PirateShip

[gmkliquidations]

I have seen Pirate Ship mentioned a few times in the comments; I checked out the website. I was wondering if anyone experienced with them can tell me what the pros and cons of the site vs. Ebay shipping, i.e. which shipping situations you would use them instead of buying shipping through Ebay.

Thank you

[bangordiscount · Accepted solution]

I use pirate ship exclusively for international shipments under 4lbs where I can use their "simple export" rate (you have to asked to be enrolled via chat). It's significantly cheaper than USPS FCI and eBay standard international rates.

It's a hybrid service so the package goes by USPS First Class or Priority while in the U.S. to a sort center owned by Asendia, who then uses a carrier such as USPS or DHL to deliver to the recipient in their country. I've used it hundreds of times and never had an issue with delivery.

Domestically the only rates for me that are cheaper is Priority when Priority Cubic rate is an option (good for heavy items going in small packages). I can't remember if I was automatically enrolled to get that rate or if I had to sign up. Otherwise eBay is cheaper with my TRS discount.

Also PirateShip has great customer service IMO

I hope that helps

[gjs_16]

Bit of a PITA for bulk shipping, I use it only when I have a cubic rate box going out.

Yes to awesome customer service, actual humans who speak English and know what they are doing!

Of course here comes the stampede, and so there went the neighborhood.

[friskya]

Someone mentioned in another post that PS also keeps information available (including the tracking info) on every label you've ever purchased from them. If I recall correctly, they used that to win a chargeback with a credit card company for a "not recognized" purchase.

[d-k_treasures]

You also get 100.00 of insurance automatically on Priority Mail, not 50.00. No need to be a TRS.

[stuff4divas]

@bangordiscount wrote:

I use pirate ship exclusively for international shipments under 4lbs where I can use their "simple export" rate (you have to asked to be enrolled via chat). It's significantly cheaper than USPS FCI and eBay standard international rates.

It's a hybrid service so the package goes by USPS First Class or Priority while in the U.S. to a sort center owned by Asendia, who then uses a carrier such as USPS or DHL to deliver to the recipient in their country. I've used it hundreds of times and never had an issue with delivery.

---

About 40% of my sales are international and I've been using ebay standard int'l without issue. They offer automatic 100$ insurance. Do you know if that is true for PS too?

Also, ESI uses Asendia with pkgs going to the sort center, etc. and considers the pkg has a successful delivery once it reaches that sorting center. Is it the same for PS? or do they consider the delivery to be successful only when it reaches the buyer's address?

Finally, LOL, regarding the charges, ebay charges (most countries) 13$ 8oz and under, then @21$ up to 2 lbs. Is it 'significally' less with PS?

Thanks @bangordiscount 

[friskya]

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@stuff4divas wrote:

@bangordiscount wrote:

I use pirate ship exclusively for international shipments under 4lbs where I can use their "simple export" rate (you have to asked to be enrolled via chat). It's significantly cheaper than USPS FCI and eBay standard international rates.

It's a hybrid service so the package goes by USPS First Class or Priority while in the U.S. to a sort center owned by Asendia, who then uses a carrier such as USPS or DHL to deliver to the recipient in their country. I've used it hundreds of times and never had an issue with delivery.

---

About 40% of my sales are international and I've been using ebay standard int'l without issue. They offer automatic 100$ insurance. Do you know if that is true for PS too?

No. No automatic insurance with Simple Export Rate.

Also, ESI uses Asendia with pkgs going to the sort center, etc. and considers the pkg has a successful delivery once it reaches that sorting center. Is it the same for PS? or do they consider the delivery to be successful only when it reaches the buyer's address?

It appears that they consider it successful when it reaches the customers door. You should chat with them further to clarify this, though.

Finally, LOL, regarding the charges, ebay charges (most countries) 13$ 8oz and under, then @21$ up to 2 lbs. Is it 'significally' less with PS?

From a quick look at their rate chart, it would appear that it is 'significally' less for both and 8oz package, as well as a 2lb package.

Thanks @bangordiscount 

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(Screen caps all taken from https://support.pirateship.com/en/articles/3649224-simple-export-rate), @stuff4divas 

[stuff4divas]

Thank you @friskya for this info! 😍

[richard1rst]

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@friskya wrote:

Someone mentioned in another post that PS also keeps information available (including the tracking info) on every label you've ever purchased from them. If I recall correctly, they used that to win a chargeback with a credit card company for a "not recognized" purchase.

---

Yep, that was me. And the purchase was 5 months old (past eBay's and USPS's timeline). Using the Pirateship info I did indeed win the charge back case.

Additionally Pirateship has just added UPS. Now in fairness the prices are the same as eBay.  BUT when you enter the info PS will calculate both USPS and UPS and show you the cheapest.

I found that interesting because I had a few packages that I would never had checked UPS because they were small and light. Turns out that on a few of them I found that UPS was cheaper.

If I was using eBay I would probably never have checked UPS and therefore would have spent more than I needed to.

In fairness they are not cheaper on everything. As a TRS+ member I get an extra discount on Priority Mail through eBay I do not get on PS. And their first class mail is the same.

But then there is always the credit card cash back program that you can not get on eBay.

And PS, through Asendia, is still sending mail to Australia and New Zealand even though regular USPS postage will be rejected.

[bangordiscount]

Not to be argumentative, and correct me if I'm wrong, but with ebay standard international (ESI), you do NOT have INR protection just because it was delivered to the domestic (U.S.) sort center. That protection goes with the "global shipping program (GSP)" not ESI.

And yes, as someone posted above, PirateShip's "Simple Export Rate" rates are significantly cheaper than ESI and I found delivery rates are significantly quicker, but I almost always sort to a domestic sort center in NY and I'm located in NY.

No, there is no included insurance but in I'm guessing nearly 500 packages I've never had one go missing. I can also self insure with my U-Pic insurance policy (they cover this method) at my standard international rate which is something like $1.50 per $100 units of coverage so it still comes out cheaper than ESI for me with much better insurance to boot.

[fm2000]

Priority is usually the same or more a bit more expensive on Pirate Ship, unless your item is small enough to qualify for the Priority Cubic rate (I wish they offered Cubic rate on eBay...) First class domestic and media mail is the same.

[flampman]

I am a bit late to this shipping "party" but when I ship anything I have the Pirate Ship App open and I compare the two. If the shipping is the same (or lower obviously) why wouldn't everybody utilize Pirate Ship to at the very least get credit card points. Provided you pay off your CC monthly and don't pay interest what's to lose?

[azmusicsales]

I can’t figure out how to do bulk shipment. PS support told me that it is built to ship multiple orders of the same size and weight, which is not conducive to my eBay sales where each item is different. They are working on a more seamless way. For now, when I do use it, I have to input and print out each item one by one, taking twice as long or longer as eBay shipping.