Shipping to customers. Help!!!

[rounds3]

I want to start selling online but am clueless about how to ship to customers. Here are some of my concerns:

-Temperature sensitive packaging?- the soap will melt if the mailman drops it off on someones porch in the summer.
-I have many products in various sizes so flat rate could get expensive for larger items- (2"x2"x7) etc. but I have very small ones as well so it would be a waste to use one size.
-Cost effectiveness
-Tracking information- I think it would be best to have this to supply to the customer.

I am clueless! Please, any advice or things I am not taking into consideration? How do you guys ship your soap?

 

[rileylite]

I've had people ship me MP in the summer and it sat on my porch for quite awhile without melting. And I've never really heard of it being a huge issue in general, but probably buying low sweat base would help with that. Leave it on your own porch for a few hours and see what works and what doesn't.

I wouldn't say flat rate is the best, because especially in a situation where you're shipping just one or two bars of soap, it can seem very pricey. I'd say go with first class mail, it's always worked well for me and seemed to be just as fast, plus you get to choose your own shipping materials.

Tracking should be available from any major shipping company. They'll provide you with a tracking number after you pay and you can then give it to your customer. As far as doing it online, I used paypal shipping and it was always fantastic. But I assume you can do the same on the usps, fedex, and ups websites.

 

[birdcharm]

Hi,

If you want to ship anything First Class ... that's up to about 11 ounces, I believe (it might be 13 ... I'm forgetting at the moment), it would be best if you go to usps and download Shipping Assistant ... you will print your labels from your printer and it will provide a delivery confirmation for you for your First Class. For Priority Mail ... you will find that if you have a lot of packages, then it may be worth it to sign up for Click 'n' Ship, as there are some special rated boxes there ... not quite as big as Flat Rate, but with a discounted rate, but you have to print the labels on Click 'n' Ship to use them ... you order the boxes online ... for instance, one of them is called a "Regional A" box ... it's about double the size of the little "cube" Priority Mail box.

I would print up some labels that with a big sun logo on it with an "X" across it ... like "Please do not leave in the sun" ... that might help a bit, as most porches will have a shady spot.

I hope this helps ... at least a little,
Kathy