By: J. Stephen Pope
Here are some tips to help you
with your Internet auction shipments.
1. Ship Small, Lightweight
Products
The heavier and bulkier the
product, the more it will cost to ship. Pick light items in preference to heavier items. Of course,
downloadable e-books are the lightest product of all. On the other hand, if your customers want
your heavy and bulky items badly enough, they should be willing to pay for the extra shipping
charges.
2. Ship Nonphysical
Products
Having to ship physical products
means more work. You need to pack and label your products, calculate shipping charges, and arrange
for the orders to be shipped. Again, electronic downloads eliminate the hassles of physical
shipping. However, tangible goods seem to have a higher perceived value. That being the case, you
won't want to eliminate physical products entirely as they can be real profit makers for
you.
3. Drop Shipping
Another way to avoid some of the
hassles of product fulfillment is drop shipping. There are suppliers who will ship one item at a
time for you. You don`t have to stock any inventory. You simply pay your dropship supplier out of
the money you receive from your auction sale. They will ship the product directly to your
customer.
4. Recycle
If you receive bubble wrap,
styrofoam peanuts, bubble bags, or appropriate cardboard boxes, you may be able to reuse them for
your shipments.
5. Bulk Buying
If you do a lot of auctions, buy
your packaging supplies in bulk to receive better pricing.
6. Free Shipping Supplies
Your post office or courier
company may supply free shipping cartons for certain shipments.
7. Use Online Automated
Tools
You can determine shipping
charges from PayPal, the postal service and courier companies by visiting their websites and using
the online automated shipping calculation tools. In many cases, you can even create prepaid
shipping labels and then arrange for pickup or dropoff of your shipments.
8. Avoid Fragile Items
Obviously, fragile items need to
be packed with more care than unbreakable items. Pick durable items in preference to delicate items
to reduce damage claims.
9. Insure Valuable
Shipments
If you can't afford the loss of
a lost, stolen, or damaged product, be sure to insure your shipment. While you're at it, request a
delivery confirmation, preferably with signature required.
10. Prepare Foreign Shipments
Properly
Be sure to prepare the proper
Customs Declaration for international shipments. Keep in mind that there are items you can't
legally ship. Even your packing material should be considered. As an example, items shipped in a
box labelled "liquor" or "munitions" might be delayed at Customs.
Article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Stephen_Pope
