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How does anyone make money shipping large items?

by bigfoot12
6 replies
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I sold a weedwacker on ebay for $29 + $6 shipping, and I went to the UPS store and they charged $20 for a 15 X 15 X 48 box to fit the weed wacker in weighing 10 pounds, and I found out they charged $90 shipping.

Then I went to Fed Ex, and that same 15 X 15 x 48 box cost about $50 to ship.


I checked a quote online for USPS, and it was around $30 to ship for parcel select.

That's a loss of about $15.

I wonder how its possible to make any money on these. And how these large corporations are able to do this without going bankrupt.
#items #large #make #money #shipping
  • Profile picture of the author Silas Hart
    I don't know how you thought you were going to come out ahead on that one.

    Really, the only thing is that the more you ship, the more of a discount you qualify for through UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author kjamesnv
    Big items are expensive to ship and expect the rates on larger items to go up even further when the 2015 rates come out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe Stewart
    Originally Posted by bigfoot12 View Post

    I sold a weedwacker on ebay for $29 + $6 shipping, and I went to the UPS store and they charged $20 for a 15 X 15 X 48 box to fit the weed wacker in weighing 10 pounds, and I found out they charged $90 shipping.

    Then I went to Fed Ex, and that same 15 X 15 x 48 box cost about $50 to ship.


    I checked a quote online for USPS, and it was around $30 to ship for parcel select.

    That's a loss of about $15.

    I wonder how its possible to make any money on these. And how these large corporations are able to do this without going bankrupt.

    You'll either have to raise your price on the item in order to offer low shipping rates or offer "free" shipping with the costs included in the price.

    Just so you're aware, UPS, FedEx and USPS don't ship based on weight alone. They determine the costs by a combination of weight, height, width and length. Length is a biggie! It used to be that UPS wouldn't charge a surcharge unless the box was over 60 inches, but now I'm pretty sure it's 48 inches. I'll have to check my account. I don't use it very much due to the reasons you listed above.

    They'll also tack on extra charges if it's going to a residential address vs a commercial address, if they deem the address to be in a rural area, if you specify a certain time of day for delivery and more.

    You may need to find a different product. Also, Ebay is one of the worst ways to promote anymore, in my opinion. Unless you're getting things dirt cheap or can find something unique with high demand, prices have been pushed so low that it's ridiculous. Some people are making it work, though.

    I do business with several manufacturers and some have started using MAP (Minimum Advertised Pricing) pricing and forbidding dealers to use Ebay at all because they feel that it devalues their brand. I agree.

    Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author dynamicsuccess1
    These corporations have to make money somehow too. You have to know down to the exact cent, how much to charge for shipping. I would only suggest $6 shipping on items that would go into an envelope. Thats my 2 cents
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  • Profile picture of the author LABEShops
    Originally Posted by bigfoot12 View Post

    I sold a weedwacker on ebay for $29 + $6 shipping, and I went to the UPS store and they charged $20 for a 15 X 15 X 48 box to fit the weed wacker in weighing 10 pounds, and I found out they charged $90 shipping.

    Then I went to Fed Ex, and that same 15 X 15 x 48 box cost about $50 to ship.


    I checked a quote online for USPS, and it was around $30 to ship for parcel select.

    That's a loss of about $15.

    I wonder how its possible to make any money on these. And how these large corporations are able to do this without going bankrupt.
    Always figure out your shipping costs BEFORE you list an item, not after. Then price it accordingly.

    Consider it a lesson learned.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Brooks
    Originally Posted by bigfoot12 View Post

    I sold a weedwacker on ebay for $29 + $6 shipping, and I went to the UPS store and they charged $20 for a 15 X 15 X 48 box to fit the weed wacker in weighing 10 pounds, and I found out they charged $90 shipping.

    Then I went to Fed Ex, and that same 15 X 15 x 48 box cost about $50 to ship.


    I checked a quote online for USPS, and it was around $30 to ship for parcel select.

    That's a loss of about $15.

    I wonder how its possible to make any money on these. And how these large corporations are able to do this without going bankrupt.
    You should of checked out the price of shipping before even listing the product, it should of been taken into consideration when you priced up the product, always take the cost of delivery into account when pricing and selling products. I'm not surprised you've lost money if you haven't done something as simple as calculate the shipping fees
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