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Newbie on eCRATER with Questions
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SammysSupplies



Posts: 1631

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If your item does not have a upc or other manufacturing code. You put identifier_exists in the first box and false in the second. Google Shopping likes to put everything together and uses that info to do so.
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Wed Aug 10, 2016 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Again, we appreciate your assistance. It's been very helpful.
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi! We started listing some items. However, we were uncertain as to weight. We were told by the eCRATER reps that it is a required item. Is that weight in pounds or ounces? Also, should that weight include the envelope, box, and other packing supplies? Further, is the exact weight important if you use flat rate shipping.

Also, what about media mail shipping rates and priority mail flat rate boxes? Do you just say we are using that shipping method and rate in our description? Thanks again for y'alls assistance.
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MoonwishesStore
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Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It actually depends on what shipping system you are using what weight you would need to use. I use the matrix and so my 'weight' is actually the number of items it needs to count to get the proper shipping cost. Most of my items are a one, but if something is double that average weight or higher it gets a 2, and on up. That way if some buys 4-5 items those ones are counted up as that number and whatever shipping cost that it comes to. Because I rarely have many over one pound items, I just price the item to cover the extra shipping cost I may run into that goes above my max shipping costs for the US.

For the other two shipping systems, the others will have to chime in. Very Happy
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 11:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi nola, I thought about you with all the rain in your area. Glad to see you online and not displaced by the flooding. I like your store name. I guess I just thought everybody knew NOLA was New Orleans LA.

Normally, the weight would be the actual shipping weight. If you are using USPS calculated shipping or if you are using the weight matrix based on weight, then you are going to need the actual shipping weight. Some stores, like Moonwishes, have their shipping matrix set to show the shipping based on the number of items purchased so they just put 1 in the weight field. I use this system in my sewing pattern store and it works great for that store, but I would have to change the weight for every item if I decided to change systems.

You mentioned you are using the flat rate shipping system, but it appears you still have the USPS Calculated shipping active in your store. In your admin, go to Accounts > Options and scroll down to "Enable USPS Calculated Shipping Instead" and make sure the check box is blank. If that box is checked, the eCrater checkout system is always going to check the USPS Calculated first, then the flat rate posted on each item, and last it will check the weight matrix. Personally, I like the USPS Calculated when you have a wide variety of items. Also, when the postage rates change, all you have to be concerned about is your backup because the USPS Calculated is automatic. However, if you use the flat rate item system, every item is going to have to be manually changed.

As the eCrater team said, you must enter something in the weight field. If you are NEVER going to use shipping by weight, you could enter 0.00 for the weight. If you think you ever might want to use the weight matrix by weight or USPS Calculated shipping, you need to enter the actual shipping weight. That weight needs to be entered as a decimal. In other words, 1/2 pound or 8 ounces would be entered as 0.50 and 0.75 would be 3/4 pound or 12 ounces. If the item weighted 1 3/4 pounds, 1.75 would be your weigh entry. Go to this topic in the forum: FAQs and Solutions > Solutions to Common Questions - SHIPPING MATRIX & MORE http://community.ecrater.com/viewtopic.php?t=2461 and scroll down until you see the chart for converting ounces to pounds as decimals. I copied it to a file, printed it and keep it posted by my computer. Remember you must enter the leading zero if the weight is less than one pound.

You asked about media mail, priority mail flat rate boxes, etc. You could add something to your FAQs to say something about the methods of shipping you use, but it really isn't necessary. I always send an email to my customers to tell them an order has shipped, giving them the tracking number and telling them the method of shipping so they know what to expect. I don't think I would mention anything on the item page other than a mention that an item will be sent Media Mail.
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2016 2:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for thinking about us. We had a lot of rain, but we are ok in our area. Unfortunately, we can't say the same about other parts of the state. Also, we know first hand what the flooded victims are going through. We had 8 inches of water in our place and a hole in the roof from Hurricane Katrina, so our place was all gutted out. You can see the sky from the hole as it was about a football size hole and rain just kept coming in while we were gone. We got back 3 weeks later so there was mold all over the first floor (ceiling and walls) and the carpet was drenched on the 2nd floor from the rain getting into the bedroom. We lost furniture, tvs, etc. and insurance didn't help enough. We're still paying for it, but we didn't lose our lives so something to be thankful for and we just need to move forward and forget the past and appreciate what we still have.

Oh, thanks for your assistance. We read some stuff, but nothing gave us as good of an explanation as you did. You were very thorough and informative. It's a huge help. Yeah, we have been praying for the new victims and everyone else with our crazy world and just hope our world gets better and improves. It's just getting more and more scarier.

P.S. Regarding you statement on flat rate shipping:

.......but it appears you still have the USPS Calculated shipping active in your store.....

We looked at that box and it was never checked and it's still not checked. Should we contact eCRATER about this as it might be a mistake in their system. Yeah, it's been hard for all of those people that have flooding problems. We went through it for Hurricane Katrina. We hope it gets better for them and the rain stops. Thanks again for your concerns and assistance with eCRATER.


Last edited by noladiscountshop on Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Regarding you statement on flat rate shipping:

.......but it appears you still have the USPS Calculated shipping active in your store.....

We looked at that box and it was never checked and it's still not checked. Should we contact eCRATER about this as it might be a mistake in their system. Yeah, it's been hard for all of those people that have flooding problems. We went through it for Hurricane Katrina. We hope it gets better for them and the rain stops. Thanks again for your concerns and assistance with eCRATER.
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry for suggesting incorrect information. I've never used just flat rate shipping in a store. When I saw the "more destination" link beside the shipping, I thought there was a possibility you had the USPS calculate shipping active. Glad you checked and posted back. Now I'll know it always shows. I think I've used most every possible shipping except individual flat rate in my stores. I never considered just using flat rate because of the problem of having to change the shipping for every item in the store with every postal change.

I've lived in south AL and north FL most of my life, had a B&M business near the coast for Dennis & Opal and had my online business during Ivan. My heart goes out to folks who have their lives impacted by the weather. I also understand only too well the impact on the neighborhoods down river from a flooded area. The river is going to drain to the gulf with all that flood water. The flooding doesn't stop when the rain stops.
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's correct, as the flooding continues afterwards even if there isn't rain (i.e. snow melting in Minnesota can overflow the banks of the river in St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, etc..). Yeah, it's disheartening to see that. We didn't see the water in our place as we weren't here when it was in our place; however, we did see the damage and mold all over the first floor when we got back.

Thanks for the information and better understanding on how shipping works at eCRATER. Yeah, we asked eCRATER and they said it was ok. We're still learning on Ebay or run into things we haven't encountered as well. It's a big learning process to start something new and we've appreciated all of y'alls assistance and experiences.
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ABCEstateStuff



Posts: 3

PostPosted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just a quick shout out to MaggietheCatsMeows and SammysSupplies. I appreciate your seasoned and sound advice (Aug 7, 2016) on how to change my store name from ABC149 to ABCEstateStuff. The new name is now in effect and I am spending my spare time lurking and taking notes, in an effort to eliminate as many potential problems as possible. Very Happy
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We made our first sale! Yea!!!

1) We had a few questions though. What does "RF" stand for on the order page?

2) When do we get billed for eCRATER marketplace sales?

3) Is there a way for us to contact our buyer on the eCRATER site?

4) Is there a way for us to mark shipped on the order page or can we do it anywhere else?

Thanks again for all of y'alls assistance with opening up the store. Y'all made us feel welcomed and assisted us tremendously and we appreciate it. Thanks again and God Bless!

Nola Discount Shop
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

noladiscountshop wrote:
We made our first sale! Yea!!! Way to Go! Congratulations!

1) We had a few questions though. What does "RF" stand for on the order page? The column marked PD will have a green checkmark when eCrater has been notified of an electronic payment. The column marked RF will have a green checkmark if eCrater is notified of an electronic refund. The last column (no header) will have a green circle with a white plus sign when you receive postive feedback. I think there's a red circle with a minus sign for negative feedback and a gray circle for neutral.

2) When do we get billed for eCRATER marketplace sales? Once a month around the 15th for the prior month fees and any pending fees. You are only billed for the sales that came from the marketplace and the bill is only 2.9% of the sale (not the shipping). If the amount you owe is small, like below 50 cents, then your fee will be shown as pending until the next billing cycle. Once you receive an email regarding your bill, there will be a link in your admin to pay your bill.

3) Is there a way for us to contact our buyer on the eCRATER site? No, you are given their email address and you are free to create your own system of contact.

4) Is there a way for us to mark shipped on the order page or can we do it anywhere else? No, but there is a place to add a tracking number if you wish. It is optional, but if you add the tracking number, eCrater will send a form email to your customer with the tracking number.

Thanks again for all of y'alls assistance with opening up the store. Y'all made us feel welcomed and assisted us tremendously and we appreciate it. Thanks again and God Bless!

Nola Discount Shop
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Thu Aug 25, 2016 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sheila,

Thanks for all of your assistance with the questions. Yeah, it's hard to deal with many websites to sell items. We didn't get enough sales on Ebay and wanted to try other sources. We don't expect much from here, but any sales would be helpful. We decided to try here to have another store where we can turn it off and on when we have to go out of town. Also, we are trying to sell our stuff on Craigslist. We just started there too as we were low on sales with Ebay so we decided to find other sources to sell our items. Yeah, it was cool to get a sale on this site, but we don't want to expect too much from here and be disappointed if sales are low. We're trying to be positive though. We just have too much junk at our place and need to get rid of it and just don't have time to list as many items that we have. It takes so long to take pictures and then look at all them to see which pictures came out better (we have a bad camera) and then crop them and then write a description and the bookkeeping and the trips to the post office and so on.

We are never bored though, but just not enough time to put out all of our inventory. It keeps us busy. We still need to organize our inventory better. Well, we have lots to do. Thanks again for your assistance and God Bless!
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MoonwishesStore
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Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nola, I have a packing slip template as well as a shipping notification template that I have to only insert the specifications into each letter, but no need to sit and compose a letter thanking for a sale each time. Be sure to have your eCRATER url in the letter in case they want to come back!

I assume that you are already tracking your costs, expenses and income in some format and now you will have to add eCRATER into the mix.

I also love numbers so I have found all sorts of things to track that gives me the 'vital signs' for my business, such as how many orders each month from each venue that I sell on, types of items sold, how many new items I have listed each month, and for eCRATER where I generated my sales from. The Marketplace is the only one of about 10 places that generate fees, so it is nice to see that with promotions I have sales coming in from Bing, Pinterest, Direct, etc.

Sheila mention the 2.9% fee. You can also have three higher fees depending on what you have picked, is any. I only have the basic MP after trying the 5.9% for a while but dropped it when I noticed that when having the 5.9% almost half my usual MP had the higher fees. I wasn't selling more, but had higher fees to pay! Only tracking my numbers would have helped me to see that and to save money. I also track how many Pinterest followers I have, how many things I listed each month, etc. Not saying you or anyone needs to track the stuff I do, but it makes sense to me. Very Happy
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noladiscountshop



Posts: 22

PostPosted: Sat Aug 27, 2016 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Moon,

Thanks for your recommendations. Yes, that's an excellent idea to put our eCRATER url in our thank you letter. We actually did, but not for the reason that you stated in our other store on webstore.com. We also added our facebook, pinterest pages too. You, however, bring up a good point to hope for repeat business or easier access or a reminder for them to come back if they want to. We definitely need to add those to our form letters. We do have format letters that we use on Ebay and webstore like order is being proccessed, shipping address confirmation (if they shipping addresses dont' agree), and an items sent letter. We don't have a store on Ebay, but as you mention, we can still put our Ebay url (items for sale page url) for when we get free listings too in addition to our eCRATER format letters.

We didn't get many sales on webstore and only 2 so far this year and not many the year before that one. Ebay doesn't give us many free promotional listings so we can't always put up items there and having an Ebay store would take away about 10-40% of our profits of the fees depending on how much we sell that month. We just started on Craigslist too, but no sales so far. That's how we ended up on eCRATER to have another selling source. We were kinda bored with no sales and Ebay didn't give us the 500 free listings at least 2 months this year. We read on the Ebay community forums that people were wondering why they didn't give us these opportunities. We did tell an Ebay rep that we had to find other places to sell our items. We are pleased with eCRATER so far and the eCRATER community like you and the others have been amazing and very helpful.

We don't know if any of the form letters that we have can help any of y'all, but we can also tell you that we send a small thank you form with each or our items sold. We guess we do have a thank you letter of some sort and that might be a nice touch to end the transaction that some of y'all might have not thought of. One buyer commented about it in their feedback to us. We don't have much to help y'all since we are newbies here. However, hopefully, we will be able to pay it forward when we get more experience on this site to the future newbies. Thanks again for your assistance.
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