Amazon shipping compensation

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spmahn

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So I've been selling some items on Amazon lately, mostly items that I don't think will sell as well on eBay, and I'm otherwise satisfied with their services, but the one thing that drives me up a all is the paltry sum they compensate you for shipping. eBay is getting bad with this as well, especially since they started capping what you can charge for physical media, but Amazon is just a joke.

I know Amazon has a formula for calculating what they pay you for shipping based on the weight and dimensions of the item, which is pre-determined based on pre-made listing, but for some items that I sell, particularly action figures, the shipping cost is no where near realistic. Ever try shipping an action figure? For one thing, you need to find a box large enough to fit the thing, then you need to make sure it is well packed to prevent damage during shipping, go down to the post office, and ship it. When all is said and done, you're looking at shipping cost of around $7 and change per items for parcel post plus time and effort for finding a box, or buying one if you can't find one for free. What does Amazon give you? Around $4. I know taking a hit on shipping costs is a reality for most Amazon sellers, and the easy fix is to just increase your expected selling price by 2 or 3 dollars, but is there an easier way to make Amazon compensate with more realistic shipping costs?
 
It is just not going to happen. You just have to factor in the real cost of shipping when you make a listing
 
What are you selling? Amazon seems to allow high-volume sellers to pretty much charge their own shipping rates.

Also, you're selling stuff online. Unless you're going to the post office when you should be at work, trying to claim that the time wasted "finding a box" and shipping it at the post office is worth something is a bit comical.
 
[quote name='Altanis']What are you selling? Amazon seems to allow high-volume sellers to pretty much charge their own shipping rates.

Also, you're selling stuff online. Unless you're going to the post office when you should be at work, trying to claim that the time wasted "finding a box" and shipping it at the post office is worth something is a bit comical.[/QUOTE]

I work seven days a week between two different jobs, and only get one day off every three weeks. I work Monday through Friday 9 - 5:30, so unless I luck out and get to skip out of work early, I need to prepare packages in my spare time, and hope I find someone who can bring it to the post office for me. Boxes, particularly medium sized boxes that are not too large, are not always easy to come by, especially not for free. Sometimes I luck out and get some from work, other times, you have to bite the bullet and purchase one at the post office or the office supply store. It's time and money, which IS an expense.

Unfortunately I don't sell enough to qualify for any high volume discounts.
 
Priority Mail Boxes are FREE.

Just raise your prices to compensate for shipping. To be honest, even if you charged more for shipping, you'd have people complaining. People don't realize that bubble mailers, gas, packing supplies, and the cost to ship to different parts of the country all add up.
 
[quote name='sdragon']Priority Mail Boxes are FREE.

Just raise your prices to compensate for shipping. To be honest, even if you charged more for shipping, you'd have people complaining. People don't realize that bubble mailers, gas, packing supplies, and the cost to ship to different parts of the country all add up.[/QUOTE]

Priority boxes ARE free, but if you were to ship everything priority, you'd be taking a bath on every item you sell. I used to ship everything priority because it was much more convenient, I could pay online, print the label, take it to the post office, and just drop it off, but not priority shipping is so cost prohibitive, that I won't do it unless it's requested and I am compensated for it, since it is usually 3 or 4 dollars more than Parcel Post for most items.
 
You never answered what exactly you were selling. If it's something that is capable of fitting in the Priority Mail boxes, then you're probably better off going that route.

You tried to claim that your time was money wasted, well, the Priority Mail boxes are much easier to ship with and don't waste your time, ergo, you save money.
 
[quote name='Altanis']You never answered what exactly you were selling. If it's something that is capable of fitting in the Priority Mail boxes, then you're probably better off going that route.

[/QUOTE]

No you're not. Priority are the biggest rip off ever. I could use a medium sized priority box or I could use my own box w/ similar dimensions. If I keep the weight to about 2-4 lbs (Even CEs will never go above this) then the cost will be anywhere from $6-$10 depending on what part of the country it is going to. Medium FR boxes are $14.90 if I'm not mistaken. Priority mail (FR) boxes are just not worth the money unless you really don't want to go to a store and just buy a $1 box. The Priority Mail service itself (not Flat-rate), is pretty damn impressive for its cost though.

@OP - There's nothing we can do. Just be happy that eBay hasn't made sellers of DVDs/Blu Rays ship those for free yet. That's something that sellers in the UK have been dealing with for the past 2 years.
 
The person was complaining about how his time was supposedly worth money, and how shipping was a hassle. If it's such a huge problem for him to go to the PO and ship things out, then the time savings alone from shipping Priority will be worth it to him, using his logic.

I have also had people on eBay ship things out using a Priority Mail box that they turned inside out (so the brown cardboard was on the outside. Provided you don't get caught, that seems to be one of the easiest ways. Just flip the boxes and ship them that way.
 
[quote name='Altanis']The person was complaining about how his time was supposedly worth money, and how shipping was a hassle. If it's such a huge problem for him to go to the PO and ship things out, then the time savings alone from shipping Priority will be worth it to him, using his logic.
[/QUOTE]

He complained about the cost, time, and effort. So increasing the cost to decrease time and effort still comes out bad.
 
Of the three things he complained about, only 1 is not really fixable, and that's cost.

Unfortunately for him, there's pretty much nothing he can do. But if it's $7-8 to ship something, and it takes forever out of his busy schedule to ship it out (lost money to him), then a couple extra bucks to just use Priority Mail will save him a ton in the long run (again, using his logic), as it takes a LOT less time (and to him, his time is worth money- apparently more than him shipping things out that are earning him $).

I didn't say it was particularly good advice. I just pretty much said that by using his flawed logic, Priority Mail was a better choice because it freed him up to do other, apparently more important, things with his valuable time.
 
[quote name='DarkRider23']No you're not. Priority are the biggest rip off ever. I could use a medium sized priority box or I could use my own box w/ similar dimensions. If I keep the weight to about 2-4 lbs (Even CEs will never go above this) then the cost will be anywhere from $6-$10 depending on what part of the country it is going to. Medium FR boxes are $14.90 if I'm not mistaken. Priority mail (FR) boxes are just not worth the money unless you really don't want to go to a store and just buy a $1 box. The Priority Mail service itself (not Flat-rate), is pretty damn impressive for its cost though[/QUOTE]

I think you are thinking of the large FR box price. I think the medium is somewhere between $10-11. For me the best values for shipping is:

1-13oz: USPS First Class
14oz - 2lb: USPS Priority Mail (own packaging unless it actually fits in a small flat rate box)

Over 2lbs I either go USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box or UPS Ground depending on where I'm shipping to and if the item will fit in a flat rate box or not. I live in Virginia so shipping anything USPS Priority Mail over 2lb to the west coast is quite expensive unless it fits in a FR box.
 
For finding someone to bring stuff to the post office if you print out a label (paypal, amazon or stamps all do it) you can drop it in the blue post office boxes which are everywhere. Invest in a shipping scale (mine was $10 on eBay.) for boxes I talk to clothing stores which let me pick up 100+ multiple size boxes for free. Store them flattened out til I have something that needs them, start running out call the stores and pickup more. Recycles and saves money. I sell everything from action figures, games, movies to antiques, highend electronics and car parts on a 60 hour a week work schedule and have next to no problems.
 
Priority Mail Flat-Rate shipping is good when you have an item/multiple items that will fit in one of those boxes and they're heavy. If the items are low in weight (1 or 2 pounds), flat-rate shipping boxes will be a waste of money.
 
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