Shipping methods

Koens Space Port

Hi guys, I'm thinking about opening a store here on Brickowl. I already have one on Bricklink, but I'm a bit confused about the shipping methods. On bricklink we use quotes so we can give a correct estimate of the shipping costs to the client. Is that also possible here? Thanks for any input or comments!

Koen

Brickers

You should have a method "Request a Quote"

White Horse Bricks

You should set up your store as if it were instant checkout on Bricklink. That way customers will know the prices when they are making the orders. You can see other peoples sample shipping methods and customise them as you like when you set up. You should not just rely on quotes as you are not likely to get many sales from this.

Calibrick

The groove on BO is more instant payment driven... you can go with request a quote only, but as others have noted, you might not see much business that way.

Setting up shipping is not too bad here once you get a formula that works for you sorted out. Our store auto-calcs between 1/2 to 2 ounces higher than the BO weights depending on the order size and weight to accommodate packaging weight, then auto-calc the shipping cost (we use straight USPS commercial rates plus $0.50 to cover the cost of packaging, etc.).

HeartlandBrix

@Koens Space Port

Slight modification of Calibrick's response: From August 2020, if you're a new store, you'll need at least one shipping method set up, in addition to the default "request a quote."

https://www.brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/comment/45285
"To help ensure that customers can easily place orders in stores, we now require that stores have at least one shipping method other than "Request a Quote". This will only affect new stores or stores that are closed."

Calibrick

Oops I had forgotten about that, great catch, @HeartlandBrix!

TechnicBuilt

Also want to make sure you have some type of sync software setup if you don't have already, so your inventory syncs between BL and BO.

Koens Space Port

Thanks for the feedback, guys! I really appreciate it. So setting up a shipment method is crucial, I get it. One thing that worries me: I only sell restored sets for the moment. If I understand correctly, BrickOwl calculates the shipping costs based on the weight of the actual set? But my courrier works with fees based on the dimensions of the shipment box. So a set might weight 2 kg, but needs a bigger packaging box if its sold with its original box. I'm concerned that the shipment cost shown by Brickowl will be too low.
That could be resolved if you could set up the shipment cost or dimensions when you upload a set to your inventory, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Thanks @TechnicBuilt for the suggestion of a sync software setup. As I only sell sets, it didn't occur to me. Would you recommend a certain tool?

tons_of_bricks

You can create shipping options based on dimensions, not weight.

TechnicBuilt

There are a few software options out there to sync your stores. If you don't use one you have to manually update the other store for every sale. I honestly wouldn't recommend this as it can cause errors if you aren't 100% on top of it. Also say for example you get a sale on BL for a set and then someone on BO wants to buy that same set, technically you don't have it due to the sale on BL but it will still show on BO till you delete it. So you could potentially sell the same item on both stores but then would have to tell one of your customers the item isn't available.

I use BrickSync. It is free, the setup guide is pretty straight forward. It is a bit more manual than the paid sync options. But for me I find it easy to use. I chose this one because I was just starting out and wanted to keep my costs as low as possible. You do have to have it running 24/7 on a computer so that when you get a sale it will sync the 2 site inventories. There is also a command you need to run before making changes to your inventory, but it is easy.

Then there is BrickPacker and BrickFreedom. Both of these options take a % of your sale as payment for use. These ones offer many great analytics that you can use to track your sales volume etc. They run on dedicated servers so you don't need to run the software on your own computer. They are accessed through the web. I haven't used either one of these myself so I can't comment too much. I do know that they are preferred by the larger stores as they are much more reliable than Bricksync.

I would suggest you try Bricksync as it is free and then if you need something better you can always switch. There are youtube videos on how to setup Bricksync and I can also help you with questions.

With Bricksync, BL is your main inventory that you update and add to. The software will sync BO with BL.

I believe the paid versions also use BL as the main inventory. Or maybe they let you choose?

HyperSync

I just want to add that Bricksync will crash on you. Not a maybe. I used it for years and lost many parts because or errors. IMO BrickFreedom is a worry free sync software. BrickFreedom does let you choose the main store for inventory. They charge 1 percent of the TOTAL sale.

Calibrick

Also, unsure if you're aware, but multiple users share their shipping methods - you can look at their dimensions, weights, and notes on how they modified their bands, etc. and potentially use others from your country to save yourself some work. :-)