Ferris

Have a look at the postage rates AUS Post charge on their web site:

http://www.quicksales.com.au/community/australia-post-parcel-post-increases-4th-april-2011/430331.

I used to sell books. I’m getting out. Why? the pirates who charge me! For example to send a standard book between 500 grms and a 1kg :

$6.05  (Cheapest option - unregistered)

$1.00  (packing, addressing & getting it to the post office,  offset cost of the monthly $20 fee for the EBAY store site)

$0.75  (10% Final value fee EBAY charges on a sale)

$0.12  (1.7% Paypal takes on transaction)

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$7.92 total cost of postage!

Now for me to be competitive I have to sell my books cheaper than the imports from the UK *

This means that I can not price my books on average higher than $12 if I want a sale.

If you work it out 66% of the total revenue goes on postage alone! That’s before other admin costs.

* Did you know that thanks to the exploit / loop hole that exits in the international mail delivery agreement a seller from the UK can have their postage delivered in Australia by Australia Post at a lower UK rate than what Australia Post charges its local customers. For us to remain competitive against this we sellers cannot over price.

Pirates of the Caribbean, wrong ! Pirates of  Penzance, wrong ! Pirates of Postage, right !