Shipping: Getting Your eBay Products to Your Customers

It took some time, but you have decided on your products and listed them for

auction on eBay. Once the auction is over, someone will be the proud new owner

of your product. Before you count your money, don’t forget that to seal the

deal, the product has to be shipped to its new owner.

Shipping is one consideration that needs to be decided before you even list an

item on eBay. Some people forget the shipping part until the end of the auction.

Or, they dont put a lot of thought into the shipping process and choose just

any method. This is a recipe for disaster that we are going to shred right now.

If you buy something from someone on eBay or out of a catalog, you want it to

arrive in one piece. There will be lots of weeping and wailing if it doesn’t and

you’ll have to deal with it. Careful shipping procedures will ensure that your

customers are smiling pretty when that box arrives.

Shipping Considerations

Before you choose a shipping method, there are a number of things to consider.

First, how heavy is your product? Smaller products that weigh less than 25

pounds are usually shipped by UPS or USPS. The prices are reasonable and you can

set up at-home pickup or check into a mailing service where you get a scale and

print, pay for shipping supplies and schedule delivery online.

Secondly, are you selling multiple items? Shipping supplies can be costly.

Purchasing in bulk saves money and expedites your shipping process when each

item sells.

Third, how will you calculate your shipping costs? In your item listing you can

use fixed price shipping or include a shipping rate calculator so bidders can

calculate additional shipping before they bid on an item. For smaller items, you

can offer free shipping if the item is light but will fetch a high price in the

auction.

What method should you use?

There are several ways to ship a product. eBay suggests shipping methods to all

its auction owners, but the final decision is up to you. Most sellers use

either UPS, FedEx, USPS or other shipping companies like DHL. For irregular or

bulky packages, FedEx ground would probably be cheaper.

Dont forget to figure in the cost of packing supplies. Those nifty little

packing peanuts (no they are not edible, but they are cute) are not free and

neither is the bubble wrap. If you aren’t sure how to pack it up trust your

product to the experts. It may take a little time to visit the shipping store

but that is better than having a customer upset by a damaged or destroyed

product that will have to be refunded.

Shipping is a high priority not a last resort when selling on eBay. Let bidders

know your shipping methods and costs in your listings along with shipping

delivery dates. Leave nothing to chance with your valuable products.