My Item Is Too Big To Pre-Calculate Shipping & Handling

In some cases, bathroom scales just won’t cut it. In those cases you’ll have to determine what the weight of your item is from other sources. I usually begin by checking the competition and determining weight from their auction. Check several to make sure that they didn’t just try to guess the weight. If no one is selling the same item, look for items of similar size and content. For instance, you might be trying to sell an old 7-up machine that you have had in your recreation room for the last 20 years. Look for Coke or Pepsi machines having similar Vendo model numbers (you may have to search the content of the document). Be creative in your approach to accurately estimate the weight.

Once you have the weight, be sure to include this information in your auction along with the size of the boxed or crated item. What I generally try to do is provide additional shipping estimate information. Using the size and weight, I contact a local shipping company (see Methods of Shipping – Special Considerations) and get a shipping estimate from my location to 2 or 3 places across the country. You should indicate this information in your auction so there are no shipping cost surprises for your bidders at the end of the auction.

Lastly, in the area where you indicate size and weight, provide the shipper’s name and phone number and encourage bidders to determine their own shipping estimates to their exact location. While still an estimate, your bidder will be ready to pay once the auction has been completed. Be sure to indicate that actual shipping and handling charges will apply.

While eBay does offer a “Freight” shipping calculator, I don’t use it as you have less control over how your item is packaged and shipped.

Since there may be a handling charge, indicate what the maximum charge will be in detail the expected expenses. Examples of detailed handling expenses should include:

• Crating or Boxing Services – If you’re using someone like Craters and Freighters, or even the UPS Store, there are expenses to prepare your item for safe shipment.
• Delivery (List as a single fee):
  • Mileage – (If using Forward Air, you’ll have to drive to their location, determine costs, drive to a location to buy a money order, drive back to Forward Air to pay, and then return home). Use the standard IRS mileage reimbursement for business mileage (and be sure to NOT claim this mileage on your income taxes). Note: I am not a tax expert, nor am I qualified to give tax advice. Consult with the tax experts in your State to determine what is an acceptable deduction.
  • Gas Surcharge – If your vehicle only gets 10 mpg, you may want to determine if the IRS reimbursement actually covers the cost of your trip. For instance suppose the IRS guidelines allow $0.30 per mile and you have to drive 100 miles. Your mileage reimbursement would only be $30.00. At 10 mpg driving 100 miles, you it will take 10 gallons of gas. If you live on the West Coast and are paying $3.50 a gallon for gas, you actual cost would be $35.00. A $5.00 gas surcharge is appropriate. 
• Storage – In some cases you may be asked to hold the item for your bidder for some length of time. If you are asked by the successful bidder to ‘hang on to the item for a few weeks,” indicate that you can store the item for the successful bidder up to _____ weeks at a cost of ____ per week. Make sure that all costs of auction, shipping, handling and storage are paid for up front.