Shipping Expectations
 
Amazon’s Marketplace, where independent sellers offer books and media, is a great place to find a bargain on used items. It is helpful to know a thing or two about how shipping works for Marketplace items. Two domestic U.S. shipping options are typically offered: standard and expedited.
 
  1. •Standard shipping for books and media, as defined by Amazon, specifies completed delivery within 4-14 business days once shipped, and can be as long as 21. For comparison, this is significantly slower than a standard First Class letter.
  2. •Expedited shipping should be completed in 2-6 business days once shipped. For comparison, this is the same speed as a standard First Class letter.
 
Tips
  1. •Use expedited shipping if you are in any kind of a hurry. It is usually worth the extra cost.
  2. •Use standard shipping when not in a hurry. It is cheap and reliable.
  3. •Ask for a partial shipping fee reduction or a shipping upgrade if you order multiple items from a single seller.
  4. •Do not expect standard shipping to be fast, even if you have had good luck with it in past.
  5. •Make sure your order gets fulfilled. Read your e-mail. If the seller does not confirm fulfillment within a few days, politely ask for confirmation. If the order is cancelled for any reason, you should receive email about that too. Again, read your e-mail.
  6. •Try to be patient, but if your item does not arrive within the expected time (21 business days for standard shipping), politely notify the seller that you have not received your order. Hold the seller accountable, but do not blame the seller if the shipping company is slow or has failed to deliver.
 
Why is standard shipping so slow?
 
Most sellers use the U.S. Postal Service for delivery of books and other media because they offer a special rate called Media Mail. To make Media Mail affordable, they also made it slow. Books can be very heavy and would otherwise be expensive to ship. Media Mail is a good thing.
 
Media Mail allows up to a pound to be sent anywhere in the U.S. for just $1.59*. Contrast that with the next fastest method, Priority Mail, where the same would cost $4.05*.
* prices accurate as of September 18, 2006
 
If Media Mail is so cheap, why does Amazon charge $3.99 for standard shipping?
* price accurate as of September 18, 2006
 
  1. •The postage cost increases with the weight of the book. Many books weigh more than 1 pound, and some weigh several. Packaging materials and labor factor in significantly too. Plus, part of what you pay for shipping is kept by Amazon to cover the cost of the transaction. Keep in mind that independent book sellers do not benefit from the same quantities of scale as large online retailers that get high volume discounts.
 
Expedited Mail is Faster
 
Most sellers also use the U.S. Postal Service for expedited shipping. Packages under 14 ounces are sent First Class. Heavier packages are Priority Mail. The speed of the service is the same either way, with delivery typically in 2-6 business days. If you need a book fast, it is usually worth paying the extra cost for Expedited.
 
If standard shipping is so slow, why did I get my shipment so fast?
 
  1. •The package may have been extra-light and the seller was able to expedite it at no extra cost to you.
  2. •Some sellers upgrade very expensive orders.
  3. •Sometimes a seller will expedite to especially far-away places, like Hawaii or Alaska.
  4. •Maybe the seller fulfilled the order very quickly. This can shave a couple of days off compared to sellers that are slower to fulfill orders.
 
General Comments
 
Despite what may seem like unreasonably high shipping costs, independent sellers of books and media are basically only covering their costs. Amazon charges flat rates for standard and expedited shipping. Depending on the size, weight and destination of the item, the seller may lose money or make money on shipping and handling. On average, most sellers will do little better than break even. Paying a flat rate for shipping may seem unfair for the buyer who only makes one purchase and it happens to be lightweight and affordable to ship. But for anyone who orders at least a few times, the law of averages will even out the differences.
 
Books by Chance Stance
 
My online book business, Books by Chance LLC, works hard to fulfill orders within 24 hours of placement. We know that by getting items out the door quickly, we can perform better than the sellers that take 2 days (and sometimes longer) to put a book in the mail. We also send an e-mail confirming shipment and estimating transit time. Extra-lightweight shipments are sure to be expedited. Packages to Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico get upgraded too if feasible. And when the U.S. Postal Service drops the ball, we pick it up the best we can.
 
We have great appreciation for customers who contact us directly when there is a problem, giving us a chance to remedy the situation before resorting to leaving bad public feedback on Amazon’s site.
 
See our ratings on Amazon.
 
 
The author, John Weise, is the owner of Books by Chance LLC in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
 
There is a very simple thing you can do to help our small business thrive. Just click the following link. It takes you to Amazon.com. That’s it! Really!
 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/thegoodthing-20
 
Book Smarts
Saturday, September 16, 2006