The Wholesale Forums

[silver_surfer]

Hey everyone, I've been reading these forums for quite a while now, just didn't start making any posts until recently.

About a year ago I used to sell DVDs on ebay, it was quite successful and sales did start to take off. However due to university work etc. I was finding it stressful coping with a high volume business like selling DVDs and keeping on top of my uni work. Plus there was some work being done at my house so I couldn't really focus on the DVD selling.

I have decided I want to get back into this, however I have a question to ask in case any one can help me with this.

I was wondering, how do the high volume DVD sellers on ebay etc. post their DVDs? I personally used to go to the post office with about 30-40 DVDs all packaged ready to post. However it was quite time consuming waiting in the queue and also for each stamp to be printed out at the desk.

I am assuming that the large volume DVD sellers most probably use a collection service from Royal Mail?

[PT]

Well there are numerous ways to make it easier:

You could use PayPals service (I haven't actually used it), which allows you to print out a postage label and pay the costs of postage out of your PayPal balance. You then just slip the packages into a letter box. This would be ideal for 30-40 packages.

Royal Mail do offer a 'pick-up' service, last time I checked the costs were very reasonable. This would be better for volume sales or larger/ valuable items.

[silver_surfer]

Cheers PT Games. I always assumed that 'Large Letter' sized packages where not allowed to be slipped in a post box, I thought you had to hand these in a post office.

Royal Mail also do something called SmartStamp but it costs a small monthly fee. This allows you to print postage online. If Paypal offer this service for free then this would be ideal.

[Beneddie1112]

ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/pu...cs_2006_v2.pdf

This is the form for collection services .

[greedyboy]

If you are doing 40 - 50 a day, look at getting your own account with Royal Mail. You will also get free collection and discounts on your postage rates. I couldn't imagine running any kind of mail order business without an account.

[MustHaveMobiles]

Outsource it, use an elderly (or not elderly for that matter) to post them for you and pay them reasonably. They get out and about and you get your items posted....

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to limit your business by doing everything in house..

[silver_surfer]

Thanks for all responses. Greedyboy, do you mean an account like Mailsort? I recall that Royal Mail used to have more types of accounts months back but no longer offer them.

[greedyboy]

Mailsort is for mass mailings such as mailshots not day to day postage (and a massive pain in the ar%$! incidentally).

You can get a mailing account for any level such as first, second class, special delivery etc depending on your volume. It's all changed recently as there is now an online business account. Not used it but I know it is rubbish and unreliable.

We have the traditional post docket system. Although its a manual system it works great and the nice (lazy) postman comes everyday, has a few cups of tea, puts the world to rights, then loads his lorry up and he is on his merry way.

You need to be spending as little as 5K a year I believe to qualify for an RM account. Spend 10+ times that and you start getting some nice discounts.

[silver_surfer]

Thanks Greedyboy. Can you tell me a little bit more on how it works? Do you print your own postage online and basically make sure everything is all packaged and ready to go. And then the postman weighs the total items to be sent out and records it in the docket, and then loads it up and is on his way?

[greedyboy]

As I said it's manual. You package it, put your company stamp on it, weight it, complete the paperwork and put it in a sack or RM trolley (depending on the amount).

Job done.