Why Priority Shipping Only?

[robiblio]

Can someone tell me why so many sellers offer only Priority shipping? I usually buy books. Media rate is half to a third of the price, but so many sellers don't offer it. Don't they realize that they're hurting themselves? If I have a budget of $50 for a book, and the Priority shipping is $8.70, that allows only $41.30 for the book. If they offered media, that book could be shipped for around $3.50, allowing me to bid $46.50 for the book. Allowing a buck for shipping supplies, they'd still realize about $4.00 more in their pocket. Then many add a "handling charge" and that boosts my cost even more. I seldom even bother looking at the listing if the shipping is Priority. Between no pictures, nonexistant descriptions and outrageous shipping, I seldom buy on ebay anymore.

[parkersparrow]

My guess would be because priority shipping is faster and includes insurance. 

[vettenoodle]

Possibly not just because of speed- Media mail is not handled as "nice" as priority. The packages are pretty beat up looking usually when they finally do arrive.  I would never want someone to ship me a 50.00 book media mail.  A cheap paperback, fine, but not anything of value.

[orangehound]

I would think because of speed ... customers expect their products at Amazon Prime speed these days, and they can get upset if your package takes 10 days instead of 3.

[missjen831]

Yep gonna go with speed as well. Ebay likes to give overly generous delivery estimates and media mail is usually slow with little tracking updates and not all buyers are patient, some rush to file a INR as soon as they can & some think a package is lost if it hasn't been scanned for 3 days. Many sellers have been burned by this. They've been forced to refund if the package wasn't delivered by the 3rd business day after the INR was opened. 

[iaintdoingit]

If you find a book that you really want I would message the seller and ask if they would consider Media.  If they respond, their answer could only be 'yes' or 'no'.  Worth a try!

When I sell books, I list both Media and Priority as a selection.  It gives my customers a little more control over the  delivery time-frame and cost.

[the_voice_in_your_head_is_me]

Media Mail can take forever. Many buyers will choose it over Priority to save a couple of bucks and then raise holy heck when they get the service they chose.

[dirk12955]

Because those darn buyers will poke that "Didn't arrive on time" button which punishes the poor seller
monetarily if it happens enough times.

Priority = fast and Media = slow

[iaintdoingit]

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@dirk12955 wrote:
Because those darn buyers will poke that "Didn't arrive on time" button which punishes the poor seller
monetarily if it happens enough times.

Priority = fast and Media = slow

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I hear you loud and clear.  Yes, I have had to put out a few fires because of Media Mail.  Most of the time when a buyer complains I dust off my Early Childhood Education degree in order write a response on their level.  Works 98% of the time!

[keziak]

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@iaintdoingit wrote:

If you find a book that you really want I would message the seller and ask if they would consider Media.  If they respond, their answer could only be 'yes' or 'no'.  Worth a try!

When I sell books, I list both Media and Priority as a selection.  It gives my customers a little more control over the  delivery time-frame and cost.

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I also offer both on most books. I get more Priority mail / expeditied orders on Amazon. On ebay I believe that the pressure to get low expenses means that if given the option people choose the least-expensive way.  

[annasunicorns]

I offer both. But sometimes ebay auto puts priority first so you have to cart the item to see shipping choices.

[disneyshopper]

Besides Priority being quicker, the USPS also provides free boxes and insurance up to $50 is included ($100 if the seller is a top rated plus seller).

Shipping using media mail also requires that the seller locate a box that will fit, which may require BUYING a box.  Adding that cost to the media shipping might negate any cost savings to the seller/buyer.

[Anonymous]

 I Don't  ever ship media mail ,But the last time I sold a set of encyclopedia, about 12 years ago.. sent them media mail 2 big boxes.... 1 box never arrived and has not been found to this day. So had to refund over 100 dollars  If they can lose a big box like that... NO Thanks

[missjen831]

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@disneyshopper wrote:

Besides Priority being quicker, the USPS also provides free boxes and insurance up to $50 is included ($100 if the seller is a top rated plus seller).

Shipping using media mail also requires that the seller locate a box that will fit, which may require BUYING a box.  Adding that cost to the media shipping might negate any cost savings to the seller/buyer.

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Media mail doesn’t require a box. Padded envelopes are fine.

most book sellers don’t even use boxes in my experience.

[lja440]

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@Anonymous wrote:

 I Don't  ever ship media mail ,But the last time I sold a set of encyclopedia, about 12 years ago.. sent them media mail 2 big boxes.... 1 box never arrived and has not been found to this day. So had to refund over 100 dollars  If they can lose a big box like that... NO Thanks

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I am a mail carrier. A set of encyclopedias would need more than 2 boxes. Just because our weight limit for a package is 70# doesn't mean that the box you use can handle 70#. 

I have a set of Encyclopedias, both for the reasons as I wanted my kids to know how to look things up and not just Google, and I really like the look of them (and they make kick @$$ weights when I press things for art projects).

When we moved I moved them in 3 laundry baskets (not el-cheepo ones), the handles broke on 2. 

Anything I ship with any type of mail over 20# gets fiber strapping tape, 2 straps in each direction. 

The most common fault I see as a carrier is a sender will tape the top of the box very well but only have one strip on the bottom from making the box.