Shipping our truck parts advice to the part time seller

[CG]

A lot of us only sell stuff now and again, this is for guys like us.

When I look at the for sale things its usually X plus shipping, plus fees, plus whatever. Next thing you get ten guys saying Ill take it depending on X X X ... Now I get this, makes total sense, just takes a bit to get everyone sorted out.

I sold a few items, Total all in, no extras. To me that made it easy for the buyer. Look at my giant pictures, (post them in your board gallery, huge by huge and provide a link) ... If you want it, this is what you pay.

Sold the stuff and all I based my shipping costs on was what I figured was a logical guess and add a few bucks. Umm no lol.

7 pound box was 47 bucks. Had the shipper figure it out UPS, Postal, and FedEx.

So this post may or may not go here but a little advice. Pack, get the weight and find a zip code that is furthest away from you and price your shipping. This is if you want to go the all in route. Its a nice way to sell and at the most your going to be only a few bucks over or under. If your ahead a few bucks it helps you recover your cost for packing material and boxes. In the end I think doing it this way is great for the buyer and the seller. The few bucks over or under all evens out. Beats spending close to fifty when you were thinking 25 haha!

[specialtyretail]

Not for everything, especially large parts, but Flat Rate and Regional boxes from the USPS are the shipper's friend.

[rpmerf]

USPS flat rate boxes are great. I sold a set of rear discs, backing plates, calipers, and hardware for a car. Put them in 1 flat rate box / side. Total shipping was like $25. Those boxes weighted about 20 lb each.

[CG]

Originally Posted by specialtyretail

Not for everything, especially large parts, but Flat Rate and Regional boxes from the USPS are the shipper's friend.

That's good info for sure! I actually did use one of those for one of my sales because the parts just fit in there nice and snug with enough room to put some protection on all sides.

Thanks!

[1968aj]

I think include your zip code and let buyer figure shipping. or just post price with shipping included like you said with a average shipping price. sometimes you get 10 shipping cost requests when the buyer could look up one.

[michael bustamante]

word of advice though on the usps flat rates.... the prices seem to change every year. for example, the small flat rate boxes are over 7 dollars now!!! be sure to look up the rates online before quoting

[1968k20]

Also, don't forget that ou can order flat rate boxes on the USPS sight for free.
For those who ship a lot check out regional A and B boxes. They are clos to medium flat rate but can save a couple of bucks or more

[CG]

Originally Posted by michael bustamante

word of advice though on the usps flat rates.... the prices seem to change every year. for example, the small flat rate boxes are over 7 dollars now!!! be sure to look up the rates online before quoting

I had an assortment of flat rate boxes in my garage stashed away. I used one of them. I had written on the boxes when I picked them up from the post office the cost of shipping with each size. It had gone up a couple of dollars from when I grabbed them awhile back.

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by CG

A lot of us only sell stuff now and again, this is for guys like us.

When I look at the for sale things its usually X plus shipping, plus fees, plus whatever. Next thing you get ten guys saying Ill take it depending on X X X ... Now I get this, makes total sense, just takes a bit to get everyone sorted out.

I sold a few items, Total all in, no extras. To me that made it easy for the buyer. Look at my giant pictures, (post them in your board gallery, huge by huge and provide a link) ... If you want it, this is what you pay.

Sold the stuff and all I based my shipping costs on was what I figured was a logical guess and add a few bucks. Umm no lol.

7 pound box was 47 bucks. Had the shipper figure it out UPS, Postal, and FedEx.

So this post may or may not go here but a little advice. Pack, get the weight and find a zip code that is furthest away from you and price your shipping. This is if you want to go the all in route. Its a nice way to sell and at the most your going to be only a few bucks over or under. If your ahead a few bucks it helps you recover your cost for packing material and boxes. In the end I think doing it this way is great for the buyer and the seller. The few bucks over or under all evens out. Beats spending close to fifty when you were thinking 25 haha!

Great advice and I do that when I sell parts and also when I sell my diecast models. I think there should be a rule on here about not adding Pay Pal fees. I mean its 3/4.00 per hundred bucks and sounds chincy to me when sellers ask for the fees on a 200.00 item that they are probably already making a decent return on their money.

[Coley]

Some very points and advice here.

My situation is along these lines with a different 'twist' in that I am shipping from Canada.
As such, most Americans that I have met aren't interested in anything to do with the mysterious line called the U.S/Canada border, lol.
Fair enough....

So, as mentioned and recommended here....I too have gotten some pricing on probable worst case shipping situations and always sell my stuff 'SHIPPED West CONUS'.
If it is further east, I have a minor surcharge that I put forward...usually without a problem and helps me offset the extra shipping cost.
This makes it easier for the buyer so they don't have to worry about the border.
On my end its not too big a deal...I just have to fill a minor customs document when I ship it...ba-da-bing and I don't think I've missed one yet, lol.

All good
Coley

[1968k20]

I don't really understand charging for pp fees either. I sell on eBay and don't charge an eBay fee. I just hope parts go to someone who needs t

[Already Gone]

Originally Posted by 1968k20

I don't really understand charging for pp fees either. I sell on eBay and don't charge an eBay fee. I just hope parts go to someone who needs t

and Ebay charges 10%...

[specialtyretail]

i have in my sig line,,, "do NOT send as gift" PayPal deserves and earns their cut. Just the cost of doing business.

[michael bustamante]

Originally Posted by CG

I had an assortment of flat rate boxes in my garage stashed away. I used one of them. I had written on the boxes when I picked them up from the post office the cost of shipping with each size. It had gone up a couple of dollars from when I grabbed them awhile back.

and the size of the medium box got smaller too. lol

[jabborabbo]

Unrelated to shipping charges but definitely related to shipping - breakable things will break if not packed properly, and heavy things will come out of the box unless packed and taped securely and double boxed in most cases. USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc. folks throw boxes around a lot. When you pack something for shipping, pack it such that you know it wouldn’t break or come out of the box if it was tossed off the roof of a house. Writing “Fragile” on the box never makes up for poor packing.

[CG]

Originally Posted by jabborabbo

Unrelated to shipping charges but definitely related to shipping - breakable things will break if not packed properly, and heavy things will come out of the box unless packed and taped securely and double boxed in most cases. USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc. folks throw boxes around a lot. When you pack something for shipping, pack it such that you know it wouldn’t break or come out of the box if it was tossed off the roof of a house. Writing “Fragile” on the box never makes up for poor packing.

I shipped a pair of tow hooks several months ago and I was well aware of the possible problems with shipping them. I was, or so I thought, incredibly careful on how I packed them up.

Ive purchased stuff via Amazon and they have literally just tossed a small object in a large box with zero packaging.

Anyway the hooks arrived at the buyers and he informed me he was lucky he got the hooks because the box was severely damaged ... I was in shock. I wish I would have taken pictures before I sent them off just as a reminder to myself how I packed them. I have no idea what happened.

[Red71gmc]

A story on the USPS flat rate. I bought two front wheel weights for a Farmall Cub a few years ago from a seller on ebay. They shipped them flat rate in a box the two weights just squeezed in to. The poor mail lady couldn't pick it up.
That seller got his money worth for sure. Probably cost less than 10 bucks. lol

[Shaky]

I usually try to sell locally in New England, especially big parts, but almost inevitably the person who wants it is somewhere else. So, I ask for the actual shipping costs added on then.

Fastenal is great for non-fragile items. For a brush guard, the buyer made all arrangements with Fastenal and I just dropped it off.