Priority Mail has CHANGED!!! (price-wise)

HOLY SMOKES!

Sometime in the last few months, there has been a big change in the way Priority Mail shipping fees are calculated.

In the past, it did not matter if a PriMail package was sent accross the street or across the country. Well, I found out the hard way this weekend that it no longer is the same.

There are now "zones", just like UPS. What this means is that if you have a 10lb package, and list the postage in your eBay ad as $8.40 (which was the old price for anywhere in the USA), and the winner of the item is on the opposite coast, the shipping is now $19.20!

I ended up having to eat a bit of postage!!

From now on, my ads will state that postage will be determined at the end of the auction.
Just thought you guys would like to know this, if you don't already....

 

Thanks for the heads-up.

Can you calculate as accurate as UPS does?

 

Here is the page for figurin'!! (Of course, you need a scale!)

It used to be that the zip codes did not matter...now they do!

http://postcalc.usps.gov/

 

It's been that way for a long time now...

Agreed, it sucks. In the good old days, it was $2.90 for two pounds, anywhere in the US. Then it was $3.30 for two pounds, anywhere in the US. Now it's $3.85 for ONE pound anywhere in the US. Above one pound? You pay by zone...and it can cost you BIG TIME!

Kwad

 

I didn't know. I shipped a heavy Q8 player, the winner was in CA, me in CT. Cost me $24+ to ship it. I only charged the guy $10!! YUK!

 

That changed in like January '02 . . . A total fubar. Thank goodness for Media Mail !

 

I noticed that change also...I've been a stamps.com customer for a couple of years, and I remember discovering this while checking Priority rates once for sending one LP to different parts of the country. I broke even: I ended up overcharging enough on the closer shipments to cover the undercharged shipping to CA.

My ex had a big problem selling a lot of things on eBay that had all different weights: she'd list a dozen or more items and would get bombarded with requests for postage before the auction ended. I convinced her to put the weight of the item on the site and let the sellers do the legwork to get an approximate value.

 

1) For heavy stuff I suggest you use FEDEX ground (be sure to say continental US in auction. It is cheap for Canada also.
I just shipped 15.5lbs from CA to CT for $10.82 insured in a 14x14x16.5 box
2) for USPS just use the far away zip code and you are covered - a little extra profit on close in shipments.
Both ways you can list fixed price shipping in the auction. (= faster payment)
for examples check out my closed auctions. The world radio was sold to Canada and I was able to offer the same price for shipping as I had for US with fedex ground. pretty cool.

ALSO I use a lot of priority mail FLAT rate envelopes. Stuff up to 4lbs in one and it is $3.85 anywhere in the US. great for 3 DVD sets shipping etc. Same deal on global priority 4lbs for $9 most countries.

ALSO remember to print your usps label on the web site and get free delivery confirmation.

Also print the fedex label on line and get a discount rate.
good luck selling....

 

I find that you are MUCH better off just stating a fixed shipping rate up front, as opposed to listing the weight and letting the buyer figure it out. Figure out the maximum it could cost you to ship via whatever method you will be using and just list that as the fixed rate for Continental US buyers. Trust me: You will make buyers a lot happier doing this than even stating "I will charge true shipping costs". Buyers don't like ANY uncertainty.

Flat rate envelopes are OK, but too small to SAFELY ship more than 1-2 CDs. To ensure your stuff gets to its destination safely, you need to bubble wrap the discs several times, and once you do that, you're not going to be able to fit more than 1-2 in the envelope.

Kwad

 

A lot of great info, thanks!!!!

Mike