OLD THREAD 2004 -just registered? INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Hi Anna_B!

handbags and shoes ARE necessary. ha ha

Nice to have you here!

Chris

 

unnecessary ones are the best kind!!
nice to see new 'faces' !!

 

Hi Mary Jane,
Welcome to the boards! I have not been here as much as I like to be but I am here today and caught your post!
I have a website and found the checkout system and merchant account I use both would get confused if I did not add shipping so I was sort of backed into a corner in charging shipping. Actually though I think it is a great idea to offer "free shipping"... I also think if you have a checkout system where shipping is included people can pay right away rather then having to email to get costs and such. I think that can deter some people. Making it as easy as possible for the buyer to actually BUY is a wonderful thing!
So after all that chatter, as a buyer I would love to see "free shipping" as a seller it certainly would make things easier!!

Good luck with your site and let us know when you launch.
It took almost 18 months for mine to launch when it was supposed to take 3 months!!! So I understand the delay aspect!

Michelle

 

hi mary jane!
i just had a sneaky look - it looks fab! i've been wondering the same thing myself actually as am just finalising everything for my own website (and it's only a year overdue.. so thanks for making me feel better michelle! )
my thought was regarding international orders - if you are charging free shipping are you able to give a fair discount to those overseas, or make it free for them too?
then i thought about people requiring priority services if i was offering free shipping but only in the UK (where i am) that differed from the standard one on offer for free.. it's not an easy one really!

i think i've come to the conclusion that i will offer flat rates (but slightly reduced) for recorded delivery both uk and overseas, with the option of express if they wish to pay extra. this is basically because it will make the shopping cart process easier. however i am not firing on all cylinders at the mo and there probably is a better way of organising it checkout wise.

i do like the idea of free shipping (particularly when i'm buying things.. which lately seems to be more than the things i'm selling!)

 

I do charge shipping, but I charge only actual shipping, no handling, etc. And I often cover the insurnace. A lot of my website stock is hefty, so shipping is pricey. If I were selling a lot of lightweight items that would fit padded envelopes, I might do something different.

Hollis

 

I used to have a website but gave it up after a few years. It was too much work for me!
However, I found that by the end, I was including shipping for within the U.S. and Canada. My sales within Canada were limited enough that I just ate the GST and paid it out myself. I did charge for international shipping however. The reason I did this is because of impulse buyers who will buy something but if they wrote for a ship quote, they sometimes changed their minds. I just added an average shipping cost to the purchase price -- won on some, lost on others... The lightweight things that sold to Asia or Europe I usually included the shipping costs as well. It was only the really large or heavy things, like coats and Victorian dresses that I charged international shipping on, and of course I gave them a break because there was already a $10.00 or $15.00 shipping charge imbedded in the purchase price, so they were happy too to have a shipping cost of $10 or $20 instead of the actual $25 or $35.00 charge.

However, I still found that having my own website was too feast and famine to make it worth my while and gave it up, so what do I know!

 

Great store front, Mary Jane! And fellow Montrealer... I discovered you on eBay recently and added you to my favorites - I was drooling over a Rookwood trivet you had recently... not to mention the clothes!!!

I'm so glad to hear about all the delays - originally, I'd hope for a storefront opening on Valentine's Day. Maybe, 2006!!!

Thanks for the Q&A's - so very helpful!!!

Deborah

 

I had my website from 2002 until the beginning of last year. At first I hosted my own site, then I sold through the VFG mall. I did well at times, but couldn't rely on it for regular sales and usually wasn't patient enough to wait for the best price and instead ended up selling things through eBay instead. I also didn't promote my site very well -- I could have done better. I didn't link to paypal directly but that would have been a good idea. Thanks for the kudos on my things. Another issue for me was that two of my biggest suppliers dried up and getting stuff was becoming increasingly difficult. I still find stuff and sell occasionally on eBay but finding enough to stock a website was too difficult and time consuming for me.

 

Hello, I'm just arrived. I'm Valeria, 30 years old girl from Italy, looking for a modette wedding dress...now I'm going to have a look around the forum! Greetings from Italy!

 

Hello and welcome, Valeria. I'm relatively new to the forum as well, but you may want to post what you're looking for under the Most Wanted with the size etc. as someone may have what you're looking for in their inventory.

Deborah

 

Welcome, Valeria!

You might also take a look

HERE

Many of us have shops at the Mall.

 

Hi Valeria! Just read Senti's post too, so will have a look tomorrow morning. I do have a lovely moss crepe one..

 

Hi Valeria,
You might consider having a seamstress make one for you. The patterns are easy to find. I think this would make a fab wedding dress:

<img src=http://members.sparedollar.com/fuzzylizzie/vogval2347.jpg>