Once the item has sold and money deposited into your Paypal account, (ka-ching ka-ching!), it is up to you to get that item shipped safely to the customer as soon as possible.
Ebay customers are sticklers about fast shipping. They are also very sensitive to high shipping charges. So how do you reconcile the two? Easy if you stay organized and keep on track with my proven method:
1. The sale has been made! Now what? First I always print out two packing slips for the sale from my Paypal account; one I keep for my records and one goes with the shipment.
2. Then I look up where the item is located from the Ebay blurb I wrote when I first listed it. Just add a secret location number somewhere in the body of the text. I always put it right under my comment “Look at my other items!”. Then I go and retrieve the item from my shelves.
3. Always pack very careful especially if it is glass, ceramic, or otherwise very breakable. But even if it is plastic or metal I wrap very carefully because boxes get crushed in shipping and the item can be destroyed. If it is glass, I first wrap in tissue paper and lightly tape down with masking tape (do not use packing tape for this as it is too strong and customers sometime damage the item just trying to get the tape off – very irritating to the customer!).
4. Then the item is wrapped in small bubblewrap first one way and then the other, taping the ends with masking tape. If it is glass or ceramic or breakable, make sure you can no longer feel the edges through the bubble wrap.
5. Pick a box that is larger than the item by at least two inches all the way around (more if it is especially fragile) and fill the bottom of the box 2-3 inches with styrofoam peanuts.
6. Place item on top of first layer of peanuts and then fill with peanuts so the item can not move around in the box.
7. If you have two or more items, make sure there are peanuts between the items so they aren’t touching. If you are stacking plate, put cardboard or something between plates even with the peanuts between them.
8. Put the packing slip on top along with an insert note about your refund policy (I give 100% guarantee – if they do not like the item, they can return for a full refund paying return shipping). My insert tells about my business, the URL for my Ebay store (free advertising!), my auction user name, and the refund policy. I tell them that they are very important and that I want them to be happy. I also have a photo taken of the lake where I live at the top of the insert – it is so beautiful here that I want to share it with everyone all over the world!
9. Put heavy duty shipping tape along the bottom seam of the the box and then form an “H” by taping across that bottom seam and do the same with the top of the box. Now write FRAGILE all over the sides and also write UP with an arrow up.
10. A shipping label is then printed out from Paypal via USPS and taped to the package. Stickon mailing labels are available but it seems just as easy to use packing tape and printer paper. However, the stickon labels would save time so I may switch to that at some point.
11. From Paypal, I request a Carrier Pickup the next day via USPS on my front porch. Now what could be easier than that? Note: you MUST have one priority mail package to qualify for USPS Carrier Pickup. Since most of my auctions end at the same time, usually something can be shipped priority. Best thing of all, priority boxes are FREE!
Note: I rarely use the USPS insurance; it is very hard to collect on it, and my items rarely break in shipment. When they do, the items are typically low cost ranging in price from $10 – $100 and the item cost me a great deal less than that, so I just consider it MY FAULT, and refund the money (entire amount, including shipping), no questions asked. That is my refund policy.
If you ship more expensive items, it would be better to use UPS or another carrier where it is not such a problem to collect on an insured item. Since all of mine are relatively inexpensive, I jsut consider it the cost of doing business and go on.
Now, what was all that talk in the heading about ratings? You will see from you Ebay “dashboard” that you have a certain rating. Hopefully, it is 5.0 but it is very easy to be lower when you first start out. My advice when you start out (but a good business practice nonetheless) is ship FAST and ship CHEAP. If you get bad ratings on shipping in the beginning of your Ebay career, it is a little like earning a D in college during your first semester; it is very hard to raise your GPA from that point on, less so when you are in your last semester as a senior and already have 120 credits to your name. Again, I can not stress this too much – be very careful starting out as an Ebay seller to get good ratings and ship FAST and ship CHEAP.
Be careful not to overprice your item on shipping. It is fair to add some money for shipping and handling (I charge .99 – $1.99 for items) but do not go overboard thinking you will make money on the shipping. Try to calculate how much something will weigh wrapped with bubblewrap and peanuts and add that to the total weight when you list the item. You may have to practice wrapping for awhile to get the hang of it.
If you find that you have overcharged a person for shipping by several dollars – by all means- refund a partial portion of it on Paypal.
At the very bottom of the sales item page on Paypal is a spot to refund all or part of the payment and your explanation. Even if you explain on Paypal what and why you are doing this, go back into the Ebay sale and email the person on Ebay and also their personal email if you can find it, include a note in the box if you haven’t already wrapped it. Otherwise, they won’t see the refund in Paypal, and will blast you on your dashboard rating with something to the effect of “Great item but waaaaay overcharged on shippping! What a ripoff seller!” Sticks and stones I know but they may also leave a zero on the shipping portion of the rating. You don’t need those negative vibes haunting your good name, what a bummer.
It is also worth noting that even items that are not considered fragile (such as pot metal) can shift around and break or get bent or pieces might fall off. I once mailed a crucifix of Jesus made of painted pot metal, really old and neat looking, which although wrapped in bubble wrap and peanuts, shifted around, breaking, and actually lost an arm in transit! Someone (the postman?) wrapped it back up good as new and the buyer thought I sold it to him without the arm! Luckily, I was able to explain to the buyer that something happened to the item between my house and his and even though it was wrapped nicely, had somehow been damaged. I think the nature of the item (projecting arms and cross) caused the item to shift and probably puncture the box. It should have been secured through styrofoam pieces or actually taped to cardboard or between cardboard to secure within the box (or boxed within a box).
Books can be damaged by getting wet from sitting outside so wrap in plastic if using a cardboard box for shipping. I wrap books carefully now usually in plastic and then a cardboard box after an expensive hardback book was damaged beyond repair in a bubble type envelope.
No matter how carefully you wrap, things do get damaged in transit, especially around Christmas. Generally, if you respond quickly to damage or shipping problems, the buyer will leave good feedback even if the item was ruined as long as they are compensated. Most Ebay buyers are great, fun people and totally understand about shipping problems.
Be careful that you do not have too many of these types of mishaps, however. If you are having several (and my gauge is more than one every three months)- you probably need to re-evaluate the way you are shipping. Get stronger boxes, use more peanuts and bubblewrap, use styrofoam pieces or heavy cardboard to hold items in place.
Boxes and shipping items can be purchased from Uline (www.Uline.com) and on Ebay from Ebay sellers.
Shipping is a great, productive part of the process of Ebay selling because YAY- A SALE WAS MADE! Some people hate it but I enjoy it and get up early to do it with my morning coffee. It truly is work you can do in your pajamas!
