royal mail price increases - plan of action?

schoolfundraiser

soolin wrote:

Firstly don't panic. The most problems will be for people selling small items that currently post out for less than a pound and which are wider than 2.5cms when wrapped. For larger items or things that currently cost over £1 to post the effect will be marginal until you get to the whopping sizes.
Soo

Yesterday I posted a book I sold on greenmetropolis by 2nd class mail which previously would have cost 79p. It was £1.09. So I have cancelled all my swaps on readitswapit am thinking about cancelling greenmetropolis and have given up on amazon which needs to be sent by 1st class mail - on a 99p to £1.50 book I was only making 30 to 50p after postage and amazon's charges so that is now wiped out.

Anyone with any brilliant ideas as to how to get rid of the 100 or so books I would like to shift out of my house? Yes I know charity shops but they can only cope with so many at a time - they really hate having loads dumped at them at one go and then most of them end up in the dustbin!!

I also already donate the nearly new (and not too sexy or violent) ones to my daughter's school library to help beef up the "crossover to adult" reading section.

jo_b_2

schoolfundraiser wrote:

I have given up on amazon which needs to be sent by 1st class mail - on a 99p to £1.50 book I was only making 30 to 50p after postage and amazon's charges so that is now wiped out.

Amazon books don't have to sent First Class - just dispatched within two days of being sold. Second class is fine.

You should still be able to make a profit on the smaller books that can be classed as 'letters' under the new system. I'd carry on with Amazon and just raise prices accordingly. Everybody else will be in the same boat as you.

schoolfundraiser

It must have changed on Amazon then as it always used to be a condition that books were sent 1st class and in new packaging.

Also Amazon has different charging rates for those selling over 30 books a month so it will be the "hobby"sellers like me who will be affected most.

I was told at the Post office that although the package was within the letter size range because it was too thick to go through the slot it had to be in the packet category.

soolin

schoolfundraiser wrote:

It must have changed on Amazon then as it always used to be a condition that books were sent 1st class and in new packaging.

Also Amazon has different charging rates for those selling over 30 books a month so it will be the "hobby"sellers like me who will be affected most.

I was told at the Post office that although the package was within the letter size range because it was too thick to go through the slot it had to be in the packet category.

That's correct, the size is what matters as to whether the item is classed as a packet or a large letter. If it goes through the slote easily it is a large letter, if it doesn't then it is a package.

Soo