Is it really that hard to ship a part?

[[email protected]]

As of recent, I’ve been a little frustrated combing the classifieds/groups. I’ve found a lot of parts I’ve been looking for, am willing to pay the seller’s asking price, but they refuse to ship. I get the hassle of shipping a trunk lid, engine, transaxle, or floorpan, but why is it so difficult to ship something that will fit in a USPS flat rate box like a pair of front signal housings? Anyone with a printer, and a USPS/UPS account can print a shipping label to tape on a box, and have it picked up from their home. One recent ad was someone letting some cherished items go from being out of work. I’ve been in that situation, and was going to throw them a bone on top of their asking price, but they simply were not interested in shipping the items. For those not into shipping, can someone enlighten me why some are so dead set against it?

[Glenn]

I ship using USPS flat rate boxes almost daily. Click-n-ship makes it fool proof and since the cost is flat rate, the only variable is the insurance.

The buyer gets a tracking number so both parties know where it is.

It's not hard, some people are just lazy.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[5500]

I've had that same thought whenever I come across something of interest in the classifieds and then read "local pickup only". Doesn't make sense to me to narrow your perspective market, especially given how easy it is to ship these days. That said, I've had great success with all the buying experiences I've had so far through the Samba classifieds, including international purchases.

[YDBD]

And there are some VW shops that won't ship USPS at all. Especially to those stationed overseas and have a APO or FPO address.
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'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[EverettB]

[Marcdeb]

I ship packages often, but not everyone can mail as easy as others. Some live in rural locations where the post office is not an easy trip. Many people that don't mail often don't want a USPS account. And keeping up with ever changing procedures and online sites can be difficult for many. In Vermont, we have a lot of small one person post offices with very odd hours that make it difficult. If I drive the extra distance to go to a larger post office, then I deal with long lines.
I make it work,but I'm just saying I get why some people don't want the hassle.
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Marc
68 Karmann Ghia Cabrio Autostick
71 Karmann Ghia Cabrio

Previously Owned:
2011 VW EOS Hard Top Conv
2008 Saab 9-3 2.0T Conv
2003 Saab 9-3 SE Conv
2001 Saab 9-3 Conv
1998 BMW 3 Series Conv
1997 Saab 900 Conv
1997 Mazda Miata

68 Ghia Vert Survivor with 22,350 miles: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=768107&highlight=
71 Ghia Vert Restoration: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=726710&postorder=asc

[Mark Evans]

I also live a ways out of town, so Click-n-Ship is great. I am NOT great on the computer, so if I can do it... There is also a UPS shipping location right on the way to work. Print off the label at home and only have to drop it off. As stated before, to limit your sales scope seems silly.
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'63 Ragtop

[Patiently Impatient]

[TDCTDI]

[Glenn]

I have a late model wiper assembly i've not sold since I haven't found a box for it. When I do, i'll list it.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[YDBD]

My prices for items always includes USPS Priority shipping for shipping to the US as that's the easiest way. I may lose a few bucks here and there but it's not worth the hassle of figuring out shipping costs.

If it's international, I take it to the local DHL shipping place (usually a small shot that sells other stuff or even an Edeka) and get a quote.

Yes boxes are a pain, we usually have a collection of random boxes, I just sold my Manx Sidewinder and happened to keep an Empi exhaust box that it fit in.

Most go in the flat rate USPS boxes, but I'm not a business, just a guy with too much random stuff.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[Patiently Impatient]

[EverettB]

[EverettB]

[Who.Me?]

Don't your courier companies offer home collection?

Seems like all the ones in the UK (even Royal Mail now) offer it.

A positive side-effect of Covid over here is that most of them offer the service for not much more than taking it to a drop-off location.

For Hermes (terrible courier company, but cheap), it's only 60p extra for home collection. We have a drop-off location 300m from our house but a couple of weeks ago I got them to collect a parcel because the weather was foul. I figured for 60p, they could get wet rather than me.
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Andy


Looking for info on my truck's history. Are you from Campbell California or nearby. Do you recognise it? ... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=636786

[Abscate]

Compared to the UK our postal service is like monkeys in cages. That being said it is a big diverse country with much harder logistics.
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.ssS!

[jeffrey8164]

Some people have their preferences.
They don’t want to go through the hassle to put it in a box which they may not have.
Maybe you just need to sweeten the pot a little.
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Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[Glenn]

All i can say is as long as they put in the ad "local pickup only" then i wouldn't reply to it.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[vwracerdave]

I have a whole different opinion. I'm not scared of putting something in a box and shipping it. My issue is I refuse to use Paypal or any other electronic money transaction. I don't want the hassles of cashing a check or money order either. I want cold green cash in my hand.

Lowes, Home depot, Staples, Office Depot all sell empty boxes. You can take an item to UPS Store or FedEx store and they will box it up and ship it for you.

It's not worth my time and effort to fuck around with anything that isn't worth at least $25 anything less gets thrown in the trash.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK
Featured in Dec. 2001 HOT VW's Magazine page 63

Watch my racing video's http://www.youtube.com/user/okvwracer/videos

[CanStan]

I always keep boxes and packing material from Amazon or anywhere else I order from. It makes it handy to have a bunch of different sizes readily available to ship parts.
People who only want to sell locally are probably better off listing on their local Craigslist I would think rather than a site like this where probably 99% of interested buyers are not in their town. Although, when I list on my local buy and sell sites, I very often get requests to ship all over the place. That’s fine with me. Sometimes parts are hard to find locally for them, so I’ll gladly box it up and mail it.
I often get a quick quote on the different shipping websites, and more often than not, they are within a few dollars of the actual price. For the most part, being 1 lb off of 3” on the package size makes no difference. Sometimes in $3 ahead and sometimes I lose $3. But it’s not a big deal really.
I also get fairly good at just estimating by looking at an item, and more often than not, my listings include shipping in the price. It’s quicker and easier than doing a bunch of back and forth figuring it out. If I eat $10 more on the shipping than I expected, it’s no different than if the buyer had offered $10 less for the item. I generally won’t bother to list an item if the margin is so low, a shipping miscalculation would put me in the hole.