eBay & Paypal Fees

[thecatspajamas]

Dave,
Did you know that if you're already using stamps.com, you can use the Batch shipping option to pull your eBay order information (including addresses), print the labels, and have it automatically report back the tracking info to eBay and mark the items as shipped?

I've been using stamps.com for years to print my postage (since before Paypal/eBay added the option) because not all of my sales are through eBay, and I like having the standard interface regardless of where I'm shipping to. I also like that it stores the shipping information for much longer than eBay, and keeps all of your shipping info in one place regardless of what platform you sold the item you're shipping on. Recently discovering the ability to import eBay orders was just icing on the cake for me, and saves me a lot of copy/pasting.

Stamps.com may not be for everybody (doesn't really make sense for low-volume sellers), but thought I'd throw that out there since you're already using it.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

Dave,
Did you know that if you're already using stamps.com, you can use the Batch shipping option to pull your eBay order information (including addresses), print the labels, and have it automatically report back the tracking info to eBay and mark the items as shipped?

I've been using stamps.com for years to print my postage (since before Paypal/eBay added the option) because not all of my sales are through eBay, and I like having the standard interface regardless of where I'm shipping to. I also like that it stores the shipping information for much longer than eBay, and keeps all of your shipping info in one place regardless of what platform you sold the item you're shipping on. Recently discovering the ability to import eBay orders was just icing on the cake for me, and saves me a lot of copy/pasting.

Stamps.com may not be for everybody (doesn't really make sense for low-volume sellers), but thought I'd throw that out there since you're already using it.

Lance,

Yes, I use the batch on Stamps.com. Very convenient. I still use Ebay shipping for larger boxes though. Better commercial discounts and the sizing and Insurance tools on Stamps leaves something to be desired. Can't beat Stamps for smaller 1st Class packages though.

[thecatspajamas]

Good to know on the bigger packages. Thanks for that tip. I'm typically shipping more smalls and flats, but will definitely keep that in mind for the odd big box. Wish I had discovered the import option a long time ago, as it has definitely sped up the shipping process over the last couple of months.

[Acollector]

You know, I have never printed a shipping label, and never bought postage online. I hand write every package and go to the post office and pay the postage there. I really hate that everything has become computerized and virtual. That's part of the reason I like dealing with money orders and checks. It's physical it's there. You have to go to the bank and deposit it, interact with other people. We've lost a lot of human contact thanks to cellular phones and the inter net. When something is printed on paper, if stored correctly, can be looked at 300 years from now. With a computer, it's a lot tougher, unless it's an email from the king of Nigeria telling you he has $1 million for you if you give him your account number. I had an external hard drive that lost me over 300 pictures I never printed. That might be part of the reason I am anti digital to a point. A computer virus can't delete what's on paper. I like protecting and saving things and history.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Acollector

You know, I have never printed a shipping label, and never bought postage online. I hand write every package and go to the post office and pay the postage there. I really hate that everything has become computerized and virtual. That's part of the reason I like dealing with money orders and checks. It's physical it's there. You have to go to the bank and deposit it, interact with other people. We've lost a lot of human contact thanks to cellular phones and the inter net. When something is printed on paper, if stored correctly, can be looked at 300 years from now. With a computer, it's a lot tougher, unless it's an email from the king of Nigeria telling you he has $1 million for you if you give him your account number. I had an external hard drive that lost me over 300 pictures I never printed. That might be part of the reason I am anti digital to a point. A computer virus can't delete what's on paper. I like protecting and saving things and history.

Yeesh, I can't imagine hand-addressing the 100-200 packages per week that I ship, not to mention dealing with the handful that I would inevitably mis-copy some of the info. I am on a first name basis with all of the clerks at my local post office from dropping off and picking up packages. I think they would probably be LESS friendly though if they knew I was going to be standing at the counter for an hour every time I walked through the door.

I get where you're coming from with the photos, but I think I would miss photos lost from a failed hard drive more in 50 years than I would records of who I shipped packages to. I too have learned the hard way the value of a back-up system that is updated regularly. I just don't get as sentimental about old business records.

[Acollector]

Originally Posted by thecatspajamas

Yeesh, I can't imagine hand-addressing the 100-200 packages per week that I ship, not to mention dealing with the handful that I would inevitably mis-copy some of the info. I am on a first name basis with all of the clerks at my local post office from dropping off and picking up packages. I think they would probably be LESS friendly though if they knew I was going to be standing at the counter for an hour every time I walked through the door.

I get where you're coming from with the photos, but I think I would miss photos lost from a failed hard drive more in 50 years than I would records of who I shipped packages to. I too have learned the hard way the value of a back-up system that is updated regularly. I just don't get as sentimental about old business records.

I wouldn't say I am sentimental about business records, it's more keeping an almost foolproof (fire, flood, and theft being the fools that disprove it) methods of saving the records in case they are ever needed. I don't delete email and have had to look back 5 years and got my information, so it's sort of like insurance. It's seems like a waste until the day you need it, then you're glad you have it.

[ibuysportsephemera]

Originally Posted by Acollector

You know, I have never printed a shipping label, and never bought postage online. I hand write every package and go to the post office and pay the postage there. I really hate that everything has become computerized and virtual. That's part of the reason I like dealing with money orders and checks. It's physical it's there. You have to go to the bank and deposit it, interact with other people. We've lost a lot of human contact thanks to cellular phones and the inter net. When something is printed on paper, if stored correctly, can be looked at 300 years from now. With a computer, it's a lot tougher, unless it's an email from the king of Nigeria telling you he has $1 million for you if you give him your account number. I had an external hard drive that lost me over 300 pictures I never printed. That might be part of the reason I am anti digital to a point. A computer virus can't delete what's on paper. I like protecting and saving things and history.

You must have a ton of extra time and money on your hands. I save a ton of time by printing my labels (from both my eBay stores) at my desk. I also get a pretty nice discount as well as free tracking. I do print out a sales record for each sale and have those records all the way back to 1997.

Jeff

[Acollector]

Originally Posted by ibuysportsephemera

You must have a ton of extra time and money on your hands.
Jeff

Actually I do. I'm actually spending some extra time as we speak. Money though, in about 2 and a half years I should be good. I consider myself retired, though I'm no where near 65. Unemployed people look for work, I'm not looking for work, so therefore I am the other one. Maybe that's one reason I am ok with human contact since I don't have to commute to work with all that crap. I never liked it and never will. I don't take pleasure in riding a crowded subway train and having someone's elbow in my mouth.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by Acollector

You know, I have never printed a shipping label, and never bought postage online. I hand write every package and go to the post office and pay the postage there. I really hate that everything has become computerized and virtual. That's part of the reason I like dealing with money orders and checks. It's physical it's there. You have to go to the bank and deposit it, interact with other people. We've lost a lot of human contact thanks to cellular phones and the inter net. When something is printed on paper, if stored correctly, can be looked at 300 years from now. With a computer, it's a lot tougher, unless it's an email from the king of Nigeria telling you he has $1 million for you if you give him your account number. I had an external hard drive that lost me over 300 pictures I never printed. That might be part of the reason I am anti digital to a point. A computer virus can't delete what's on paper. I like protecting and saving things and history.

You do realize that you are complaining about technology on an internet message board?

[Acollector]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

You do realize that you are complaining about technology on an internet message board?

Isn't it deliciously ironic?

[thehoodedcoder]

Originally Posted by Acollector

You know, I have never printed a shipping label, and never bought postage online. I hand write every package and go to the post office and pay the postage there. I really hate that everything has become computerized and virtual. That's part of the reason I like dealing with money orders and checks. It's physical it's there. You have to go to the bank and deposit it, interact with other people. We've lost a lot of human contact thanks to cellular phones and the inter net. When something is printed on paper, if stored correctly, can be looked at 300 years from now. With a computer, it's a lot tougher, unless it's an email from the king of Nigeria telling you he has $1 million for you if you give him your account number. I had an external hard drive that lost me over 300 pictures I never printed. That might be part of the reason I am anti digital to a point. A computer virus can't delete what's on paper. I like protecting and saving things and history.

Until your house burns down. Who do blame then? Surely it must be someone's fault other than yours.

A simple backup is all any normal person needs to ensure they are not their own victim.

As far as doing stuff manually. That is for the birds.

Kevin