Pirate ship this can't be real first timer? and Question

[tthodgepodge]

Someone else suggested I check out Pirateship.com for my shipping on large items.  Plugged in a random address on the opposite side of the country for a 30 pound box and Pirateship quoted me $60ish.  Where as Ebay is quoting me $$52-$144 for parcel select and $37-$348 for UPS ground.  If I go to buy the label, are there hidden fees?  Something I'm missing?  Is this a promotional rate?

Secondly, if this is real.  Is there any possible way to integrate a "scaled" shipping cost from pirate ship, into my listing?

[krazzykats]

If I am reading it right, Pirateship was higher?  Why would you want to integrate a higher-priced shipping method into a listing?

Make sure you are not only weighing the package but using the measurements LxWxH with the weight for shipping costs.  Once you exceed 12x12x12 postage costs jump significantly.

[martin2001]

Hi:

Pirateship is 100% legit. I have been using them for at least past 3 years. I use them mostly for packages up to 2 lbs.

For the 60ish you did not mention which service, probably USPS? For lower weight packages you may get a cheaper price at pirate, for higher weight, probably not, if your comparisons above are apples to apples.

The advantage of Pirateship is their superior customer service, an ease which which you can print or reprint labels,  SCAN forms (for USPS packages), cancel label and have them refunded and several others, they respond to email within 24 hours, live chat is also available.  If you mail internationally, packages up to 4 lbs are about 25% cheaper than their competition, including ebay.

Their site functioning virtually 100% of the time.

I plugged in a 14x14x14 inch package from virginia to california, 30 lbs, for UPS ground they quote $43, USPS parcel select $93.

[tthodgepodge]

No, sorry if my post was confusing.  For the large weight item it seems pirate ship is significantly cheaper.  I can have access to shipping to the opposite side of the country for WAY cheaper.

So is my only option Flat Rate?  Or can I use "calculated shipping" in ebay and integrate the pirate ship quote somehow?

[martin2001]

I forgot, you can also easily print return labels.

[richard1rst]

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@tthodgepodge wrote:

No, sorry if my post was confusing.  For the large weight item it seems pirate ship is significantly cheaper.  I can have access to shipping to the opposite side of the country for WAY cheaper.

So is my only option Flat Rate?  Or can I use "calculated shipping" in ebay and integrate the pirate ship quote somehow?

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NEVER EVER use flat rate for larger heavier items. The disparity in shipping cost local vs cross country are just too enormous. ALWAYS use calculated shipping. Enter the correct size and weight and the shipping will adjust depending on the buyer's ZIP.

eBay will calculate the correct shipping fees to charge your buyer. Then go to Pirateship to print. There is no need to "integrate" Pirateship.

By the way - I am also a loyal Pirateship fan and I print ALL my labels with them.

[pjcdn2005]

Pirateship can be less expensive because they use a cubic rate…is that correct?

[rfmtm]

For calculated shipping, you can only use ebay's calculator.   Generally Pirate Ship with be equal or less the cost quoted on ebay.  However, for USPS there can be some small exceptions depending on, if you have the old TRS plus discounts or a holiday surcharge is being waived.  Also Pirate Ship offers cubic rates, which can save cost, and will be good to have when the Regional Boxes disappear.

For UPS you may see a cheaper price on ebay, but very often it is not the actual higher price you will end up paying.   This generally is not a problem with Pirate Ship, which has a better quoting system.  Also Pirate Ship offers USP cubic and flat rate, which can be cheaper.

[lightlily_arts]

Pirateship allows you to integrate your eBay listings  with their site when printing labels.    However, you still need use eBay's calculated shipping in your listing to determine the exact shipping charge the buyers needs to pay.  You need to keep in mind that if the dimensions of your box exceeds 12" x 12" x  12" inches that you have to  calculate the dimensional weight for oversize parcels.  When calculating dimensional weight you need to use the carriers dimensional weight instead of the actual weight which ever is higher.

https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/dimensional-weight

For example, I recently shipped a box 28" x 20" x 8" which actually weighed 17 lbs.  However, the  calculated dimensional weight for UPS and Fedex was 33lbs. and USPS was 27 lbs.  If you don't enter the dimensional shipping weight in your listing  you will get a nasty surprise from eBay when they collect it later.  This is an error that many sellers make because they aren't aware of dimensional weight calculations.  You also need to exclude shipping to P.O. Boxes when using UPS and Fedex.

[richard1rst]

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@lightlily_arts wrote:

You need to keep in mind that if the dimensions of your box exceeds 12" x 12" x 12" inches that you have to calculate the dimensional weight for oversize parcels. When calculating dimensional weight you need to use the carriers dimensional weight instead of the actual weight which ever is higher.

For example, I recently shipped a box 28" x 20" x 8" which actually weighed 17 lbs.  However, the  calculated dimensional weight for UPS and Fedex was 33lbs. and USPS was 27 lbs.  If you don't enter the dimensional shipping weight in your listing  you will get a nasty surprise from eBay when they collect it later.  This is an error that many sellers make because they aren't aware of dimensional weight calculations.  You also need to exclude shipping to P.O. Boxes when using UPS and Fedex.

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An extraordinarily excellent and informative post. All those posts from all those shippers screaming how UPS or FedEx "overcharged" them when they KNEW that they entered the correct weight and size are now explained. Too bad they probably won't see this.