New Seller Help: Is it ok to ship/post items in branded boxes (LG etc, microwave, toaster etc)?

[moremania]

Hi there. I am a new seller to Ebay, so I don't know much (if anything) about the Ebay selling world. For those that have been selling and shipping/posting items for a while on Ebay, do you think it is okay to ship/post items (of any size, big or small, depending on the item and space in the box) in branded boxes? Such as those you would buy at a store for microwaves, toasters etc with a company logo on them? Or shoe boxes as well? I am thinking of doing this myself.

If you think it is, would I need to cover any logos or anything else on the box, or would it be fine as is with just the shipping/posting label attached?

Thank-you guys! 😄

[wastingtime101 · Accepted solution]

No, not OK. The issue with that is you're talking about using product packaging and product packaging is not intended to hold up as an exterior shipping box. It's really not a good idea. Please use proper shipping boxes.

It's OK to use shipping boxes that have logos from other stores (Target, Amazon, etc) - you can cover up the branding with brown packing tape or a fat sharpie (the tape is cleaner and more professional).

[mtgraves7984]

I'm a big fan of recycling and would use good outer cardboard boxes as I found them. (They're actually available for free from many places in plain brown cardboard... you'll catch on!) I would NOT use shoeboxes unless they were shipped inside a sturdier box. Shipping is one of the toughest tasks to master here... good luck to you.

[santamonicajeweler]

That's perfectly fine, as eBay sells boxes with their logo printed on boxes. eBay also sells solid color tapes with eBay logo for packing as well

I use fruit boxes a lot. Double Corrugated Cardboard  is much stronger and you can find them free at  your local market. My favorite is Chiquita Banana Triple Corrugated Cardboard box. I'll tip the shelf person to save me nice ones and text me when he has them.  You have to put two of them together. I ship through GSP and they do excellent in long trips 

You really don't need to cover any logos legally but I cover my fruit boxes with grocery paper bags, inner part out, and tape them for weather proofing 

Have Mercy on environment,

Recycle 

[lamber9347]

@moremania You don't need to cover logos, but you do need to use boxes created for shipping. Make sure they are durable, not shoe boxes at all. You need to package your items as if they will be used as a football. Chances are these days they will. Shipping is based on weight and dimensions of the package so you may not want to attempt to ship something that would fit in a microwave box, as that would be very expensive. You'll learn more yourself as you go along. Start out with smaller items and work your way up with experience. Remain positive that you can do this. Welcome to the world of selling. Best of luck to you....

[katzrul15]

@moremania 

USPS is pretty specific about NOT covering boxes in grocery sacks, brown paper, etc - they often snag/tear in their machines.  It is another reason they advise to use a real "label" and not just tape a piece of paper to the box.  These often do not fend well in the shipping process.  (My DH worked for USPS for over a year in the sorting centers - often the parcel paper tears off, destroys same with the label and creates issues for destination.

Don't Wrap Boxes in Brown Paper

Both the USPS and UPS may refuse your package if it is covered in paper. The shipping industry is automated now. Conveyer belts, sorting machines, and other machinery can rip the paper off the package.

How to Prepare & Send a Package | USPS

This link with USPS is excellent for teaching someone how best to pack and ship a parcel for USPS.  Save this link as it also gives guidelines for international shipments, should you decide you wish to explore same later.

Shipping Supplies | USPS.com

USPS offers free shipping supplies - these are great for Priority mail - especially, the flat rate options (love their flat rate bubble mailer).  Order them well ahead of the timelines you think you will need them.  USPS has been a little slow lately with same.  

Good luck!

[goldair1_4]

Use whatever box is suitable for the job

I don't buy them,get free ones from the hardware store etc

Just make sure its strong enough to survive the journey with the goods intact

[lja440]

I have been a mail carrier for 21 years now.  In that time I have NEVER seen a paper-wrapped package without any damage. Saturday I delivered a "package" that had 4 books in a paper bag. Literally, that bag was hanging on  by just the scotch tape that it was closed with.  Many times I have had to just deliver a label stuck to paper that had been on a package.

But back to the OP's question. Yes you can ship in retail boxes, BUT!!!! make sure they are sturdy boxes not shelf display boxes. There is no need to cover the graphics unless they are for items that can not be shipped. When I ship cups and stemware I often hit up the local liquor store and hit the graphics with spray paint. They even make cover-up paint for this but any will do. Heck you can use leftover latex paint you have sitting around, just don't wet down the box. A few swipes of a nearly dry brush will do. I would do the same to any box from a more expensive item like a game system to deter porch pirates.

[varebelrose]

As long as the box is clean and intact, no problem. Make sure to cover up any bar codes. I think you are not supposed to mail using a box that shows alcohol branding.

[kensgiftshop]

@moremania 

You don't want to ship items just using the retail boxes they come in at the store.

The retail boxes are not made for shipping, just displaying the items.

[lilbama911]

Go to Wal-Mart and purchase cheap boxes.   Do not use branded boxes to ship item anywhere as it can become problematic.

[glgenterprise]

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@lilbama911 wrote:

Go to Wal-Mart and purchase cheap boxes.   Do not use branded boxes to ship item anywhere as it can become problematic.

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Ugh. This is not 100% true.

The box used should be adequate to the job. Cheap Walmart boxes may not be rated for the weight of whatever item is being shipped. The rated weight of the box and the edge crush rate matter. The other thing that matters is how tightly you pack the box - loose items, even if they are not fragile are hard on a box's integrity. Pack your box tight, and then shake it. If anything moves, you're going to have box integrity issues, especially with bigger items.

I re-use once shipped boxes all the time. So long as they are double walled corrugated cardboard that was not beat up the first time around and is rated for the item weight, you're fine to use a branded box. Just make sure any previous address labels are covered, any bar codes are covered, and that there are no funky labels for controlled shipping - hazmat, lithium batteries, alcohol, etc, showing on the box.

[santamonicajeweler]

Domestically Prohibited Items

You can't send these items in the U.S. mail:

• Air Bags
• Ammunition
• Explosives
• Gasoline
• Marijuana (medical or otherwise)

www.usps.com/ship/shipping-restrictions.htm

Most probably your box shouldn't show these items as well

[yuzuha]

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@glgenterprise wrote:

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@lilbama911 wrote:

Go to Wal-Mart and purchase cheap boxes.   Do not use branded boxes to ship item anywhere as it can become problematic.

---

Ugh. This is not 100% true.

The box used should be adequate to the job. Cheap Walmart boxes may not be rated for the weight of whatever item is being shipped. The rated weight of the box and the edge crush rate matter. The other thing that matters is how tightly you pack the box - loose items, even if they are not fragile are hard on a box's integrity. Pack your box tight, and then shake it. If anything moves, you're going to have box integrity issues, especially with bigger items.

I re-use once shipped boxes all the time. So long as they are double walled corrugated cardboard that was not beat up the first time around and is rated for the item weight, you're fine to use a branded box. Just make sure any previous address labels are covered, any bar codes are covered, and that there are no funky labels for controlled shipping - hazmat, lithium batteries, alcohol, etc, showing on the box.

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Yep, probably 80% of the boxes I use for shipping are ones that I brought home from work-- the shipping boxes for various products that we stock. As long as the rated weight is 32 or higher, they're just fine for shipping.

As far as reusing other shipping boxes go, my friend and I have been mailing stuff to each other back and forth in a reused Barnes and Noble box for months now. We simply put our stuff in the box, slap a new label on it and then mail it off... it's probably made the rounds at least eight times by now and is still holding up just fine. As long as the box hasn't been crunched or otherwise damaged in shipping, you can reuse those babies a few times.

[wastingtime101]

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@katzrul15 wrote:

USPS is pretty specific about NOT covering boxes in grocery sacks, brown paper, etc - they often snag/tear in their machines. 

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Yes, they are. From this USPS page:

• Paper wrapping is not recommended; it can catch and tear off in mail processing equipment.
• It is acceptable to reuse boxes if all package markings and labels have been removed or completely marked out (Wrapping a parcel in paper or just crossing out a label is not sufficient).

('Package markings' refers to things like shipping labels and bar codes, not branding.)

I reuse a lot of materials (as long as they're clean and haven't lost their structure) when packing, @moremania. It's important to know when/how to reuse materials. Certain things like the product packaging mentioned in your title are better used on the inside of packages. Cut them up to reinforce box walls, use to make cardboard sleeves/wraps, use as dividers, and the list goes on. My recycling bin contains only scraps of cardboard most of the time because I reuse so much.

For exterior shipping boxes I stand firm to what I said above: use an actual shipping box, not product packaging. Reused or not, it's important that the box was originally built with a structure intended to hold up to the shipping process. If you are reusing a box, make sure the corners and edges haven't weakened and that the box still has its structure.