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Question about setting up a new store?

 
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defiledgravesdistribution



Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 3:51 pm    Post subject: Question about setting up a new store? Reply with quote

I am in the process of setting up my store and as we all know(those of us in the U.S.A.), the USPS has jacked up prices on international shipping. I do offer shipping to almost all foreign countries and am using the USPS International Price Calculator to figure my weight based shipping prices. WOW, are they expensive. Anyway my question is this.....I will be setting up a store F.A.Q. to explain the reason why rates are so high and I wish to include a link to the site I am using to set the prices, is this allowable? I wish to do this so international customers can see the rates for themselves rather than them just thinking I am trying to rip them off. My reputation is too good(on other sites that charge to much in fees) for that.

Personally, I would rather set up my shipping based on units purchased. For example(based on a domestic order), first CD is $1.50 and additional CD's are $.50 each, and do the same(different rates of course) for domestic shipping. I am not a big fan of the weight based system and like the set up for per item costs even less since it will charge customers the same rate for each item. My question here would be.....Am I missing something? I don't see a way to set up shipping costs the way I prefer them. The weight based system is a better option than charging $2.53(the rate for 1 pound sent media mail) than the per item system which would charge $2.53 for each CD. Using the weight based system you can buy a few items at the 1 pound rate.

Any help with this is greatly appreciated. Thank you for you time.
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tigercreekgifts



Posts: 6293

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 4:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, there is no way to set it up how you'd like it to be. You either have to go with the USPS calculator, the weight based Matrix, or charge a fee per each item sold (fixed shipping). The matrix may be confusing at first but, once you get used to it your customers will benefit from having their shipping automatically combined during checkout. The USPS calculator charges way too much and ends up overcharging for multiple item orders and you end up having to refund shipping differences to your buyers.

With fixed rate, you also have to refund the shipping difference to your buyers because they are charged shipping for every single item they order and I will tell you, you don't want to get in a habit of refunding overages on every single order because eventually, paypal will get fed up with all the refunds and they may very well lock up the money you get from sales and decide to start holding it from you for up to 30 days before they send it to your bank account. Paypal doesn't factor in that shipping set up could be the reason for all the excessive refunds, they automatically assume that if you're issuing a refund it's because you did something wrong as a seller and if you issue refunds all the time, they will start discrediting you as a seller.

It happened to a friend of mine who used fixed shipping on another selling venue. Paypal eventually locked up her funds due to her issuing too many refunds. So, the matrix is the best way to go if you are selling items that encourage people to place multiple item orders.
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SammysSupplies



Posts: 1631

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It would seem like you can do what you want to with the matrix. Use the numbers are the amount of cd's. It won't be perfect, but close to what you want to do. You can put links into your faq's page but it won't be clickable.

Last edited by SammysSupplies on Fri May 31, 2013 5:24 pm; edited 1 time in total
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 5:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Personally, I would rather set up my shipping based on units purchased


I do that by using the matrix and it is how my international is set up as well and I have no need to issue any refunds. Several topics in the last week or two about using the matrix for per item shipping instead of calculated. If all you sell is CDs you are a perfect candidate for using the matrix.

Your other questions about a link to show how the rates are set up, you can showing the url but you can't link directly. NO html allowed in our listings. Doubt that your customers will check the FAQ that much anyhow.
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SammysSupplies



Posts: 1631

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 5:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We must have been posting at the same time. Laughing
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MoonwishesStore
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Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Happy
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defiledgravesdistribution



Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 5:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys. Very helpful, I think I got it set up pretty close to the way I want it using the matrix.
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cosmicray



Posts: 7286

PostPosted: Fri May 31, 2013 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I glanced at the initial setup of your store. The categories you have defined thus far, make me wonder if unit-based shipping is going to work, for items where the weight will vary between item type (e.g. CDs vs DVDs vs Stickers vs 12" Vinyl etc).

How are you approaching this ?
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defiledgravesdistribution



Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not sure yet. CD's, tapes, 7" vinyl and DVD's all ship for a very similar rate. I may end up removing the stickers and patches and putting them up on Ebay or somewhere else.
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AlmostAntique



Posts: 592

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use the matrix on my avonandmark4you.ecrater.com site and it works well. I just put the weight of the lighter items in at 0.10 or 0.25 My price for one is like $5 and if I think I can ship 10 items at that price I put 0.10 and if I think I can only ship 4 at that price I put in 0.25 Hope this helps with some of the thinking in using the matrix to ship multiple items that don't weigh alot. I put $6 for my number 2 spot $8 for my number 4 spot and so on. Then I give each item a weight based on what I think it should cost to ship one. I hope this helps.
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