LynnS Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I have a chart for shipping.Just recently went up a couple dollars for the bigger orders.Not sure if it will cover it but with the flat rate boxes so far will help.I offer the 4 ounce tins on my site and with just one not worth buying UNLESS they get other things.So far pretty much just my candles sell.One lady sticks with tarts and some candles. When I did these tins I saw that I can get 6 of them in the small flat rate USPS box. Thought why not offer 6 4 ounce candle tins for the flat rate of $4.95. I said will reimburse the shipping.My shopping cart won't do a flat rate.Husband tried to figure out what to do also. I do see at times on websites after you order we will calculate shipping.The shipping for these could be quite high but want to offer 6 or up to 6 tins for $4.95. How can I do this?Some people might not want to buy this way or will not buy at all. This shipping get to be hard and with the cost going up it will be bad.I calculated just one tin being $5.00 to ship.I ordered on my site to see what it would be. They could get 6 for that.Any ideas or suggestions??? Don't know how to go about this on my website. LynnS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Are you using the USPS shipping calculator? Shipping charges were always a struggle for me before I signed up with it. I used rates that I thought would fall into a certain $ amount but it never failed that I was shorted, or I over charged the customer and felt I needed to reimbursed them. I gave up on that and went to a statement that actual shipping charges would be charged when the order was complete. That was a real PITA since it was so time consuming for me. I also felt that my website wasn't "professional" to the consumer. With the real time shipping calculators it has taken the questioning and hassle out of shipping costs. You are right, the USPS calculator doesn't calculate flat rate boxes, if I can use them I do and adjust the total. This makes the customer happy to see the reduced cost. Also, for lighter weight products 1st class shipping is an option for the buyer (under 13 oz). That would work for your little 4 oz tins if they only wanted to buy 1 or 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekeeper_sd Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I used rates that I thought would fall into a certain $ amount but it never failed that I was shorted, or I over charged the customer and felt I needed to reimbursed them.With the real time shipping calculators it has taken the questioning and hassle out of shipping costs.I have the same problem. I currently base my shipping on the dollar amount of the order but, like you said, most of the time I end up either losing money or charging someone $5.00 shipping for a $4.00 item. I use the USPS right now but am thinking about switching to UPS.How do the shipping calculators work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted April 14, 2009 Share Posted April 14, 2009 You sign up for an account at USPS, UPS, Fed Ex, etc to get the link to plug into your shopping cart program. All shopping carts are different but with mals-e you must have the premier account. Each product you sell needs weighed and entered into your website program. Then your site will calculate the actual shipping costs for your customers to choose from. I have found that USPS is VERY accurate. I am considering adding UPS and Fed Ex but haven't gotten to it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beekeeper_sd Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Another stupid question. How do you figure out the weight of a package at the time a customer orders it on your website. I mean, I have close to 20 different products. That's why I decided to base my shipping on dollar amount, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to know what each order is going to weigh given the inumerable combinations of products a person might order. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda (OH) Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yes, that makes sense. I also have quite a few products and that don't matter. The site builder for my website has an section to put each product weight right into the program. I weighed my products with my scale. So when a customer places an order, all the product weights are calculated (or added up) by the USPS shipping calculator in the shopping cart. It sounds complicated but really it is easy and convenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnS Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Beekeeper you do just what I do.The cost of each order is calculated and how my shopping cart/shipping is on my site.But when $5.00 is the shipping charge for a $5.00 tin no one will pay that. The last month 2 people bailed out I guess when it came to shipping but who knows.One never answered me so never e-mailed the other. I do get orders of more than one candle so I guess they understand the shipping cost but have wondered if someone would just want to test and only get a couple things. SO far I only use the USPS flat rates boxes but one time I had 3 candles to ship.I put them in another box and took to the PO.It was more to ship using that box if I had used the medium flat rate box they have now.I lost money there. Also loosing since the rates keep getting higher.Afraid people will balk when I change.Just this week I raised my shipping cost a dollar or 2.With the 2 smallest amount like 0-10 and 10-20 I stuck with that shipping cost.Above that I went up.So beekeeper you were thinking just what I was and Brenda helped us.I am like you. I have to check to see how to do the weight and then calculate shipping. I always wondered how poeple felt about us contacting them or else them contacting us for the exact weight and shipping.I can get the weight but putting it in certain boxes I need to do some figuring.So far if I do have a off order of just 3 candles I can find a box somewhere here.BUT you have to watch.They measure it.I try to find a narrow box but not always possible.I am not sure my shopping cart has the option of what each weighs.I only have on my shopping cart/shipping the flat cost chart for how much it is from $0-$250 and I did that figuring for how far I could go.Guess I will ask my grumpy Postmaster what it is(USPS shipping calculater).Hope he is in a good mood or really knows what I mean.He has trouble keeping up with the changes like we do and he works there.LOL Last week someone ordered 6 candles.Shipping was $8.00.That was great last year when the flat rate box was $8.90 but now it is $10.35. That is not so good. I coughed up the remainder.There are 4 people who have ordered the last year from me and I don;t want to change them this year but I can raise my candles some and make do with the shipping for future orders.Figure it in that cost. Thanks for the help Brenda and beekeeper.When Ii have on my descrip I tell that I will reimburse the shipping cost for the 6 candle tins but some might not trust that.Shipping is the hardest about on line shopping. I odered a few months ago a bakers rack and there was no shipping.That was great. It was a nice one too. Computer crashed and have no idea who the company was now.I would like a couple more of those.LynnS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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