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Shipping Heavy Items... HELP!

 
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tradingsince1999



Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 7:29 pm    Post subject: Shipping Heavy Items... HELP! Reply with quote

I'm new to eCrater. Mu store is still on hold. I come from ebay.

I mainly sell items that are over a 1lbs and up-to 40lbs.
I use UPS and FedEx for most of my shipping.

Is there a way to use calculated shipping on eCrater using UPS or FedEx?
Or do I have to just provide free shipping?

I'm confused.
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eCRATER offers a combination of the weight matrix, flat rate shipping and/or free shipping OR calculated shipping from USPS. If you select USPS Calculated shipping, it will over-ride the other 3 options. If you don't use USPS calculated shipping, the checkout system will look first to see if you checked Free Shipping, 2nd it checks for a flat rate, & 3rd it checks the weight matrix. (Note: flat rate shipping is referring to a shipping cost you list on the listing page, not the USPS flat rate boxes & envelopes.)

Shipping via UPS & FedEx is not offered on eCrater. I don't know how the rates for those 2 services compare to USPS retail rate which is used for eCrater USPS Calculated. Perhaps you could do a comparison of the three to see if you can adjust your item weight so the system would return the calculated shipping you need. Then you could simply add a note to the item page that the item would be shipped via UPS or FedEx.

Personally, I never offer "free" shipping because shipping isn't free! I'm sure you can figure out a system that will work for your store. If you have additional questions, just ask.
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tradingsince1999



Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SheilaDeesPostcards wrote:
eCRATER offers a combination of the weight matrix, flat rate shipping and/or free shipping OR calculated shipping from USPS. If you select USPS Calculated shipping, it will over-ride the other 3 options. If you don't use USPS calculated shipping, the checkout system will look first to see if you checked Free Shipping, 2nd it checks for a flat rate, & 3rd it checks the weight matrix. (Note: flat rate shipping is referring to a shipping cost you list on the listing page, not the USPS flat rate boxes & envelopes.)

Shipping via UPS & FedEx is not offered on eCrater. I don't know how the rates for those 2 services compare to USPS retail rate which is used for eCrater USPS Calculated. Perhaps you could do a comparison of the three to see if you can adjust your item weight so the system would return the calculated shipping you need. Then you could simply add a note to the item page that the item would be shipped via UPS or FedEx.

Personally, I never offer "free" shipping because shipping isn't free! I'm sure you can figure out a system that will work for your store. If you have additional questions, just ask.


Thank you. I was looking at the matrix and I don't get it at all. UPS and FedEx are really cheap compared to USPS when it comes to shipping heavy items.

I guess I'm on my own on this one. Thanks again for the reply.
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I haven't used UPS or FedEx, so please forgive me if some of my answers are not right on target. For a very heavy item, can you determine a single shipping price that would work for you for every location in the lower 48 and a single price for AK & HI? If so, you could show the weight of the item as greater than 70 lbs. (the max weight for USPS Priority Mail) which would force the system to check your item flat rate. Then you could show the shipping you want to charge for the lower 48, AK & HI.
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tradingsince1999



Posts: 4

PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

SheilaDeesPostcards wrote:
I haven't used UPS or FedEx, so please forgive me if some of my answers are not right on target. For a very heavy item, can you determine a single shipping price that would work for you for every location in the lower 48 and a single price for AK & HI? If so, you could show the weight of the item as greater than 70 lbs. (the max weight for USPS Priority Mail) which would force the system to check your item flat rate. Then you could show the shipping you want to charge for the lower 48, AK & HI.

Yes, that's one way I was thinking of doing it but sometimes that flat rate turns off buyers that are one state over because let's say shipping to the furthest state from me would be $30 but one state over in reality would be $15, then that extra $15 could turn the buyer off. I think free shipping would be the best for me because that way the buyer will have no clue how much shipping will be. Hope that makes sense.
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SheilaDeesPostcards
moderator


Posts: 4614

PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like you may have found your answer for heavy items. The thing I dislike about "Free Shipping" is calling it Free. At one time it was called s&h included which is fine, I just don't like calling it free. Also, on eCRATER, if your sale comes from eCrater marketing (the marketplace or ads they have placed), you are charged a small commission on the item price excluding shipping. Not a big deal, but something to consider.

tradingsince1999 wrote:
I was looking at the matrix and I don't get it at all.
When you use USPS calculated shipping you will still want to learn to use the matrix. When eCrater sends the feed to Google Shopping (GS), they have no way of knowing what the calculated shipping would be. The system looks to see what you have listed for shipping when creating the GS feed. When it sees USPS Calculated it looks to the item page to check for free, then flat rate, then the matrix. If it doesn't find any information, it reports the shipping as free. Also, when the customer checks out, the system sends a call to USPS to get the calculated shipping rate. If there is a computer glitch or the USPS site is really busy and the call "times out" the system falls back on your backup which would be free, flat, or matrix.

The matrix is simply a chart showing what the system should use for shipping. If you are using it as a backup for USPS Calculated Shipping, the top line must represent American pounds. So, the first column would be the amount the system should charge for shipping if the total order is under one pound. Column 2 would be the shipping cost for any order that is over 1 lb but under 2 lbs. The first row is for the lower 48 states, second row is cost to Alaska, third row is cost to Hawaii and each row following would be based on what you selected in shipping zones. I have mine reflect the USPS Retail cost because this is the amount the system charges the customer with USPS Calculated.

I'm going to be away until this evening, but hopefully this will get you started.
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tradingsince1999



Posts: 4

PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 9:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Sheila. I agree. Free shipping is not free. The buyer and the seller know this. I still have to think about this and fix all listings.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2021 5:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have only used the matrix for about 99.99% of my items that I shipped. Most of what I shipped was less that one pound but the matrix worked great for me unless I put the weight down incorrectly. I haven't used UPS or FedEx either, but you can make that matrix do a tap dance if you think it through. After two days of ripping my hair out, I was laying in bed and it hit me how to use it and I could understand clear as a bell how to use it. The thing to remember is those columns in the matrix stand for what YOU want them to stand for. I used them to represent how many patterns I would be shipping and it was just about always right on. The 16+ can represent each additional pound or 5 pounds or whatever.

I have been without an internet for months now, so just getting back on today and have to catch up with things, but I will be glad to help if possible.
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jigsaw-puzzle-palooza



Posts: 822

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

"when the customer checks out, the system sends a call to USPS to get the calculated shipping rate."

This being the case, how hard would it be for eCRATER to also, in addition to sending to USPS the buyer & seller zips and the weight of the package, the dimensions of the package? The USPS site does this.
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MoonwishesStore
moderator


Posts: 17389

PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My first thought about eCRATER doing the calculation that you mentioned, is that it would mean when listing the item, the seller has to know the dimensions to start with which could mean pre-packing the item and not being able to make allowances for the buyer to buy more than one thing. I don't think that there is a set-up on eCRATER to input dimensions, etc. But then I have never used calculated shipping. This is only thoughts off the top of my head.
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thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat



Posts: 10158

PostPosted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Something else to consider if you go the free shipping route. What is your rate of returns if any. If a buyer returns an item and you refund them, you are refunding the cost of shipping also because the cost is built into the asking price. A 40 pound package no matter how you ship it will cost more than I'd want to be out in case of a refund.
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