| The Lair on Storm Isle | |
| Safe Packaging | |
| Since you're dealing with collectors (i.e. picky people), you'll want your item to reach them in the condition you listed it in. | |
| Shipping Calculations (Rates Effective January 8, 2006) | |
| Trading online is a form of business, and in conducting business it is essential to be competitive as a seller and to provide good customer service. The best way to attract buyers is to be fully prepared before the sale, with all important information straightforward and direct. Providing inexpensive shipping options upfront for buyers is a crucial business advantage which cannot be underestimated. For those of us who are not professionals, there are some quick guidelines that will help make it a lot easier to determine shipping costs. DOMESTIC SHIPPING All parcel carriers, such as the United States Postal Service (USPS), UPS, Fed-Ex, DHL, etc., determine their shipping costs by parcel weight, destination, and speed of delivery. Let's use the USPS as a model. For small, lightweight items, the post office offers first-class mail. For items approximately 1-lb and heavier, a parcel must be taken directly to the post office, and the two most common options are priority mail (faster) and parcel post (cheaper, but also slower). First-Class is the most cost-effective shipping method for small lots that weigh less than 1-lb. For first-class shipments, you have to know the weight of your item to the ounce (a fraction of an ounce is treated as being the next higher ounce). Any package up to 13.0 ounces can be shipped first-class. Only the first ounce is charged the base rate (currently $0.39) and each additional ounce above this is charged (currently) $0.24 per additional ounce. So if you know the weight of your contents and the weight of the packaging materials, first-class shipments should be simple to compute. Priority Mail and Parcel Post are your options for packages that weigh 13.1 ounces or more. To determine shipping costs, you have to know a parcel's weight to the pound (1 lb 1 ounce, or 1 lb 0.1 ounce is treated as 2 lbs). Costs are also determined by destination zone, however, once you know a parcel's weight, just visit www.usps.com and let their shipping calculator handle it from there. To be cost-effective, it's a good option to use priority mail for packages up to 2 lbs, sent within your home zone or the next closest zone, and to use parcel post for packages over 2 lbs and all packages shipped far away. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING Let's assume you are a seller in the USA using the post office. The big issues that scare sellers away from international shipping are the finicky rates, the lack of insurance and tracking, the slowness of delivery, and the customs form. In reality, insurance really isn't necessary for most inexpensive items--just be sure to choose airmail (letter post), as surface mail can take anywhere from two to four months to arrive. As for the customs form, what makes it awkward is that there is no accurate category for vintage toys traded among a limited collector community and which are no longer available for retail sale (i.e. useless pieces of plastic that only have value to obsessed 80's fanatics). If you are actually operating a business with a business license, you must label your items "merchandise"--there is a value limit of how much overseas merchandise a recipient can receive without paying a customs fee. This is the recipient's responsibility. Most average online traders mark "gift" on customs forms, but still disclose the auction value of the contents of the parcel. Rates By Country--Prior to 2006, the international calculations were fairly straightforward, but with the new rates, it's much more of a hopscotch game. I'll limit this to regions I've traded with, as these are the usual destinations in the vintage collector community. | |
| Handling Disputes | |
| Whether you're a full-time businessperson or you just sell from home to make extra cash, the success of online trading hinges upon trust between seller and buyer, at every stage of a transaction. Gray areas arise with the online market in part, because of the limit to which auction sites get involved in transactions between buyers and sellers. For example, they may guarantee that sellers ship items once they are paid for, however, they may not offer a satisfaction guarantee for buyers or hold sellers to a standard of customer service.
Determining who to do business with. . . . Most reputable auction sites offer feedback as a way of judging the reliability of sellers and buyers. Buyers should be aware of how to scrutinize a seller's feedback--not to judge by numbers alone (high or low), but by a seller's expertise in trading in a given type of merchandise, and their responsiveness in the event of a problem with a transaction. Likewise, sellers should not focus solely on acquiring high numbers of feedback. The aim of a professional seller should be satisfied customers who would do repeat business and who would recommend that seller to others. Before the sale. . . . The essential concerns for buyers are, "Is the auction item accurately described?"; "Does the item have the correct features / is it in the condition that I'm looking for?"; "How much will it cost to ship it quickly and safely?"; and "How do I make payment for the item, and when is payment due?" The rule of thumb is, important information should be stated prominently in an auction listing, never in fine print. The types of payments that you accept or don't accept, and when payment is due, can potentially limit your pool of buyers. This kind of info should appear prominently in your listing to avoid confusion. Completing the sale. . . . Online trading is a challenge because, in addition to trying to accurately describe an item which your buyers won't physically see until they receive it, you also have to ship it to them. If you want to reduce the potential for dissatisfied buyers, then take the need for safe packaging very seriously. My stark opinion is that, if sellers were the recipients of the items they package, it would be more of a lesson to them on safe packaging than any feedback comment from their buyers. If it were your own family heirloom that you were shipping, wouldn't you want to have more confidence than knowing that "at least it was shipped insured"? After the sale. . . . Although the vast majority of transactions occur without difficulties, it's important to prepare for the event of a dissatisfied customer. Do you know how to respond in the event that a buyer feels that an item was not accurately described? If they were sent the wrong item by mistake? If they would like to return an item for a refund? If they feel that there was some part of your service that could be improved upon? Whether you have a flexible returns policy or you sell items as-is, it's important to have both a sales policy and a plan for implementing that policy. If you have to wait for the unlikely to occur and then handle it on the fly, chances are you won't be prepared. One mistake followed by an unprepared response, can potentially lead to more mistakes and even greater dissatisfaction for your buyers. Preparation can prevent a disaster and it can also prevent escalating emotions like defensiveness and dismissiveness. |
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