T-shirt postage costs

schtee

Just a quick one for those who regularly sell on eBay.

If I were to sell t-shirts on eBay how much should I charge for postage? Should they be classed as a small package or can you get away with a form of 'large letter'?

The price recommended on eBay was £3.30 which is a small package but this has since been been increased in price slightly by Royal Mail, so that + the actual cost of packaging would be slightly more still.

It just feels like a lot of money charging around £3.50 to post a t-shirt, especially when professional sellers get away with free postage.

Cheers,

Steve

campdave

schtee wrote: »

It just feels like a lot of money charging around £3.50 to post a t-shirt, especially when professional sellers get away with free postage.

They don't "get away" with free postage, they incorporate it into the selling price.

Package your t-shirt carefully and you should be able to send as a large letter easily.

gardner1

Bit cheaper with hermes £2.75.....as previous poster said if it's free postage it's costed into the price

jon81uk

When I am selling I usually fold t-shirts thin so I can send as large letter at around £1.30. I usually charge a little more to the buyer to cover the packaging as well.

But sellers are free to set their own price. If the price is too high, people won't buy it. Sellers get the fee by eBay on the total cost, so it doesn't mater if the item is 99p with £3 post or if it is £3.99 and free postage, the fee to eBay is still 40p (for regular personal sellers).
If you don't like the price a seller is charging, don't buy from them

mrcol1000

Depending on the size and design of the t-shirt you will probably get away with a large letter size (remembering over 100g it will need more than just a standard large letter stamp) if you fold it right and put it in a mail bag. Invest in a large letter guide (just a few quid on Ebay) or use the one in the post office.

Personally I would offer free postage and add your postage . If you charge small parcel rate and it goes as a large letter then you will end up having unhappy buyers. You also don't have to worry about what you charge for postage as buyers will be obvlious to it.

soolin

I agree with the above comments and whilst I don't normally sell clothing I did recently have a short line in t shirts. Folded carefully and in a proper plastic mailer they went at £1.27 1st class. (2nd class was only 7p cheaper so no real point in using it).

As an aside, I am at a bit of a loss as to where you think business seller get their free postage? it is rather concerning that some people still think that postage included is somehow free to the seller. I am business seller and pay exactly the same as anyone else for my postage. I do technically have a business rate available, but due to RM issues have never used as its been set up incorrectly, even using that though I was going to only save pennies on my postage.

soolin

Just as a further aside, if you are planning to buy or make t shirts to sell then remember to upgrade to a business account in eBay, and inform HMRC as well.

shopbot

As others have said there is no such thing as free postage for business sellers. You are still paying them for the postage, it's just part of the item price.

Kernow666

trick is to push all the air out whilst you are in the Q and then it will go through the slot ok provided its folded well

schtee

Thanks for the replies.

schtee

Oh, and I realise they don't get free postage, the last part of my question was just poorly worded. I meant they don't charge for postage. And yes, I also realise the price of postage is incorporated into the product price.

For someone selling a used t-shirt, it's more appealing (from my point of view) if it's listed as low as possible with the postage alongside. If I was going to list a worn t-shirt for £4.50 starting price I wouldn't expect people to be all that interested even if I too offered 'free' postage. I guess it's all about buyers perception.

I was hoping to get away with charging less than the price of a small package as I feel it's steep.