EBay for Dummies (51 page)
Authors: Marsha Collier
Tags: #Electronic Commerce, #Computers, #General, #E-Commerce, #Internet auctions, #Auctions - Computer network resources, #Internet, #Business & Economics, #EBay (Firm)
The FedEx Ground Home Delivery service is a major competitor for UPS. The rates are competitive, and FedEx offers a money-back guarantee (if it misses the delivery window) for residential ground delivery. For residential delivery, FedEx charges an additional $2.30 to $2.40 per package. A 2-pound package going from Los Angeles to a residence in New York City takes five days and costs $8.71 including the Home Delivery fee. FedEx includes online package tracking and insurance up to $100.00 in this price. You have to be a business to avail yourself of home delivery — but plenty of home businesses exist.
The same 2-pound U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail package with $100.00 insurance and a delivery confirmation costs you $11.50. (But remember, you know how to get free delivery confirmation forms, and insurance can cost much less with private package insurance!) Granted, the package will arrive within two to three days, but FedEx Ground guarantees a five-day delivery, and I’ve had a few Priority Mail packages take up to a week. FedEx Ground won’t supply boxes for you, so you’re on your own there. When you drop off your box at UPS, you can get five-day service for $11.53.
You can find the FedEx home page at
www.fedex.com/us
. The link for rates is conveniently located at the top of the page.
Getting the right (packing) stuff
You can never think about packing materials too early. If you wait until the last minute, you won’t find the right-size box, approved tape, or the labels you need. Start thinking about shipping even before you sell your first item.
Before you pack, give your item the once-over. Here’s a checklist of what to consider about your item before you call it a wrap (gotta love Hollywood lingo):
Is your item as you described it?
If the item has been dented or torn somehow, e-mail the winning bidder immediately and come clean. And if you sell an item with its original box or container, don’t just check the item, make sure the box is in the same good condition as the item inside. Collectors place a high value on original boxes, so make sure the box lives up to what you described in your listing. Pack to protect it as well.
Is the item dirty or dusty, or does it smell of smoke?
Some buyers may complain if the item they receive is dirty or smelly, especially from cigarette smoke. Make sure the item is fresh and clean, even if it’s used or vintage. If something’s dirty, check to make sure you know how to clean it properly (you want to take the dirt off, not the paint), and then give it a spritz with an appropriate cleaner or just soap and water. If you can’t get rid of the smell or the dirt, say so in your item description. Let the buyer decide whether the item is desirable with aromas and all.
If the item has a faint smell of smoke or is a bit musty, a product called Febreze may help. Just get a plastic bag, give your item a spritz, and keep it in the bag for a short while.
Note:
This is not recommended for cardboard. And, as with any solvent or cleaning agent, read the label before you spray. Or, if you’re in a rush to mail the package, cut a 2-by-2-inch piece of sheet fabric softener and place it in a plastic bag with the product.
When the item’s ready to go, you’re ready to pack it. The following sections give you suggestions on what you should consider using and where to find the right stuff.
Packing material: What to use
This may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised: Any list of packing material should start with a box. But you don’t want just any box — you want a heavy cardboard type that’s larger than the item. If the item is extremely fragile, I suggest you use two boxes, with the outer box about 3 inches larger on each side than the inner box that holds the item, to allow for extra padding. And if you still have the original shipping container for such things as electronic equipment, consider using the original, especially if it still has the original foam inserts (they were designed for the purpose, and this way they stay out of the environment awhile longer).
As for padding, Table 12-1 compares the most popular types of box-filler material.
Table 12-1 Box-Filler Materials | ||
Type | Pros and Cons | Suggestions |
Bubble wrap | Pros: Cons: | Don’t go overboard taping the bubble wrap. If the buyer has to battle to get the tape off, the item may go flying and end up damaged. And for crying out loud, don’t pop all the little bubbles, okay? |
Newspaper | Pros: Cons: | Seal fairly well. Put your item in a plastic bag to protect it from the ink. I like shredding the newspaper first. It’s more manageable and doesn’t seem to stain as much as wadded-up paper. I spent about $30.00 at an office-supply store for a shredder. (Or find one on eBay for much less.) |
Cut-up cardboard | Pros: Cons: | If you have some old boxes that aren’t sturdy enough to pack in, this is a pretty good use for them. |
Styrofoam peanuts | Pros: Cons: | Your item may shift if you don’t put enough peanuts in the box, so make sure to fill the box. Also, don’t buy these; recycle them from stuff that was shipped to you (plastic trash bags are great for storing them). And never use plastic peanuts when packing electronic equipment, because they can create static electricity. Even a little spark can trash a computer chip. |
Air-popped popcorn | Pros: Cons: | You don’t want to send it anywhere there may be varmints who like it. The U.S. Postal Service suggests popcorn. Hey, at least you can eat the leftovers! |
Storing those bags of plump packing peanuts
By now, you may have realized that I have commandeered a large chunk of my home for my eBay business, and you might think that I live in a giant swamp of packing materials. Not really. But I do have to store loads of packing peanuts. They’re not heavy, but they sure are bulky!
If you have a house with a garage, you’re set! Bear with me now, my plan isn’t as crazy as it seems. Go to your local store and purchase some large screw-in cup hooks. Then purchase the largest
drawstring
plastic bags you can find. (I’m partial to 39-gallon Glad Lawn & Leaf bags.)
Screw the cup hooks into strategic locations on the ceiling rafters of your garage. Now fill the drawstring bags to capacity with packing peanuts and hang. When you’ve finished your garage will look like some bizarre art installation, but it gets the packing peanuts off the floor and out of your hair. I even set up a packing-peanuts barricade so I don’t hit the end of my garage when I park!
Whatever materials you use, make sure that you pack the item well and that you secure the box. Many shippers will contest insurance claims if they feel you did a lousy job of packing. Do all the little things that you’d want done if you were the buyer — using double boxes for really fragile items, wrapping lids separately from containers, and filling hollow breakables with some kind of padding. Here are a few other items you need:
Plastic bags:
Plastic bags protect your item from moisture. I once sent a MIB doll to the Northeast, and the package got caught in a snowstorm. The buyer e-mailed me with words of thanks for the extra plastic bag, which saved the item from being soaked along with the outer box. (Speaking of boxes, if you send an item in an original box, bag it.)
For any small items, such as stuffed animals, you should always protect them in a lunch baggie. For slightly larger items, go to the 1-quart or 1-gallon size. Be sure to wrap any paper or cloth products, such as clothing and linens, in plastic before you ship.
Bubble-padded mailers:
The shipping cost for a package that weighs less than 13 ounces (First-Class mail) is usually considerably cheaper than Priority. Many small items, clothing, books, and so on will fit comfortably into the many available sizes of padded envelopes. You can find them made of Kraft paper or extra sturdy vinyl. A big plus is that they weigh considerably less than boxes — even when using extra padding. See Table 12-2 for standard sizes.
Address labels:
You’ll need extras because it’s always a good idea to toss a duplicate address label inside the box, with the destination address and a return address, in case the outside label falls off or becomes illegible.
Shipping tape, 2 or 3 inches:
Make sure that you use a strong shipping tape for the outside of the box. Clear plastic will do just fine. There is also box-color tape that works very well for recycling boxes (taping over old shipping information). Remember not to plaster every inch of box with tape; leave space for those
Fragile
and
Insured
rubber stamps.
Hand-held shipping tape dispensers:
It’s quite a bit easier to zzzzzip! tape from a tape dispenser than to unwind it and bite it off with your teeth. Have one dispenser for your special shipping tape and one for your clear tape.
Lightweight
2-inch clear tape:
For taping the padding around the inside items. I also use a clear strip of tape over the address on the outside of the box so that it won’t disappear in the rain.
Scissors:
A pair of large, sharp scissors. Having a hobby knife to trim boxes or shred newspaper is also a good idea.
Handy liquids:
Three that I like are GOO GONE (which is available in the household supply section of most retail stores and is a wonder at removing unwanted stickers and price tags); WD-40 (the unstick-everything standby that works great on getting stickers off plastic); and Un-Du (the best liquid I’ve found to take labels off cardboard). Lighter fluid also does the trick, but be very careful handling it and be sure to clean up thoroughly to remove any residue.