question

[jullie-sama.livejournal.com]

when you sell things how do you know the shipping cost? because you have to know the weight of what you are selling so do you all have "weight machines" in home? or you go first to the mail and ask?
Cause I have some things that I want to sell like shoes and I don't have any idea how much will coast for each country.
I know It's a stupid question but sorry I just want to know the reply for my question ._.'

Comments

[xbiteyourtongue.livejournal.com]

For the most part, people usually estimate how much their item will weigh then go to the website of their post office and look up shipping rates there. Since it's based on weight, it should be pretty easy.

[jullie-sama.livejournal.com]

Yeh, but I have heavy shoes that I don't have any idea of what will cost so I think is better waith for a weigh machine @_@

[xbiteyourtongue.livejournal.com]

You can't estimate how much the shoes will weigh, including packaging?

[patchworkdoll.livejournal.com]

I just use a regular scale to measure the weight before I go to the post office.

[jullie-sama.livejournal.com]

thanks^^

[trancegeminii.livejournal.com]

estimation and rounding are your friend....

YOU REALLY DO NOT WANT TO GET CAUGHT AT THE POST OFFICE WITH NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO SHIP!

Cause then you have to dig into the money that they paid for the item.... and thats NEVER nice.

[jullie-sama.livejournal.com]

thanks for your advice o/

[sofiaviolet]

I just guess. I suck at estimating weights but I somehow get postage right nearly all the time. I suppose I'm some kind of savant in that regard. ^-^

[teacup-carousel.livejournal.com]

The more you sell the more you get an idea of how much things will cost. If you're super nervous about it you can wrap everything up like you plan to ship it and go and weigh it at the post office and make sure to bring a pencil and pad to wright down the weight. When you get home you can go up on the post office website and plug in the weight and destination of your buyers and it will give you an exact cost in several shipping options. In my experience people who have bought from me like this best because they get a penny by penny cost.

[honeyedbiscuit.livejournal.com]

I charge based on the weight of a scale and round up. If the difference is greater than $1, I refund the rest of it via PayPal or in another payment form.

Honestly, everyone wins in that situation instead of the seller jacking up shipping and the buyer underpaying.

[skwerlie.livejournal.com]

In the past when I've needed to get a shipping quote for something big enough without going to the post office extra times, I put the item in a box and whatever else it would ship with (like crumpled newspaper padding), weigh it on my bathroom scale, add a pound or two (for very heavy items, otherwise just round up to the nearest pound or so) and look up the rates online. However, our bathroom scale is not accurate enough for small, light items so I go weigh those on the digital scale at the post office since I am not good at guessing weights... ^^;

[markidesade.livejournal.com]

I go with either estimation or just opt for the USPS flat rate envelopes/boxes which the post office puts prices for that online.

[la-chaton-noir.livejournal.com]

also watch out for large items' sizes...sometimes it matters (I've lost a ton on shipping this way, so I dont have the heart to tell someone "fork over the difference)

[j9isawesome.livejournal.com]

I used to have a very sensitive scale for getting the weight of packages :( Now I have to drive to the post office to weigh things. They have a scale in the lobby so I don't have to wait in line, talk to anyone, go while they're actually open.

[creepy-ribbon.livejournal.com]

shipping your package was 27 Euro, so i had to pay a lot :p
but its allright ^^

[jullie-sama.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry for you but I'm happy and Can't wait to see my new dress =D

[weeefairy.livejournal.com]

I always throw my stuff on the kitchen scale together with the packing materials im going to pack in (even padded envelopes and boxes add up to the weight x_X) and then look up on the post office's website how much it'll cost :)

most kitchen scales go up to about 2 kilo (about, 4 pounds i guess?) so you should be able to weight most stuff on it, unless youre shipping something really really big and heavy lol