Using USPS Parcel Post

[blankauctions]

I was wondering if anyone regularly ships with Parcel Post? Is it ok to ship 1-2 pound items using parcel post or are customers likely to be upset about delivery time?

If I am offering free shipping do I need to make note of whether shipping by parcel post or usps first class?

thanks

[anthology-of-treasures]

When you create a listing you will have to indicate the type(s) of shipping services you are using. eBay will add an estimated delivery time for each service regardless of whether you offer free shipping or not. Search for some random items on eBay and then in the left navigation column select only to show those with free shipping. Do these show delivery times?

If buyers don't like the estimated delivery times in your listing then they should not buy your items. Many buyers don't bother to read the delivery times, let alone the whole listing description or all the pictures.

Free shipping actually creates higher prices for buyers. You must increase the price of the item by the maximum amount of shipping you could incur since you have no idea where the buyer may be from.  Having a 5 pound package means you must increase the price by at least $28.84. But eBay charges up to 12% on shipping and PayPal another 2.9% (4.4% foreign payment) so you need to add that on top of the $28.84 just to break even on shipping. When USPS raises it rates you need to adjust all your listings with free shipping.

Calculated shipping does not force every buyer to pay the maximum amount of shipping. Buyers living farther away may not purchase due to the higher coss but closer buyers have lower shipping fees. Free shipping is a eBay marketing ploy to make more money for eBay! When USPS increases it rates you do not need to edit your listings as the rates will be updated by eBay. You'll want to charge customers retail while paying commercial rates to offset the eBay commission on shipping.

You are not Top Rated so eBay gives you only $50 insurance and commercial rates. You can get commercial rates, $100 insurance and cubic pricing form pirateship, an authorized eBay label provider. Switch to eBay labels once you become Top Rated so you get commercial pricing less a 3% discount + $100 insurance, although you still do not get cubic pricing for small packages.

[lja440 · Accepted solution]

First Class Parcel maxes out at 15.9 ounces on-line 13 ounces retail at the Post Office

Parcel Post no longer exists, it is now Retail Ground (at the Post Office) and Parcel Select (on-line). This is best used for very heavy or large packages over 1 cubic foot. And for items that can not go via air. 

[anthology-of-treasures]

I forgot to add that in many cases the commercial rate you pay for Priority Mail will actually cost less than Parcel Select for many buyers. Even if its close Priority Mail includes $50 or $100 free insurance depending on where you buy your labels. The $100 insurance pirateship gives you does not depend on your eBay account status.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@blankauctions wrote: ...  Is it ok to ship 1-2 pound items using parcel post ...  do I need to make note of whether shipping by parcel post or usps first class? ...

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 As noted in the other posts, you can't use First Class package shipping for a package that weighs over 1 pound.   Ground shipping is much slower than First Class package shipping, so you can't specify First Class in the listing but then ship via ground (i.e., Parcel Select or Retail Ground).  

Currently the only time that ground shipping will be significantly cheaper than Priority Mail is if you're shipping a package that is over 1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches) to Zones 5 - 9.

[richard1rst]

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@blankauctions wrote:

I was wondering if anyone regularly ships with Parcel Post? Is it ok to ship 1-2 pound items using parcel post or are customers likely to be upset about delivery time?

If I am offering free shipping do I need to make note of whether shipping by parcel post or usps first class?

thanks

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First off, if you check the rates you will find that at 1 - 2 pounds Priority Mail is pretty much the same price as (what used to be called) Parcel Post. So there is no advantage and, yes, it takes longer. Remember that most people buying a new toy want it "yesterday".

As for free shipping - I always specify "standard shipping". That way I have the choice of using whichever service gives me the best price - but never at the cost of speed of delivery. (I never use "smart post" - that takes  significantly longer)

Some heavier items shipped cross country are cheaper by FedEx. Yet that same package delivered locally by Priority Mail is cheaper than FedEx. By using "standard shipping" I avoid getting locked into one or the other.

[electrola_man]

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@blankauctions wrote:

I was wondering if anyone regularly ships with Parcel Post? Is it ok to ship 1-2 pound items using parcel post or are customers likely to be upset about delivery time?

If I am offering free shipping do I need to make note of whether shipping by parcel post or usps first class?

thanks

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One reason to use Parcel Select Ground is when shipping something that cannot be shipped by air.  On those items, I only offer that, even if the item is light enough to have shipped First Class.  It costs quite a bit more, but it has to be.

Most of what I sell is shipped by Priority Mail or First Class, since the difference between Priority and Parcel Select is often small if anything.  Recently, though, a prospective buyer wrote to me noting that shipping to her address was $53 and asked if there was anything I could do to make it less.  I modified the listing to add the option of Parcel Select Ground, leaving size and weight the same.  That reduced cost to her address to about $18.  She then placed a bit.

[berserkerplanet]

>>Recently, though, a prospective buyer wrote to me noting that shipping to her address was $53 and asked if there
>>was anything I could do to make it less. I modified the listing to add the option of Parcel Select Ground, leaving size
>>and weight the same. That reduced cost to her address to about $18.

After June 23, 2019, when the USPS Dimensional weight changes kick in, that will no longer be the case - the Parcel Select option will cost essentially the same as the Priority option, and both will be more than the $53 you quoted (because the dim weight divisor is changing from 194 to 166 then also).

Fun times on the horizon.

The TLDNR is that Parcel Select is going to be mostly worthless as a cheaper workaround for large light items, and shipping large light items is about to get uglier. A couple of scenarios I ran put FedEx Home Delivery and FedEx Smartpost back in as the cost effective options for something around 3 lbs and 2 cu-ft or more. (haven't worked the numbers in detail and probably won't - will just deal with each item as it comes up when listing to determine if even viable.)