Good Ebay Shipping Strategy ?

I recently came across this on eBay, and the IMHO, low shipping cost impressed. These MCM Mont-Style table lamps are usually around 3' tall and take a large spacious box for protection.
'item #:358588182589-Lg MCM Bronze Double Socket Table Lamp - James Mont Style-US-$100/ Shipping:US $20.30 USPS Ground Advantage-Reno, Nevada,US'
I thought the shipping charges were reasonable if not downright cheap. A lot of Sellers were charging 5 to 10 times this amount.I wrote the Seller and got this response-

"Pirate ship, or ebays professional shipping. fedex is great for this size."

I guess I'll try this mailing method when I ell my lamps. Have no idea what Pirate Ship or Ebay's Prof Shipping is- anybody out there used these services ?

 

Pirate Ship is a way to print out labels that may be lower cost than ebays or etsy or other online venues. Etsy recently interfered with sellers using PS so unless you already had a set up account there, they no longer accept using it as they don't want to part with the transaction fee for shipping labels. I have never used it but it gets rave reviews,

Go to Pirateship.com and you can get an idea of the savings and how it works.

It is also fine if you don't sell online and want to get a discount for pkgs rather than pay usps the whole amount.

Very easy site to use and from what I gather they are quick to respond if you need help

https://www.pirateship.com/

 

If the shipping is calculated and you’re close by that rate might be possible. You could try changing the listing’s shipping charges ZIP Code to a far away one (Florida?) ZIP Code and see what it comes out to. I would guess it would be much much more. Btw change back to your zip code afterwards

 

I'd be leery of really low shipping. They might use a Tyvek envelope.(eeek!) Packing lamps is not for the faint of heart or people who cheap out on packing materials.

 

To diligently pack my 2 Mont Marbro Lamps & 1 vintage bakelite dragon lamp-there's simply no way I can cheap out-the Bakelite one would arrive in shards if I even tried !

 

IMHO when shipping breakables there is no such thing as cheap shipping.

I know buyers don't think this way tho.

 

When packing breakeables, the box and materials must be set to withstand nuclear detonation or use as a football on a world cup pitch. Also make sure they can roll a truck over it.

 

Sadly, though some, or even a sizeable chunk of profit may be lost in good shipping practices-it won't be as much as the mental anguish of an irate customer screaming at you endlessly on Ebay, and having to grovel and beg to avoid a NEG.

 

How do you use this with eBay? They have their own calculator that (I thought) you had to use. If you say "pirateship.com" in listings, I suspect they would not list. (They refused a listing for a cup & saucer when I cited thepotteries.org as the source for the date. Programming believed that any url was an attempt to circumvent buying through eBay.) Hmm... Maybe, "Contact seller for shipping price," or would eBay AI prevent that?

 

Not allowed - period. You have to specify shipping rates or you can't list the item. No URLs in the listing that aren't pages on eBay, and maybe not those. I think you can still use Pirate SHip, but I'm not sure for how long.

 

Thank you! I did not know about Pirateship. This makes a big difference. Ebay does not allow calculated shipping for multiple boxes & flat rate (using the longest shipping distance) was prohibitive. This helped a lot.

 

I have not sold on ebay for decades.
On etsy when they allowed PS, they integrated the 2 platforms. I used etsy to print out my labels
But then etsy got angry they were not collecting a transaction fee for the label so they stopped it.

I haven't used PS but the people that have rave about it.

Maybe you can find some answers on how it works on PS site.

 

When I noticed lamps identical to mine on Ebay w/ shipping rates from $17.99-$179.00 I almost got whiplash !
I'm sure a lot of Sellers are trying to make a percentage of profit from 'nebulous' shipping/handling fees-but these differences were gobsmacking

 

BEWARE- This is an AI Answer re Pirate Ship. More research 'due diligence' needed to confirm if this 100% correct- and Ebay can change this policy at any time.

''Yes, you can use Pirate Ship with eBay. In fact, the two platforms integrate seamlessly to save you time and money. [1, 2]

How the Integration Works

• Automatic Import: You can link your eBay account directly to Pirate Ship. Once connected, Pirate Ship automatically pulls all your unshipped, paid eBay orders into your account. [1, 2]
• No Manual Copy/Pasting: After you buy and print a shipping label on Pirate Ship, it automatically marks the order as shipped on eBay and uploads the tracking number for you. [1, 2]

Pros and Cons of Using Pirate Ship

• Cheaper Specialty Rates: Pirate Ship offers discounted services that eBay doesn't always provide, such as USPS Priority Mail Cubic, Box-in-a-Bag rates, and incredibly cheap insurance for oversized items. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Credit Card Perks: Because you pay for labels directly on Pirate Ship, you can use a rewards credit card to earn cash back or points on all your shipping costs. [1, 2]
• Limitations on Live Rates: Pirate Ship doesn't display live rates to your customers during eBay checkout. You will need to manually set your shipping prices or use eBay's calculated shipping calculator and pocket the difference if Pirate Ship is cheaper. [1, 2, 3]

How to Connect Them

1. Create a free account at Pirate Ship.
2. Go to Settings > Integrations > Connect New Source > eBay.
3. Log in to eBay and authorize Pirate Ship to access your account.
4. Go to the "Ready to Ship" tab in Pirate Ship to start importing your orders. [1, 2, 3]"

 

I know a few people who use it for cookies (cottage bakers) they say it is easy to use. I haven't looked into to it I will ask some that use it.

 

The USPS may be setting up new rates for online sellers. Right now on eBoo it's cheaper to ship a five pound box than a one-pound package. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

And you don't have to be a seller to use PS.
Anyone can use it as long as you sign up for a free account.

I never heard anyone complain about PS

I signed up a long time ago and they never bother me to do something.

Plus etsy does not have the right rates for media mail. So I go to PS and knowing the weight, I can read it off their site.