Comparing notes on postage policy anyone?

[lesley]

Paypal fees?! I didn't know about those!

[Kaz]

I think the problem is that from a customer perspective, why should you pay up to £5.00 because the British postal system may be unreliable? My view is that the onus is on the seller (and I am one!) to ensure that the goods get to you and you should not have to pay over the odds for this "privilege"! If someone asked me to pay £4-5 for postage on an item that was tiny but cost marginally over £36, I simply would not buy!
Kazx

Yes, I can see how it won't work for items marginally over, but for £50+ of jewellery I think it's worth it. You're also getting next day delivery so you can tailor it to a customer's needs.
Big companies charge heavily for postage and we pay up, but with handmade items the impression seems to be that you're not a "proper" business, so you're up for haggling. It is, after all, a legitimate part of your costs - just as much as buying raw materials.
Kaz, do you really think that separate P&P is more off-putting than bumping your prices up? I thought it seemed more honest. 

I am sitting here smarting at being accused of somehow being dishonest
I sold a set of 3 lentils today at £10.50 - just one set which took me about 1/2 an hour to make (not including cleaning, stringing, photographing and listing!)
The paypal fees on this sale are £0.56. The cost of postage I would estimate to be £1.17. I put the beads in a box that cost £0.43. I also included an organza bag which cost me about £0.15 (admittedly I didn't have to include this but I know some customers like them as they can be re-used - as can the boxes). So that leaves me with the grand total of £8.19 from which of course I have to deduct the cost of the glass, running the torch and the kiln and the specialist stringer from Jo that I used.
So, I really must be profiteering on this postage if customers buy more than one set
My customers seem quite happy and often buy one set of beads one week and one the next and so on - I guess it helps them to budget?
Kazx

[lesley]

This is the trouble with the written word.
It never crossed my mind that you'd think I was calling you dishonest!   I'm truly sorry. Please don't be upset and angry, I really didn't mean it that way.

I think Emma put it better when she said clearer.
I don't think it's at all dishonest to absorb P&P in prices. I'm trying to speak as a potential seller and as a customer - it really does seem to be a matter of personal preference.
As I said earlier, as a bead buyer I'm not bothered, just as long as it's clear.
Don't hate me.

[Kaz]

No worries  - I just wanted to be absolutely clear as a lot of my customers are actually from the forum!
If someone bought £50+ of jewellery from me, I'd probably go and deliver it personally
Kazx

[Josephine]

Thank goodness for that, thought I had started one of 'those' threads for a moment.

I'm still not 100% sure which way to go but think probably the postage included in price option. I will definitely start doing the certificate of postage rather than signed for on smaller orders, they hardly ever seem to put the tracking on the website for signed for anyway. For big orders I will carry on using Special Delivery.

[squirsygirl]

No worries  - I just wanted to be absolutely clear as a lot of my customers are actually from the forum!
If someone bought £50+ of jewellery from me, I'd probably go and deliver it personally
Kazx

With royal  mail charging what they do, it can be cheaper to deliver in person, if it's not too far away.

In my little car, I can do about 60 miles on £5 of fuel.  I think, hang on, let me work that out:  £33 to fill a tank, I got 425 out of the last tank, means about 8p per mile?  So, in theory, I could do 62.5 miles for a fiver.  I'm rubbish at maths, me.

And you might have a nice day out, somewhere.  Just a thought.

Kirsty

[Kaz]

My signed for parcels either get left on top of the external mail box, posted through the cat flap or dropped over the gate

[Josephine]

My signed for parcels either get left on top of the external mail box, posted through the cat flap or dropped over the gate

That would make an interesting entry on the track and trace website. 'This parcel was posted through the cat flap at 9.17am on2/3/09.' 

[lesley]

My signed for parcels either get left on top of the external mail box, posted through the cat flap or dropped over the gate

I generally (tho' not always) have to sign for my UK parcels, but anything "foreign" seems to flummox my postie.
I'm undecided now whether to charge separately or not. I can't drive so the personal service is out.

[lesley]

Thank goodness for that, thought I had started one of 'those' threads for a moment.

Sorry, Josephine I didn't mean to "start" anything or upset anyone.

[astringofbeads]

I don't charge for postage either, as I only post first class large letter and factor this and the cost of the packaging etc in with the cost of the beads. I have seen folks on ebay charging postage costs to include their mileage to the post office put me off buying from them that did
I send larger valuable orders special delivery and swallow the cost of that and international postage. I do think before I send special delivery can I replace it? If I can easily replace and it's not much over the £36 then it goes standard first class If I'm selling on ebay then I always post recorded just so I have proof that i'ts been received (doesn't always show up I know, but as the customer's paying..) There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding in general about recorded delivery ( I do get asked why I don't use it!) It offer's no extra insurance and is not tracked until the point of delivery, so for my money I don't think it's worth it.
Hope this helps

[Chameleon]

Jaq, I have been asked why i use it also... frequently by our postmaster, he says he never uses it given that it offers no more than 1st class with proof of postage and it flags to anyone who might be interested that it might have something in it worth nicking. 

[Lush!]

I do think before I send special delivery can I replace it? If I can easily replace and it's not much over the £36 then it goes standard first class

Yep, that's how I think too - unless the customer has chosen to pay for SD.

[astringofbeads]

That's right Becky, my postie says the same. It's a bit outdated really in these days of being able to track most things.

[garishglobes]

Thats just why I'm going to ditch the signed-for bit with my handmade beads. With ebay and website orders over about £30, for regular beads/findings, I always post recorded because I then know if they've got there, if needed. With my handmade beads, many of my customers are repeat, and I'd trust 'em all anyway, so I'm thinking - whats the point in lining the RM's pocket (or spare mailbags... )