Selling & Shipping Issues

[cmocathe_blk0fuxk]

I'm strongly considering selling my stuff on EBAY.   But here are my problems:  A) I cannot print shipping labels from my ANDROID cellphone bc it doesn't allow that & I don't have a printer at home;    (I got burned from Mercari over this very same issue!   I COULDN'T print the shipping label from my ANDROID cell phone & I didn't know HOW to access the shipping label  from FEDEX's computer terminals either,  so I had to pay $33 to ship the stuff out!! 😢)     

B) I don't have the $ to buy packing supplies but if I do manage to scrape up the money, where do I buy them & how do I know which size boxes  to buy?  (I will be shipping out all different items with different sizes!  And referring to the above incident, FEDEX also charged me $9.00 for their box  & $11 for them to pack the merchandise for me, bc I don't know how to do that either!!  😥     

C) Where can I find/buy a digital scale?             

D) Are there any classes that I can take, in order to teach me HOW to sell, ship, & pack?  

[sam9876]

You can find boxes and packing material for free.  The only thing you will need to buy is tape.

[beardedbovine]

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@cmocathe_blk0fuxk wrote:

I'm strongly considering selling my stuff on EBAY.   But here are my problems:  A) I cannot print shipping labels from my ANDROID cellphone bc it doesn't allow that & I don't have a printer at home;    (I got burned from Mercari over this very same issue!   I COULDN'T print the shipping label from my ANDROID cell phone & I didn't know HOW to access the shipping label  from FEDEX's computer terminals either,  so I had to pay $33 to ship the stuff out!! 😢)     

What about your local library? Log in to eBay from the library and print the shipping labels from the orders page.

B) I don't have the $ to buy packing supplies but if I do manage to scrape up the money, where do I buy them & how do I know which size boxes  to buy?  (I will be shipping out all different items with different sizes!  And referring to the above incident, FEDEX also charged me $9.00 for their box  & $11 for them to pack the merchandise for me, bc I don't know how to do that either!!  😥     

You really should have that taken care of BEFORE you list or sell anything. Shipping materials can greatly impact the weight of a package and you should know exact weight and dimensions before you even think about listing something.

C) Where can I find/buy a digital scale?     

Anywhere... but we can't direct you to those sources so why not buy one on eBay? If you don't find one you like on eBay then do a google search.       

D) Are there any classes that I can take, in order to teach me HOW to sell, ship, & pack?  

Why don't you start by searching for videos on You Tube?

If you plan to use a phone to list and sell you really need to understand the limitations of the mobile app, but before that you need to start with basics of buying and selling. And learn all about the eBay Money Back Guarantee and PayPal buyer protection. There's a lot to know and it sounds like you're starting from scratch. After spending several hours on youtube and reading the Selling board on this forum come back and ask questions before you list anything.

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[robot-hands]

Buy a used printer and laptop...you needen't spend more than $150-200 for both. Or go to the library to get started and build up some money to buy them.

Scrounge packing material from retail business. Start with places you already frequent and know your face.

Packing material can be anything. Bags, newspaper, discarded block styrofoam.

You can get boxes for free from the USPS.

You can buy a WeighMax digital scale here on ebay: 391617410989

Now you just need tape, scissors and pens....and a good eye

[disneyshopper]

Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on SELLER CENTER. You can also read these links:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/listings?id=4072
https://www.ebay.com/help/listings/creating-managing-listings/creating-managing-listings?id=4105
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/selecting-listing-duration?id=4652
https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/cancelling-listing?id=4146

[mam98031]

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@cmocathe_blk0fuxk wrote:

I'm strongly considering selling my stuff on EBAY.   But here are my problems:  A) I cannot print shipping labels from my ANDROID cellphone bc it doesn't allow that & I don't have a printer at home;    (I got burned from Mercari over this very same issue!   I COULDN'T print the shipping label from my ANDROID cell phone & I didn't know HOW to access the shipping label  from FEDEX's computer terminals either,  so I had to pay $33 to ship the stuff out!! 😢)     

B) I don't have the $ to buy packing supplies but if I do manage to scrape up the money, where do I buy them & how do I know which size boxes  to buy?  (I will be shipping out all different items with different sizes!  And referring to the above incident, FEDEX also charged me $9.00 for their box  & $11 for them to pack the merchandise for me, bc I don't know how to do that either!!  😥     

C) Where can I find/buy a digital scale?             

D) Are there any classes that I can take, in order to teach me HOW to sell, ship, & pack?  

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I understand you are trying to operate on a shoestring budget.  But you really are going to have to spend a little to make a little.  

I found my scale on Ebay.  There are some good ones out there.  I didn't spend more than $30 on mine and it weighs up to 50 lbs, which is all I need.  

What type of stuff are you planning to sell?  Fedex is an expensive way to ship.  Can your stuff be shipped First Class Parcels?  Or Priority Mail flat rate boxes?  PM boxes are free at your local post office, but you must use them for PM mail or you can get yourself into a little trouble.  

You need to find a solution to your printing problem.  You have to resolve that.  Maybe a friend or neighbor will let you use their equipment.  Get a little Tablet if you can afford it and do your printing and listing creations from there.

[lja440]

First off I recommend you skip FedEx for now. They will eat you alive in surcharges.

Here are the answers to your questions.

If you are going to use eBaymobile. 

#1 get a scale, You can buy one right here on eBay. I bought a ultraship35 from oldwillknott back in 2004 and it is still going strong, he has changed his ID to greatscales and is easy to find and ships fast.

#2 you can order supplies here, dumpster dive for boxes or if you use USPS and ship Priority there are a host of free mailers that you can order that will even be shipped for free to you. DO send some time learning how to use them though. There are Flat Rate options, Zoned options and Regional Rate options. USPS also provides free package pick-up (in my location I would have to pay $11.45 to have FedEx pick-up a package).

#3 I think there are classes but this community is free and will probably answer most any question you have. There are also some good youtube posters.

Also some basic hints:

Do not start an auction at anything less than the very least you can take and cover experiences and make a small profit.

PACK WELL, it is the best insurance

Self Insure. I add 3-5% of the trending price to my starting price and keep it separate in case of damage or a return request. 

Don't sell in high scam categories until you have a good amount of experience.

Local librarys charge about 10c a sheet for print outs and have computer access, just remember to log out when you are done.

[sam9876]

What about boxes that aren't flat rate?

[estjoh-2]

Don't sell till you get a printer and figure out how to print from your phone (yes it can be done)

[mam98031]

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@sam9876 wrote:

What about boxes that aren't flat rate?

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What about them?  What is your question?

[sam9876]

You said:

"What type of stuff are you planning to sell?  Fedex is an expensive way to ship.  Can your stuff be shipped First Class Parcels?  Or Priority Mail flat rate boxes?  PM boxes are free at your local post office, but you must use them for PM mail or you can get yourself into a little trouble. "

[mam98031]

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@sam9876 wrote:

You said:

"What type of stuff are you planning to sell?  Fedex is an expensive way to ship.  Can your stuff be shipped First Class Parcels?  Or Priority Mail flat rate boxes?  PM boxes are free at your local post office, but you must use them for PM mail or you can get yourself into a little trouble. "

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I'm confident that you know the answer to your previous question.

[sam9876]

You didn't mention Priority Mail boxes that aren't flat rate.  You also didn't mention plain brown boxes that can be used for Priority Mail or any other class of package.  Why?

[glyph01]

In terms of printing, what I did when my printer was on the fritz was to pdf the label, put it on usb jump drive and go to FedEx Office and use their printer kiosk, plug the flash drive in after sliding your payment card into the machine. 14 cent per b/w copy (be sure to adjust printer setting for each page you print to b/w before printing or they'll charge 65 cents a page for color print!).

[mam98031]

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@sam9876 wrote:

You didn't mention Priority Mail boxes that aren't flat rate.  You also didn't mention plain brown boxes that can be used for Priority Mail or any other class of package.  Why?

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I apologize, I did not know I was suppose to cover every option.  My Bad, please feel free to post more corrections as needed.