Stats

  • 12814 Topics
  • 58232 Posts
  • 88533 Forum Users

Users Online

Cheaper postage options

  • avatar

    by: general-grievous7
    SaleHoo Junior Member
    13 posts

    Cheaper postage options

    Posted 4 Jan 12 11:23 am.

    Do we get cheaper postage options at auspost for being ebay sellers?

    How is the best way to get cheaper postage, i sold something today and posted it, and it cost me $25 registered. Not acceptable, i need to half that cost, but am unsure how to go about it.

    I bought a box and bubble wrap from the PO. I have gotten around that buy sourcing free boxes, and free newspapers to use in posting.
    Any other tips woould be good, thanks
  • avatar

    by: fm1234
    SaleHoo Master Member
    593 posts

    Re: Cheaper postage options

    Posted 4 Jan 12 5:41 pm.

    Honestly, postage rates will vary so much by destination, size and shape of the package, and options like registered mail that it's doubtful anybody but the post office can answer this for you.

    You might consider:

    a) Letting customers have whatever shipping for which they're willing to pay, and charge accordingly -- this removes the accounting and scraping off of your list of things to do.

    b) On the other end of that scale, you might consider selling higher-end items into which you can bundle the price of shipping, then offer free shipping as a carrot to buyers.

    c) Offer upsells on orders to increase your profitability-per-package. Get a feel for how many of your 'core item' you can cram into a single shipment without dramatically increasing the shipping cost, and offer discounts on those additional items -- it can dramatially affect your profit per order. Alternately, if your 'core item' is large, some small accessories or complementing items which can be added to the shipment can help offset the shipping costs in the same way that offering quantity discounts can.

    Frank

    "Failure is not when you fall down. Failure is when you don't get back up."

    --J.J. Luna

  • avatar

    by: fudjj
    SaleHoo Staff
    2969 posts

    Re: Cheaper postage options

    Posted 5 Jan 12 9:55 pm.

    You can get discounted postal rates from Aust Post, but you have to be doing a decent volume to be eligible. I doubt you are at that point just yet, but for qualifying details, just ask over the counter at your local Post Office, they'll give you a brochure with all the info.

    Cheers

    Marc Ransom

    Community Manager
    SaleHoo.com

    About the Community Manager

  • avatar

    by: draggonlion
    New SaleHoo Member
    1 posts

    Re: Cheaper postage options

    Posted 25 Jan 12 7:39 pm.

    I use only USPS and its not cheap (but nothing is) the problem I have on E-Bay is my customers always think I overcharge for postage (would they be shopping on e-bay if they weren't bargain hunters). What I do is charge a flat rate. I've done a fair job at predicting that most of my buyers are in the mid-west and eastern United States. I pre weigh my products and get the worst case rate. then I rebate shipping over payments rounded to the nearest dollar. this sounds like allot of work but I tell my customers in my postings and I am able to prove what shipping costs me. if you sell the same thing over and over it gets pretty streamlined.
  • avatar

    by: richellemonfort
    SaleHoo Staff
    3739 posts

    Re: Cheaper postage options

    Posted 26 Jan 12 12:27 am.

    Hi and welcome to SaleHoo draggonlion :)

    Nice to have you with us! Thanks for sharing your trick on shipping, I'm sure many of our members will appreciate your tips.

    Hope to see more of you on the forums!

    Cheers

    Richelle

    Customer Support
    SaleHoo Group Limited
    Sell more with your own professionally designed and search optimized e-commerce website. Check out SaleHoo Stores now!