Comments on: [Updated] CWU and RM agree draft deal – postal strikes cancelled

By: Andy

Andy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:34:36 +0000

Glad you’re on the way.

The average weight is the biggest potential saver. We sell items that weigh very little with very low margins but for each one of those we sell which weigh 42g packaged we can send another 7 at 108g (which are our best selling line) which saves 7 x 27p = £1.89 for each one small item sold. So the item selling for around £1.50 has a much bigger margin in real terms.

So our posting cost for the 108g item is 112.2p while the same package at the PO is £1.62 – almost 50p difference. If you’re sending a reasonable amount and making good savings they will pay for the collection in no time.

PPI is the best thing we ever did as a savings exercise in our business.

By: Gill

Gill — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:33:50 +0000

By: Bunchy

Bunchy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:48:11 +0000

I was trying to remember the id Gill, I know the postings by name “CC” and couldn’t remember what went inbetween

By: Gill

Gill — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:57:40 +0000

Just remembered one of the eBay PS did some very useful guides on PPI / Packetpost – well worth a look

http://search.reviews.ebay.co.uk/members/canterburycross_W0QQuqtZg

By: Happy Days

Happy Days — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:42:48 +0000

Thanks Guys, I called RM this morning and talking PPI through with them. Never realised the savings I could make.

Thank you all and thank you Tamebay for providing a forum where sellers can help each other out.

On this occasion a bunch of contributors have given me some really useful advice which is going to save me several hundred pounds over a year.
Thanks Guys

PS – Chris & Sue
I have learnt a very valuable lesson here, would make a great subject for a feature

By: Gill

Gill — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:04:23 +0000

Agree PPI is the bees knees, if most of your items are best suited to RM, I also agree with Simon that paying for a collection is very cost / time effective for a couple of quid a day.

If you are an eBay PS, you can search the PS board for all sorts of previous discussions / hint & tips about how best to optimise PPI.

I’m not a PS any more (yay!), so can’t search any out for you.

By: Simon

Simon — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:24:41 +0000

Also, spending the extra £500 (it just went up…) a year to get your mail collected saves a whole bunch of time too. Basically, for about 2 quid a day, I save myself a valuable 30-45 mins every day, petrol costs and hassle. Best £500 I’ve spent.

Even better, they do it for free if you spend more than £15k a year with them.

By: Bunchy

Bunchy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:50:04 +0000

Go to RoyalMail.com and find the business helpline, they will talk you through.
Basically you open an account. Sort your mail into large letter / letter / packet according to size and weight. Weigh each grouping and divide by howevermany you have in that group. The charging is done on an average weight not on individual weights like you have to do at post office counter / stamps / franking.
If you have enough sub 100g items to counterbalance your over 100g items the savings are enormous. Plus you get charged a lower rate than stamps as you are sending in bulk.
Good luck

By: Happy Days

Happy Days — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:41:31 +0000

Thanks for the heads up Andy
Looks like I might have been throwing money away.

Still a bit confused as to how PPI works, but I’m going to dig around. I think you might have saved me some serious cash – so thank you

PS – If anybody could help me out with an explanation or good web link I’d appreciate it

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:32:18 +0000

I assume then that you don’t use PPI. If you did you’d be paying from 44p.