Shipping sold curriculum/books

[Night Elf]

I do not want to use media mail ever again. It's just too much of a hassle. So what do I do instead? Can someone please explain USPS options to me?

Most of the books I have for sale will fit into a padded envelope which is how I get the majority of the books I buy. So if I don't send them media mail, how are they shipped? I once had someone tell me First Class was for letters and Priority Mail was for packages. Well, I can ship UPS for the same price, if not cheaper, than Priority Mail.

So USPS provides tracking information right? What other services should I consider adding on? Again, this may price me right out of the USPS. What do I do about seller protection, so I don't have another snafu like I just went through? The books I'm selling range in price from $12 to $35, so not a lot of money. Obviously I'd like to make some money here and most definitely do not want to lose money. I.E. I don't want to sell a book for $12 only to pay $12+ to ship it. All the ins and out of prepping, getting supplies, driving to the post office, standing it its ridiculous long line is worth way more than saving a few bucks. 

I'm not out to take advantage of anyone. I'm not asking people to pay for all the stuff I have to pay for. I consider costs like envelopes and boxes to be my responsibility. But I did price my items with the understanding that I might be spending $10 to mail the items. For the couple of $12 books I have, I'm taking a risk. They are such good books that I hated to donate them to the thrift store where all books are .50 cents each. And I don't donate to Good Will anymore. I do have a homeschool bookstore I can donate to, but I don't know if they accept non-Christian materials. I'd have to check. Although, come to think of it, I think everything I have is Christian.

Another example of possibly losing money is an American Literature program I bought. I got the textbook and workbook for less than $10 combined at Christianbook, but they are two fat paperback books, one spiral bound. It would cost more to buy a box and ship than it cost me to buy them originally. I'm definitely donating this to the homeschool store.

[smfmommy]

Your packages would just ship priority.  You could look into their flat rate shipping envelopes.  That might save you money if it's a large set.  You can add insurance to any package.  Tracking comes with everything now.  I usually use media mail.  Every once in a while the package gets totally lost.  I keep my receipt just in case, I can't be responsible if the PO messes it up.  I think you could ask someone to cover insurance if they want it, understanding that you won't refund money if it's lost.

As for your homeschool store not taking secular items, I would be surprised if they were that picky.  I run a homeschool library and accept almost everything knowing that the homeschool market is more dynamic than ever before.

 

[thewellerman]

My area has a homeschool swap and sell facebook page.  I wonder if your local area has a similar group?  Then you could just do porch pick up or drop offs after someone pays.  

[itsheresomewhere]

I can’t imagine they wouldn’t take the secular materials.  Those are the first to go in curriculum sales.  

[Night Elf]

You ladies are right. They do take secular materials. I used to buy from there frequently! 🙂

[Night Elf]

1 hour ago, smfmommy said:

 I keep my receipt just in case, I can't be responsible if the PO messes it up.  I think you could ask someone to cover insurance if they want it, understanding that you won't refund money if it's lost.

 

That isn't how PayPal feels! I just put up a thread about a problem where PayPal refunded a buyer of mine because she didn't get her media mail package in what she considered to be an appropriate time. She received the box the day after PayPal took the money out of my account. So I did an appeal and won that time and got my money back. How do you keep from being responsible if a package is lost??

[Acorn]

I like usps flat rate or priority. The boxes can be delivered to my mailbox for free, and a base amount of insurance is included, maybe up to $50?

[cintinative]

33 minutes ago, Night Elf said:

That isn't how PayPal feels! I just put up a thread about a problem where PayPal refunded a buyer of mine because she didn't get her media mail package in what she considered to be an appropriate time. She received the box the day after PayPal took the money out of my account. So I did an appeal and won that time and got my money back. How do you keep from being responsible if a package is lost??

You are responsible if the package is lost, UNLESS you bought insurance. I buy insurance on high value items because I don't want to eat the cost if the post office loses a package (it does happen).

That said, right now, and for the past four plus months, the postal service has been really slow.  So "an appropriate time" is something that you can dispute. If you can show via your tracking number (free when you purchase postage via Paypal) that the package is on its way, they shouldn't be able to dispute that it is not there yet (unless it has been literally months). I had a package take six weeks to get to Alaska.  

[JustEm]

Anything under a pound can ship first class, even packages. 

[KatieJ]

You will need a postal scale or access to one.
It is always cheaper to do your shipping,  label printing at home rather than going to the post office. 
PayPal is cheaper yet, and many use pirate shipping as well. 

You can sell first class, padded envelope or box up to 16 Oz. After that it has to go priority. USPS has boxes marked flat rate, you may have to order them online from the post office if yiur your local post office doesn’t carry them,  but they are free…and You can stuff them. Flat rate is just what it is, one rate, no matter what it weighs or where it goes. 
Regional  rate boxes are based on zones…the closer it is to you, the cheaper it is to mail it. Further away, more expensive. Those have to be ordered thru the  post office, and will be delivered to your house. They are free as well. 

Always list your items as postage extra, to be added to,thr cost of your item.You can get their zip code and give them a quote after Yiufigure postage, before you close the sale.

Using usps website, Yiu csn plug in box sizes, padded envelopes, zip code, all of it and get shipping costs .

 

But your buyer should always pay the shipping so there are no surprises for you. 
Insurance and tracking numbers are included on USPS no matter what service you use.

 

[cintinative]

2 minutes ago, KatieInMN said:

Insurance and tracking numbers are included on USPS no matter what service you use.

 

Actually, insurance is NOT included media mail. You have to purchase it extra.

For priority mail, only $50 of insurance is included. If the materials are worth over $50, you need to add insurance (if you want insurance).  

Also note if you seek reimbursement for items insured, they will want to know what those items are and their value. They won't just reimburse you the $50 included with priority mail. You will have to prove the worth of the items. 

[regentrude]

Why do you dislike media mail, and what benefit do you think you gain by shipping first class - other than a couple of days on the shipping time?
I know media sometimes goes a circuitous route, but I have shipped LOTS of media mail parcels all over the country, and no package has ever been lost. I have a tracking number, and most parcels make it in under a week.
With first class or priority, you also just get a tracking number, and you are still responsible if the package is lost, unless you purchased insurance. (Which you can do with media mail as well).

[regentrude]

57 minutes ago, Night Elf said:

How do you keep from being responsible if a package is lost??

You purchase insurance. And that is irrespective of shipping mode.

First class comes with $50 insurance. If you're item is more expensive, you need to add insurance.

Edited March 15, 2022 by regentrude

[Night Elf]

23 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Why do you dislike media mail, and what benefit do you think you gain by shipping first class - other than a couple of days on the shipping time?
I know media sometimes goes a circuitous route, but I have shipped LOTS of media mail parcels all over the country, and no package has ever been lost. I have a tracking number, and most parcels make it in under a week.
With first class or priority, you also just get a tracking number, and you are still responsible if the package is lost, unless you purchased insurance. (Which you can do with media mail as well).

Because it can take weeks to get there. I've had at least 2 packages over the past couple of months take over 6 weeks to get to me from inside the U.S. I suppose I could have opened a claim with PayPal but I felt bad if I did that knowing media mail can take a long time. One seller reimbursed me without me even asking and when the item did show up, ironically during my recent issue, she wouldn't accept payment for it at this late date. It was $12 and said she just wanted to pay forward kindness she received. I felt bad because I could never just give $70 away without having a good reason. Thinking the buyer could be a schemer doesn't make me want to help them out. It's like giving money to a person beside an intersection, only to find out he drives a nicer car than me! There went that $30! And yes, my manager witnessed him getting into a car and driving away. So no more giving money to people standing on the street. Isn't that sad? 

[regentrude]

3 minutes ago, Night Elf said:

Because it can take weeks to get there. I've had at least 2 packages over the past couple of months take over 6 weeks to get to me from inside the U.S. 

That is unusually long; normally it takes 5-7 days. What did your tracking info show? (But I had that occasionally happen with other forms of mail before.)
OTOH, the 30 media mail packages I shipped in the last two weeks have all arrived at their destinations in 12 different states.

[Resilient]

I had one package take 6 MONTHS to get to the customer. I hate spending money on shipping but ... since the pandemic, I've seen a big shift in media mail which never used to give me any trouble, and was almost always as fast as priority or whatever.  But no more.  

If your customer wants to have the package insured, tell them you will ship it priority OR they can pay extra for the insurance you can buy.  Hassle...

[KatieJ]

1 hour ago, cintinative said:

Actually, insurance is NOT included media mail. You have to purchase it extra.

For priority mail, only $50 of insurance is included. If the materials are worth over $50, you need to add insurance (if you want insurance).  

Also note if you seek reimbursement for items insured, they will want to know what those items are and their value. They won't just reimburse you the $50 included with priority mail. You will have to prove the worth of the items. 

I don’t ship media mail very often anymore, so I had forgotten that.

 

yes, keep track/proof if you have it if what it’s worth for insurance purposes. I have never had to use it. 

[Catwoman]

2 hours ago, Night Elf said:

Because it can take weeks to get there. I've had at least 2 packages over the past couple of months take over 6 weeks to get to me from inside the U.S. I suppose I could have opened a claim with PayPal but I felt bad if I did that knowing media mail can take a long time. One seller reimbursed me without me even asking and when the item did show up, ironically during my recent issue, she wouldn't accept payment for it at this late date. It was $12 and said she just wanted to pay forward kindness she received. I felt bad because I could never just give $70 away without having a good reason. Thinking the buyer could be a schemer doesn't make me want to help them out. It's like giving money to a person beside an intersection, only to find out he drives a nicer car than me! There went that $30! And yes, my manager witnessed him getting into a car and driving away. So no more giving money to people standing on the street. Isn't that sad? 

Honestly Beth, this all sounds way too stressful for you. You have posted multiple times about how you will never ship via the USPS again because you were so upset about the $70.00 sale, and here you are, planning on doing it again. 

I know you want to sell some books, but if I were you, I would find a way to do it locally so you don’t have to ship anything.

[BusyMom5]

I was also going to suggest posting on your local swap board for pick-up.  I'd rather take less or give it to someone who will use it local.

[Clarita]

I've seen people sell curriculum stuff on Facebook marketplace for local porch pick up only. 

[Brittany1116]

Media mail is last priority when loading trucks, per friend who worked USPS. That's why it can take so long to reach its destination. I have had mixed luck with it as well; some deliveries took 5 days, some nearly a month.