topic Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ??? in Selling

How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 02:50:01 GMT

How do so many Australian sellers ship for so cheap? They sell items that will not fit in a letter (thicker than 20mm) for way cheaper than the cheapest Australia post contract parcel rates.

For example, search ebay for "USB car charger", select "Australia Only" in location, and there are heaps of people selling chargers (including shipping) between $2.50 and $4.00. HOW DO THEY DO IT?? Do they just sent it in a letter, and hope no one checks it is thicker than 20mm? All those items are way thicker than 20mm

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

licoricebabyandfabmama — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 03:22:24 GMT

well they either dropship if you are talking about something like a usb car charger, or yes they stick it in an envelope and mail it but even that would cost at least just 1.20 in stamps, so my guess is that they are dropshipping from china.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

putney32 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 04:09:21 GMT

some also factor part of the postage cost into the price of the item.

you see lots of ''free postage'' items, again the postage is built into the item price, you dont really think they get free stamps at the post office do you??

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

annies_fancy_dress — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 04:21:31 GMT

It does make you wonder, these items that you can't even buy from a wholesaler at those prices, then add stamps, fees etc.

I'm sure the items are crappy, and probably don't work.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

garfieldau — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 04:28:39 GMT

bit of every comment I suspect is rigt.

-Bit is factored into the Prie item/s
-Droped shipped from China or who knows where....
-Poor quality/Factory Seconds Prpduct that works for 45 days & dies & Seller is Home Free from any claims from PayPal

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

Anonymous — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 04:43:36 GMT

The items I am talking about are shipped from Australia. They are much wider than 20mm, and will not fit into a 20mm letter. Some USB chargers sell for $2.50, free shipping, shipped from Sydney. Search ebay for "USB car charger", select "Australia Only" in location.

I was just contacted by an Australia post sales person, and he said it is hard to beat the $6.20 Australia post ebay sachels price wise, and you need to ship 1000s of items to get your parcel rate between $5 and $6. Which brings me back to my original question - how do all these people ship stuff via Australia post for so cheap???

1) Either the person from Australia post who I spoke to doesn't know what he was talking about, and you get super cheap rates when shipping large quantities. But, this would have to be much, much cheaper than the $5 - $6 he mentions you might get if shipping large quantities.

2) Or, they all ship in letters?? This is hard to believe that bulky items like chargers can be shipped in letters?

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

davewil1964 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 04:59:38 GMT

They won't be shipped as letters. If they are more than 20mm thick, they won't pass through the automatic sorting machines.

Regardless of STATED item location, I suspect these items are not in country. China is almost guaranteed to be the source. Postage is cheap from there and Australia Post (and us, by higher prices to cover the loss) have to deliver them once they arrive in Australia for very little compensation.

Have a look at your Sydney seller's delivery times. If more than a couple of days, then normally that means they're not in stock. Have a look at their TOS. Anything about them maybe having to obtain from their warehouse if out of stock? Same thing, as they will never have stock of whatever item happens to be purchased.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

putney32 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 05:01:24 GMT

or
3. the sellers use these as 'loss leaders' to gain new clients, who they then bombard with advertising of their other products
lots of companies both on and off the net use loss leaders to introduce themselves to new markets

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

ibuy*au — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:52:20 GMT

I bought a USB car charger from an Australian seller. It arrived in a normal DL letter envelope with a $1.20 stamp and no return address. I don't know how they get away with it. If Aust Post had picked it up I would have been charged the extra postage fee since there was nothing to identify the sender inside or outside the envelope. It was definitely posted from Australia and far too wide to be classed as a "letter"

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

rogevibe — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 23:06:59 GMT

Hi , is easy for a ma&pa operation working in the evenings running an ebay virtual shop from the family garage with little extra overheads

ie item = $6 , shipping listed as $4 (to encourage Buyers by looking not much more than implied stores retail)

total = $10

actual shipping = approx $7.50 pre-paid parcel post padded sachel envelope up to 500grams

profit = $2.50 typical same sort of items sold per month = 300

gross profit = $700 per month , $8.400 per annum, tax free

Under taxable threshold of $18.000

Vacation in HK this year !

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

ecutalk — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 23:51:25 GMT

the automatic sorting machines are only used for DL letters (and i think the obviously flat B4? sized large ones, cant remember). Things in padded bags or C5 (half-A4) sized letters arent sent through machines.

So it is possible for items slightly larger than 20mm thick to be sent via letter rates successfully - i personally wouldnt do it though. Car chargers, depending on the type, are around 20-22mm in diameter for the main body, so depending on how 'fat' the external lip is, might only be around 22-25mm, and so might get through as letter rate, undetected.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

alyas041 — Wed, 07 May 2014 06:12:46 GMT

Hello every one, I was also looking for an answer to this question but i am still unable to find an answer,

dropship is out of question! Thats because these products arrive within a week of purchase!!!

We have Australian sellers who sells earphones for only $AUD3.50 from australia and offer free shipping!

the same product is offered at $USD3.50 with free shiping!

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

davewil1964 — Wed, 07 May 2014 06:34:11 GMT

I'm sure sydney will be happy to know that, if he's still around after 19 MONTHS!

And earbuds are a bit thinner than car chargers.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

billexploited — Thu, 08 May 2014 10:07:59 GMT

There is a way use those self check outs at Australia Post it will calculate the best shipping price to anywhere in the country.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

nilan1969 — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 09:30:17 GMT

I bought a USB led lamp for AUS$ 2.99 - with free shipping. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/140698344763?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 Got the items a short time later. Yes, I said 'items' because I was surprised to get two working lamps instead of just one. I decided it might be worth trying my luck putting up the second piece for sale on eBay but I was told at the post office that the shipping cost alone would be AUS$ 7! How do they do this? I don't think this relates to the loss leader idea because no seller can afford to lose AUS$4 for every transaction just to get a good rating or a chance to get buyers to look at other items in their catalogue.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

padi*0409 — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 10:01:33 GMT

@nilan1969 wrote:
I bought a USB led lamp for AUS$ 2.99 - with free shipping. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/140698344763?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 Got the items a short time later. Yes, I said 'items' because I was surprised to get two working lamps instead of just one. I decided it might be worth trying my luck putting up the second piece for sale on eBay but I was told at the post office that the shipping cost alone would be AUS$ 7! How do they do this? I don't think this relates to the loss leader idea because no seller can afford to lose AUS$4 for every transaction just to get a good rating or a chance to get buyers to look at other items in their catalogue.

Are you sure they weren't drop-shipping from China? The ID would suggest a chinese seller................

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

cherry*135 — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:19:14 GMT

Postage for a large letter under 125gms is $1.40 plus eBay's FVF fee on top of that. Plus cost of an envelope or padded mailer bag.

Doesn't leave much from $2.00

Probably doesn't apply here but some sellers buy 'old' new stamps in bulk (sold on Ebay) at a discounted price.

Buyers have 180 days now, to open a Paypal claim.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

character_parties_aus — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 16:40:32 GMT

Why dont you buy some and see how they arrive? Problem solved.

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

rc-addict-aus — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 05:19:39 GMT

I just bought a ipod usb charger for $1 INCLUDING SHIPPING about a week ago.... cause i needed one but i was curious how the f$% someone can afford that.

The letter came a few days later with hes ebay logo on the letter and it didnt have a regular stamp you buy from aus post, it was one of those stamps you have to press onto letters with ink.

unless the guy bought the usb cables for minimum less than 10cents each theres no way he would make much profit each, maybe he has a deal with a postal agency i duno, but dont tell me its a dropship this or china that cause it would take way longer ive waited a mth for stuff from china.

heres the usb cable i bought, id love to hear anyone elses thoughts, but shut up with the dropshipping bs its utter stupidity if you think everythings from china, maybe he bought the usbs from china and got them sent here but not dropship.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/271637353262?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=570473372729&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Re: How do sellers ship for so cheap in Australia ???

rc-addict-aus — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 05:32:46 GMT

one more thing i checked out that LED light, the guys only selling it for 50 cents more than you can buy it in china, so there goes your dropship idea