postage costs......

[captainbovine]

Ecky thump!!! I've been looking at large muffin cases on eboy....now they're charging an acceptable amount for them but then some sellers are going bonkers on the postage....between £4 and £6

Surely this can't be correct? .... it will be the death knell for eboy at this rate...makes me sad really as I enjoy shopping this way but now I think twice.

[xtf70]

Check the Royal Mail postage rates and see what THEY charge - remember they've now scrapped the packet rate so there's a huge jump from Large Letter to Small Parcel with attendant price hike

To be fair to sellers, just going slightly over the dimensions can trigger this leap, even with something that weighs next to nothing, although I agree sure some sellers do seem to charge exorbitant amounts...

[chickengrandma-2008]

Muffin cases?  Paper ones?  Why don't you get them from where you work, or do you mean especially fancy ones.?

[chickengrandma-2008]

I sent a parcel today.  I know nothing about postage but it always seems quite reasonable to me.  This parcel wasn't very heavy, under a lb, and was about 10 ins long and 4ins X 4ins.  It cost £3.00 which seemed good to me?

[captainbovine]

we only sell the small fairy cake cases CG, and on the odd occasion that we do get muffin cases in they're rubbish! they collapse in the oven and you get a rubbish look.

I think it's this size thing now with the post office isn't it? but I still think £3 for the cases and £6 to post them is having a laff.....

[chickengrandma-2008]

That's where I get mine capt. and they seem ok to me.  P'raps I'm not particular!! 

[stroppy*cow]

Lakeland sell muffin cases at £2.49 for 100. I have never used them, but their stuff is usually good quality - orders up to £30 are £2.99 delivery.

£2.99 seems reasonable for delivery as it would cost £2.60 to post the parcel as the cases are too big to be sent as a large letter.

[chickengrandma-2008]

I love Lakeland stuff.  Enter at your peril captain, I can spend pounds and pounds on stuff I didn't even know I needed!

[guardpig]

Postage is a minefield.

This summer's most popular item just scrapes in under the length for £2.60 2nd class.  Weight wise i can send 3 but only 1 will fit through slot. 

Now use a PO who checks length and it is sometimes pay over a fiver or go home and repack.  One rejected parcel was less than 1mm over according to one PO but fitted dimensions fine at the next one en route!!!

Now we are VAT registered.  There is no VAT on postage to claim back..  However for providing the service of putting parcel in post we have to charge it to our customer.  This makes the actual cost £3.12 to us - note stamp price is still £2.60.

Then Ebay are taking 10% off the postage in fees. So that makes the cost to us of approximately('cos I can't be bothered to do the sums) of £3.46. Note stamp price on parcel is still showing £2.60.

So you have 2 sellers one offering the item at £10.00 + £2.60 postage, the other at £8.00 + £3.46 postage.  Who are you going to buy from.  The cheapest in total or the one not "cheating" on postage?  If you buy from the cheaper seller are you then going to mark his P&P star down because he gouged on postage?

Most of my items have been postage inclusive for years, they sell better so it makes sense.  However lower priced items are more difficult as inclusive postage knocks them way over RRP and they attract little interest but stick all the postage and packing costs on the postage figure and you are also on a loser because you are charging over stamp price.

Then you have to keep control of OH who thinks anything can be posted anywhere for under a fiver!!!!!!!!!!!

Life is such fun.

[guardpig]

PS Lakeland.  OH escaped to Bournemouth(on business) on a day when I was too busy to go.  Think he did it deliberately because when I go he has to divert to Castle Point for a good hour browsing in Lakeland. For some unknown reason we have 3 awkward to get to Lakelands more or less equidistant from us and no sign of one opening up locally.  What did we do to them???????????

[hansrey64]

That is the right price!!

[leoleoleo123]

When i sent the bra's off to dazy.. the lady in the post office, squished down the parcel and sellotaped it smaller to reduce the postage cost, without me even asking... now thats service! It wasnt my usual PO, but i may very well use it again!

[guardpig]

Ah yes, now that's good business sense.  She saved you money and gained a customer.

[captainbovine]

oooh I love Lakeland too...I've got my eye on a 12 bar bun tin it has a loose bottom so you get 12 perfect bar cakes, perfect for Christmas cake slices or fruit loaf. I am trying to justify the cost of it....a tad expensive, so I'm weighing up the amount of times I may use it vs the price of it.

If I go to the store in Chester, I'm in there for days!!!!! love it

[**towery**]

Capt i just  messaged you ^^^^^

[wizilizi]

Friend of mine's daughter sent out rectangular wedding invitations, nothing unusual but they were rather long & thin

Was told  postage price & sold stamps accordingly.  Many (but not all) recipients were then charged excess, plus admin, to receive them.  I was one

It seems to me that the whole caboodle is in disarray, sadly

Our local Posties are so lovely too, tis a shame

[wizilizi]

Oh, & I too have encountered obliging PO staff who have taped up parcels tighter to reduce the postage for me

It's a silly system imho