eBay Shipping Tips

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Building an eBay Business?

Just like any successful company that sells products, you will need to set-up a shipping department. If possible, you should set-up your shipping department in a separate room from your office; the garage is ideal. You need to have a decent sized table clear of all contents save your packaging materials. You want to try and set-up an assembly line like process (sample assembly line outlined below) with your packing materials and tools aligned in a way that allows you to quickly move from one packing step to the next. Keep your packing table clean of scraps so your scissors or tape dispenser won’t get lost beneath debris. Remember, the goal here is efficiency. The faster you can pack like a pro, the quicker you can get back to the important part of your business, selling product.

The Art of Packing

Here is our basic packing assembly line. You may want to modify our steps to meet your particular needs.

1. Fill out a packing slip form. You can download one here. Packing Slip Template
2. Wrap the item in an appropriate packing material. Bubble wrap is best for fragile items while clean packing paper is suitable for books and clothing.
3. Choose the appropriate sized box and fill halfway with packing peanuts, corrugated dividers, or combination.
4. Place the item into the box and fill the rest of the space with more packing peanuts or corrugated dividers.
5. Place packing slip into the box.
6. Seal the box with packing tape.
7. Address a package label and attach it to the top of the box. Be sure to include a return address.

You will need the following materials:

Durable boxes (corrugated are ideal)

Tip – UPS offers a variety of containers free of charge, depending on the UPS service used. For details visit www.ups.com or call 1-800-PICK-UPS (1-800-742-5877).

Packing tape w/dispenser and cutting tool. Pressure-sensitive plastic or nylon-reinforced tape. Water-activated paper tape, 60-pound grade, at least three inches wide.
Do not use masking tape, cellophane tape, string or paper over wrap.
Packing Material – Various materials can be used for cushioning and protection: bubble wrap, peanuts, foam, corrugated dividers, or crumpled paper. Be sure to pack the box tightly – the rule of thumb is tight enough so you do not hear any rattling of your contents.
Shipping labels
Return address labels
Packing Slip/Invoice
A packing slip or invoice is standard with any package received from a catalog or online retailer and leaves your customer with a final reminder that they have chosen to do business with a professional seller. You will need to create a packing slip template that you can print and fill out with the specific details of an order. There is a packing slip/invoice sample on the next page to give you an idea of what your packing slip should look like. You can make your own packing slip using a word processor like Microsoft Word or an Excel spreadsheet, or you can customize the packing slip template provided here.

Shipping Carriers
There are multiple options when it comes to choosing a shipping company or “carrier.” Each shipping company provides varying service offerings and rates that change often as the shipping business is very competitive. Below is a list of the more common carriers. You will need to visit their Web sites to compare the latest services and rates.

United States Postal Service (USPS) – www.usps.com

United Parcel Service (UPS) – www.ups.com

Federal Express (FedEX) – www.fedex.com

When making the decision on the best carrier for your needs compare the following:

• Can pick-ups be arranged online?
• Is there a drop-off center close to your home?
• What are the service options and costs for non-rush deliveries?
• What are the costs for same-day, next-day or two-day deliveries to accommodate rush orders?
• Do they offer online package tracking?
• Do they guarantee a delivery date and time?
• Is insurance for valuable items offered and what are the costs?
• Are volume discounts available?
• How do they handle undeliverable circumstances such as address not found or an aggressive dog in the yard?

You are not obligated to use just one carrier. If you take the extra time to regularly evaluate the rate schedules and service options of all the main carriers you can wisely choose the carrier that best suits the needs of your customer.

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