eBay

musicyouneed · ‎01-14-2019

Hi, I sell CD's and have been sending them USPS first class. It has worked out great, most get their CD within 3 days and I think that has worked to my advantage. I used a flat shipping amount.

With the new increases in first class especially with Zones, I calculated that most of mine will be in the 8 category which will be quite an increase for my buyers.

Now with media mail it will be cheaper for shipping for the buyer but of course the delay will be 10 days vs 3 days. I can also offer both shipping media mail or first class on my listing and have the buyer make the choice.

As a buyer would you rather pay less and it take longer or would you rather pay more and get it within 3 to 4 days?

Thanks for any advice.

jennieaa · ‎01-15-2019

gew,

I starting working on how to do the new first class parcel rates when they first announced them.

I looked back at my sales for the past three years and determined how many were actually in each zone. It turned out kind of interesting - most of my sales were located in two particular zones. The rest of the sales were pretty close to evenly split between closer zones and further zones. Kinda like the old bell curve teachers used to use. So I have adjusted my prices with the increase in the two middle zones.

Who knows, I may change it all again later when I can really spend time reviewing the whole thing again.

jennieaa · ‎01-15-2019

OP,

To answer your question....I prefer quicker over slower so I would opt for the First Class Parcel over media mail.

Knowing the cost of shipping, it makes no difference to me if you offer free shipping with a higher price instead of price + shipping.

But I am a seller. I wonder how many buyers really have a clue what it costs to ship something.

I know lots of people have no clue how to mail a package, let alone how much it costs. (too many visits to the post office during the holidays!)

musicyouneed · ‎01-15-2019

Which one would you buy? Remember I live in Canada so shipping from the USA to Canada is higher than within the USA.

no_zero369 · ‎01-15-2019

@gew6463 wrote:
Because as strange as it may sound, some buyers have less problem with buying an item for $7.99 + 3.50 shipping, than they do buying that same item for $11.49 (free shipping included). This is not the case with some things of course; it just depends on what you are selling (I sell vintage play food replacement parts, and I have tested this many, many times). I do get a lot of newer buyers, and I think perhaps some of them misunderstand 'free' shipping, and think on those Items I am pocketing a larger profit somehow; that free shipping is actually 'free' to me somehow as a seller (wouldn't that be nice).

However I do offer free shipping probably on about 1/3 - 1/2 of my items listed. As I said, all depends on which I have found to be the winning combination for that particular item, based on past sales.

I have taken to having the cost of shipping show up on the label when I send something with "free" shipping OR if I get the sense the buyer doesn't understand shipping, include it then too.

no_zero369 · ‎01-15-2019

@musicyouneed wrote:
Which one would you buy?

I would buy the second one!

1) Second seller bothered to take the time to take an actual photo of the item rather than use a stock photo.

2) First seller is playing games with shipping cost - thinks they can trick an non-reading buyer.

musicyouneed · ‎01-15-2019

Would it make a difference if the 2nd seller is in Korea (they are)?

Also the 1st seller is not playing games with the shipping amount, that is what it cost using the global shipping program, that is why Canadians hate that program. A US seller signs up for the program, puts in the cost of the shipping to Kentucky and then GSP (Pitney Bowes) adds the shipping cost again from Kentucky to Canada on to it and any of their fees and duties if applicable (in this case there wouldn't be any duties as it is a low cost item).

This is the first sellers cost for US buyers. The seller only gets paid for the shipping to Kentucky. The buyer in Canada would pay $16.99 US for shipping. Most of it goes to Pitney Bowes.

lintbrush* · ‎01-15-2019

A seller of inexpensive CDs is foolish to use the GSP. It's simply not a good fit.

That being said, to ship First Class to Canada - up to 8 oz - is $10 currently (small hike real soon)

lja440 · ‎01-16-2019

Sam, I do free shipping with all but my media ID. Because I'd say more than half my sales are multiple items or lots I saw a marked decrease in sales when I tried Free Shipping, unlike all my other categories. So I went back to a multi item discount on that ID. It seems to be what the buyers want in the media category.

After all I can only use one high end bike seat at a time but might if dedicated buy one extra. But I literally have about 20,000 LP's and am always looking at more.

lja440 · ‎01-16-2019

@jennieaa wrote:
gew,

I starting working on how to do the new first class parcel rates when they first announced them.

I looked back at my sales for the past three years and determined how many were actually in each zone. It turned out kind of interesting - most of my sales were located in two particular zones. The rest of the sales were pretty close to evenly split between closer zones and further zones. Kinda like the old bell curve teachers used to use. So I have adjusted my prices with the increase in the two middle zones.

Who knows, I may change it all again later when I can really spend time reviewing the whole thing again.

Yeah, I sell a lot of DVD's and books to Alaska. LP's tended to go to citys, LA, San Fran, New York and the like. CD's don't really have a set area that is more popular than other media.