Postage Query

madaminx

Hi there
I'm a private seller on Ebay - not a regular seller, just when there are free listings. As it happens, this week I managed to sell about 9 items – and now out a fortune using Royal Mail for postage.
As an occasional non commercial seller is there a postal service competing for business from non commercial entities? And at a cheaper price than Royal Mail. Or a service that provides a cheaper service if you are posting parcels in bulk?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
M

custardy

madaminx wrote: »

Hi there
I'm a private seller on Ebay - not a regular seller, just when there are free listings. As it happens, this week I managed to sell about 9 items – and now out a fortune using Royal Mail for postage.
As an occasional non commercial seller is there a postal service competing for business from non commercial entities? And at a cheaper price than Royal Mail. Or a service that provides a cheaper service if you are posting parcels in bulk?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks
M

Theres is a large thread on couriers in the eBay section
however,how are you out a fortune? You sell on Ebay and list the postage cost
who is paying that?

sortika

Did you not actually check the prices for posting your items? You do need to put an actual estimate in the P&P charge section, not a wild guess, if you want to make any money.

graspthenettle

Never ever guess postage - you will never get it right in a million years!

Either use your kitchen scales or invest in a cheap set - as long as they are accurate and weigh in grams you will be ok - don't forget to weigh the item INCLUDING the packaging.

Look up the price on the post office website or pick up a leaflet from the post office.

For small items I wouldn't even worry about trying to use another courier, it would be unlikely to be worth your while.

techspec

graspthenettle wrote: »

Never ever guess postage - you will never get it right in a million years!

Either use your kitchen scales or invest in a cheap set - as long as they are accurate and weigh in grams you will be ok - don't forget to weigh the item INCLUDING the packaging.

Look up the price on the post office website or pick up a leaflet from the post office.

For small items I wouldn't even worry about trying to use another courier, it would be unlikely to be worth your while.

My nephew asked me to post 3 parcels and i "guessed" the cost. I was bang on.

Its easy once you have sent a few.

OP
www.collectplus.co.uk
www.myhermes.co.uk
www.interparcel.com

graspthenettle

techspec wrote: »

My nephew asked me to post 3 parcels and i "guessed" the cost. I was bang on.

Its easy once you have sent a few.

OP
www.collectplus.co.uk
www.myhermes.co.uk
www.interparcel.com

Wooo, get you

Well done you then, I have sent loads and I can't guess the weight of the boxes I send them in let alone the items themselves.

Still say for small items it's not worth bothering with other couriers, particularly collect+ as you will see from several entries on these forums.

in_the_Cotswolds

If you're not sure take them to the post office and ask them to weigh them and tell you the costs, i.e first/second class recorded, special delivery etc.

soolin

in_the_Cotswolds wrote: »

If you're not sure take them to the post office and ask them to weigh them and tell you the costs, i.e first/second class recorded, special delivery etc.

I'm sure that will go down well this side of Christmas with queues in my local POs already out the door. Surely all OP needs is the advice already given, a set of scales and the PO (or sea jays) link to prices.

Once you have the weight and know whether it can go as a large letter or packet (within the UK) you can calculate any costs

sunnysea83

I know that most of my items go as £2.20 second class, its only the heavier items I have to check,

macfly

9 items is hardly regarded as bulk. No courier is going to work out cheaper, as you live in NI anyhow.

Contains_Mild_Peril

techspec wrote: »

My nephew asked me to post 3 parcels and i "guessed" the cost. I was bang on.

Its easy once you have sent a few.

It's not so easy if a package is near the threshold between one price band and another: if I pick up a package and guess it's about 1kg I know I need to weigh it! Also, there are many thing which may be on the large letter/ packet thickness borderline (tip: biggish Xmas cards are useful for keeping items like gloves and baby clothes within Large Letter dimensions, and with a bit of tape over the envelope seal for security they're generally adequate packaging for such items). If your domestic scales are not sufficiently accurate for borderline items, it's probably best to charge the lower rate and add the possible surplus to the item price/ start price.

soolin wrote: »

Once you have the weight and know idiot can go as a large letter or packet

Soolin, are you using some sort of speech recognition software?