I'm made this mistake. I am used to poshmark. Idk how to fix it bc the last thing I want is the buyer to pay. I'm thinking of just canceling the orders and offering free shipping. Contacting support is turning out to be pretty tough and a long process. Any guidance would be SO appreciated!
TIP: When you order from the USPS website please be conscious of how much you are ordering. I didn’t read when ordering and long story short got 20 stacks of 20 boxes... yes 400 boxes in total. Just be aware! The mailer thought I was moving so I went along with that story while internally screaming when he was scanning all 20 stacks.
lol! I could see how that happened! I almost missed the fact that they come in bundles too. I guess the upside is you're set on boxes for a while hahah!
Stock up on those FREE USPO supplies because I predict they're going to start charging in a little while. If you ship on your own, you have to use "free shipping" option.
Yeah you need to use the “free shipping” option and include the shipping cost in the price, which sucks because that’s more $ mercari is getting from their 13% fee
I just did this mistake and I only sell some items on Mercari than Poshmark bc some of my items that are worth more money you get more on Mercari So i noticed with smaller items you can use that envelope at all you have to use either usps box or like you said poly envelope but I think I’m going to order some pink bubble wrap envelopes off Amazon to differ doing the same mistake again
I’m cross listing and I refuse to take out every item I’ve posted elsewhere. They should do like eBay and let you pay more if the label is more after the time of sale. Just ridiculous
I buy and sell things like laptops and desktops, laptops are easy.. USPS flat rate, usually around 10.99 for up to a 15 inch laptop with charger. I saran wrap the laptop itself and bubble wrap then packing peanuts around it. Stick the charger along the bottom so the laptop itself never actually sits on the bottom, the charger and peanuts serve as a pillow for the laptop. Attach the label to the top and away it goes. Desktops however are much more difficult because not all desktops are the same size and weight, and there's no flat rate for them. Thus UPS has been my go to over FedEx because UPS is much, much more flexible and often times cheaper and are known to treat packages with care better. As a plus they are often times after too. But I am willing to pay a small premium for less hassle so even if it's a few cents more I'll often just stick with UPS for the bigger stuff. I have been doing this for years now, and have rarely had any issues, but it wasn't always like that so I wanted to share my experiences.
Thank you! I honestly had no idea how to go about shipping electronics like that so I’m thankful for the advice. I’m surprised it’s that cheap to mail a laptop! Thanks for the pointers about packaging.
I wish I had seen this video months ago! thank you! I am now selling on Mercari but I get confused about the SIZE of the shipments? I had seen another person throw a tiny t-shirt into a box using a pre-paid label. I use poly mailers and fold them small as possible because I am paranoid about the buyer being charged extra money. Does Mercari simply go by weight? Thank you!!!
Mercari ships by size as well. Was it a tiny box? That is interesting. Is it possible they were shipping for Poshmark? Using larger box is almost always pricey. I only use a box for huge items or shoes on mercari. If you’re using pirate ship it will be cheaper to ship almost anything in a polymailer vs box.
Well it's like this... profit is profit but also not weighing properly is costly. You don't want to go under or over either way isn't good but the last thing you want is for a buyer to have to pay extra for an item. That my friends is embarrassing.
I’ve never cared for mercari’s shipping, as i’m used to ebay where you can adjust the weight/dimensions before printing label. Ebay allows you to print a label even if you select seller pays for shipping; mercari does not.
I would suggest snapping photo on bulk items to record for yourself in the case that post office or carrier mske some mistake. I do believe it could happen.
I'm new to Mercari & just placed an order for a sweatshirt. So I LITERALLY had to pay the mailman an Extra 3.50 for postage because the person I bought it from put the wrong shipping weight down. Def gonna learn from Her mistake! Tried not to be too mad because she actually saved me $10 though.
But Yeah I was alittle embarrassed that I had to do so. I thought one of My things was being returned to me. And ps I mentioned this in her rating too.
FYI if you would have mentioned this to mercari they would have reimbursed you the amount to your account and charged the seller. That's what usually happens in this case and that's why I highly doubt the seller did this intentionally. it's not unusual to be off weight guesstimates by a few oz... up or down. If by chance USPS actually does weigh a package(rare), they will charge for the tiniest inconsistency. Especially if it's over a pound. Im sure that's what happened, and 9/10 its cuz you have some stickler working in YOUR local office. At the end of the day seller was trying to save you money and technically speaking... If you had taken advantage of your option to be reimbursed... you would have come out of it being undercharged. I mean, even if they would have had higher shipping cost, you STILL would have had to pay it, regardless. As it is, you came out even steven... and its on you to tell Mercury about the extra charge. Read the rules and TOS next time maybe. SO... Instead of doing that, you told the seller, but not in a private message, in your f-ing Review? Seriously dude thats some entitled bullshit. Even if you didn't leave low rating( I wouldn't be surprised tho ) its still a dick move...especially after you yourself say it was a mistake, AND you even admit she still actually saved you $10? Nice...youre awesome. And here you are now... complaining. Wtf are you complaining about again? I do appreciate the warning though. Why don't you be a dear and drop your merc username so the rest of us can be sure to BLOCK. Ugh.
Hi there! I've watched many Mercari shipping related videos to understand the shipping process a bit more (especially because I have never shipped anything). Well, your video has been the most helpful and understanding from them all! THANK YOU!!! Ok so I *FINALLY* understand the difference between priority mail and first class. I have a lot of shoes that I plan to sell on Mercari so my question is... which free Priority mail boxes do I order from USPS website? There are so many options! There is some Priority mail free supplies that say "flat rate"... there's just so many options that I am not sure if some boxes will make my the shipping label cost more or not. Thanks in advance! :) A video of what free Priority mail supplies to use for what and if the cost varies using one box over another, would be marvelous! THANKS AGAIN!
Thats a great video idea! I will work on that. I sell a lot of shoes on mercari and use the “shoe boxes” that say priority mail. I do not believe you are allowed to use flat rate boxes for priority on mercari but you ARE if you sell Poshmark (confusing I know!)
Just do Flate Rate shipping for USPS. It’s $13.75 for a Medium box Priority mail on PirateShip and it allows up to 70 pounds. I think it’s for all of domestic shipping. Small box is $7.50 and large box I think $17.50
Just find the rate with a zip code far away from you and use that. Or take the furthest cost and what it'd be next door and split the difference. For instance, if in California, use 10010 for NYC or use a Puerto Rico zip code. If in midwest, use a zip code in California (90210), NYC, or Puerto Rico.
I’m glad you found it helpful! I just did another shipping video a couple of weeks ago called “secrets to free shipping supplies” that you might like. It’s got a little more in there about mercari shipping and some first-class shipping hacks 🙂
Thanks for the tip I just moved some item eBay doesn't want me to sell it to Mercari plus I made twice first class on priority mail on eBay. I hope I made sale soon on those item.
Lol the priority mailing most definitely matters you also can’t ship a priority mailer or box inside a non priority shipment it’s a federal crime and if you get caught you can end up in serious trouble
Yes! Definitely do not want to misuse the shipping supplies! I think this is a good reminder for people who think they can fudge packaging or weight and get away with it. Mine was really a mistake, and a good lesson to take my time and slow down!
Literally getting a scale tomorrow. I just mailed something out for Mercari and I’m supppper nervous about the weight lol. I have been hesitant about Pirate Ship but I may give it a go!
Before I got a kitchen scale I would actually use our bathroom scale and weigh myself without the package, then pick up the package and get back on and subtract the difference lol!!! It wasn't perfect but I never had any problems with weight that way! The scale comes super handy for pirate ship because the difference of just a few ounces can change the rate a few dollars!
It's pretty easy once you do it a few times. First Class is pretty easy. It works in tiers of 4/8/12/16 (15.999) ounces. So if something is 5 ounces, just select 8 ounces for the label. If you can get it under or at 4 ounces by removing some of the box, just remove some or all of the inner box flaps. In regards to Mercari, PirateShip First Class is cheaper up to 12 ounces, but for stuff that is 13-16 ounces, I use Mercari's labels. I forget what the max box dimensions are allowed, but it's big enough to where it's usually not worth worrying about. Priority is where it can get fun though. Pirate Ship offers cubic shipping which can offer fairly low shipping costs. It's OK to cut up a box (even Priority boxes excluding flat rate) to get it to a certain size and leave less void space. And it's also OK to put a box (Priority or otherwise) in a polybag/padded mailer to cut down on size as well. Can help give added protection that way too. For instance, I can mail a 20 pound 9"x12" polybag (or 6"x4"x4" box) from southern California to New York for $8.82. Once the weight goes to 20 pounds, 1 ounce, the price jumps up to $65.62. Lastly, since I have a rough idea of what the box will weigh, if possible, I will usually just check Amazon to see what they say the item weighs and go by that. I will still weigh it together, but it can give a quick idea of what I might be looking at.
USPS only offers free priority supplies. You can use those free supplies if you are shipping priority, example: if you are shipping a pair of shoes that weigh over a pound. The USPS option for that is priority mail. If you choose to ship shoes on Pirate Ship the cheapest option is also often priority mail, so you could also use a USPS box for that. First class, (under one pound on mercari)- requires you to provide your own supplies.
USPS only offers free priority supplies. You can use those free supplies if you are shipping priority, example: if you are shipping a pair of shoes that weigh over a pound. The USPS option for that is priority mail. If you choose to ship shoes on Pirate Ship the cheapest option is also often priority mail, so you could also use a USPS box for that. First class, (under one pound on mercari)- requires you to provide your own supplies.
Thank you very much for all of these tips! I have just started selling items on Mercari, and I really wanted and needed some help! Have a Merry Christmas!🎄🎁😇🙏
Thank you for this video! So very helpful. Not sure why shipping is so intimidating 😆 Can the polymailers be dropped in the drop boxes or is it an in person ship? Is it a size restriction?
Yes they can be dropped in the boxes. I always like to have them scanned in if possible to get a receipt because otherwise it sometimes takes several days for employees to scan it. That might not be an issue where you live though!
First Class is up to a pound. Priority is usually over a pound, but you can do it for less than that. Not sure why you'd want to though. But you'll either have to pay for labels outside of Mercari or fudge the numbers on weight.
Hi, I just had a few questions about the packaging. Do I just use white poly mailers instead of other bag-mailers (such as the yellow/orange kinds) and only if I sell big stuff like shoes will I then be able to use the free Priority Mail USPS shoe boxes? Also, Ive been thinking of getting the mailers from the dollar store. Do you know if those are the correct kinds to get? Thanks!
I know the questions for her you can use any kind of polymailer design or size, I even reuse ones I get from other sellers and amazon packages. And I reccomend amazon for mailers you get 100 pack for 9-12 dollars, dollar tree ones are only worth it if its the bubble wrap ones or the really big ones
I sold a coat not too long ago, I'm wondering if I would need to weigh the actual coat before putting it inside the shipping box, or if I would need to weigh the entire box with the coat inside of it already?
Best practice is to weigh the cost in the box, in this case I’m assuming the box is a considerable size so It could add a few extra ounces and change your shipping cost, especially if it’s just barely over or under a pound
Actually, depends on what you are selling. If you only sell small items like I do, a food scale will work just fine and is often cheaper, I’ve had 0 weight issues in more than 100 sales. I do weigh everything together. cuttingforbusiness.com/food-scale-versus-postage-scale/. Thanks!
yeah I really dont understand their way of shipment pricing. For example, Im trying to sell a vinyl and im hearing shipping is $9.99 and i know most vinyl are round 17oz and on the phone app doesnt even really explain much with that....if you ask me seems best just to put all that in responsibility of the buyer
If you use Mercari shipping you have to choose from tiers instead of shipping per weight and package size. I’ve never shipped a vinyl before, but I’m pretty confident you could get a much better price on Pirate Ship! The only thing is if it’s worth a lot of money you don’t get the mercari shipping protection.
@@amygiordano390 I believe she said they don't or maybe I heard somewhere else. Yeah it's almost impossible for them to insure that. They another entity
So for single clothing items, what all can you ship them in instead of the thin envelopes? I know Walmart has the ones with the bubble wrap inside. Wasn’t sure if those qualified?? Help 😂
You can use the ones from Walmart with the bubble wrap. You could even reuse a bubble wrap mailer from someplace like Amazon. With first-class mail the most important thing is that it’s not a prioritymail UPSP provided envelope. If you’re hoping to make a lot of sales of clothes that don’t need bubble protection people usually buy packs of plain polymailers on Amazon. You can get packs of 100 for less than $15. Some people pay more and get cute printed ones. I hope that helps!
So you are saying that we can’t use free priority usps supplies because we will get taxed? I’m so confused!!! Someone please explain to me why and how we can avoid this !!!!!!! I’m sad because I ordered some before watching this
You can’t use priority mail supplies if you’re shipping first class. So if you’re using mercari shipping and select that your item weighs under one pound, that is first class and you can’t use a priority mailer. To avoid the charge don’t use a priority mail box or envelope with a first class label.
Yes! You can use anything like that to ship small first-class items. I would definitely recommend something sturdy like a polymailer or bubble wrap envelopes so that your item makes it safely to your customer. I get my polymailers on Amazon and I think I have seen some bubble wrap envelopes on there for a decent price as well.
So I was confused on the mail you got back so we can’t scope shirts with that usps package you got or a regular box they sent us I’m confused why did they send it back ??
Ok thank you so much i just realized i made that mistake with the first class label on the priority bubble mailer. so i am mailing off some tarot cards that weigh 36 ounces what do i mail it in?
If First Class, anything that isn't branded basically. Can just reuse a box you got from Amazon or something. And if necessary resize it for your thing. Unbranded polybag mailers are another option.
@lepke1979 is correct. I like to use recycled Amazon boxes. Just try to make the box as close as possible to the size of your cards so you don’t pay more in shipping.
Sooo I’m just getting in to Mercari and I just made a over 100 dollar sale but I noticed I made a huge MISTAKE ! I put in the wrong weight and only noticed it after the buyer bought it . Is there any way I can update the weight and pay the difference myself
It depends on how you are shipping it! If it’s under a pound and you are using pirate ship as long as it’s priority mail you can use the free priority mail supplies. Sometimes the little teeny boxes come in handy for this if it’s something super small but you want in a box like a beauty item. BUT if you’re using mercari shipping for under a pound it’s going to go to first-class shipping and in that case you can’t use the free supplies. I hope that makes sense, let me know if you have any other questions!
Okay, so first class shipping has to be in a plain brown box or plain poly mailer, correct? I haven't sold anything yet. I sell on PM full time and was wanting to try out Mercari but the shipping was confusing to me. I don't think I would feel comfortable with Pirate ship since it is not covered if something is lost or stolen. Thank you for responding!
@@sewmuch2wear I've had alot of likes on stuff but no action. I'm not sure how different the dynamic is as far as offers and such. Still trying to figure it out lol
@@gingerbrown1509 I like to price closer to what I expect for the item, Mercari only allows offers of a certain amount unlike Poshmark! Sometimes people will still send you a direct message with a lower offer though.
I sold something on Mercado that I'm taking to ups store but no where in sale does it say if I pay for shipping or the buyer does. I didn't offer free shipping I think. How do I find that out ?
Might be a silly question but could you use a regular weighing scale to weigh the items? I am a beginner who's planning to sell mostly dresses, some scrub uniforms, and bags/purses. And also where do you get poly mailers? Thank you! =)
Not a silly question! The biggest problem you may run into using a regular scale (I'm assuming you mean a bathroom scale?) is may not be as accurate weighing items that are under a pound, and that will be most dresses, scrubs. It's important to know if what you're shipping is under 8 oz or under a pound because there is a price difference in shipping the two. If you want to use pirate ship you really need a smaller scale because your weight has to be exact and you can get even cheaper shipping if what you're selling is under 4 oz. That said, I do just use a regular kitchen scale instead of a shipping scale and it works perfectly fine for me selling clothes. I got my polymailers on Amazon, they have a ton of options!
@@sewmuch2wear Thank you so much for responding! Unfortunately, my first supposed sale had to be cancelled. I didn't measure the dimensions of the box and just put the weight of the item on Mercari and oh my the shipping price difference for 1lb to 3lbs was huge! Instead of just 4.99 it jumped up to 17.99. So sad now I'm not sure if I should even sell the item cause the shipping costs more than the actual item. Even though it has the most views/likes on my listings I think people are put off by the shipping price. :\
Okay this helped so much but I am still confused about this. If I use pirate ship for a shipping label for an item, I put the shipping label on the box, then do I just drop it off at USPS? Like can I drop off the package with the pirate ship shipping label at any shipping location (fedex, USPS, UPS)? I am still confused ):
If using a Pirate Ship label, can hand it off to the mailman or go to a place that takes USPS packages. Post office is the obvious choice, but can also be a Staples and whatnot if they do that in your area. Same with Pirate Ship label for UPS (they do that now). Can give it to a UPS driver or a place that will scan in a UPS package (UPS store, I think Walgreens, Staples, etc.).
Hello! Your video was very informational and I was wondering if I could get your help as a new seller. I was wondering if we could ship shoes in a poly mailer bag and if that would help decrease the shipping costs? Of course, the shoes will be well-protected before being put into a poly mailer but how would we weigh them? I have shipped shoes in boxes before and it says to put the dimensions of the box to calculate but how would that work for poly mailers? Thanks in advance!
Hi, you could ship shoes that aren’t breakable in polymailers - like flats or sandals. I wouldn’t do it with anything that has a heel that could snap off- and be sure to package them well. I use pirate ship which allows me to insert the measurements of my polymailer weight and inches. I’m not sure if you could ship shoes in a polymailer if it weighs more than a pound using the Mercari shipping.
Yes! I learned this the hard way on Saturday at the post office and had to pay out of pocket to cover the extra weight of box and what I used to cushion the produces. :(
@@rushkiss2012 yes, I dont own a scale yet so I'm just adding about 4 to 8oz more to my weight than what I think it is just to be on the safe side until I can afford something to weigh things with. It's been frustrating haha
I learned a lot from your videos.Thank you so much.I appreciate the time you spend to make this video.I have a question on selling Mercari.Do we need to file taxes?or it depends of the earnings?I am just confused about taxes.I hope you read my comment.Thanks a lot.
I just sold my first 2 items and one came back to me and the other one couldn't ship. I have message the buyer explaining how I have to cancel the order and relist however I wanted to fulfill their order. I received no response. I'm trying to make ends meet and that would have been $170. Profit. I'm so upset. Please let me know if you know of a different way to fix this problem.
hi sorry I know this video is old but I was curious if for example I was shipping out two books could I just use a small brown box from home or would I have to use something else??
Mercari does not side with sellers. I got scammed by a buyer as they returned a different item than I sold and said I had sent that one. I had proof in video and photos and Mercari did not try to get my side of the story, they just immediately approved the return and completely ignored my consumer rights. HORRIBLE AND SAD EXPERIENCE. Please stay away from this platform or you will pay dearly sooner or later.
@@sewmuch2wear Great! I’m new in mercari, so I want to give it a try. I’m offering free shipping, som I think it should be fine. Thanks for your videos!
I had so many people asking this I posted a new video about it on my channel: Secrets To Get Free First Class and Priority Mail Shipping Supplies For Mercari and Poshmark
Does Mercari have an option to use flat rate shipping through usps? Like let’s say if my item weights 5lbs and it were to “charge” me $16.00 for priority... but in reality a medium flat rate box cost $15.5 to use? Like how can I use flat rates through mercari? Do I have to include shipping in price of my item then ship on my own and buy a flat rate label? Thanks sorry for the long question/comment.
To use flat rates through Mercari you would have to chose the "ship on your own option'" that appears if you select "I'll pay shipping." You'll have keep the shipping cost in mind on your own accounting because ship on your own doesn't allow you to include a shipping price, it just comes out of the money you get from the sale. Keep in mind, Mercari will take more money out of your sale if you choose ship on your own because they'll take their cut out of the amount that is also you shipping. It might just be better to use the $16 mercari box when you factor that in.
Does pirate shipping cover the cost of a lost, damage or mixed up order. I personally use mercari shipping labels just for security. I accidentally mixed up my shipping labels. Once buyer received and realized it wasn't her item. She had an option keep or send back. . She choose to just keep but mercari refunded her still and also i still got paid. I now understand the benefit
Depending on the mail service you use through pirate ship there is insurance, but you would have to go directly through USPS. It definitely is something to consider when you’re thinking about using them. I actually use mercari shipping for the more expensive items so that I do have that coverage. I don’t mind on the cheaper items that wouldn’t really be a big deal if something happened. Somehow, by a miracle I’ve never gotten shipping labels mixed up so I haven’t had any problems yet. I’ve also never had someone try and return something and I’m guessing if that happened you could lose money too. You have a great point, I think best practices is to choose what works best for you! A hybrid approach works well for me, but I’m sure if something bad happened I might modify that approach🙂
You can, but you do risk taking a chance of getting a poor review. I think it's stupid but some buyers are picky about packaging. But it's a great way to make sure the item doesn't get wet if it's just in a box.
Idk if you respond and I kind of struggle with understanding but if I wanted to sell a book, will USPS give you a free small box to ship or will you have to pay in store?
Just to clarify, you weigh the whole package after the item is inserted since it maybe wrapped with tissue paper, a thank you card, etc, correct? Thank you for the video. Haven't sold on Mercari yet but thinking about it along with Poshmark.
Yes! The whole package. Usually it’s not much over the weight of the actual item if it’s in a polymailer or something similar, boxes are going to depend on how big!
You mark "ship on my own" and then factor the shipping cost into what you price your item at. You'll have to pay on your own for the shipping, so be sure to keep that in mind when you price your items.
Priority mail on mercari is going to be the USPS option on anything that weighs *over* a pound. Anything that is under a pound will be first-class if you use the Mercari shipping labels. I hope that helps/makes sense!
I made the mistake not realizing they changed my weight to what they thought it should be. Thankfully the person had bought 2 items and the second one was under the weight.
How do you get a rate quote without knowing the zip code you’re sending the items to? I don’t want to offer free shipping right now so i need to list the shipping costs for potentially buyers but even the usps asks for a zip code ..or am I wrong? Thanks for the helpful video
You can’t do pirate ship if you’re not offering free shipping. The ship on your own option only comes up if you pay. I build the shipping costs into my pricing strategy. As far as rate quotes- I would just use a random zipcode in the state farthest from me to get an idea of what the highest possible shipping cost would be and go from there. Hope that helps!
Someone has to pay for shipping. You can either pay for shipping yourself by offering free shipping or chose the option where the buyer pays. If you use pirate ship you must pay for shipping.
No, not all the labels from Mercari are first class. If you are shipping anything over one pound the USPS shipping label through Mercari is priority, and in that case you can use priority packaging (and the free USPS postal supplies.) Often coats and shoes are over a pound and in that priority category. The shipping is about $11 in that case. Lighter things like shirts and shorts that are under one pound - are a first class label through Mercari and in that case you *cannot* use the free USPS priority supplies. You can only use priority packaging with the priority labels. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
I have a question I’m new to Mercari and I just sold body care, what mailer should I use, i didn’t know about free supplies, I bought mailers until I received the free ones 😩
so I got the free shoe boxes from usps. I've been holding on to them mainly because I'm scared ill mess it up. I dont have a printer so what do you think I can do? can I print one at the library? and whats the cheapest way of doing it. I'm a teenager trying to sell old shoes so I'm not really experienced.
Do you have an Office Depot near you? You can print there for something like .10 cents a page? Depending on the price at the library, that may be your cheapest option. I did that for a while without a printer and it worked out well.
You can only ship priority mail with the USPS priority mail boxes. Priority mail is only available through USPS. The post office isn’t giving out free boxes, the boxes are included in the cost of their priority mail service.
