ebay flat rate satchels - any advantages?

[aviationwidow]

Ebay sent me 5 flat rate 500gm satchels as a 'thank you'. I'm struglling to see any advantage in this method. Ebay claims the following advantages: 

• Know exactly what prices to charge for delivery
• Print your own postage labels at your home or office
• Manage your eBay sales and delivery costs all in the one place:

I'm sure I can do all this when buying the satchels at the Post office with the added bonus of being not forced to pay by Paypal. Isn't the price for sending items under 500gms (or between 500gm & 3kgs) exactly the same regardless of where I buy the satchels? Isn't writing an address directly on the satchel easier and more cost-effective than printing labels? If someone can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.

[misterforgetfulsbooks]

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@pennyforum14 wrote:

eBay satchels are for use with eBay shipping labels.  The rates on offer for these labels are roughly 10% cheaper than the AP rate and they have the added advantage of integration with the eBay system so tracking numbers upload automatically.  You can just pop the label on the satchel and drop it in a red box, but it is recommended that you hand them over the counter at the PO so it gets scanned, as the ones posted in red boxes are often not scanned until delivery.

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You get the 10% discount when you buy 100 from Aus Post. The tracking numbers can still be uploaded. And you don't need to use your printer toner or expensive label machines.

[pennyforum14]

Yes, you can, but...

• It's a very large outlay to purchase satchels 100 at a time amd likely out of the reach of your average mum and pop seller.
• It's extra work to have to manually upload the tracking numbers while the eBay system does it automatically for you.
• For my items 90% go as large letters, it would take me at least two years to use 100 satchels, just to save 10%, whereas I can get that discount with eBay labels every time, one at a time.

[digital*ghost]

I know this won't apply to all, but just thought I'd mention Business 250 - Australia Post's discount via Click & Send if you send 250+ parcels a year.

The discounts on parcels range from about 5% - 10% (including the red & white flat rate satchels, which you can buy in small amounts for the same price as eBay satchels, I think), bringing a lot of the prices down to match eBay's (or close to them), except for perhaps the flat rate boxes, but you can also get a discount on international parcel prices, while eBay don't even have the function to create international postage labels. 

[denhams]

Not factoring the printing printer/cartridge/ink costs into that I guess

[padi*0409]

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@denhams wrote:
Not factoring the printing printer/cartridge/ink costs into that I guess

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After over FOUR YEARS they probably have............................

[davewil1964]

... and after over FOUR years none of the prices quoted on this thread are anything like current, so why bump it and have people who don't read post dates think the prices have dropped?