eBay

lja440 · ‎02-18-2023

Its been so long since I needed it that I cant quickly find a simple explanation i can print out. Anyone that has this can you help by posting a link.

soh.maryl · ‎02-18-2023

Why would shipping info be any different for an "Old Order Amish family"?

toysaver · ‎02-18-2023

Many Amish have cellphones. They found they could not compete in the business world without internet access. If they can order online, they can track online.

or

Put the tracking number on a postcard and send it to them. Chances are the item will get there first. But what good is the tracking number if they are not online?

pickermall · ‎02-18-2023

Are you selling TO an Amish family or selling FOR and Amish family?

@toysaveris right... many Amish have cellphones, but mostly without internet access (flip phones). My wife and I deal with Amish almost every day (not in a business sense), and some Amish orders are more modern than you think.

If you sold something FOR them (like on commission), just go to your Ebay account and print off the label. Otherwise, I'm lost

nobody*s_perfect · ‎02-18-2023

Hi, lja, it's good to see you; you've been missing for a while!

Like the others, I'm not clear on what you're trying to provide an explanation for: How to purchase postage online, or tracking, etc.

soh.maryl · ‎02-18-2023

Thank you for explaining my question further. I didn't think about the cell phone issue. However, I, too, am living my life without a cell phone and seem to do well on eBay. It seems like a buyer would almost have to have a computer to shop on eBay, right?

toysaver · ‎02-18-2023

"It seems like a buyer would almost have to have a computer to shop on eBay, right?"

I think about 25% shop with cellphones. That's why there have been so many insane reboots to the listing format. To make sure everything functions on a smartphone. Some people just have cell phones now and are computerless.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎02-18-2023

@soh.maryl wrote:
Thank you for explaining my question further. I didn't think about the cell phone issue. However, I, too, am living my life without a cell phone and seem to do well on eBay. It seems like a buyer would almost have to have a computer to shop on eBay, right?

lja is (or was) a mail carrier. IIRC, she once mentioned picking up packages from her Amish neighbors on her route, and getting an envelope of cash to pay for the postage. Perhaps they're ready to start buying postage online, via their phones?

wastingtime101 · ‎02-18-2023

I'm not clear on the question either. Are you asking how to find tracking info for an older order?

Nice to see you back.

GLORIOUS!

lja440 · ‎02-19-2023

@wastingtime101 wrote:
I'm not clear on the question either. Are you asking how to find tracking info for an older order?

Nice to see you back.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I was on my way out to work.

I have an Amish family sewing church clothes. The way they are left with per their order is they can't have internet except for email. They email box size and weight and the address and someone PDF's them labels to print. I had a note to pick up and there was 7 packages, 2 brown boxes, a LFRB and the rest RR"A", BUT they all had 1 and 2 pound Parcel select labels. Obvoiusly I could only take the 2 plain boxes.

What I need is a simplified explanation of shipping rules and prices of the zipcode-specific zone chart for them to reference that I can print off. Everything in the Post Office is related to RETAIL counter prices. Heck, they put 8 stamps on a thin flat that from the feel a paper with a few small fabric swatches. They are clueless and I want to give them the current postage too because I'm sure this "email situation" isn't free.

If I still lived on my route I would offer to label them myself but I live 40 minutes away from my work Post Office.

lja440 · ‎02-19-2023

@toysaver wrote:
"It seems like a buyer would almost have to have a computer to shop on eBay, right?"

I think about 25% shop with cellphones. That's why there have been so many insane reboots to the listing format. To make sure everything functions on a smartphone. Some people just have cell phones now and are computerless.

A lot of Amish have cell phones, it depends on the order. These are OLD order, one step up from Swartzentruber Amish who don't even use glass windshields or slow-moving signage on their buggies, frankly I'm surprised they are allowed email. (Oh yes and they did recently get an Amazon package (scandalous, LOL) .

lja440 · ‎02-19-2023

@soh.maryl wrote:
Why would shipping info be any different for an "Old Order Amish family"?

Because for this family their order only allows for email. And I think this is also a new development so its very clunky. They need to explain what they are shipping to someone who orders the label then sends it to them in a PDF for them to print.

They need to know what the requirements are for the different mailers and what costs would be per zone from their zipcode.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎02-19-2023

Here's where you can print a handy one-page Zone chart based on the first 3 digits of their ZIP Code:

https://postcalc.usps.com/DomesticZoneChart

Here's the official USPS rates document, Notice 123. They will only need printouts of selected pages: retail First Class letters and flats; Parcel Select Ground; and Priority Commercial.

http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf

But what I think this family (or whoever is generating the labels for them) also need to know is that (1) package weight must be accurate; (2) the free Priority Mail boxes must have Priority labels, and (3) the Priority flat rate packaging must have specific flat rate postage. USPS has discontinued the Regional rates, so those boxes go by regular weight-based rates now.

Over the years, the gap between Parcel Select and Priority rates has been increasing. The regular weight-based rate for PS will always be lower than Priority.

If you had taken the Priority boxes that had Parcel Select labels, the sender probably would have been directly billed for the underpaid postage through the APV program:

https://link.usps.com/2017/10/05/what-is-apv/

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/ship-smart/ebay-shipping-partners/avoid-extra-postage-costs....

nobody*s_perfect · ‎02-19-2023

Oops, they will also need a printout from Notice 123 for First Class package service --Commercial Parcels (be sure not to confuse it with commercial flats, which is on the top half of the same page, maybe cross it out).

OTOH, I'm not sure how useful all these printouts will be, since price comparisons are very simple: First Class is only for packages up to 1 pounds and is always cheaper than Parcel Select or Priority, and Parcel Select is always cheaper than Priority. If you're using Priority, then it can be handy to use a printout of the rates page to compare whether a flat rate box will be cheaper than the regular rate; I draw a line below the rate for each zone/weight to show the cutoff thresholds. But if they are going for the cheapest rate, they should just be advised not to use the Priority boxes.

soh.maryl · ‎02-19-2023

Thanks for the very interesting information. So you are wanting to print off all the shipping information as an instruction sheet? YOU, as a mail carrier, would be the best source of this knowledge I am guessing. Maybe write down what you know and print it out, maybe first checking with the official USPS info to make sure it's all there in readable and understandable form. So the "retail and counter prices" are different from what they would pay? Is it a big difference? But perhaps, because of their volume, it would be a big difference?

You are so kind to help these folks.

Incidentally, I live slightly north of Ohio's Holmes County Amish population, which, I have been given to understand, is the largest in the US. Are you in that area, or some other state?