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Recondiling shipping costs when selling in the classifides
- Thread starter Rrarthur
- Start date
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Sorry, I hit the enter key too quickly.
. So my question. When posting items, and they say +shipping...how do you reconcile the shipping cost with the buyer. I would use FedEx as they are open when I head in to work. Do you guys get a flat rate anywhere for a particular sized box? I am sure the buyer would like to know how much shipping is before agreeing on the purchase. I would only want to ship in the ConUS. Any direction would be appreciated on this, and sorry if it's posted in the wrong area.
Abercrombie FJR
Well-known member
If you listed the item as +shipping you will have to get the potential buyers address and bring the packed item to the shipper to determine the cost before the final transaction takes place.
Most of us that have sold things on-line before know how to weigh and look up the cost of shipping a package. You can get free accounts at FedEx, UPS and USPS to do shipping cost calculations.
FedEx is always the most expensive unless you have a corporate account and ship via ground. Lately UPS has been second most expensive and is the slowest method.
The bargain of shipping lately is USPS Priority Mail. With your free on-line account you can precisely estimate shipping costs by weight, or else use their flat rate packages. Flat rate is only cheaper if you have something small and dense. Typical Priority Mail transit time is 2 days across the entire country, you get free tracking and email updates, and it is the cheapest of the three options to boot.
You can even purchase the (paid) shipping labels, (attach the label to the box with clear packing tape) and just leave it with the outgoing mail. Priority Mail also includes some small amount of insurance included at no added cost. That and the cost on-line is discounted slightly over what you would pay the angry clerk at the Post Office.
I forgot to mention that Parcel Post is slower, has no tracking or included insurance, you have to go to the post office to do it, and the price difference is often not very much. (you can lookup the Parcel Post cost at your on-line account too)
FedEx is always the most expensive unless you have a corporate account and ship via ground. Lately UPS has been second most expensive and is the slowest method.
The bargain of shipping lately is USPS Priority Mail. With your free on-line account you can precisely estimate shipping costs by weight, or else use their flat rate packages. Flat rate is only cheaper if you have something small and dense. Typical Priority Mail transit time is 2 days across the entire country, you get free tracking and email updates, and it is the cheapest of the three options to boot.
You can even purchase the (paid) shipping labels, (attach the label to the box with clear packing tape) and just leave it with the outgoing mail. Priority Mail also includes some small amount of insurance included at no added cost. That and the cost on-line is discounted slightly over what you would pay the angry clerk at the Post Office.
I forgot to mention that Parcel Post is slower, has no tracking or included insurance, you have to go to the post office to do it, and the price difference is often not very much. (you can lookup the Parcel Post cost at your on-line account too)
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9 out of 10 times we agree they will pay X plus shipping. I get the address and go ship it. then tell them the total is X and so the package and $$$ pass each other in route
or if they are going to paypal I get their number and text them from the USPS with shipping cost. they paypal the total and the package gets sent. smart phones have made it fast to commmunicate, a text message can happen even while a work meeting is going on. paypal via a smart phone can happen quick as well. or for the most part we have a fair amount of time so waiting to get the deal complete can take as long as it takes.
it does happen that someone will be a toad and try to cheat someone on these bike forums but it is rare and the words travels so fast if someone does try and cheat, someone else on the forum is in the same town as the cheater and will help out. or the word gets out and they have to start a new account because no one will deal with them ever again.
most things I sell I want to recoup some of the $$$ spent but in the end if I sell a windshield ect for 100 bucks + shipping and I get cheated will it kill me? no will it piss me off? yes but life goes on.
at someone point we need to trust each other.
very often I look up or guess the shipping cost and we agree shipping is 10.00 or what ever. if it turns out to be 9 wow they spend a buck too much if it turns out to be 11 wow I spent a buck too much
years ago the I got hung up on the details of every thing, today I roll with the punches and hope to wake up and do it again tomorrow
or if they are going to paypal I get their number and text them from the USPS with shipping cost. they paypal the total and the package gets sent. smart phones have made it fast to commmunicate, a text message can happen even while a work meeting is going on. paypal via a smart phone can happen quick as well. or for the most part we have a fair amount of time so waiting to get the deal complete can take as long as it takes.
it does happen that someone will be a toad and try to cheat someone on these bike forums but it is rare and the words travels so fast if someone does try and cheat, someone else on the forum is in the same town as the cheater and will help out. or the word gets out and they have to start a new account because no one will deal with them ever again.
most things I sell I want to recoup some of the $$$ spent but in the end if I sell a windshield ect for 100 bucks + shipping and I get cheated will it kill me? no will it piss me off? yes but life goes on.
at someone point we need to trust each other.
very often I look up or guess the shipping cost and we agree shipping is 10.00 or what ever. if it turns out to be 9 wow they spend a buck too much if it turns out to be 11 wow I spent a buck too much
years ago the I got hung up on the details of every thing, today I roll with the punches and hope to wake up and do it again tomorrow
I've probably purchased on this forum ten times, probably sold ten times, too. Never a hassle, never a deal that wasn't handled courteously, fairly and straight up. Sometimes I will sell an item at a price that includes shipping. This is if shipping is likely to be inexpensive - a small item - just to dispense with that unknown. Sometimes I will price an item + shipping, especially if it is larger and heavier (a seat or mufflers) where the expense will be significant and is unknown at the time. In those cases I have gone ahead and shipped the item, then informed the buyer of that cost. Money gets sent, all is well. I think motorcycle riders are essentially more trustworthy, maybe because we live in a relatively small world where word gets around. Maybe we have some peculiar sense of honor when dealing with "family." I also have come to believe that FJR owners/riders are a cut above average in almost all respects, including personal integrity. No JFR rider has ever disappointed me.
I would like to add that I think thorough communication helps these deals go down well. I will tell the buyer when I've shipped, and ask that I be notified when the item has arrived and to be assured packing and condition were completely satisfactory. I will also let the buyer know when I have received payment. This also applies when I am the buyer.
I would like to add that I think thorough communication helps these deals go down well. I will tell the buyer when I've shipped, and ask that I be notified when the item has arrived and to be assured packing and condition were completely satisfactory. I will also let the buyer know when I have received payment. This also applies when I am the buyer.
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In my recent ventures of parting out an '05 and having so many different sized, weight, and bundles of things to sell I don't even try to keep track anymore and just have a sense of what something is going to cost shipped on the slow boat from USPS and have self-limited to CONUS sales. So, I just quote a price that includes shipping and pony up whatever the clerk at the post office tells me for a price.
As I'm in the upper left hand corner of things I know things will get more expensive if the recipient is in an opposite quadrant.
Out of maybe 20 shipments I've made over time--only two of them fit in a flat-rate box.
I work at the Post Office and can tell you this… If you have heavy/small items, the PO is hard to beat with their flat rate boxes.
Pick out the right size box (Free), pack your item and ship it. Same flat rate for anywhere any weight.
Sucks for me (Some mailers get so ridiculous with the weight)
Pick out the right size box (Free), pack your item and ship it. Same flat rate for anywhere any weight.
Sucks for me (Some mailers get so ridiculous with the weight)
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gixxerjasen
Well-known member
I've always handled it as follows:
You pay for the shipping, I'll ship it how you want it shipped and won't charge you a penny more than it costs. That means I'm not tacking on "Handling" fees.
That takes most of the burden off of me.
I'm not responsible if the shipping is horribly expensive (Had a guy going on a trip and wanted my Corbin sent overnight to him...he paid through the nose but got his seat in time for the trip.)
I'm not responsible if you choose to use cheapest method with no tracking and the package gets lost. Hasn't happened yet, but ya never know.
Really though I just try to be flexible when selling. You are paying for the shipping, it should be handled as fast and how you want it. Online tools mentioned already make it easier to do all of this.
You pay for the shipping, I'll ship it how you want it shipped and won't charge you a penny more than it costs. That means I'm not tacking on "Handling" fees.
That takes most of the burden off of me.
I'm not responsible if the shipping is horribly expensive (Had a guy going on a trip and wanted my Corbin sent overnight to him...he paid through the nose but got his seat in time for the trip.)
I'm not responsible if you choose to use cheapest method with no tracking and the package gets lost. Hasn't happened yet, but ya never know.
Really though I just try to be flexible when selling. You are paying for the shipping, it should be handled as fast and how you want it. Online tools mentioned already make it easier to do all of this.
I once ordered a 530 drive chain and set of sprockets from a retailer.
They packed everything in a flat rate USPS box. Had to be the heaviest box per size I ever received. The retailer definitely got a deal!
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As per usual you guys rock. thanks for the advice on the shipping. it helps a ton. I don't worry about people walking on a deal or cheating me. Everyone I have met through this forum has been great, and very helpful. I just want to estimate my shipping so I am able to provide a fair deal. I get something for my items not being used, and someone gets a great item at a fair price. Thanks for all the feedback guys, I'll be posting some items soon.
gixxerjasen
Well-known member
Dibs.
One thing I've found helpful when figuring costs for shipping things out is to look the item up. Most retailers websites show shipping weight. I find an appropriate box, measure it get a shipping estimate to Maine and include it in my price. I never understood why someone in Florida should pay more than someone in Texas, just because they live further away from me. Everyone haggles a bit on price, so it all works out in the long run.
Northwoods Snowman
Well-known member
I picked up a 75# shipping scale on eBay a couple years ago now pretty cheap and I use that to weigh my package and then log onto the FedEx or USPS site and punch in my size/weight/destination and it spits out a quote! I also keep a collection of various size boxes in the basement for the occasional think I need to ship. Works well for me and eliminates unnecessary trips to the shipping shop. If you have a FedEx account (free and you don't have to be a business to get one) like I do you usually save a couple bucks per package for a "volume" discount. In my case I ship one package maybe ever few months and I still get the discount.
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