Posted on 05/21/2005 9:29:58 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
That's fine for people who run eBay as a business out of their homes, who can afford the postal scales and the fees for online stamps, but what about the occasional eBay seller? Shouldn't they be treated with courtesy by an overpaid quasi-government worker?
I know people who do this all the time and make out quite well.
Here's a true story you may not have heard. When William Faulkner was a young guy, he somehow got himself hired as local postmaster at the University of Mississippi Oxford. He hired all his poker and bridge buddies and they sat around all day playing cards, drinking and ignoring customers. This went on for several years before an inspector showed up and fired Faulkner. He said, "At least I won't have to dance attendance on every SOB who's got the price of a first class stamp." LOL!
Yep, that's sadly true. I guess if they PO enough eBayers, then the UPS stores will reap the benefits. Not enough of them around, in my opinion.
Ya think all those USPS mega profits will get passed back to the taxpayer via price reductions?
Yeah, neither do I.
Nice thing is, UPS and FedEx will keep them competitive for eBay shipping. This quasi-governmental dinosaur is having some real adjustment pains dealing with some solid competition for the first time in their history.
Nice summary. Looks like all they're doing is playing catch-up these days. Hopefully, it will get critical enough that the union will have to be hobbled and the work force reduced. Yeah, I'm a dreamer.
I've always found it amusing that editorial writers want all kinds of taxes to pay for every 'necessary' service under the sun, but let the USPS even hint that ultra-cheap mailing rates for newspapers and magazines be raised a fraction of a cent, and you'd think that someone was trying to burn down the Constitution! Or at least the First Amendment, the only one that matters to them.
Yup. All the shippers have advantages & disadvantages...
USPS does not offer tracking, and it seems to be quite slow in domestic shipping. You have to get Registered, Certified + Return Receipt, or whatever if you want tracking... and for high value items, you WANT tracking, because you don't wan ta situation like yours where the buyer thinks you never shipped the item. However it is very cheap at low weights, and just about the only way to go with intenrational shipments. Domestically, though, it sucks... slooooooooow!
Fedex is much cheaper than USPS at higher weights and much faster. We have had literal overnight shipments with FedEx. Once we sold a $500 sled... sent it out on a Friday, the buyer left glowing positive feedback on a Saturday. Also they have a tracking number with all shipments. The only disadvantage FedEx has is that its insurance policy is horrible, so you're taking quite a risk on certain classes of items (you have to convince them it's not a collectible or whatever).
UPS seems to fall somewhere in between. Haven't used them much.
In conclusion, I'd say the best way for eBay sellers to go is to use FedEx Ground for domestic shipments and to use USPS Registered Mail with international shipments. ALWAYS use Registered Mail with international shipments, trust me on this! You don't want to get negged when your item's held up in Customs for 4 weeks and you have no way of proving you sent the package at all. Get an account with both of them so you can print packing labels and have daily pickups.
Also, it is illegal, period, to send eBay items as a gift. Sooner or later customs will catch you. They'll confiscate the package if you're lucky, and at worst, you'll be going to jail or paying outrageous lawyer fees. Explicitly state that in your auction descriptions.
I once worked at the USPS and still have relatives and friends who work there. Some workers aren't worth 10K/yr and there's some who I think were worth more than 43K. The poor working hours probably should induce a little higher compensation than typical comparable jobs. The Cato article does have a little better "tone" than a lot of analysis of the USPS. Some of the stuff from people like James Bovard seems to confuse economic inefficiency with moral turpitude. Postal workers don't have to be falsely portrayed as worthless parasites to make a case for reform. There's a lot of good existing now within the USPS that should be salvaged in reform.
Yes, tell me about it. Selling a nice pharmaceutical pen right now and the bids are rather low. Scarce, collectible pen and little interest. Ends today.
Please explain. Sending it designated as a gift for a cheaper postal rate? What does the above mean, specifically?
That was my experience as well.
I have shopped for car parts. It even got me to consider buying junk cars and selling them part by part. Then sell the remaining hulk for scrap metal.
I would much rather pay $25, part and shipping, for that power window switch on eBay than go running all over town digging in junk yards.
And yeah, the USPS deal is a good one. I got new boxes just last week.
I would guess the shipper bought the postage online, and started the tracking process on that day, and then goofed off getting it to the post office.
Technically as long as you are shipping one priority package your carrier should pickup other mail classes like media mail with electronic posage for free. Some carriers won't do it but they are supposed to.
FINALLY I've got it figured out why you moved up to Minnesota and their "pleasant winters"....you work from home! Uffda!
I recently sold a book on eBay for several thousand dollars (it was salvaged from my father's attic). I don't think I would have gotten that at a yard sale or flea market.
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