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Best option for Ecommerce shipping

Scot

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So lately I've been planning out how to get my product into people's hands while I'm waiting on my copacker to do their thing.

I have a glass bottle of salad dressing that weighs 1 lb 3 oz with packaging. I've never had to ship anything commercially and honestly, it's making my head spin.

I know that USPS will be the best option to ship, but my research has found 3rd party companies that integrate with your platform and offer discounts on rates.

Right now I'm focusing on cost because o don't want my customers paying $15 total for a bottle of salad dressing. That won't end well.

So far I've found Ordoro, Shipstation, Shippo, and Stamps.com. None of them really tell you what their discounts or rates will be without signing up for the service.

I've also seen varying information on what volume you need to have to qualify through USPS for discounted rates.

Does anyone in ecommerce use a 3p shipper? What kind of discounts do you usually see?

What's the best method to ship packed over 1lb?

Much appreciated.
 
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DrkSide

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I use shipstation to ship orders from my website and ebay. Over 1lb and you will be looking at priority so probably $6.50ish per package. Thats what I would pay for that weight if I ran it through shipstation.
 

Scot

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I use shipstation to ship orders from my website and ebay. Over 1lb and you will be looking at priority so probably $6.50ish per package. Thats what I would pay for that weight if I ran it through shipstation.

$6.50 I can live with. USPS rate finder was giving me numbers like $10.
 

DrkSide

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$6.50 I can live with. USPS rate finder was giving me numbers like $10.
Just looked. I shipped a 1lb 3oz package today. Cost was $6.76 to ship. Don't forget cost of box, packing materials, and labor to pack since they are not necessarily expensive but at this price point it can eat up profit.
 
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Scot

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Just looked. I shipped a 1lb 3oz package today. Cost was $6.76 to ship. Don't forget cost of box, packing materials, and labor to pack since they are not necessarily expensive but at this price point it can eat up profit.

That's awesome, thanks for the info. Rep+
 

itmap

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What is the best options for shipping from China. Direct manufacturer to Amazon fba? Manufacturer ship to say LA then get another company prep and ship to Amazon? Or other?
 
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Scot

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What is the best options for shipping from China. Direct manufacturer to Amazon fba? Manufacturer ship to say LA then get another company prep and ship to Amazon? Or other?

Keep in mind I have never done e-commerce to this point, but everything I have read says that you want to inspect all of the shipments before they go to FBA.

So at the very least, go to a prepper, but I would suggest receiving the first shipment yourself. Once your manufacturer has a good track record of not screwing up, you might trust them to go to a fulfillment warehouse.
 

Walter Hay

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What is the best options for shipping from China. Direct manufacturer to Amazon fba? Manufacturer ship to say LA then get another company prep and ship to Amazon? Or other?
I have reservations about shipping direct to FBA because of their known predatory practices. If your product is great, sells well, and fits their marketing ideas, you don't want to make it too easy for them by letting them know who your supplier is.

It does work for a lot of people and it is an easy option, but @Scot's advice about inspection is worth noting. You could have the goods inspected by a reliable inspection service in China prior to shipment to FBA - or to your independent fulfillment service.

Either way, don't rely on Chinese shipping companies. Depending on shipment volume and weight you could get your supplier to send via their preferred air courier or for larger shipments use a US based freight forwarder.

Walter
 

hatzil

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I use shipstation to ship orders from my website and ebay. Over 1lb and you will be looking at priority so probably $6.50ish per package. Thats what I would pay for that weight if I ran it through shipstation.
@DrkSide can you please help? :) :

6.5$ per package:
Is warehousing included?
Do they ship internationally?
How much time usually is a shipping within the USA?
Are they reliable and supportive?
 
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AllenCrawley

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@DrkSide can you please help? :) :

6.5$ per package:
Is warehousing included?
Do they ship internationally?
How much time usually is a shipping within the USA?
Are they reliable and supportive?
ShipStation is not a fulfillment service. It's just a SAAS product for managing your shipping.
 

DrkSide

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@DrkSide can you please help? :) :

6.5$ per package:
Is warehousing included?
Do they ship internationally?
How much time usually is a shipping within the USA?
Are they reliable and supportive?
That is my actual shipping costs. Right now I package and ship orders as I don't have that many that ship out of my warehouse.
 

Scot

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Update to this long forgotten thread:

If you ship products from your website, you need to check out ShipBob.

I've been using them for a couple of months now and they beat everyone (except Amazon) when it comes to price and ease. I was able to drastically cut down my shipping costs on my website and make it a flat rate.

No issues with lost or damaged goods yet either. You can even use your own packaging and marketing swag.
 

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