new here and need help with shipping

[samamcca-4xueo5]

I have bought things on eBay and never paid attention to shipping except how fast I'd receive my item or how much itd cost me so i was listing some items for auction last week and let eBay guess the cost for priority mail shipping. I feel it'll cost more than i blindly without a clue assumed. These items im shipping are smallsmall childrens  dresses that don't weigh much. However, i don't know what to ship them in or if i can even ship using my own materials because from what I've seen online you have to order and wait for USPS shipping supplies. Hopefully im wrong. The buyer bought two of my items and wants me to send an invoice for combined shipping. I have no idea what to charge them or how to ship the package. 

[ted_200 · Accepted solution]

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@samamcca-4xueo5 wrote:

I have bought things on eBay and never paid attention to shipping except how fast I'd receive my item or how much itd cost me so i was listing some items for auction last week and let eBay guess the cost for priority mail shipping. I feel it'll cost more than i blindly without a clue assumed. These items im shipping are smallsmall childrens  dresses that don't weigh much. However, i don't know what to ship them in or if i can even ship using my own materials because from what I've seen online you have to order and wait for USPS shipping supplies. Hopefully im wrong. The buyer bought two of my items and wants me to send an invoice for combined shipping. I have no idea what to charge them or how to ship the package. 

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You don't need USPS supplies.

If you can use your own materials, under 16 Oz. should be shipped by First Class (cost should be under $5).  16 Oz. or more, you're looking at Priority Mail, Flat Rate envelopes or boxes are  needed to use that, but you can ship weight based in any packaing... which is cheaper will depend on where it's going and how much it weighs. 

[ted_200]

Lightweight clothing typically gets shipped in tyvek or plastic bag mailers, to keep the weight down.  USPS has mailers for their Priority Services, and they're available at most Post Offices (no need to wait, which you do not want to do). 

Flat Rate Priority envelope will run you about $7.  If you can get it in a plastic bag under 16 Oz. you can ship for under $5. 

[samamcca-4xueo5]

Any idea how to see online if my post off carries these supplies? Its not listed online under their services.

[dtexley3]

You have already sold the items.  Did you promise combined shipping?  If so you have to give them a discount.  If all the items will fit in a padded envelope and weighs 1 lb then your cost is 4.94 + the cost of the envelope or less.   

If they weigh more than 1lb but less than 2lbs (with a box or large padded envelope) then you need to use the eBay shipping calculator to find out the shipping and add the cost of the envelope.

If the shipping you charged on the items is less than the cost of the shipping + envelope then you can only charge what the total shipping was for all the items together.

The time to determine what it will cost you to ship items and get shipping supplies is BEFORE you list.  You have a limited time to figure out how to deal with this as you know.

[ted_200]

They've got stacks of them in every post office around here.  Not every single Priority Mail box/mailer, but usually at least the three Flat Rate Boxes, and the Flat Rate Envelopes.  They've got a bigger tyvek bag mailer for Flat Rate, but not every post office has them on hand (and I think it's a bit more than the Flat Rate Envelope).  Run tape around all the edges of the Flat Rate cardboard envelope if you use one, they tear fairly easily. 

[samamcca-4xueo5]

I did not promise combined shipping. They asked for an invoice containing combined shipping. 

[samamcca-4xueo5]

Thank you so much!

[patd3283]

A lot of POs don't carry everything for shipping.  Go to the USPS site to order what you think you may need.  For the current pieces, use what you have on hand.

You need a postal scale, not expensive here on ebay to ascertain the weight of what you will be shipping plus the box/mailer.  Input the combined weight on the listing and let ebay figure the postage for you.

After all packed weigh again and print your postage thru ebay to save some cents.  It should also input the tracking number which you will need to make sure it is delivered.

It sounds complicated but is really pretty simple.

Patd

[dtexley3]

@samamcca-4xueo5  most important thing that none of us remembered to say.  Don't print the label or ship until you get paid!  

[mokie11559]

You may not have promised combined shipping but you're charging 25.95 for 2 dresses? & 3.75 for the 1 dress. that's why the buyer is asking for an invoice for combined shipping...........no way does it cost 25.95 to ship 2 toddler dresses.

go to the post office & get a flat rate envelope. place the dresses in a zip loc bag & into a flat rate envelope which costs $6.70. 

get yourself a postal scale, order some poly mailers from ebay or elsewhere & know the shipping costs before you list your items.

you can order the priority supplies from the usps website if you have any heavier items over a lb for future sales

[theposhmermaids]

In case no one said it---purchase your shipping label online, preferably on the ebay site, because it's cheaper than the post office and the tracking is uploaded immediately to ebay.

Good luck!

[packratville]

Up to and including 15.999 oz is First Class, 16 oz (1 lb) would bump it up to Priority.

Weight Not Over (oz.)3,4

Single Piece

1 oz = $2.66

2 oz =$2.66

3 oz = $2.66

4 oz = $2.66

5 oz = $2.79

6 oz = $2.92

7 oz = $3.05

8 oz = $3.18

9 oz = $3.34

10 oz = $3.50

11 oz = $3.66

12 oz = $3.82

13 oz = $4.10

14 oz = $4.38

15 oz = $4.66

15.999 oz = $4.94

[mirror-in-the-attic]

The way you should be doing this is to have all of the envelopes on hand, weighed and ready to ship before you list.   As you are learning now, waiting until a sale to figure this out puts you in a “hurry” situation.    You can get some envelopes from Walmart, for the time being, if you need to.   The post office will not, (I do not think) have envelopes for first class mail- only priority mail.   The difference in cost to mail things first class vs priority can be substantial.

So, my advice is two fold:   For this sale- go and get an envelope from Walmart big enough to fit both of your sold items.   Take it to the post office and weigh it on their “self service” scale, go home, input the size of your envelope and weight into the shipping calculator and print your label.

In the meantime, search EBAY for some cheap poly mailers.  (You can go to my purchase history, I just order some if you don’t know what these are).     Order as many as you think you need.   If you can swing the cost, purchase a cheap digital scale to use so you can weight items at home, and save a trip to the post office.  (I think mine cost me 65.00 3 years ago)

Combined shipping will be solved when you package the items together and weight them.  You will then know the cost to mail.

[sam9876]

Tyvek envelopes are not flat rate.