Shipping

[Pishatootie]

I have been wanting to start selling for months now, but I'm just nervous about the shipping.  How did everyone figure out how much the shipping will be??

[Radically Riley]

You can go to your local post office and ask them for rates to various countries for the typical size and weight of package you will be sending, or even better, look on their website.  You had no info in your profile for me to see where you are from, but  with Canada post here I was able to sign up for free as a small business and I get special rates.  Basically I get expedited and insured service for the same price as parcel post.

I set three rates.  One for Canada, one for USA, and one for everywhere else.  Ironically it is more expensive for me to mail across Canada than it is to the USA.  Europe is about equivalent to Canada.

Usually people charge a little less than their actual cost for shipping and tack that cost onto the retail price.  Many customers get really turned off by what they see as high shipping fees.

I only mail insured.  My items, jewellery, are small, so depending on how I package them I could actually send them as oversized letters for a much lower cost.  I'm not willling to do that with my work.  I use quality materials and produce one of a kind products, so I just have to trust that the right customers will find me, as the gradually are, and be willing to pay for the quality and artistic merit.

[Pishatootie]

Thank you so much Radically Riley.  I am also in Canada,  I haven't opened the sellers account yet until I get all of my things together.  Thank you so much and your jewellery is beautiful!!

[Radically Riley]

Thank you for the compliment.  It is always nice to get a boost.  SO now that I know you are in Canada.  Go to the Canada post website and open a venture one account.  They will send you a key chain barcode to have scanned when you mail an item.

I just recently raised my rates.  I was charging $3 in Canada, $2 in USA and $7 everywhere else.  I just switched to $8 everywhere in the last month.  My expedited rates are different though, as it is very expensive to get a parcel to somewhere like Australia in a few days.  We'll see if the increase in shipping rates has an impact on sales or not.  My actual costs for small packages are about $7 to the USA, $8 to $12 in Canada and to Euraope and Australia it is usually around $9 or $10.

Good luck with your new store and you can email me at mriley11@cogeco.ca anytime if you want some help.

Moyra (Radically) Riley

[Fairy Cardmaker]

I sell cards so I ship everything light packet.  Because I sell small dollar items, the shipping appears astronomical.  The only way to make it worth it for a buy is if they order more than one thing.

I wish there was a better way.  I fear that's why I have no sales - the shipping.