Tag: eBay

eBay gets ready for USPS rate increase

Posted by | Apr 23, 2007 | |

Shipping is a vital part of online sales, and eBay is getting ready to handle postal rate changes coming in May.

eBay is preparing its tools for the changes and providing updated information for its sellers. eBay said PayPal shipping labels that some eBay sellers use will calculate the new shipping rates to coincide with the USPS changes. All shipping labels printed on PayPal after May 14 will reflect the new rates and services, the company said. It will also update its Shipping Calculator so that the new rates will update automatically in early May.

In addition, sellers who use the Sell Your Item form will be able to click on the “See new rates” link in the Research Rates tool to see the future rates, starting in early May.

eBay is also hosting two online workshops to help sellers prepare for the changes.

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eBay sellers concerned over shipping rate changes

Posted by | Apr 15, 2007 | |

Seventy-seven percent of eBay and online sellers are concerned about higher shipping costs when new USPS rates go into effect in May, and 26 percent are concerned that postal tools they use may not be ready when the changes go into effect, according to a recent AuctionBytes survey.

Most respondents reported they sell on eBay (98 percent); 21 percent sell on Amazon, 17 percent sell on Half.com, and 23 percent sell on their own ecommerce site or storefront. Other sites included Yahoo, other online auction sites, bookselling sites, classified sites, online antiques malls, and other.

Eighty-four percent of survey respondents were aware that US postal rates were changing on May 14th. The majority of respondents (68 percent) said the changes would have a net increase on their total postal costs, and 20 percent did not know how the new rates would affect their total postal costs. Ten percent said the new rates would not have an effect on their total postal costs, and 3 percent said the new rates would have a net decrease on their total postal costs.

In a question about which postal tools they used, 73 percent of respondents said they use eBay/PayPal postal tools; 18 percent use Endicia; 7 percent use Stamps.com; 5 percent use features provided by auction-management vendors; 4 percent use Pitney Bowes; 2 percent use Dymo; and 20 percent use other tools.

Half of the respondents (51 percent) use automated tools to help shoppers calculate postage costs on their items, but 55 percent did not know if those tools would calculate the new rates when they go into effect; 35 percent said the tools would calculate the new postal rates, and 10 percent said they would not.

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USPS partners with eBay

Posted by | Mar 17, 2007 | |

The U.S. Postal Service, which has lost many customers to cyber communication, is increasing online appeal by strengthening its eBay association.
More than 75 area eBayers attended seminars Friday at the Gary main post office on Martin Luther King Drive, learning how they could use the post office to ship CDs, books, antiques and other wares.
Cynthia Norfolk, USPS customer relations head for Gary said three seminars drew occasional sellers as well as online business runners: “Our attendees were seniors, young people, first-time buyers and sellers … some with some experience. We’re really pleased. This is the first one here in Gary.”
Norfolk said catering to the eBay segment has become a national trend for the company, which has actual eBay teams.
While people can relay messages via texting or e-mail, Norfolk said the U.S. Postal Service intends to remain a leader of delivering goods bartered online.
They, of course, contend with FedEx and UPS competition, but “We’re easier. We have delivery stops everyday. We have carrier pickup and free shipping materials,” she said.

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USPS creative team wins six marketing awards

Posted by | Feb 16, 2007 | |

USPS working with its design team, Draftfcb, received recognition for a marketing campaign for the “Ship It, Win It” sweepstakes. The platinum MarCom Award recognized the creativity of leveraging a partnership with eBay to promote Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, offering customers a chance to win USD 10,000 to spend on eBay. The sweepstakes received a second MarCom Award (gold) for creative design as well as a silver award from POP Times magazine’s “Design of the Times” competition.

The MarCom Awards are an international competition for marketing and communications professionals, recognizing concept, writing and design of a marketing program. The Design of the Times Awards competition recognizes the in-store marketing industry’s best displays and retail promotions. Entries are judged on creativity in design, engineering, the ability to enhance brand image and the realization of sales and marketing objectives.

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Pitney Bowes – Chairman & CEO Interview

Posted by | Dec 13, 2006 | |

BECKY QUICK, CNBC ANCHOR: Next year is looking a whole lot greener for the U.S. Postal Service. An overhaul bill passed through the Senate over this last weekend. And that is set to relieve the Postal Service of billions of dollars in retirement expenses and keep the cost of postage down. Of course, the president still needs to give his stamp of approval on this whole thing. So let`s get into what is at stake for business with Michael Critelli. He is the chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes.Michael, thanks for being with us today.

MICHAEL CRITELLI, CHMN. CEO, PITNEY BOWES: You are very welcome, Becky.

QUICK: You know, we have heard a lot about this bill that is out there. What is it actually? What would it do? And what does it mean for business?

CRITELLI: Well, you know, we are in a USD900 billion industry that employs 10 million Americans. It stabilizes the Postal Service financially by fixing and funding its retirement obligations. It sets an annual cap on price increases of the CPI, the consumer price index. And it gives the Postal Service the same ability that we are used to with utilities, airlines and other people, promotional rates, off-peak rates, discounts for other benefits to promote the use of mail, all of that that is now possible, that just wasn`t possible under the old law. And that will start to go into effect in 2008.

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