You HAVE to try this!! EBAY your way to DISNEY!!

[dg39]

Hi, I have money in my paypal account that I didn't transfer over to my own account. I want to bid on something. How can I use that money to pay for the item, if I win it....TIA

Denise

 

[DMRick]

I use boxes w/ all sorts of writing on them.

I guess each post office decides what "rules" they enforce. Ours has signs all over showing the correct way to cross out writing. Since I hate to send a box with a bunch of scribbles (all writing has to be scribbled solidly at our post office), we just take it apart, turn it inside out, put it back together inside out, and retape it.
Doris

 

[bafmrf]

Just wondering if anyone on our great board only accepts Paypal for payments. And if so, do you think it affects your sales? I only accept Paypal, money orders or cashiers checks but find that the m/o or c/c take forever to get from my buyers and I am considering only accepting Paypal. What do you all think?

Martha

 

[FonFon]

I use boxes w/ all sorts of writing on them.

My post office will tell you to come back with either the writing covered or marked out, or in a different box.

If I am using a box that already has writing on it, I usually just wrap it in brown paper (i.e. grocery bags). Every time we go grocery shopping, after the food is put away, I park myself in the living room and pull the paper grocery bags apart, flatten them out, and end up with a nice stack of large brown paper with which to wrap boxes.

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by dg39
Hi, I have money in my paypal account that I didn't transfer over to my own account. I want to bid on something. How can I use that money to pay for the item, if I win it....TIA

It is really pretty simple (as long as the seller accepts paypal). You just go to your paypal account and click send money (or whatever it says) and then as the source of the payment click paypal funds (which I believe is the default).

 

[kilee]

I guess I'm lucky that my post office will take anything. My post office people love me though. We are a small town, and they recently have actually (very nicely) asked me if I could bring things on certain days because they were having audits or something and they wanted the extra work to come in so they didn't get any cut-backs. I try to avoid using the boxes with writing on them, but sometimes it's all I have. Thankfully I don't have many items that go out that aren't in priority mail boxes.

I just wanted to add, I did pretty well w/ summer clothes this past week. Tank tops and shorts. I didn't think they'd go, but they did. I marketed them as end of summer clearance and great for winter trips to the south.

 

[CarolJ]

I've had several buyers with zero feedback who have been wonderful. However, I just had one newly registered bidder who won one of my auctions and never responded to any e-mails. When I tried to e-mail him I found out he had closed his e-mail account. I tried the second chance offer, but the next bidder no longer wanted the item.
Now I have a high priced item and another newly registered bidder has bid up the item to a very high price in just one day. This is a study aide which won't be worth very much to anyone unless I can sell it now. If the bidder wins the auction and doesn't respond I'll lose too much time since the semester will be half over. Is there anything I can do to so I don't get stuck again?

 

[CajunDixie]

Just an FYI I live in a small town and have mailed out tons of media mail packages that had music, books, or games enclosed. Today when I went to mail a game the postal worker surprised me and asked if the item was a book and I said no its a game and she said OK we've just been asked to crack down on people abusing media mail.

 

[DMRick]

My post office people love me though.

I'd like ot think mine loves me too

They aren't the problem. They are trying to help me. They told me boxes with writing on them aren't suppose to be mailed..and while they don't mind taking them..they often get slowed up, while another post office it passes through, tried to figure out if something is in the box that shouldn't be. Also, if you leave a UPC code from the product undone, it could interfer with their scanning DC's. Sometimes boxes with writing sit on docks..last ot be loaded : (

 

[C.Ann]

It's me again.. Been busy with lots of things - stuff that has to be done before the cold weather rolls in.. Have to get the lake house closed up within the next two weeks or so and that's going to mean several trips back and forth.. I really hate closing the place up - makes me sad - but it's just one of those things that have to be done..

I have a question (maybe DMRick) or another veteran eBayer can answer for me.. Are we allowed to use the bound printed matter rate? I have a bunch of magazines to sell off and because they contain advertising I know I can't use the media rate.. Magazines tend to be quite heavy though and with the parcel post rate (too many in a lot to put in the flat-rate Priority envelope) this shipping is awfully high..
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As for the writing on boxes, most of the time I turn my boxes inside out, but if I'm pressed for time I cover the writing with this dark tan shipping tape I have and then cover that tape again with the clear tape.. So far I haven't had any complaints from the Post Office..

Once in awhile I'll have a package that has to be wrapped in brown paper and when I do, I literally wrap the entire outside with clear tape so there are no areas where the machines could snag the paper and create a tear.. Again, no complaints from the Post Office thus far..
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Also wondering if anyone else here despises the new "improved" eBay invoices as much as I do.. What a pain!! If someone has purchased more than one item from me they all come up on the one invoice but there is only one S&H charge which means I have to go back to the other auctions, find the S&H, go back to the invoice, change the S&H charge, and then recalculate.. It's not always possibly to offer "combined" S&H - especially when the first item listed on the invoice weighs less than a pound and the additional item or items weigh several pounds - and this new system is creating loads of extra time-consuming work for me.. (Not to mention that everyone has to email me for my address now - which also takes up a lot of my time.. ) How is everyone else handling this wonderful "improvement"? Sometimes I wish that ebay would just leave well enough alone..

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by C.Ann
I have a question (maybe DMRick) or another veteran eBayer can answer for me.. Are we allowed to use the bound printed matter rate? I have a bunch of magazines to sell off and because they contain advertising I know I can't use the media rate.. Magazines tend to be quite heavy though and with the parcel post rate (too many in a lot to put in the flat-rate Priority envelope) this shipping is awfully high..

I am faced with this myself. My mom was told (by one PO) that bound printed matter could only be used by business and that you must apply to use it?? But she was able to send things this way at another PO. I can not find anything on the USPS website that states it can only be used by businesses or anything about an application to send things this way. The only restriction I see is that the item must be permently bound (which most magazines would be).

I think I will call my local PO to find out. I have about 10 lots of magazines I want to put up. And I am afraid that PP shipping is going to be prohibitive for buyers and they will just pass it up.

 

[disneychrista]

I just called my local PO and was told that magazines could infact be sent Bound Printed Matter.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by disneychrista
I just called my local PO and was told that magazines could infact be sent Bound Printed Matter.

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Interesting.. I just called my Post Office and was told NO.. How the heck are we supposed to get a straight answer on this?

 

[Cinders]

Putting in my 2 cents worth on Bound Printed Matter

On the USPS site it does not say its for businesses only. But there are different rates....for us we'd use single piece rate whereas a magazine company would use Presorted or Carrier Rates. Singe piece rates: separate rates for flats and parcels based on weight and zone.

C.Ann You may want to call them back and ask what rule that is because I absolutely do not see it on their website.

I know my mom has mailed my bro some of her old Taste Of Home magazines and used Bound Printed Matter with no problem.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by Cinders
Putting in my 2 cents worth on Bound Printed Matter

On the USPS site it does not say its for businesses only. But there are different rates....for us we'd use single piece rate whereas a magazine company would use Presorted or Carrier Rates. Singe piece rates: separate rates for flats and parcels based on weight and zone.

C.Ann You may want to call them back and ask what rule that is because I absolutely do not see it on their website.

I know my mom has mailed my bro some of her old Taste Of Home magazines and used Bound Printed Matter with no problem.

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Okay.. Just got off the phone with a guy in the "Mail Requirements" Office of the BIG post office in this area and he said YES - I CAN use the BPM!!! He also said if anyone gave me any grief to have them call him directly - and he gave me his direct telephone line..

I also checked the Shipping Assistant and there is a place there to get DC for BPM, so it looks like it will work!!

Sure would be nice if the "left" hand knew what the "right" hand is doing - huh?

That's great news 'cause I have TONS of interesting magazines and such to get rid of..

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by C.Ann
Interesting.. I just called my Post Office and was told NO.. How the heck are we supposed to get a straight answer on this?

This appears to be one of those things that depends on the PO you go to.

 

[lauraljp]

This thread is great. I have already read up through page 35 but quite a ways to go.

This thread has inspired me also to jump on the EBAY bandwagon and I have listed two items. No bids the first day, but someone did email me to ask if I would consider adding "Buy it now" as an option, and if I would, what would the price be.

Should I do this? I am only taking Paypal for payment, as this is a seasonal item and time is important.

I have looked at what others like it have gone for and wonder if I did do BIN if I should price it at that amount or higher?

Any comments, suggestions, etc.

Thanks again!!

 

[maggiew]

I had to fill out a missing package request at the post office today for a half.com item that never made it to the recipient per her request. I sure hope I don't get a negative out of this. I mailed the package out on 8/21/03 - the day the person placed the order - and she still hasn't received it. I distinctly remember mailing this package out because I sent it to the North Pole - no joke - and I commented to the Postal clerk that I didn't know there really was a north pole. I looked it up on Yahoo Maps, though and its a real city.

The lady at the post office I talked to today wasn't very helpful. All she had to say was that many people didn't know that when you send things media mail that if it was undeliverable for any reason (i.e. no apt. # or wrong address) that they throw the item away and don't return to sender! Now she has me paranoid. But my branch I think has a negative thing about media mail. Any time I mail something media mail they give me a hard time. One time they even opened my package after I handed it to the clerk because it didn't "feel like a book". Well, I wrap my books in bubble wrap and put it in a large manilla envelope. I tried to explain to the lady that I wrap it up good because I had advertised a certain level of quality in the book (no bent corners, etc.) and I wanted to make sure it arrived in the same condition.

I personally feel that this is just taking a long time because it is Media mail to Alaska. Let's hope.

Maggie

 

[disneychrista]

Originally posted by maggiew
All she had to say was that many people didn't know that when you send things media mail that if it was undeliverable for any reason (i.e. no apt. # or wrong address) that they throw the item away and don't return to sender!

I have never heard of such a thing. And I can not believe that they PO can or would do such a thing. I can understand it being sent back with "postage due." I had that happen many years ago, when I sent something parcel post, when it was returned (refused - long story) I had to pay the postage a second time. But for them to just throw it away? I am sorry I find that highly unlikely.

 

[DMRick]

I wonder if they are confusing that with periodicals..or maybe periodicals and media are the same (I didn't think so). Most undeliverable periodicals are treated as dead mail : (

Here is some info on it:

http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm/f010.htm