Packing Your Items

Packing your merchandise is a lot of work. Let's look at what's involved in packing an item so that it arrives at its destination intactbut doesn't cost you an arm and a leg to get there.

Picking the Right Shipping Container

It's important to choose the right type of shipping container for a particular item. First, you have to decide whether to use a box or an envelope. If you have a very large item to ship, the choice is easy. But what if you have something smaller and flatter, such as a baseball card or a coin? Your choice should be determined by the fragility of your item. If the item can bend or break, choose a box; if not, an envelope is probably a safe choice.

Whichever you choose, pick a container that's large enough to hold your item without the need to force it in or bend it in an inappropriate fashion. Also, make sure that the box has enough extra room to insert cushioning material.

On the other hand, the container shouldn't be so big as to leave room for the item to bounce around. Also, you pay for size and for weight; you don't want to pay to ship anything bigger or heavier than it needs to be.

If you're shipping a breakable or bendable item in an envelope, consider using a bubble-pack envelope or reinforcing the envelope with pieces of cardboard. This is especially vital if your item shouldn't be bent or folded.

If you're shipping in a box, make sure it's made of heavy, corrugated cardboard and has its flaps intact. Thinner boxessuch as shoe boxes or gift boxessimply aren't strong enough for shipping. When packing a box, never exceed the maximum gross weight for the box, which is usually printed on the bottom flap.

Although there are bunches of different-sized boxes available, sometimes you need something somewhere inbetween this size and that size box. When you face this situation, you have two choices.

First, you can take a larger box and cut it down. That means cutting through each corner of the box to make it shorter and then cutting off the ends of the flaps accordingly. Sometimes it's difficult to fold unscored flaps, so you may want to make your own scores by slicing a knife (shallowly) where you want to bend the box closed. (Also, many mailing centers have their own folding machines that you can use to create custom-sized boxesat a cost.)

Second, you can combine two smaller boxes. If your box is 16" long and your item is 20", just take two boxes and insert the open end of one inside the open end of the other. You'll need to use sufficient packing tape to keep the boxes from sliding apart, but you'll have created a box custom-sized for the item you're shipping.

Note

Use the combination box technique judiciously; it can significantly increase the weight of the packageand thus your shipping costs.

How to Pack

How do you pack your box?

Don't just drop your item in an empty box. You need to position the item toward the center of the box, away from the bottom, sides, and top, and surround it with cushioning material. Professional shippers use Styrofoam peanuts, and lots of them; another option is to use crumpled-up old newspapers. Know, however, that peanuts are much lighter than newspaper. Since weight is a factor in how much you'll pay for shipping, anything you can do to lighten the weight of your package is important. Because peanuts costwell, peanuts, they're the cushioning material of choice.

If you're shipping several items in the same box, be sure to wrap each one separately (in separate smaller boxes, if you can) and provide enough cushioning to prevent movement and to keep the items from rubbing against each other. Not only should items be separated from each other in the box, but they should also be separated from the corners and sides of the box to prevent damage if the box is bumped or dropped.

The previous point argues for another techniquedouble boxing especially fragile items such as glass or ceramic items. That means packing the item tightly in a smaller, form-fitting box and then placing that box inside a slightly larger, shock-absorbing boxwith at least 3" of cushioning material between the boxes.

If your item has any protruding parts, cover them with extra padding or cardboard. And be careful with the bubble wrap. Although it's great to wrap around objects with flat sides, this kind of wrap can actually damage more fragile figurines or items with lots of little pieces and parts sticking out. If the bubble wrap is too tight, it can snap off any appendages during rough handling.

When you're packing an item, watch the weight. Have a postal scale at your packing counter, and weigh the itemshipping container and allduring the packing process. With Priority Mail, the difference between shipping a one-pound package and a one-pound, one-ounce package is as much as $1.90, depending on where it's going. Finding some way to cut that extra ounce of packing material can save almost two bucks in shipping costs!

Note

Make sure you include the weight of the box and the cushioning material when you weigh your item for shipment. A big box with lots of crumpled paper can easily add a half-pound or more to your item's weightexcess weight you'll have to pay for.

After you think you're done packing, gently shake the box. If nothing moves, it's ready to be sealed. If you can hear or feel things rattling around inside, however, it's time to add more cushioning material. (If you can shake it, they can break it!)

How to Seal the Package

After your box is packed, it's time to seal it. A strong seal is essential, so always use tape that is designed for shipping. Make sure you securely seal the center seams at both the top and the bottom of the box. Cover all other seams with tape, and be sure not to leave any loose tape or open areas that could snag on machinery.

Note

Don't use wrapping paper, string, masking tape, or cellophane tape to seal your package.

You should use sealing tape designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced Kraft paper tape, glass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape, or water-activated paper tape. Whichever tape you use, the wider and heavier, the better. Reinforced is always better than non-reinforced.

One last thing: If you plan to insure your package, leave an untaped area on the cardboard where your postal clerk can stamp "Insured." (Ink doesn't adhere well to tape.)

How to Create the Perfect Label

You've packed the box. You've sealed the box. Now it's time for the label.

Addressing the Label

The best-packed box won't go anywhere if you get the label wrong. For fast and efficient delivery, you need to create a label that can be both clearly read and clearly understood. And it goes without saying that the address information needs to be accurate and completepartial addresses just don't cut it.

To create the perfect label, you need to write, type, or use your computer to print the address as neatly as possible. You should also use complete address information, including all street suffixesDr., Ave., St., Blvd., and so on. And make sure to include the recipient's apartment or suite number (if applicable). Naturally, you should use the proper two-letter state abbreviation, and the correct ZIP codeand, when possible, the four-digit ZIP+4 add-on.

Note

Don't know the ZIP code for the address you're shipping to? Then look it up at the U.S. Postal Service's ZIP Code Finder at www.usps.com/zip4/.

Choosing the Right Label

For most purposes, you can't beat the standard 4"[.dotmath]6" blank white label. There's a reason it's such a great workhorse: Anything smaller is tough to work with, and anything larger just leaves a lot of wasted space. You can purchase these labels at any office supply store, on eBay, or even get free versions (for Priority Mail shipping) at your local post office. And if you want to splurge, you can have labels preprinted with your business name and return address.

Note

You can also purchase or create your own return address labels, to use in conjunction with your main shipping labels. It's easy enough to print out a full page of smallish labels in Microsoft Word; most printing firms (such as Kinkos) can also do up a roll of addresses labels for a nominal charge. If you don't use a preprinted label, you'll want to hand-print your return address on the shipping container or use some sort of return address label.

If you use computer-generated labels, you can program your label-making program (or Microsoft Word) to include your return address when it prints the label. This is a good (and lower-cost) alternative to using preprinted labels. There are several dedicated label-printing programs on the market. These programs work with just about any standard-issue major-manufacturer blank labels.

The most popular label-making programs include

• Avery Wizard and DesignPro (www.avery.com)

• PrimaSoft Label Printer (www.primasoft.com/lb.htm)

• Visual Labels (www.rkssoftware.com/visuallabels/overview.html)

Many eBay sellers prefer to use a separate label printer, as opposed to their standard computer printer. A label printer does just what you think it does; it prints labels (one at a time), and nothing but labels. Most label printers come with their own label-creation software, so all you have to do is purchase the proper rolls of labels.

Attaching the Label

After you've created the delivery label, place it on the top (not the side) of the box. To avoid confusion, place only one address label on the box. If using a packing slip, place it on the same surface of the box as the address label. Do not place the label over a seam or closure or on top of sealing tape.

Note

Some auction management tools also have label printing functions although many of these services print extremely generic labels that might not suit your tastes.

To avoid ink smudges and rain smears, place a strip of clear packing tape over the address label. (Except if your label includes a bar codenever tape over a bar code!) And if you're reusing a box for shipping, remove or cross out all old address labels or markings on the box.

And here's one last tip: Make a duplicate of your shipping label and stick it inside the box, before you seal it. This way if the original shipping label gets torn off or destroyed, anyone opening the box can read the duplicate label and figure out where the box is supposed to go.

Note

You can also print prepaid postage labels using the USPS' Click-N-Ship service (www.usps.com/shipping/label.htm). This is a good choice if you're printing labels for non-eBay items.

Printing Labels with Prepaid Postage

If you're shipping via the U.S. Postal Service, you can print labels on your home printer directly from eBay/PayPal. You can choose to print plain labels or labels with prepaid postage. Print the latter, and you can save yourself a trip to the post office!

You can access eBay's label-printing function from your closed auction page. Click the Print Shipping Label button, and (after a quick logon page) you're taken to a Print Your Label page on the PayPal site. As you can see in Figure 17.3, you can choose to ship via Priority Mail, Express Mail, Parcel Post, Media Mail, or First Class Mail; you can even choose to purchase insurance with your order. Fill in the appropriate information, and click the Continue button to view a confirmation page. From there you can authorize payment (from your PayPal account) and print the label on your own printer. Just affix the label to your package and drop it in the mail; no need to visit the post office. (And if you do visit the post office, there's no need to stand in line; just drop off your prepaid packages in the handy drop box, or leave them on the nearest counter.)

Figure 17.3. Printing prepaid postage labels from PayPal.

There are several advantages for printing your own postage via eBayin addition to the no-standing-in-line thing. When you print a prepaid label, your buyer is automatically notified (via email) that the package has shipped. Even better, you get Delivery Confirmation included at no extra charge. Plus, if you use eBay Selling Manager, your shipping/tracking information is integrated into your transaction listing and the status is automatically updated. Finally, if you're making international shipments via the USPS, the custom forms are combined with the shipping label; you don't have to hand-write them or re-enter the information at the USPS site to print the custom forms separately.

The only issue I have with eBay's prepaid postage labels is that you have to enter the information and print the labels one at a time. This is fine if you only have a few packages to ship, but very time-consuming if you're a high-volume shipper. For higher-volume applications, better options are the services offered by Stamps.com (www.stamps.com) and Endicia Internet Postage (www.endicia.com). Both these sites let you print sheets of prepaid postage labels from your desktop printer, without having to go to the post office. Check them out for more details.

Shipping Insurance

If you're shipping a moderately expensive item (over $50, let's say), it might be worth the trouble to offer insurance to the buyer. It's relatively easy (on the Sell Your Item page) to give the buyer the option of buying insuranceor just do it yourself and include the costs in your normal shipping/handling fee.

The U.S. Postal Service charges $1.35 to insure items up to $50, or $2.30 for items between $50 and $100. UPS includes $100 worth of insurance in its basic rates; additional insurance can be purchased for additional cost.

You can also arrange shipping insurance via a third-party firm. Universal Parcel Insurance Coverage (www.u-pic.com) provides insurance for packages shipped via the USPS, UPS, FedEx, and other carriers. There are two advantages to using U-PIC for your shipping insurance: It's cheaper than carrier-provided insurance, and you can do it all from your home computer. (The big disadvantage is that it doesn't integrate into your auction checkout or automated end-of-auction emails.)

As to pricing, U-PIC charges $1.00 per $100 of insurance for domestic USPS orders (including delivery confirmation), considerably less than what the Postal Service charges. (U-PIC's rates vary by carrier.) If you insure a lot of items, it's worth checking out.

Tracking and Confirmation

If you think the package might be lost in transit, you can always avail yourself of the tracking services provided by UPS, FedEx, and other major carriers. These services typically provide tracking numbers for all packages shipped. In most cases, you can track your package by entering the package's tracking number into the carrier's website.

The one major shipping service that doesn't offer tracking (by default) is the U.S. Postal Service. What you can get from the Postal Service (at a cost of from $0.50 to $0.60, depending on the type of mail) is its Delivery Confirmation service. USPS confirmation, however, does not confirm that an actual person received the package; it only confirms that the mail carrier delivered the package. (Stuck it in the mailbox, that isor in many instances, left it on the porch.)

You can opt for Delivery Confirmation when you ship your item from your local post office, or have it included free if you print your own labels from eBay/PayPal or with the Click-N-Save service. You can also purchase USPS delivery confirmation forms in bulk from ShipperTools.com (www.shippertools.com). ShipperTools.com uses the official USPS delivery confirmation system and lets you print an unlimited number of confirmation forms for just $6.95 a month.

If you want a signature confirmation on a USPS shipment, you need to send your item with the certified mail option. Certified mail requires the recipient to sign on delivery and costs $2.40. This is a preferred option if you're shipping something extremely valuable.