For eBay discounts, one of the measurements include a minimum use of delivery confirmation.
But are you being penny wise and pound foolish?
Yes, eBay encourages US sellers to use DC on everything, but if the cost of doing that :
- reduces the number of your sales , because of the high cost of shipping
- increases your costs of because of fees on shipping and
- increases your actual cost of shipping (covered by the buyer, but still)
then perhaps it is time to go commando, for the benefit of your bottom line.
I do note that you sell in a category where there is a high level of testosterone poisoning, while my customers tend to be more... contemplative, but I have found that I do better using Cookie Jar Insurance, rather than expensive tracking.
And I am in Canada where a paperback 2cm thick can be shipped domestically untracked for $1.20 (85c USD) but one 3 cm thick costs $12.00 with tracking.
Basically, Cookie Jar Insurance means adding a small amount to every asking or shipping price and putting those virtual pennies or dimes into a virtual Cookie Jar.
If you have a claim, you pay it out of the virtual Cookie Jar. (A little due diligence, but the claim never goes to eBay/Paypal for resolution.)
Most sellers using this system, rather than paying 3rd party insurance, find they make money on it. Just like a real insurance company.
It comes down to, how often do you actually need tracking? Is there a problem with your listings or packaging that leads to problems? Is there a problem with your customer base that makes them less than honest?
