Do people really pay for such exhorbitant shipping fees

Ecoartisan · Posts: 22

The reason I'm asking this is that now that I actually measured a small item that I have for sale, it would fit a 5x5x5" box and entered that into Canada Post website for a price, it came out to $15 approximately!

Like who would pay $15.00 for shipping of a $10 item? I'm wondering very candidly if this is worth the time to try to market my items?.........and take the time to make any more items?

A-Better-Way · Posts: 3363

They do pay, only 3 international orders I done, each time it was just crazy high shipping.

AtMemoryLane · Posts: 510

Without a doubt.

Most Definitely....especially for your hand crafted UNIQUE products that you do.

Please, do not decrease your price of your item because you are afraid someone will not pay for the shipping. Please do not devalue your craft.

SUPERPLUSHNSTUFF · Posts: 1542

Just shipped a $35 item to the UK for $47.50, so yes they do.

elpereles · Posts: 3430

theartsandlettersofmaggiethecat · Posts: 2099

I think you were looking at Canada to Canada shipping. That seems about right for a lightweight package that has to be boxed. I face the same problem. You're right. Canadians don't pay that shipping if they can get it shipped from the US for less.

However it will cost less to ship to the US and Europe than within Canada so you will have US and international sales.

Small packet up to 250 grams is $8.03; up to 500 grams is $10.66 to the US. It starts at $9.37 for international.
Don't forget to add on for your packaging supplies. Boxes cost money.

There really is no need to pay for tracked packing to the US. I've been doing this for years and have never used tracked package nor had a problem and that is after thousands of shipments. If you pack carefully you should not have a problem. I use www.insurepost.com for packages too valuable to risk losing, especially if they are fragile. That is $1.50 per $100 of value and you can even insure light packet if you have anything flat.

Canada Post rates are insane. But if people want your product, they will pay for it. Your items are cute so I would think you would have sales.

Ecoartisan · Posts: 22

Thank you for all your replies Smile

It has given me the decision to try to pursue this.

theartsandlettersofmaggiethecat, are you in Canada, you know a lot about shipping! Yes, shipping within Canada is absolutely exhorbitant. That price I got from Canada Post was from Alberta to BC, and I just about fell out of my chair when I found that out. I had previously listed my shipping of items as a flat rate of $10. I sure changed that to weight dependable in a hurry!

You say shipping to the U.S. is cheaper than within Canada - but I would have to start out with Canada Post or UPS, am I correct? Sorry, I'm completely new to this, so not sure which direction to go in when it comes to shipping.

Maisie

maggiethehousecat · Posts: 2457

Yes I am in Canada, in BC. I base Canadian shipping on Vancouver to Toronto which in the rare case of a Canadian order is usually where it goes. If it is within BC or AB I refund the difference in shipping.

To ship to the US and find the rates, you go to www.canadapost.ca and enter the state or zip code, or the international destination and the weight and dimensions of your package. That will bring up a choice of shipping methods and they always start with the most expensive so don't have a heart attack; just scroll down. I don't print postage online but you can if you wish.

Some suggestions if you don't want to cheat yourself or gauge your buyers.

1. Get a postal or food scale that weighs as low as a gram. If you package is one gram over the rate you listed, you will have to pay the higher rate at the PO. Every once in a while I take a can of beans into the post office and have it weighed to make sure my scale is still accurate with theirs.

2. Take your 5x5x5 box, fill it with peanuts, sealed air or bubble wrap (whatever you will use), tape it, and weigh it. That is what you will add to the weight of your items. If you will need larger boxes, weigh each size the same way and keep those weights on a post it note by your computer. Then you only have to weigh the item when you list it, add the package weight and you will have an accurate weight to list.

3. US and international destinations have to have customs forms filled out. Ask your postal clerk for a stack of them so you have them ready when you go to the post office. I don't know if this is just my PO branch (where they set their watches by me) or if it is just that Canada Post has relaxed their regulations but the whole thing doesn't have to be filled out. They are mostly concerned with the contents and value. It was the postal clerk who told me to stop filling in all the details. I put zip or postal code, state and country, and last name of buyer. You don't need a detailed description of the contents. Figurine for your items is fine. All I put is tablecloth, earrings, etc. Nothing has ever been returned for insufficient information.

Warning: I don't know how common this is and it is something I just caught last month. Postal clerks who are feeling rushed often just put any zip code in the computer when the item is one that is not tracked or insured by CP. Because I often insure items and the information you enter for the insurance form has to be accurate or it will be invalid so check it. Your receipt is worthless if the zip code is incorrect.

Make sure you fill in the shipping zones before filling in the matrix. Select those countries you will ship to. Then go to the matrix.

A word about the shipping matrix. The number at the top of the page can refer to pounds, ounces, grams, kilos or for some people the number of items in the shipment. What will be your minimum weight packaged? Make that the number 1 spot. You have to adjust your listed weight accordingly. Use 0.150, 0.250 etc for your item weights. You can't dispense with the 0 until you reach a kilo in weight.

Avoid UPS for items as lightweight and inexpensive as yours.

Ecoartisan · Posts: 22

Oh hey, I just moved from BC to northern Alberta!

Thanks for all the tips maggiethehousecat, I appreciate it, and will refer to it as I bumble along here.... Smile

I wasn't sure if I should go to UPS or not, but now your answer settles that matter.

viewfinders · Posts: 1561

Northern Alberta! Brrrr! Might as well live in Buffalo, NY. I take it your mussel shells aren't local.

tigercreekgifts · Posts: 6293

Yes, some will pay it but some will be chased away. I tried using USPS calculated shipping a long time ago & it was pretty accurate for just one item but when buyers added multiple things to their cart it wasn't discounting the postage by weight, it was doubling the postage rate each time a new item was selected.

I remember one time when this woman bought 2 items from me. They were large & somewhat heavy and needed to be shipped in a flat rate box for the best postage rate. The system charged her $11.99 shipping twice over when it should have charged her just once because both items would've fit in the same box for one rate. However, that buyer never complained about it. I chose to email her & let her know the checkout way overcalculated the postage & offered her a partial refund.

As for paying $15 to ship a $10 item, sometimes it's necessary. I've listed items that were so heavy they couldn't ship for any less than $15.00 but the item itself was only worth about $8 or $9. Those items did sell.

Ecoartisan · Posts: 22

Lol, viewfinders - it sure is cold up here, but the snow is sooo very pretty!
......no, the mussels aren't local. I forget which coast they are from but I think they're from Canadian waters

Ecoartisan · Posts: 22

Maggie the housecat, sorry, I don't know your name? You were mentioning the matrix, and I'm a bit confused about that - you say that for some people the number at the top can refer to pounds, ounces, grams, kilos or for some the number of items in the shipment. Do you mean that it is different amongst each vendor here?

I've got "1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 16+" in the weight line, and this blurb on the bottom: "Last column determines value the shipping increases with for every 2 Lbs above the end of the weight scale. Valid only for products with weights more than the end of the weight scale."
So I'm assuming that my weight is calculated in pounds, am I correct?

Also, I measured my items in grams, so should I convert that to oz? I'm totally new at weighing.......confused.

On that matrix I just rounded off prices for now, is that ok? Or should I really weigh them exactly. Reason I rounded prices off for now is that I know the tiniest box will cost me $16cad.

Also, how should I base my shipping prices? Should I just pick the farthest destination from me in the US for example like Alberta to Florida?
What if I have a sale that is in a state that is just below me like Montana? What do I do then?

Thanks,
Maisie

Ecoartisan · Posts: 22

Mysteriousrose, when you say the system charged 2 shipping fees, how do you refund the money? Is that done on the Paypal platform?

Was it a bug on the Ecrater shipping system, and now is it fixed, so if someone buys 2 items, it won't double charge shipping?

cosmicray · Posts: 7286