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One
of the most common causes for miscommunication and
misunderstanding among buyers and sellers has to do with
shipping. Is the seller or the buyer paying for shipping? How is
the merchandise going to be delivered--Priority Mail or UPS
Ground? Our tip provides you with what you'll need to know to
make sure your buyers clearly understand your shipping terms.
Location,
Location, Location
Present your shipping terms (how much, who's paying, and which
type of shipping service you will use) in a convenient,
easy-to-see place--or rather places. Some buyers complain about
not being able to find shipping information when checking out
auctions. You need to make sure buyers understand your shipping
policies and procedures. Nothing dissuades a potential bidder
more than uncertainty about an auction--whether it involves
questions about an item's authenticity or how much shipping will
cost. Also, complicated shipping terms can turn off buyers. Be
simple, direct, and brief.
When listing an auction, you'll notice
that many auction sites now include a field (or two) dedicated
to shipping information. Here you can include some of your
general shipping terms, either by typing them in or by choosing
predetermined options. In the case of eBay, you can select a
number of different choices, including:
Additionally, there is a shipping
destination option with the following choices:
This is a good start, but don't limit
your shipping information to these predetermined possibilities
when you're listing an auction. For starters, if you can type
the information, there usually isn't much space allotted, while
on eBay, you don't have a choice of what to include. You can go
into further detail by including shipping information in your
item description as well. (When listing on eBay, it's always a
good idea to select the "See Item Description"
option.) In the item description, you can amplify and be more
specific. You might also consider creating a separate paragraph
for your shipping information so that it stands out from the
text describing your item (some sellers also use larger or
colored fonts). But don't rely solely on placing the information
in the item description. Some folks don't always read the entire
auction description and might miss your shipping terms if that's
the only place where they reside on an auction page. Utilize the
shipping fields if the auction site offers them.
Lastly, for clarification it's a good
idea to include the final shipping amount and your shipping
policies in your end-of-auction emails. So that's three places
where a buyer can reference your shipping information: the
shipping field(s), the item description, and the EOA notice.
Who's
Responsible?
Be up front about who will be responsible for paying for the
shipping process: the buyer or the seller. Most often, buyers
pay for shipping. However, sellers can throw in shipping as a
bonus for regular customers or offer it as an incentive to lure
bidders to their auctions. If you're trying to think of ways to
generate interest in your auctions, consider offering
complementary shipping.
What if a buyer demands that you pay
for shipping? Well, it's your decision, not the buyer's. Such
demands are unreasonable. As the seller, you are the one who
stipulates the shipping terms for a particular auction,
including which party shall take care of shipping costs.
Be
Exact
Saying "Buyer pays shipping" isn't enough. Determine
how much the shipping will cost before you place your listing,
not after the auction has closed. You'll have to figure it out
eventually, right? It's better to calculate the shipping total
first. This puts everything up front and leaves no room for
misunderstandings after the fact (i.e., if an auction states
"Buyer pays for shipping" without a specified amount,
a buyer, after being informed of the amount, might claim that
it's too much; however, if the amount is clarified up front,
this type of situation will be avoided). Beyond the safeguard
aspect, buyers appreciate the exactness and the fact that a
seller has taken the time and effort to provide potential
customers with the most comprehensive and exact information
about a particular auction.
How do you calculate shipping costs?
Well, for starters, a postal scale is a great investment for a
seller and will be an invaluable tool. You should also bookmark
the helpful Web sites of the various shipping companies: The
United States Postal Service, United
Parcel Service, and Federal
Express. For example, on the USPS site, you can access
schedules and costs for mailings, as well as for services such
as registering packages and insurance (and speaking of
insurance, this is another area you should clarify with
buyers--who will be responsible for postal insurance should the
buyer request it?). Also handy is being able to input your zip
code and get U.S. shipping codes, which will allow you to
calculate the precise shipping charges for your item.
Some sellers opt to say "email me
for shipping info" or believe including more specific
shipping instructions on an About Me page is sufficient.
However, even though both options seem like a simple solution,
you're still asking your customers to do something extra. Avoid
making them go that additional step--if not, you just might lose
a potential bidder. Lastly, don't make vague estimations like
"I think a CD would probably cost $4 to ship." You
might end up with an irate buyer who knows better and thinks you
might be trying to squeeze out a few extra dollars from an
unsuspecting customer.
The
Method
Specify which type of shipping method (Priority Mail, Next Day,
UPS Ground, etc.) you will be using for a particular auction.
Again, this is where it helps to include more specific shipping
information in your item description; for example, in the case
of eBay, you can't rely on the shipping fields you encounter
when listing an auction because there is no option for
designating the different types of delivery.
Offering buyers a choice of shipping
methods is a good way to indicate your flexibility and
willingness to accommodate customers. So if you're selling a
book, you might include this text in your auction description:
"Buyer pays for shipping, either
Priority Mail ($5.40) or Book Rate ($2.48)."
And be sure to reiterate in the item
description whether or not you're willing to ship
internationally--yet another point of potential confusion.
If a buyer contacts you and requests a
different method of delivery than what you state (for example, a
buyer might need an item quickly and ask that you send it Next
Day rather Priority Mail), then try to be accommodating if
possible. Just be sure to clarify that the buyer will be
responsible for the extra cost.
Back to Auction tips &
tactics
by Vendio Services
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