Do you think 10 cents off shipping is "very competitive"?

bigcasey123 · #1 07-01-2014

I'm looking for cheap shipping alternatives to usps first class mail, so i contacted ups mail Innovations hoping for great prices but when i was sent the "rate form" the best discount they gave me was 10 cents off of USPS first class....i mean really!? 10 cents?

i asked if more parcels means bigger discount but they just replied "These prices are already discounted, and very competitive with the USPS"....how is 10 cents off "very competitive"? I'm pretty pissed because i was expecting shipping to cost a buck (which would give me great profit on my items) but 10 cents off!? i mean come on!!!

yotano211 · #2 07-02-2014

The lowest rate for 1st class USPS mail is 1.97 (upto 3oz) with tracking info. I dont know where you got a buck from.

kronengriffharry · #3 07-02-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by yotano211

The lowest rate for 1st class USPS mail is 1.97 (upto 3oz) with tracking info. I dont know where you got a buck from.

Isn't it 1.93?

bigcasey123 · #4 07-02-2014

USPS first class is $1.93, but ups mail Innovations said they have "very competitive" shipping prices so i thought i would check them out. There best shipping price is 1.83.....which is only 10 cents off first class shipping....

I was hoping for dollar shipping because that's the only way i can make good profit.

GoteBay · #5 07-02-2014

10 Cents off 100 pieces is already $10, what else are you looking for? Keep doing this for 1000 pieces and you save $100, ... the savings grow really fast.

bigcasey123 · #6 07-02-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoteBay

10 Cents off 100 pieces is already $10, what else are you looking for? Keep doing this for 1000 pieces and you save $100, ... the savings grow really fast.

Ya but 1.83 isn't cheap enough for me to compete with my competitors. I see people selling things for 2 - 3 bucks and that's what i want to do (usually cheap items have high sale volumes).

**SaiJin** · #7 07-02-2014

Anything that is lower in cost than your competitor is cheap and good enough.

But what you should focus on is the quality of your item, auction design , layout and description.

You don't want to just go for the cheapest which will only attract bottom feeders.
You want to attract the kind of people that care more about trust and quality.
These type of people will often pay more for it and you'll get less hassle from them too.

bigcasey123 · #8 07-02-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaiJin

You want to attract the kind of people that care more about trust and quality.
These type of people will often pay more for it and you'll get less hassle from them too.

Yes but more people care about price then quality. On ebay you see dollar chargers (using chargers as an example) sell in the thousands while quality chargers sell in the hundreds (sometimes it takes weeks or months to hit a thousand).

jeffweico · #9 07-02-2014

Why not order one from a competitor and see how they are shipping and what service they are using?

bigcasey123 · #10 07-02-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffweico

Why not order one from a competitor and see how they are shipping and what service they are using?

I did that but the damn shipping company (DHL global mail) won't give me a quote without meeting them in person.

rsot · #11 07-02-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigcasey123

I did that but the damn shipping company (DHL global mail) won't give me a quote without meeting them in person.

Difficult to deal with that kind of competition when you are based in the US then...

jeffweico · #12 07-02-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigcasey123

I did that but the damn shipping company (DHL global mail) won't give me a quote without meeting them in person.

You probably won't qualify to use them, they want a certain volume of business. In business, the more volume you have, the better deals you can get. It will be difficult to compete with an established seller with thousands of sales per month. That is why I rarely try to compete based on price alone. My pricing is competitive, but not the lowest. I have fewer sales per item, but have built up an inventory of many, many items. My methods allow me to avoid the bottom feeders - they care only about price, but they want everything to be PERFECT and will file a claim at the drop of a hat. I got tired of that REAL QUICK!

yotano211 · #13 07-03-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronengriffharry

Isn't it 1.93?

Sorry, wrong price, 1.93 is correct.

yotano211 · #14 07-03-2014

To OP, Look into Stamp.com. The last time I used them, last year, they had a 1st USPS option that didnt include tracking, it was around $1 for up-to 3 oz.

They might not have it today but check it out. Maybe they still have that option. I stopped using it since some people claimed they never got what they bought. It made some money but wasnt worth that trouble for the small profit amount.