them are over 1/4" thick anyway, so they won't qualify for just stamps.

Also, in my experience, some buyers actually watch the tracking number. You do not have one by mailing with just stamps & you might get a buyer who claims not delivered. I don't think this happens with some items, but it could. Only you can weigh the risks there.

I am not sure why the OP buys the postage at the post office where it costs more rather than using the PayPal, eBay or Stamps or other interface. Those extra postal costs at the window add up, to say nothing of having to stand in line to get served. I take my stuff to the post office and leave it on the counter if there is a line, but then they always scan it in here after I drop it off (not sure that is true at some post offices.)

dirk12955 · ‎09-02-2018

@div_style wrote:
I send 1000s of low cost items a year using letter mail (no tracking) and rarely any problems. Low cost items are not scammer magnets. If I put 1 cent per item in my virtual cookie jar I would be way ahead.

Me too. I send over 1,000 items per year withour tracking.

1,000 Items with tracking = $2660.00 in postage costs

1,000 Items without tracking = $500.00 in postage costs (More or less)

Net saved and added to my bottom line $2166.00

I can afford to lose 2 or 3 envelopes per year. Which is about all I lose.

Contrary to what you read on the boards, I find EBAY to be overloaded with honest humans

with loads of integrity.

softersilk · ‎09-02-2018

Do the math on that super-low-cost item. After the listing fee, the final value fees and the Paypal fees - are you making more than a few pennies?

dirk12955 · ‎09-02-2018

@softersilk wrote:
Do the math on that super-low-cost item. After the listing fee, the final value fees and the Paypal fees - are you making more than a few pennies?

Yes

clu3 · ‎09-02-2018

Mail it from the post office, they'll give you a tracking number you can upload.

I've shipped post cards this way.

hajbo · ‎09-02-2018

you are correct, I know about the 1/4 max also, the refills with stiff cardboard on either side are actually a tad over. I got this idea from another post I read by someone who ships wooden drafting pencils that way, claimed it was working okay.
And yes, I misspoke about the 3.50, I threw that out there, that is the USPS retail price on their site, I also pay 2.66 for light weight packages after the ebay discount, so the delta between printed label and stamps is not quite as large as I made it look. Actually I will just be making pennies on this after penciling it out, less than ten cents, I am de-cluttering and want to transfer these to someone else's desk drawer. That's why I want to cut price to the bone, make sure they move. My wife would just throw them out and be done with it but I am not wired the same way, would rather re-home them as long as they still work. I might just try the stamp mail to see what happens, my hands are shaking, you know, living on the edge and all

nobody*s_perfect · ‎09-02-2018

If some USPS employee is unhappy with your "tad over", you could end up with a lot of hassles from an unhappy buyer who gets stuck with significant "Postage due." You can avoid an unhappy buyer AND have a happy wife by tossing or donating them rather than working for that dime.

hwa_59 · ‎09-02-2018

I don't understand why everyone keeps saying it is 3.50 when you print online ,it is 2.66 with tracking.
seller is in USA.
THE problem with using stamps is this USPS verification system to make sure we don't cheat,does not count stamps.
once I print USPS first class and add more stamps to ship priority,it get thrown back in my face.

femmefan1946 · ‎09-02-2018

@kathy507

I ship quite a few pattern booklets and do not want them bent to be shoved into a mailbox.

Using a stiffener is more effective than marking Do Not Bend.

If I really don't want something bent, I use corplast

https://www.uline.ca/BL_1854/Plastic-Corrugated-Pads?pricode=DC492&AdKeyword=coroplast&AdMatchtype=e...

Which is a corrugated plastic board, like cardboard but plastic.

It is lighter and less flexible than cardboard.

Also more pricey.

The trick is to make the corrugations go in the opposite way to how a carrier might try to bend it.

goodluckselling · ‎09-02-2018

@m60driver wrote:
I sell some small low cost items that easily ship in a plain envelope and that is exactly how I mail them. I have never lost anything shipped with just stamps in a #10 envelope and never had a single complaint from buyers. Just remember to go to my Ebay and mark them as shipped. Just be wary that if they start to become a large part of your sales then any "above standard" Ebay rating may be compromised because you mail without tracking.

I am not aware of tracking being a part of a seller standard rating? eBay does not require tracking in any of the ratings (transaction defect ratings, late shipment rating, cases closed without seller resolution).

Good Luck Selling!

nobody*s_perfect · ‎09-02-2018

The minimum FC package postage of $2.66 covers any package up to 4 ounces, so there's no point in trying to minimize the weight of a package that's well under that 4-ounce limit. Regular corrugated is fine (and free). For maximum rigidity, use two pieces of corrugated with the "grain" going crosswise to each other.

Also, USPS actually issued a special memo when they removed "Do not bend" from the list of notations that they officially recognize.

http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2007/html/pb22213/updt.3.2.html

ted_200 · ‎09-02-2018

@dirk12955 wrote:
@softersilk wrote:
Do the math on that super-low-cost item. After the listing fee, the final value fees and the Paypal fees - are you making more than a few pennies?

Yes

Oftentimes, I end up with more profit on something that cost me 20¢ than cost me $20. It's hard to find items with 1000% margins in the $20 range, and eBay charges fees on the entire sale, not just the profit. $20 item with $10 "gross profit" nets a lot less cash than a 20¢ item with $10 "gross profit", the cheaper item is easier to find, and my "eBay risk" is obviously a whole lot less too.

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

kathy507 · ‎09-02-2018

Yes, I use stiffener too most of the time. Works great but I still mark it as do not bend since I have seen the post office bend some things I would not expect them to.