Earlier this year eBay decided to modify their shipping
options to allow sellers to offer local pickup in addition to your standard
methods of shipping. Previously it was one or the other, pickup or ship. Unless
you are selling or have sold in the past bulky items like furniture or
household appliances, the thought of offering local pickup may have never
crossed your mind but there are several benefits to offering this service you
should consider.
- Saves time and money- For starter’s it costs you
the seller nothing, in fact you can usually save yourself some money remember no
time spent packing and no packing materials used. - Is local pick up a competitive advantage?-
Consider this, two sellers offering identical products at identical prices with
the same shipping cost, now if one offers local pickup saving the buyer the cost of shipping wouldn’t you
consider this as a competitive advantage? In the eyes of many buyers, free
local pickup is tantamount to free shipping, “hey if I can save $10 on shipping
for a 5 minute drive then why not?” - Zero chance of loss or damage in transit- No
chance of the item being lost or stolen in transit, no filing a claim or
waiting for a refund which is a big comfort for those high dollar items or
fragile items. - Instant feedback- the client can view and
inspect the goods, no lengthy returns process, item not as described returns,
likes it and takes it. - Seller
security- selling on eBay is a lot different from selling on sites like
Craigslist where pickup is standard and everyone is anonymous. Pickup with an
eBay client means you know who the person is, you have their contact info and
they have already paid in most cases. - It’s a must do if you have a physical store- If
you have a physical store then you would be crazy not to offer free pickup
after all its bringing customers in that could spend some more money in your
store!
It may not make sense to offer it on all of your listings
but try it on a few, maybe those heavy winter coats, that mixer or vacuum
cleaner that weighs a ton and would cost a lot to ship. Avoid those lower
dollar items or those items you can ship cheaply, there’s no incentive there
for the buyer and for you the seller it can be more of a headache than it’s
worth. Do you really want to hang around your house Friday night for someone to
pick up a $5 item? Now a $200 item that’s a different story…
With new ways of selling and range of delivery options, now
is the best time to leap into online retail.
At Foxliquidation, we offer an array of wholesale lots that are guaranteed
to make you money!