if you are selling an item from Melbourne, how can you state a postage price, say 15 dollars. The bu

[rodney9881]

If you are selling an item from Melbourne, how can a postage of say 15 dollars be stated when the buyer could be in Queensland or say NT. How does the seller work this out. New to ebay and postage is confusing me. Thanks.

[crowsman53]

When I sell anything on Ebay I Box it, Newspaper bubblewrap  and packing. I then use Click and Send Scathels and put the box in a 500 gram Or 3Kg scatchel and use Click And Send. My boxes are made up self packaging, I get my boxes from Dan Murphys Free Of charge. Very rarely do I have to ship something over 3kg. If I do I then use Own packaging. This way I can keep my postage for items under 3kg to either $7.15 500 gram satchel or $11.70 3kg Satchel. So if you base your Items items at under 3kg use this method, also remember Ebay will be charging FVF on postagevery soon, What I will be doing and have already started is Charging P&H Fees $1.30 to cover the costs of P&H and ebay and Paypal Fees. Hope this helps some...

Paddy

[haolove13]

I use standard size boxes as purchased at several places and satchels as required. After 20 years posting parcels all over the world I gave up on cutting down wine boxes etc as standard size boxes are usually lighter. ( I hate it when an item weighs in at 520 grams)

The other aspect is how long does it take you to custom cut and size a box. I find it adds five minutes or so to packing so my packing that way only gets half as many parcels packed per hour. By using consistent packaging I never suffered complaints about damage until anonymous DSR arrived. Now negative postage and packing complaints occur regularly in the DSR ratings.

It is also faster and more secure to fill in the address label and return address label rather than making and taping a label to the box.

I would challenge anyone who uses custom packed items to sit alongside me one day and see how many items you can pack per hour in comparison to how many I can do. .

Only trouble is my sales do not make it worthwhile at the moment. Hard to spend an hour packing one parcel per month.

[curraone]

My post was specifically in response to the OP about how sellers can charge $15.   

Also, the advice about using your own boxes to obtain the Aust Post flat rate of $15.05 is incorrect - you must buy the correct Australia Post box - see their conditions:

“This offer is limited to Australia Post mailing boxes in the sizes Bx1, Bx2, and Bx4”.

http://stores.ebay.com.au/australiapoststore/pages/australia-post-store-boxes

In Terms and conditions: 

“  Incorrectly labelled boxes, items packed in the wrong sized box, or items packed in a non-Australia Post mailing box and lodged in a street posting box may not be processed by Australia Post and may be returned to sender. 

  Incorrectly labelled boxes, items packed in the wrong sized box, or items packed in a non-Australia Post mailing box may not be processed in an Australia Post retail outlet”

[cherry*135]

The above is through click n send? There is the alternative method of buying postage labels direct through ebay (which I find easier and postage can be charged to ebay a/c)

If you use ebays Aust. Postage label service you can use your own boxes etc for same rates as boxes bought from Aust Post.
I have done this.
If selling to a buyer in same state a $11.70 parcel 501g - to 3 kg)can be sent for $9.85.

It keeps costs down for buyers if I can use boxes I already have.

Using Australia Post Postage Labels


Instead of queuing for stamps, you can buy and print your postage directly from eBay. You don't need a special printer or adhesive labels - just print the label on normal A4 paper and tape it to your parcel. Then drop it off at an Australia Post retail outlet or post box.

These are the services that you can use with Australia Post postage labels. You can buy satchels, boxes and packing material directly from Australia Post's eBay Store.

eBay Australia Post Flat Rate 500g Satchel
eBay Australia Post Flat Rate 3kg Satchel
eBay Australia Post Flat Rate Small (Bx1) Box
eBay Australia Post Flat Rate Medium (Bx2) Box
eBay Australia Post Flat Rate Large (Bx4) Box
Australia Post Parcel Post Parcel (use own packaging)
Australia Post Express Post Parcel (use own packaging)

http://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/news/australia-post-labels

FAQ's
19. Can I use my packaging with postage labels?

You can print a Parcel Post or Express Post postage label to use with your own packaging. If you added weight and dimensions when you listed your item these will be carried through, or you can add them when you create your label.

http://sellercentre.ebay.com.au/news/australia-post-labels

[cherry*135]

"Also, the advice about using your own boxes to obtain the Aust Post flat rate of $15.05 is incorrect - you must buy the correct Australia Post box - see their conditions:"

That is not correct.

There are two separate ways of purchasing postage labels online for eBay parcels - both have special rates for ebay sales.
Click n Send

Or

Ebay postage labels

[davewil1964]

The eBay and C&S rates are the same, because eBay has done a deal with AP to offer C&S through this site. Although allegedly you get a discount from eBay for using their labels.

If you want to use B4 boxes at $15.05 flat for 15kg (soon to be 5kg) then you need to also use a B4 box. If you want to use your own packaging then weights and dimensions must be provided and the result is calculated, not flat rate. If you choose to not use the required box and get caught, AP will bill you for the, probably considerable, difference between what you paid and what you should have paid. Or if you don't put a return address on it, the buyer will get charged. Almost a guarantee of a neg there.

[cherry*135]

I enter the measurements & weight for my own box when buying a postage label- the label is printed accordingly. There is nothing untoward in doing that. The facility to do that is there . Don't assume people are doing the wrong thing when they are not.

I do use the PO boxes as well. Sometimes i have suitable ones of my own, which I use instead.

[babylonfuture]

am*3, dave did mention both methods

If you or other readers missed it.

To take advantage of the flat rate BX1/BX2/BX4 box rates then you must use the Australia Post boxes.

If you enter the actual weight and dimensions of the box (calculated shipping) - then yes, you can use whatever packaging you like.

As for the flat rate parcel bags - I use my own (grey) and sometimes Australia Post bags. My own bags are same size or smaller than Australia Posts... (it is not stated on auspost.ebay.com.au that you can not use your own bags, but it does state.. you must use their boxes.. ).

Good to see I can now pay for express post via ebay account, as one of the Australia Post (owned) outlets get confused everytime ..., I generally try to get them processed at a LPO.. as they actually know what they are doing...)

[anartaddict]

Perhaps you are confused about how to do your listing? Select calculated postage, then select your postage type (eg standard parcel etc). Once you enter the weight of the item, the listing will automatically show each veiwer the cost of postage to their postcode. 

[cherry*135]

'am*3, dave did mention both methods'

I realise that.. Those particular earlier posts were replying to one by curraone.