It's easy to overestimate the amount of money it'll take to ship your eBay item to a buyer, which will in turn drive some customers who know better away from your items. Depending on what you sell, there are a few simple solutions to this problem, and one or more of them can help you make sure your shipping prices are always reasonable and fair.
Instructions
1. Visit your local post office and size your item, if possible, for the correct-sized USPS Flat Rate box. Make sure to include room for any cushioning packing materials you'll be including, such as packing peanuts or Styrofoam. If all your items are of the same or similar size, your shipping worries are over once you've chosen your box. Your shipping price is predetermined by the post office, and you can requisition as many Flat Rate boxes as you'd like for free from the United States Postal Service website.
2. Obtain a digital scale and a tape measure. If you have odd-weight or odd-size items, or you're not sure where you might have to ship it to, a digital scale and a tape measure can be invaluable tools. By knowing the exact dimensions and weight of your item, you can input this data into eBay's Shipping Calculator, available on the "Shipping" portion of the "List Your Item" menu.
Your customer will see a small calculator where normally there's a shipping price, and once the buyer enters an address it will indicate (based on the data you calculated and the shipping service chosen) how much it will cost to ship. When a buyer uses this method, your final payment from the buyer will include the exact amount your item will cost to ship.
3. Visit the website of your preferred shipping provider and use the online shipping calculator to determine the cost of shipping your item. Most shipping providers have a "basic" or "flat-rate" fee, as well as a variety of faster services that cost slightly more. By inputting the size and weight of your package on the online calculator, you can provide your eBay customers with the exact amount they can expect to pay.
