This was a little silly, but it made me realize that I could save a little bit on shipping once in a while as I fulfill orders in my eBay store.
I had packed up an order for a customer in a Priority Mail® box. I charged the customer for flat-rate shipping and expected to pay flat-rate shipping when I mailed it ($8.10, going up to $8.95 next week). It rang up over $10. When I said that it was a flat-rate box, the postal service worker said that it wasn’t, and pointed to the flat-rate boxes right at my feet.
The only difference between the box I had packed the items in and the ones at my feet were that the flat-rate boxes at my feet had a red emblem that said “Flat Rate Box” on it. The dimensions were exactly the same as the one I had originally packed the items in, but in order to get the flat rate, I needed to pack them in the other box. (See, I told you this was a little silly)
However, what I did find out was that it’s not always cheaper to use the flat rate box. Sometimes the price using the non-flat-rate box will be cheaper than the flat-rate box if the items you’re shipping are light enough and if they’re not going very far.
Good to know. And knowing’s half the battle.
No worries Mate, I've done the same thing!
I did the opposite thing for one of my first eBay sales. I put a lightweight item in a flat rate box and was distraught when shipping rang up to $8.95. I won't make that mistake again 🙂