Postage Rates just went up again...

[Dominance9]

Use Paypal to print non-eBay USPS labels now. Not quite as low as eBay Top Rated / Powerseller but still a worthwhile discount.

Also worth mentioning...I often use FedEx Ground/Home Delivery for larger/heavier packages. You can save ~20% if you use ShipRush (free to sign up) to pre-print labels.

With selling on ebay do you use ship rush for USPS too or just fed ex? Ive honestly never heard of it. Also that 20% discount is that off retail or off avg. ebay labels.

*edit* - just looked at ship rush and damn, 16 oz. first class is tempting

We have a direct acct with fed ex with 3x weekly pick up and use ship manager, but honestly Ive been curious on alternatives because our rates suck.


BTW Has anyone seen how much USPS international rates went up by? Its quite the jump.

 

[@M]

...I only buy forever stamps 'cause I rarely use them...

Yup, same here. I don't know why anyone, other than maybe a stamp collector, would ever do otherwise. At least that way you don't have to buy those one or two cents stamps to use with your old stamps when the price does go up.

 

[lions3]

Urgh, have to mail off some stuff today or tomorrow. Guess I'll see how much this really effects me shortly.

So you can get shipping labels directly from Paypal? Without using ebay? Guess I would also need a small scale to weigh my packages though.

 

[GohanX]

Yes, you can use the link www.paypal.com/shipnow and go directly to the shipping page. It doesn't have to be anything that was paid for through paypal.

 

[wyo]

Urgh, have to mail off some stuff today or tomorrow. Guess I'll see how much this really effects me shortly.

So you can get shipping labels directly from Paypal? Without using ebay? Guess I would also need a small scale to weigh my packages though.

This is a good postage scale: http://amzn.com/B004W7IOV4

With selling on ebay do you use ship rush for USPS too or just fed ex? Ive honestly never heard of it. Also that 20% discount is that off retail or off avg. ebay labels.

*edit* - just looked at ship rush and damn, 16 oz. first class is tempting

We have a direct acct with fed ex with 3x weekly pick up and use ship manager, but honestly Ive been curious on alternatives because our rates suck.

BTW Has anyone seen how much USPS international rates went up by? Its quite the jump.

I use ShipRush for FedEx. Not tried it for USPS yet.

On https://www.paypal.com/shipnow, there is a Package option under "Priority Mail International," but the "First Class Mail International" only has "Letter" and "Large Envelope" (but no package).

I know the USPS website has "First-Class Package International Service"...odd that Paypal doesn't have that as it's half the price of "Priority Mail International." >_>

Yeah, there's no domestic Flat Rate Padded Envelope option either. The interface is clunky compared to the USPS site but at least there are some savings to be had.

 

[aoiddr]

This is a good postage scale: http://amzn.com/B004W7IOV4

Seconding this. I have one of that kind.

 

[GutsDozer]

More Postage. Less care in handling. Thanks for choosing USPS. The sad part? I still rather use USPS than UPS, FedEx....etc.

 

[madman]

More Postage. Less care in handling. Thanks for choosing USPS. The sad part? I still rather use USPS than UPS, FedEx....etc.

I don't know if it's still that way, but FedEx Ground used to be outsourced, I even had normal FedEx guys telling me not to use them, though this was years ago. I think it's a crap shoot regardless of who you ship with, USPS has an advantage with the free boxes and flat rates which can work out well. The online discount was great, I'll have to try that PayPal method mentioned here since USPS discontinued that pricing. I've had a lot of heavy, expensive stereo equipment shipped via FedEx and have had zero problems. I think safe packaging is the biggest factor regardless of vendor chosen. I've only ever had one package lost, that was via UPS and the seller refunded me immediately.

 

[GohanX]

FedEx Express and Ground are basically two different companies with shared infrastructure.

 

[wyo]

In a strange turn of events, it is now much easier and slightly cheaper to ship low dollar items items internationally if you sell them on eBay rather than privately. Even with eBay fees, it costs less, thanks to hefty eBay shipping discounts. And now, due to USPS changes and Paypal shipping idiosyncrasies, you cannot print First Class Mail International package labels at home any more unless you want to sign up with another 3rd party shipper such as Pitney Bowes or stamps.com. This really is a royal pain in the ass.

 

[Xian Xi]

You can still print 1st class international on USPS.com. Paypal still only has envelopes.

 

[wyo]

You can still print 1st class international on USPS.com. Paypal still only has envelopes.

Hmm, maybe I messed something up. Probably at full retail though, right?

 

[aoiddr]

Hmm, maybe I messed something up. Probably at full retail though, right?

On USPS.com, yeah... it's full retail. T_T