How to set shipping price for large set of books shipping USPS media mail in multiple boxes

[iarumme0]

I want to list a 105 pound set of books that I will ship USPS media mail in multiple boxes. The shipping cost will be about $60. The system won't let me calculate shipping for more than 1 box with a 70 pound weight limit and won't let me set a flat rate of more than $20. How do I list the 105 lb set with the correct ($60) shipping cost?

[iarumme0]

Nope. Directly under "Handling Time" is the "International Shipping Yes/No" option. I am in the advanced/business tool. 

[clarkmiracle]

Just tried it with the $60 in the flat rate media mail and you are all right, there are limits, and it appears it is tied to category.  For example, catalogs allowed $35 max and Antiquarian/Collectible was $25.

Handling box only appears when calculated shipping is selected.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@iarumme0 wrote:

Nope. Directly under "Handling Time" is the "International Shipping Yes/No" option. I am in the advanced/business tool. 

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Did you choose calculated shipping?

[rebell45]

the complete (very heavy) set is quite valuable.

I think you may want to rethink the whole idea of Media Mail. I wouldn't trust the post office to deliver multiple boxes of heavy valuable anything in one piece these days, and Media Mail is not treated well. 

[redmodelt]

If you read the first post, that is what he is trying to do, ship in more then one box.

[nobody*s_perfect]

@iarumme0 

I see that you have successfully listed the books with a $60 shipping cost.

I recommend that you  edit the description and remove the comment about handling cost.  Buyers aren't shown a separate handling cost; they can only see your total $60 for "shipping and handling."

[iarumme0]

Thanks for the tip! 

[toysaver]

Make the shipping free and add the $60 shipping cost to the price of the item.

[kds99]

I recently shipped more than that in an order which required 7 boxes. As I offer free shipping, it didn't matter what I put in the listing for box size. When it sold I simply packed the 7 boxes and used the eBay shipping labels to create a separate label for each box. Worked great! The tricky part is to estimate the shipping cost well enough to include the amount in the price for the listing.

[lja440]

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@rebell45 wrote:

the complete (very heavy) set is quite valuable.

I think you may want to rethink the whole idea of Media Mail. I wouldn't trust the post office to deliver multiple boxes of heavy valuable anything in one piece these days, and Media Mail is not treated well. 

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I'm a mail carrier and an eBayer that the majority of my packages to and from are Media.

The biggest issue is people have a tendancy to #1 reuse boxes for this category and #2 think books are unbreakable.

I buy a lot of vinyl record lots and had to tell a seller that his packages are coming with splits on the corners crushing the record corners. Luckally these are lesser value records, and his last shipment to me he kept the boxes to around 10# and they traveled better. 

True that Media Mail can take awhile and covid is compounding this. But on the whole there is no problem with Media Mail.

[lja440]

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@iarumme0 wrote:

I want to list a 105 pound set of books that I will ship USPS media mail in multiple boxes. The shipping cost will be about $60. The system won't let me calculate shipping for more than 1 box with a 70 pound weight limit and won't let me set a flat rate of more than $20. How do I list the 105 lb set with the correct ($60) shipping cost?

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I agree that you should just include the shipping in the starting price.

Depending on what these are if it were me I would ship in at least 3 boxes and maybe 4. The heavier the boxes the more likely they will split the sides  so I always run a line of packing tape up the corners as well as taping the top and bottom in a capitol H pattern with heavier boxes. 

Whatever you deside on make sure to factor in the change in postage.  2 -50# packages will total less than 4 -25# packages. But skimping on packing or shipping over heavy packages increases the chance of damage. I would much rather spend an extra $10 to not end up refunding the whole sale.

[evry1nositswindy]

I know that you have already resolved this issue, but as a book seller myself, I would have handled it differently.  If the set is valuable, I would have listed with free priority shipping.  Not sure of the size of your books, but $60 would pay for several flat rate boxes with a weight limit of 70lbs each.  Buyers would appreciate priority shipping on a valuable set and that is less shipping time for items to be damaged.

[nobody*s_perfect]

You can click on the OP's ID and see that the listing is for 58 volumes of Britannica "Great Books of the Western World." Would those even fit into flat rate boxes?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Britannica-Great-Books-of-the-Western-World-1978-complete-54-book-set/19363...

[iarumme0]

The problem with flat-rate priority is the low box volume; it would have taken at least 6 of the largest flat-rate boxes to mail the entire collection, which would have pushed shipping up over $120+.

[lja440]

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@divwido wrote:

Could you maybe break up the set into two units?  Does someone want to buy 105 lbs of books?

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LOL , I have bought PALLETS of books.