eBay

jmr1068215 · ‎10-05-2018

Trying to figure out what the deal is with this box. It doesn't say "flat rate" like the others. It definitely isn't in the Ebay drop-down for shipping and isn't a small or medium flat rate box. What the heck is it, exactly? Is this just a box that the post office gives where the price is determined by weight just the same as if you packed your own box and weighed it? That doesn't make much sense, however.

Has anyone used these before? What option do I use to print the label from Ebay?

nobody*s_perfect · ‎10-05-2018

@jmr1068215 wrote: ... Is this just a box that the post office gives where the price is determined by weight just the same as if you packed your own box and weighed it? ...

Yes, it is. USPS offers at least a dozen free Priority Mail boxes that ship at the regular rates (based on weight and distance) in addition to the specialized flat rate and Regional-rate boxes. The box you describe, known as Box04, is one of those boxes. For shipping, just choose regular basic Priority Mail package.

candd205 · ‎10-05-2018

It's a regular priority mail box. USPS has all sorts of different sizes of regular priority mail boxes. Yes, you can mail it through ebay when you make a sale. All the different sizes of priority mail boxes just mail by weight (the box weight plus the weight of the item you sold. Just mail it priority mail with the weight indicated. While you are figuring this out, you might also compare A and B Priority boxes by USPS. Next time you mail something, click "compare prices of the shipping method" to see what is the cheapest alternative. If it fits in an A box (2 different size variations) and ships within the correct zone from your home, that is usually the cheapest.

Go to USPS.gov to figure all this out.

lintbrush* · ‎10-05-2018

Ding Ding Ding. It's just a box. Goes by Weight/Distance.

Just pick "Package/Thick Envelope" & "Priority Mail"

There are several Priority boxes they give for free that aren't flat rate.

1096L - VHS Box - Similar in shape to the Small Flat Rate Box but bigger (and fits nicely in a Priority Padded FR)

The 7x7x6 "Cube" - #04

The 12x12x8 "Large" - #07

#1095, #1092, #1097 - sideloaders - shirt boxes (similiar to the MedFR Sideloader)

The Shoe Box - which doesn't have to be for shoes

The DVD Box - too small for me

and EP14 - Tyvek mailers

whoops - forgot about the tubes. I had a box of them for 4+ years and used only 1. Gave them back recently

orangehound · ‎10-05-2018

@jmr1068215 wrote:

Has anyone used these before? What option do I use to print the label from Ebay?

I've used maybe two of them in the last 5 years (they are regular Priority Mail labels). I think they are the second most useless of the USPS boxes, with the Small Flat Rate Box being the most useless.

I wish the USPS had a 12x12x12 box ... I would use those daily. Of course two 12x12x8's can be turned into a 12x12x12.

radtech1971 · ‎10-06-2018

There used to be a size 15x12x12 large priority mailing box. I still have a box of them, but

I didn’t see them on the website anymore.

_____________________________________________________________

Anyone who thinks that money can't buy happiness has never paid a shelter pet's adoption fee

lja440 · ‎10-06-2018

Yes, it is one of many zoned options through USPS.

This Priority box like other zoned boxes is also eligable for the cubic foot pricing if under 20#. The mentioned box is good at the .20cu/ft rate.

Here is the current chart:

nobody*s_perfect · ‎10-06-2018

@radtech1971 wrote:
There used to be a size 15x12x12 large priority mailing box. I still have a box of them, but
I didn’t see them on the website anymore.

Those are the dimensions of the Regional C box. After USPS discontinued Regional C rates, they briefly offered a generic large box with those dimensions, for just a few months. Probably they were using up the old stock produced for the Regional boxes. With any box over 1 cubic foot you have to watch out for the dimensional rate; that ex-C box (and any leftover Regional C boxes) would ship at the 12-pound rate if shipped to Zones 5 - 9.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎10-06-2018

@lja440 wrote:
... This Priority box like other zoned boxes is also eligable for the cubic foot pricing if under 20#. The mentioned box is good at the .20cu/ft rate. ...

But where can eBay sellers purchase labels at that rate?

orangehound · ‎10-06-2018

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
@lja440 wrote:
... This Priority box like other zoned boxes is also eligable for the cubic foot pricing if under 20#. The mentioned box is good at the .20cu/ft rate. ...

But where can eBay sellers purchase labels at that rate?

Stamps.com and Fitshipper have cubic rates ... but, neither eBay nor PayPal have that option.

radtech1971 · ‎10-06-2018

I haven’t heard of this cubic foot pricing at all. Under what circumstances would one be better off using cubic foot rather than regional rate or just weight of the package? I seem to have a large percentage of my sales going to the west coast, and it is shockingly expensive to mail packages from east to west coast.

_____________________________________________________________

Anyone who thinks that money can't buy happiness has never paid a shelter pet's adoption fee

remote_controls_and_more · ‎10-06-2018

https://www.pirateship.com

It's free to use

glgenterprise · ‎10-06-2018

@lintbrush* wrote:
Ding Ding Ding. It's just a box. Goes by Weight/Distance.

Just pick "Package/Thick Envelope" & "Priority Mail"

There are several Priority boxes they give for free that aren't flat rate.

1096L - VHS Box - Similar in shape to the Small Flat Rate Box but bigger (and fits nicely in a Priority Padded FR)
The 7x7x6 "Cube" - #04
The 12x12x8 "Large" - #07
#1095, #1092, #1097 - sideloaders - shirt boxes (similiar to the MedFR Sideloader)
The Shoe Box - which doesn't have to be for shoes
The DVD Box - too small for me
and EP14 - Tyvek mailers

whoops - forgot about the tubes. I had a box of them for 4+ years and used only 1. Gave them back recently

Just a quick note for others - 99% of the time you have to order these though USPS.com - most post offices don't stock them. They're free to order, but it usually takes a couple of days. Mine are delivered my regular mail carrier (if I make a particularly large order the post office will hold them for me for pick up).

I use a ton of the padded flat rate envelopes and the regional rate boxes, but I have the advantage of being in the middle of the country so my zone charges are usually not out of control.

lja440 · ‎10-07-2018

@radtech1971 wrote:
I haven’t heard of this cubic foot pricing at all. Under what circumstances would one be better off using cubic foot rather than regional rate or just weight of the package? I seem to have a large percentage of my sales going to the west coast, and it is shockingly expensive to mail packages from east to west coast.

Sorry about the delay in answering. (Dang power went out)

OK Cubic Foot pricing is actually very similar to the Regional Rate idea.

It has 5 levels, .10, .20, .30, .40 and .50. They all cap off at a max of 20#

You can use any box EXCEPT the Flat Rate Boxes and envelopes or the Regional Rate boxes.

An example if you had a 19# box that is 12"x12"x5.5" (a .50 box). You could save money over using the same size LFRB if you ship to zones 1-6. You would spend about the same to zone 7-8. But far less than if you shipped it regular zoned priority.

(Retail) Rates for the above example to zone 8:

LFRB $18.90

Zoned $60.60

So basically it is like the Regional Rate but gives you the flexibility of using a wide variety of boxes as long as they remain under .50 cubic foot in size.