Where have you gone SASE?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

mrmopar

All-Star
621
5.00 star(s)
Joined
Jun 11, 2005
Messages
10,725
Location
Washington State - The Pacific NW
I was having a blast from the past moment while scanning ebay recently. I don't think I have seen a single person accepting a SASE on cheap single cards in years! This even extends past ebay into other pay and even trade sites! I know it happens some times, but how often will someone pay $0.21 for a card they need, only to find the only s/h option is $3.00! Oh, yeah...the card's value is $1.00!!

Other than an easier way to claim non-receipt, and almost a non-excuse because most of the $3.00 s/h sellers don't use any sort of tracking or DC anyway, and the big obvious (profit vehicle or a way to offset listing, final and paypal fees) why has this great option all but disappeared???
 
one reason comes to mind :
postal regulations (though widely misinterpreted and incorrectly applied) state that a rigid item is not eligible for delivery as 1st class letter - instead it is supposed to be classified as a non-machinable piece (extra 20 cents) or be bumped up to first class parcel (such as a bubble mailer)....

regarding the usps definition of a rigid item : if an envelope's contents are not flexible enough to be bent in half effortlessly and without damaging the contents then it is considered rigid....(and i actually had one postal employee try to demonstrate this by literally folding one of my outgoing letters - which did contain a card - in half one day)....the letter rate is only for machinable pieces and honestly i don't want cards coming to me being processed that way since many tend to come with indentations and the like caused by the sorters and canceling devices
 
A SASE could still be used if it is marked appropriately and the appropriate postage added though, could it not? My belief is that postage is the new accepted way to recoup all fees involved in a deal, be it ebay, paypal or other and even turn a small profit for each sale. By allowing a SASE, the seller can't recoup anything and therefore won't allow them.

I bought three autographed cards from the same seller on the same day a week or so ago. The s/h fee was $2.50 for the first card and $1 for each additional card. I paid $2.97 for the cards and $4.50 for the shipping! The cards came yesterday, together, in a PWE. I didn't notice the postage cost on the envelope, but I suspect it was under $1. That seller now had AT LEAST $3.50 if not closer to $4 to cover fees and add profit to the $0.99 per card sale price of the cards.

To make matters worse, he sent me a wrong card. I emailed him this morning, asking him to send me my correct card and a SASE and I would return his card. Let's see how this goes. In my mind (any everyone else's mind, I hope), he made the mistake, so he should incur ALL costs in making this right. I can't recoup my time in dealing with his mistake of course, but I will eat that because I am a good guy!!:D His answer should tell me what kind of person he really is...

one reason comes to mind :
postal regulations (though widely misinterpreted and incorrectly applied) state that a rigid item is not eligible for delivery as 1st class letter - instead it is supposed to be classified as a non-machinable piece (extra 20 cents) or be bumped up to first class parcel (such as a bubble mailer)....

regarding the usps definition of a rigid item : if an envelope's contents are not flexible enough to be bent in half effortlessly and without damaging the contents then it is considered rigid....(and i actually had one postal employee try to demonstrate this by literally folding one of my outgoing letters - which did contain a card - in half one day)....the letter rate is only for machinable pieces and honestly i don't want cards coming to me being processed that way since many tend to come with indentations and the like caused by the sorters and canceling devices
 
what makes me mad, buy a card on ebay, they charge $3 or more on shipping and you get a card in a white envelope--for sure i dock them on there ratings for shipping

there is alot of cards i need on ebay that are minimum bv, but its not worth paying the shipping on--seems that some of these ebay sellers if they lowered there shpping, would do alot more business

rob
 
i know the subjest of "recycling" padded envelopes has been on the boards before. I quite frankly haven't bought a bubble mailer in a very long time because of my stock of reusables :)
Now here's my question (to kinda change the course of this discussion a bit) how much tape is too much?!?! Let me explain, as I was preping a card to go out yesterday for a trade I noticed that I was really wrapping the bubble mailer good and secure in packing tape. I do this for one, to secure the white paper that goes over the previous addresses and two, to seal the open end. By the time I'm finished the entire mailer has been covered in tape. Mind you it isn't sloppy, but my thoughts went to does this make it impossible for the next guy/ gal to reuse this mailer?

BLUF: Am I screwing my buddy with too much tape :)
 
Let us also not forget that SASE, although it stands for self addressed stamped envelope, could mean a SAS bubble mailer or even a SAS box for that matter.

My point being that they have disappeared as an option, because people are using postage to make up for a shortcoming in either fees or sale price.

It's too bad too, because I agree with pfosset. If sellers were reasonable with shipping fees and even offered better combined shipping rates, their business on cheaper items would increase. If demand were great enough in local markets for singles (which it isn't unfortunately...you need the national market to sell many singles), this could have been the rise back to power of the retail store!

Look at Costco, for those who have them in their areas. They sell a hot dog and a drink for $1.50. They are ALWAYS busy, selling tons of those meals. Now, look at a baseball stadium where a hot dog and a drink will cost you something like $8 (on average). More people are willing to eat before the game, eat after the game or go hungry because they refuse to pay $8 for a hot dog and a drink, the concession stand loses that business all together. Yes, they may sell enough at $8, but they could always sell more. I bet the drop in profit would be more than made up in volume sales.
 
I don't think buyers are paying a s/h handling fee with the expectation that they will reuse the package. Most of us have done it for years to save some money and maybe even yes...to recycle, since green has become the newest buzz.

The first time a mailer gets used, it's addressed and sealed. The next time, maybe an address is taped over the old one and tape is used to seal the envelope. Next, a larger label to cover the first and maybe some staples to seal the flap. Pretty soon, the envelope is done regardless, unless you get one of those guys who will recycle ANY envelope. Those have the entire face of the envelope covered with a giant label. The entire envelope is wrapped in tape, stapled around the entire perimeter and dipped in a fast drying, air tight, water-retardent coating!:D

i know the subjest of "recycling" padded envelopes has been on the boards before. I quite frankly haven't bought a bubble mailer in a very long time because of my stock of reusables :)
Now here's my question (to kinda change the course of this discussion a bit) how much tape is too much?!?! Let me explain, as I was preping a card to go out yesterday for a trade I noticed that I was really wrapping the bubble mailer good and secure in packing tape. I do this for one, to secure the white paper that goes over the previous addresses and two, to seal the open end. By the time I'm finished the entire mailer has been covered in tape. Mind you it isn't sloppy, but my thoughts went to does this make it impossible for the next guy/ gal to reuse this mailer?

BLUF: Am I screwing my buddy with too much tape :)
 
... unless you get one of those guys who will recycle ANY envelope. Those have the entire face of the envelope covered with a giant label. The entire envelope is wrapped in tape, stapled around the entire perimeter and dipped in a fast drying, air tight, water-retardent coating!:D

yeah i pretty much do that :D
 
I agree with you, I've stopped selling on eBay a long time ago as I didn't want to compete with the seller who lists his item at $0.99 and charges $4 shipping. I use to charge $1.50 (now says $2 on My eBay page) to ship with no extra for other winners because I wanted sell-through and maybe even a couple of competing bids bumping up the price. Plain SASE can be done carefully with inexpensive items, even with a 10% damage ratio if you save $1 per package you come out well ahead. I personally cut my used bubbles down as sleeves that enhance and fit into a PWE I can securely mail here on The Bench. One card in a Toploader I can send as non-machinable 90% of the time, $0.88 Large Envelope every other time and with up to three with one Toploader as the stiffener, and $1.05 for almost every other deal I make that is up to 2 ounces. The Post Office somehow equates manilla colored bubble envelope as a package, but no one is questioning thicker pliable white ones.
 
Ebay is not the only place were you get charged 2.00 or more for shipping and the card comes in a PWE. It has happened to me on here numerous times. I usually send well concealed cash for most of my transactions because I mostly buy cards. I am still waiting on one trader on here who received my money on Nov 28th and still has not sent me the card. I know he sent it in a PWE and it probably got lost if he sent it at all.

Maybe it is a way to avoid the time it takes to go to the post office to mail a bubble mailer. But it seems a lot of people have a lot of time to list cards for sale on here but do not have the time to go to the post office.

Sorry for the rant.

Bryon
 
Top