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Mike:
I know you have a lot going on right now. Thanks for the wall of text & well of info. It all sounds correct to me.Wish I could list and forget but I cannot seem to do so. Most of my items are just not all that unique. Before eBay GTC I would list most items for 30 days, then review, tweak and relist. That does waste a lot of time that should be spent listing new items. So, in one sense, I thank eBay for helping me waste less time that way, but I still think most of my items go stale in 60 or 90 days. And even a simple relist with no tweaks seems to help.
I have Sixbit Small Business Edition (no allocation plans) and it helps with that but there is still more tedious work than I like.
Mike:
I was hoping to hear back from you by now regarding my SixBit question:
specifically about ‘old and stale’. So I am giving this thread a bump.So tell me how long does it take for items to go ‘old and stale’? 30, 60, 90 days or other? And, now that eBay monthly relists are for a different number of calendars days (30 or 31, perhaps 28 for february or 29 for leap year), do you take this into account or just ballpark it when setting your SixBit custom duration?
Theresa:
One cannot offer the cubic rates that PirateShip uses via eBay because eBay does not have a cubic shipping rate option.eBay would have to begin offering a cubic rate priority shipping option in order for you to pass this on to buyers. (I wish they would.)
In the mean time, you can check to see if PirateShip might help you save on shipping. If so, you can refund the buyer or pocket any difference.
You don’t need to create an account at PirateShip in order to check. You can go there with info about some of your previous packages (dimensions, weights, ship to zip codes) and what-if the pricing.
Once in a while, I sell a heavy item that fits in a rather small box. For example, 3 to 4 lbs and 13x4x4 box. With PirateShip and cubic rate priority to more distant postal zones, one can save $3-$4 or more on an item vs the other priority rates. Typically I sell these items with free shipping, so I keep the savings.
@MDC Galleries:
Mike,
Some good points here. To summarize: Grow your business by looking at the big picture, not obsessing about every detail. Although it may be important to understand those details.I understand what you mean about ‘old and stale’ vs ‘list and forget’. And I can see why ‘list and forget’ works for many. Your monitoring and relisting are still details but you have delegated the details to SixBit.
So tell me how long does it take for items to go ‘old and stale’? 30, 60, 90 days or other? And, now that eBay monthly relists are for a different number of calendars days (30 or 31, perhaps 28 for february or 29 for leap year), do you take this into account or just ballpark it when setting your SixBit custom duration?
I had the same problem with the associated stress for about 10 minutes.
Good news! This old trick from Scavenger Life forum still works to go back to the classic label printing page. (Thanks again temudgin)
eBay is very consistent on the Vero policies. /sarcasm
If you sell trucker hats on eBay, one of the recommended Item Specifics is ‘Adjustment Type’ and one of eBay’s valid selections in the dropdown box is ‘Velcro’.
To copy a phrase from Jay and Ryanne:
Scavenger Life Episode 426: Our Financial Lives Are Tied To The Mysterious Whims Of A Website
Think about it. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, eBay, etc., all major websites have their wacky rules, bots, algorithms and downright manipulative behaviors. But eBay seems the wackiest of all.
It’s one thing to control our financial destiny. It’s another to delegate some of the dirty work to an unprepared and unprofessional communications team. Not to mention support reps who don’t have a clue and just make up answers as they go.
Retro:
It depends on the distance / zone.Looks to me like PirateShip would save you some if the package goes over 2 lbs.
You can go to PirateShip.com and what-if a few of your previous shipments to see. You don’t have to create an account in order to what-if the rates.
Let us know what you find.
I had another package today that was a candidate for Priority Mail cubic rate.
Similar to my last post, the package today was 13x5x5 and weighed 2 lb 4 oz.
Shipping today is from Atlanta to San Diego.For Priority Mail,
eBay charge (after discount): $14.83
Pirate Ship (cubic rate): $8.92If you have any small heavy items to ship that will not fit in a padded flat rate envelope, PirateShip.com may be the way to go.
We are wondering if the carrier was USPS, UPS, Fedex, etc?
Or if it is an expensive or high-risk item?Depending on the type of service, they may not have paid enough postage for USPS.
If Fedex or UPS, the buyer controls the shipper and can easily have the package redirected to a different address in a different zip code. In that case, you cannot prove shipping or delivery and might be left losing both the item and your money via eBay or Paypal or credit card claim later.
I doubt if the eBay messages would be proof enough for a Paypal or credit card charge-back.
Jay & Ryanne:
Thanks for a great forum that helps us keep up with all the changes.And to repeat Sigilini’s comment,
ME: Wow! That is crazy.Sigilini:
Try out a 3rd party shipper. I recommend PirateShip.com ; the site is not just for cubic rates or priority mail. They have parcel rates as well. And I think they have first class parcel and media mail if you ever need these.There is no subscription fee. You can sign up and just use the site once if you want to try it out.
Pay with a credit card. then copy the tracking number back into eBay for your customer.
Country Lane,
Thanks for sharing. I have a ton to learn about Sixbit. Plus a long way to grow my store compared to you and most others here.I used the Pick List today to help me locate my items for packing.
Thanks again.
eBay shipping prices are usually pretty good for me with TRS discount, but there is no cubic weight option.
Here is an example of PirateShip savings for today’s shipment:
Package is 13x5x5 and weighs 2 lb 4 oz.
Priority Mail pricing:
Retail: $16.10
eBay charge (after discount): $12.71Pirate Ship (cubic rate): $8.61
Country Lane,
I’m rather new to sixbit (6 weeks or so). It is difficult at first but I am getting the hang of it and beginning to really appreciate its features. There is a learning curve!Tell us a little more. or Perhaps we need a separate thread for Sixbit and other ecommerce softwares.
What kind of merchandise are you listing that you can do 150 items per day?
How long have you been using sixbit?
How many items in your store?
Anything else you care to share about it?Timo
