In Germany, you can buy all postage over the internet and then you can either just drop your packages at the post offices (for letter mail) or for parcel post, you can just hand them over to your driver, or you can set an appointment for a pick-up.
In the US, you can also buy postage online, plus, these days USPS offers free pick-up pretty much anywhere in the country. Even when it comes to international services, you can print all the necessary customs paperwork at home. Since this service IS available, I really can't see why anyone should pay a seller for 'gas to the post office' or 'waiting in line'. Personally, I usually only charge a minimal extra for packing materials, and when it comes to international Parcel Post (which can be very expensive) I only charge the actual shipping costs, which means that after Paypal fees I'm losing money on shipping. This policy costs me a good amount of money every year, but so be it. From my point of view, I would rather lose a small amount of money on shipping instead of losing a sale. End of the day,shipping costs are also psychological factor, and they seriously affect MY buying behaviour. Psychologically, there's a major difference between paying $10 for a poster plus $50 for shipping OR paying $50 for the merchandise and $10 for delivery, even if the result is $60 both ways. I recently won a .99c item on eBay. Auction description stated $15 shipping, in my invoice the seller demanded $25, which is way beyond actual costs. Now I PROBABLY would have bought this item for $25.99 in a BIN, but there's no way I will follow through with this transaction. And of course, since I don't sell on eBay, I couldn't care less if this puts a mark on my account. Also, I will never buy from this seller again. Helmut Am 11.02.2013 um 16:03 schrieb filip de volder: > in france we have postal distribution centers where po boxes are , pretty > much for professionals only so no waiting lines , i don't know how that works > in other countries ? also if your business is doing well you should spread > those 20 minutes at the postoffice over the number of parcels you deposit > every time you go there , i deposit an average of 40 parcels every day i work > , writing out the address on the parcel and adding the filled in customstag > and trackingpaper takes less then a minute > > " lots of work and even with multiple orders its > work.. " > well , i guess even a bankrobber could complain when he pulls away with say > 500.000 dollar in a robbery , he had to get out of bed , put on a mask , > actually go to the bank , carry the money out ... > > > > > Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2013 00:51:56 +0000 > > From: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [MOPO] OMFG: International shipping costs have shot through > > the roof!! > > To: [email protected] > > > > You point out some great wisdom... think about the cost to process > > theorderand it costs easy 10.00 in materials and labor.. lets sayits > > 10 mins to print out the labels and prepare the shipment documents > > writeup and then another 10-15 mins to pull the order , wrap , pack > > and then another 20-30 mins to either take to the post office and > > wait in line or even have a driverpick up... Plus cost of tape, TUBE > > and wrapping materials.. and then the shipping cost itself.. tracking > > if you use delivery confirmation.. and then fileing the documents > > when you get done..lots of work and even with multiple orders its > > work.. > > UPS, fed ex and most couriers prefer larger customers like amazon > > and others as they like BULK semi load deals. and they give them deep > > discount deals.. they set you up in teir discounts, due to volume.. > > when I sold to Disney they had a acct so we used there special acct,, > > and they get deals.. the retail customer like we fall in gets charged > > bigtime... years ago when I had daily pick ups from UPS they sent a > > account specialist and they would offer me discounts and service then > > in the late 80s early 90s after they moved from CT to Atlanta they > > changed the business model... I actually invented a Bag to hold the > > Diad which was the lazer devise they use to scan the packages so I > > met the heads of the diad program and head of time managemennt for > > entire UPS.... we made like 10 protypes that where tested with > > drivers.. then they scalled down the computer and made it able to fit > > on a belt... Its basically my design but smaller.. > > I was paid to do the initial test ones but they didnt give me the > > large gig which would have been all the drivers.. But it was cool > > just the fact that UPStook me serious enought to Fly into Toledo > > those dept heads and listen to my IDEAs... they are a 12 Billion a > > year company.. and they do run a tight ship... down to seconds.. > > I came up with the idea as my driver would keep dropping the DIAD and > > i said dont you have a case?? and he said No... when I called UPS > > they said a team of engineers could not solve the problem... well my > > experience with Musical gear and Photo gear we always had cases for > > stuff so it wouldnt break so I made a Bandolaero case of Cordura > > material with quick release straps and velcro so the driver could > > stow it around his back and then swing it around for retrival... when > > I showed them at a hotel I carried boxes and gave my demonstartion.. > > they loved it.... I was amazed they took me serious and it just goes > > to show dreams can happen if you try... > > we also had the german company SHRENKER which was BAX global and > > fiormer BURLINGTON air the HUB was in TOLedo... I sent many > > international orders through them.. they beat UPS and Fed ex for > > air,,, they left Toledo a few years ago... they where really > > reasonable... Bill gates used them to ship Microsoft windows. I think > > they are still in business DB SHRENKER..It takes awhile to get a > > acct...But that can save money if you have weight... small parcels > > are still probably best with Priority mail which is really Fedex as > > USA post office has NO planes and jobs it out to domestic airlines > > and couriors anyway.. Funny fact.... so your really sending it by > > another courior .. Its amazing anything gets there,, as they hand > > off to other postal services. > > > > > > > > >---- Original Message ---- > > >From: [email protected] > > >To: [email protected] > > >Subject: RE: [MOPO] OMFG: International shipping costs have shot > > >through the roof!! > > >Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2013 15:43:49 -0800 > > > > > >>Holy Schmoley Folks.... I just returned from the post office doing > > >>the weekly International shipping, and I am absolutely > > >flabbergasted. > > >> > > >>I'm right now doing recalculations of what shipping was 3 weeks ago > > >& > > >>what shipping is now, but it looks like shipping to Canada has more > > >>than doubled, Shipping to Australia is up 40+% and shipping to the > > >UK > > >>is up also about 40+% > > >> > > >>New size restrictions are in, so the 36" long tube I had going to > > >the > > >>UK as Air Mail under 3lbs can now only be shipped by Priority Mail. > > >>Same thing with the 36" tube going to Lebanon (fortunately, we can > > >>cut the tubes down a couple inches and repackage these 2 orders). > > >> > > >>Unfortunately, what that means is that I also have to raise my rates > > > > > >>and while previous rate increases were along the order of $1 or $2, > > >>this rate increase is going to startle all of you. A simple 2lb > > >>package going to Canada, which I have been charging $11.00 for > > >>shipping, will be $19.00 (our rates, just as with all sellers, > > >>includes approx $3.00 for shipping materials and labor). > > >> > > >>It looks like Australia and Europe will be increasing to $27.00 from > > > > > >>$20.00 for just the basic orders > > >> > > >>These new rates make it all the more important to be able to merge > > >>several week's worth of auctions into one package for International > > >>bidders, which our International buyers have known we do all along. > > >>It's more important now.. > > >> > > >>I can't imagine what this does to the casual seller on fleaBay who > > >>sells a few posters here and there. > > >> > > >>Does anyone use Carrier Pigeons?? > > >> > > >>Rich > > >> > > >> Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > >> > > >___________________________________________________________________ > > >> How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > >> > > >> Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > > >> In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > >> > > >> The author of this message is solely responsible for its content > > >. > > >> > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > > > Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
