How to send things via couriers

[kitschkoven]

Hello knowledgeable Ebayers,

I have no idea how to send things by courier (specifically, Toll, who my potential buyer is asking for). Thought I'd ask you guys first as you probably have experience/tips from a customer point of view.

Do I need to open an account, or do they do one-off courier services? How do I pay. 

Thanks!

[kitschkoven]

Went on their website and am getting a quote, all good. 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

is the item a pickup item?

Did you offer freight/courier as a shipping option?

If you didn't offer courier as a shipping option I would advise that it is best to get the buyer to organise and pay for the courier themselves. You will need to supply the buyer with your details so they can advise the courier.

This way you protect yourself as a seller.  You protect against them having courier costs refunded if they put in an eBay MBG claim or a PayPal claim.

Because they organise the courier you would also protect yourself from other claims as well.

I have bought items from sellers before where I have organised couriers myself.  The info I needed from the seller was:

- times that suited them for courier pickup

- seller's address

- seller's contact phone number

- dimensions of the item/box

Spoiler

I'd link to policies but am out and about and posting from my mobile.

[kopenhagen5]

As Sir sales suggest, normally the buyer arranges and pays for courier if the seller is agreeable to waiting possibly a whole day at home for the pick up.

[kitschkoven]

A whole day... yikes! For a $30 sale.

[kitschkoven]

Nope didn't offer couriers as an option, but IIRC I say in the listing to ask me for a postage (postage) price. Somewhat bulky item. (Slide projector carousels, they want a few). Going interstate.

Someone bought some a few months ago, they picked them up.

[eol-products]

Not sure why you would not use Aust. Post. 

[davewil1964]

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@eol-products wrote:

Not sure why you would not use Aust. Post. 

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Maybe because the buyer wants to arrange a courier.

Maybe because AP won't handle them - Somewhat bulky item

[eol-products]

I read it as the seller is getting a quote from Toll and not the buyer. 

As the item is only 23cm x 23cm x 5.5cm and without packaging and they only show 9 available so my guess is Aust Post would be the best option on a medium size parcel. The limit is 22.5kg and 105cm maximum length so no where near limit of what they can take. 

[countessalmirena]

@kitschkoven,

I thoroughly concur with k1ooo-slr (and kopenhagen's reiteration).

If your listing has - in the postage options - pickup only, that means that your item is offered as pickup only.

You may have confused the issue a little by including in the description (of your listing for the Hanimex carousel) ❝I always try and send the item out same day of payment❞ and ❝The postage calculator should help you figure out how much postage will cost to your location, particularly if you are after more than one carousel.❞

This contrasts with the listing's postage option (under the Postage and Payments tab) of Posting to: Will arrange for local pickup only (no postage).

To avoid confusing yourself and your buyers, you should not have conflicting postage information. Mind you, it can be impossible to set up the postage options that you want - if, for instance, you select "Freight: Large and bulky items", there's no option to offer pickup at all as an additional option, and obviously if you offer pickup only, you can't add a freight option. But if you are choosing the pickup only option, and you wish to indicate that you're happy for interstate buyers to purchase with the item being sent by freight/courier, you may want to include in your listing description something like ❝Buyers who aren't able to collect the item and pay on pickup are welcome to organise a courier to collect the item, and arrange the pickup day/time details with me.❞ You could even include something in the item title (if it fits), along the lines of ❝(See descr re freight).❞ If it doesn't fit (and I think it's probably a waste of the title characters!), what about perhaps having a customised item specific that you call ADDITIONAL DELIVERY OPTIONS and fill it with ❝Freight/courier available upon request - buyer arranges❞...? I'm trying to think outside the box, with the view to maximising the chances of a potential buyer seeing the options. I may be uttering heresy; other posters who sell will know better than I (as I am a buyer, not a seller).

There is VERY valid reason for making sure that the buyer organises the courier, in order to minimise your risk of fraudulent claims.