Logistics

Double-edged Xmas offer for eBay SE Asian Sellers

eBay SE Asia have announced an “invitation only” listing promotion for sellers in their region.
Sellers who list on the US site from now through to 31st December, and offer free shipping, will receive 25% off final value fees … provided at least 25% of their listings total qualify for the promotional rate.
The emphasis on free [...]



Thai Post Offices closed for 10 days due to civil unrest

Trading Advisory – Unscheduled Post Office closures in Thailand.
Following the disruption of the “ASEAN plus dialogue partners” meeting of Heads of State in Thailand last week, the Thai government announced, late on the evening of Thursday 9th April, that there would be a closure of all government offices on Friday 10th.  This unscheduled holiday preceded [...]



Reminder – UK Royal Mail Price Increases on 6 April

A quick reminder to all sellers in the UK, that Britain’s Royal Mail are to hike prices again from 6 April.
You’ve got a month to get all your listings and website tariff tables brought up to date before the new rates take effect.  If you haven’t already done so, diary some time to get this [...]



Thailand Top Seller Summit – Shipping Segment Report

Ask yourself a question … If, within your business, you introduced a policy that was flawed and detrimental to your customer retention, however well intentioned towards your customers’ customers, what would you do about it?
Have a careful think about that for a moment, then decide which of the following options your response fits into.
Does [...]



US Senator DeMint calls nation to action over CPSIA laws

Just appeared on the Etsy blog is the following letter from US Senator Jim DeMint concerning the incoming Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) which takes effect from February 10th 2009.
Etsy have been a leading co-ordinator in seeking to protect small and home based businesses from the potential extinction results of this piece of legislation.
AuctionBytes [...]



Reminder – Canada Post price changes from 12 January

Canada Post have announced changes to many of their services with effect from 12 January 2009.
The changes were originally announced in November 2008, and Canada Post have issued reminders that the following services will be affected -



UK Royal Mail to hike prices in April 2009

As inevitable as taxes and death, Britain’s Royal Mail are to hike prices again at the end of the fiscal year.
The current price rises come at a time that complaints about delivery workers failing to obtain signatures are on the rise (again) and in a year when eBay is all about offering “free” P&P.  Thus [...]



UK FSB survey shows 60% of rural firms struggling

Britain’s Federation of Small Businesses have released results of a survey showing that 60% of businesses in rural areas of the UK are suffering due to the economic climate, and implies that the government may have overlooked their importance to the national economy.
Citing infrastructure and transportation as specific difficulties for the rural business sector, the [...]



Cartophiles – Xmas offers from Maps.com

Maps.com are offering some great deals in the run up to Christmas, and whether you need maps for the office, or for Christmas presents, they’re worth checking out as they’ll save you some money, which we all need to do in the current economic climate.  Here are some discount codes for BuildaSkill readers to [...]



Canada Post creates Irregular Letters – just for eBay?

Canada post have provided eBay with a lengthy announcement relating to a new classification for certain lettermail items deemed “Irregular” due to their size or shape. Full details can be found in the full Canada Post announcement in the BuildaSkill Global Post Offices Forum board (login required) with links to all the relevant info pages on the Canada Post website.



eBay P&P system not a “good buyer experience”

The example that follows is from a live transaction that occurred overnight on my main selling account. Fortunately, this buyer is a regular customer and it was she who alerted me to an unauthorised change in the content of my listings – a change that can only have come from eBay’s site modifications, and which also revealed a serious flaw within a core site function …



eBay “games” Best Match Shipping Against Sellers

This time round, it relates to a whole new kettle of fish and arguably should be reported direct to regulatory authorities, as it is obviously the result of deliberate programming designed to defraud sellers of the visibility they are expecting when they buy advertising space on eBay. The manipulation demonstrated below also absolutely removes forever any potential for eBay to claim they are “just a venue” due to the way in which they are recalculating and displaying shipping costs set by sellers.



Doba Wholesale Drop Ship Supply & Why They’re Popular

The Doba wholesale supply and dropshipping company provides a top class dropshipping and wholesale service for those involved in internet retail marketing. Many people make their money by retailing products online, especially using online auction sites such as eBay, and companies such as Doba are a godsend to them.



What Is Drop Shipping? The Perfect Solution

Drop shipping one of the greatest business innovations since products. Seriously, don’t laugh! I’m not joking! With what other service can you use another company’s products, their warehouse, their shipping department, and have them provide you with all the information you need? Do you see what I mean now?



eBay DSRs – a loophole and legal argument?

You’re probably getting tired of reading the same old complaints, or brown nosing, about eBay’s DSRs, in blogs and forums by now. 
If anything, the same old same old worrying of, and harping at, the same concerns by the masses, and the rose-tinted rebuttals by the select few, shows a lack of imagination on the part of all [...]