International Mail: December 9th
International Express Mail: December 15th
First Class: December 20th Priority:December 21st
Express Mail: December 22nd
For a detailed shipping chart including Military address shipping deadlines click here.
UPS said people can ship items by air as late as Dec. 23 for delivery on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. For more information click here. Fedex:
Ground: December 16th Home Delivery: December 19th
Express Saver: December 20th
2 Day: December 22nd
Overnight: December 23rd First Overnight & Priority Overnight: December 23rd Same Day: December 25th
Dec. 16 is the last day to guarantee delivery before Christmas through FedEx Ground. Dec. 23 is the last day to ship by way of the company's Express service. For more information click here.
Wow I wish I would have known about this site before my garage sale! If you are one of those people who always has to have the latest gadget then eBay's new electronics buying site may be your new best friend. The time and effort it takes to sell your used electronics on eBay or Craigslist typically does not make it very profitable. How nice is it to go to the Instant Sale Site and select a few options, see the price you are being offered and sell. Yes, you aren't going to get rich selling your used electronics this way but unless you are a neat nick with a lot of spare time, it beats the alternatives.
I will definitely be trying the site out the next time I have an old cell phone or gadget like my i Touch that has been replaced by the newest gadget I just had to buy. I definitely suggest checking out this site.
So you have finally taken the step to sell something on eBay. Maybe its some of your kids used clothing. Maybe its an antique that you inherited but don't have that perfect place for. Whatever it is that you have decided to sell will have to in the end, be shipped to the winner. Shipping can be a confusing and troublesome process for those who haven't had much experience.
So what is so complicated...
First you have to decide which shipping company you want to use. There is USPS, UPS, FedEx, Dhl, and various others.
How do you decide?
Well I always go by cost, but that isn't always easy to figure out. You have to know what shipping options to offer your buyers before you list your item so it takes a little investigation by you to know what shipping service will work best for you.
eBay does some of the work for you with their shipping calculator but they only offer you prices for USPS and UPS. So it won't tell you the prices for FedEx, DHL, or other shippers. Even so, it does a good job. Here is on one eBay user had to say about the eBay shipping calculator:
How many times have you won an auction only to wait ... and wait ... and wait
to complete the transaction because the vendor did not include his S+H costs?
FRUSTRATING ISN'T IT ???
I believe that most sellersdon't usethe available shipping calculator because they are afraid that they will be short-changed on their shipping and handling costs.
I have used the shipping calculator on ALL
of my listings since DAY ONE. IT WORKS !!!
I only use USPS priority shipping with delivery confirmation.
All that you have to do is click the Calculated tab instead of the Flat cost tab to open the shipping calculator menu.
I assume that you have a postal scale? (readily available on many eBay listings - search: Postal scale)
By simply showing the weight, (including packing material and the box) and your nominal handling charge, the correct shipping and handling charge will be available to potential buyers prior to bidding.AND will automatically be added to your final invoice.
As I stated, I always ship delivery confirmation and I always add .50 as a handling charge for that purpose.
If you prefer to ship parcel post (why??) or if you prefer to give your buyers the option of parcel post, you can do that also.
NO PROBLEM !!
Other choices are Media mail, Express Mail etc
Believe me, you will save time answering questions about your shipping costs and your buyers will appreciate your efforts.
Give it a try !!
Sorry to say, but in my opinion, the only reason NOT to use the shipping calculator is because
you are one of those HIDDEN SHIPPING COST RIP-OFF VENDORS.
You know, the ones who give eBay a black eye.
Sell a 99 cent item and charge $29.99 for shipping...SURE !!
BE AWARE THAT EBAY IS CRACKING DOWN ON YOU GUYS AND GOOD RIDDANCE.
This is a nice but slightly dated video on the shipping calculator:
My personal advice is to use the shipping calculator and occasionally check the prices for shipping with other shippers. If you find that shipping is cheaper with another carrier on a consistent basis, start using them and just tell your eBay customers that you ship with that other service but still use the calculator for estimates. I found that customers really like getting a little money back as a refund if you can get the shipping for less. I had customers write me really nice feedback because I refunded them $1.30 in shipping.
I found this advice site and thought I would pass it along. It says a lot of the same things I have already said but says it different. Sometimes it takes hearing things in several different ways before it sinks in for me personally. Also, the more I hear something, the more likely I will be to try it. So here it is:
Well the verdict is in, if you want your product to arrive on time the shippers are all providing the 17th as the last day you can ship an item using standard delivery and expect it to arrive in time for Christmas. There is a chance that something ordered later than that will arrive but I would not bet on it. So keep that in mind when either shopping or selling online this Christmas season.
For your convenience I have listed the links to the top U.S. shippers' holiday mailing schedules:
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Image by Kuba Bożanowski via Flickr
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