Is there a cheaper way to ship items?

[jns12]

I really need to find a better way to make money on my items without killing the buyers with cost... I try to keep my items between 15 and 30  bucks.  My $23 item made a profit of under $5 with the new shipping costs.  I need some ideas here... It isnt worth me selling with hardly no profit.  I dont know how it is fair for eBay to include shipping costs in the total cost and then charge fees on it either...  Input? 

[klhmdg]

"fair" or not it is the way it is and has been since eBay made it fairer.

Sellers were charging $1 for the item and $50 for shipping. 

So it became total sales price.

Price items the way you need to. This is business.

You cant control the shipping cost increases to you so you need to do whats best for you. 

Why as a business would you worry about killing the buyer with your costs? Does the buyer think "oh that poor seller isnt making anything on this, I will pay an extra $10"

[m*and*l*sales]

Stop offering free shipping, and use calculated shipping instead.  That way, the person buying it knows exactly what they're paying for the item, and what they're paying for shipping.  People closer to you will pay less for shipping, and people at a greater distance will pay more.  You will know what you're making on each sale ahead of time because shipping won't be taking a bite of it.

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@jns12 wrote:

I really need to find a better way to make money on my items without killing the buyers with cost... I try to keep my items between 15 and 30  bucks.  My $23 item made a profit of under $5 with the new shipping costs.  I need some ideas here... It isnt worth me selling with hardly no profit.  I dont know how it is fair for eBay to include shipping costs in the total cost and then charge fees on it either...  Input? 

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Everyone is feeling the pinch. There a few things you could do with your clothing. Make multiple lots of like size/type clothes. Example. List 2 pairs of swim trunks (same size of course) and by combining the shipping, you will save more on the shipping. I did it with Levis and did lots of 2-4 and had was able to be more competitive without losing a good portion of profits to shipping.

-Good luck and know we are all dealing with the same issue.

[jns12]

Thank you!  That is a great idea!

[nobody*s_perfect]

I checked  a couple of your listings and they offered free expedited shipping. That means you are using Priority Mail.  You can save a lot by switching to Ground Advantage, which eBay categorizes as a "standard" service.