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Actual Postage - Workaround
I understand and appreciate that BO is different than BL and prefers to allow immediate shipping calculation and payment upon checkout. I agree many if not most buyers will find this attractive and quite normal.
However, I also think there will always be a group of more experienced knowledgeable buyers who would prefer to pay only actual postage. These buyers (most of whom are also sellers) understand that predetermined up-front shipping will usually err in favor of the seller and, in most cases, be more than actual postage. Sometimes significantly more. I am one such buyer. This does not mean, however, that I want BO to be like BL. Not at all.
So rather than having an Invoice and Pay Later system like BL, I have come up with a workaround that gives my more experienced buyers the choice of paying only actual postage. I do this by charging an admittedly high initial shipping estimate up-front, but tell the buyer that I will promptly refund the difference between this estimate and actual postage after I have picked, packed, weighed and shipped their order.
This actual postage shipping option is different than my normal standard shipping options for first class and priority mail shipping. Because I use AVERAGE postage rates for those standard shipping options (where actual postage can be either more or less than the shipping charged), I will NOT make refunds under these two standard methods if actual postage is less (nor will I request more if actual postage is higher). Buyers who opt for the ease and convenience of fixed predetermined shipping and immediate payment upon checkout that is so prevalent on the web these days probably know that shipping does not necessarily equal exact postage.
In any event, I wonder what other sellers and buyers think of this "actual postage" method. Any comments or suggested tweaks? More specifically, if you are an experienced buyer or someone who has dealt with me in the past, would you have any problems paying an initial high shipping amount and trusting me to promptly refund a portion of it later if you know that it can save you a few dollars or more on shipping? As an active buyer myself, I know there are certain sellers I would gladly trust with this method. In fact, I would probably actively seek out such sellers if I know it will save me money.
I know some will argue KISS - keep it simple stupid. While most buyers will probably prefer simplicity, more experienced buyers like me who make an effort to minimize shipping costs will not mind a little more complexity if it helps us pay less shipping.
Thor
However, I also think there will always be a group of more experienced knowledgeable buyers who would prefer to pay only actual postage. These buyers (most of whom are also sellers) understand that predetermined up-front shipping will usually err in favor of the seller and, in most cases, be more than actual postage. Sometimes significantly more. I am one such buyer. This does not mean, however, that I want BO to be like BL. Not at all.
So rather than having an Invoice and Pay Later system like BL, I have come up with a workaround that gives my more experienced buyers the choice of paying only actual postage. I do this by charging an admittedly high initial shipping estimate up-front, but tell the buyer that I will promptly refund the difference between this estimate and actual postage after I have picked, packed, weighed and shipped their order.
This actual postage shipping option is different than my normal standard shipping options for first class and priority mail shipping. Because I use AVERAGE postage rates for those standard shipping options (where actual postage can be either more or less than the shipping charged), I will NOT make refunds under these two standard methods if actual postage is less (nor will I request more if actual postage is higher). Buyers who opt for the ease and convenience of fixed predetermined shipping and immediate payment upon checkout that is so prevalent on the web these days probably know that shipping does not necessarily equal exact postage.
In any event, I wonder what other sellers and buyers think of this "actual postage" method. Any comments or suggested tweaks? More specifically, if you are an experienced buyer or someone who has dealt with me in the past, would you have any problems paying an initial high shipping amount and trusting me to promptly refund a portion of it later if you know that it can save you a few dollars or more on shipping? As an active buyer myself, I know there are certain sellers I would gladly trust with this method. In fact, I would probably actively seek out such sellers if I know it will save me money.
I know some will argue KISS - keep it simple stupid. While most buyers will probably prefer simplicity, more experienced buyers like me who make an effort to minimize shipping costs will not mind a little more complexity if it helps us pay less shipping.
Thor
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