I could cry! Didn't know about the postage increases..

[lololizzy]

So...i've just returned from post office, spent £116 sending off my ebay parcels, all UK (had a LOT of parcels) Did not know about the increase due to now charging for bulk (did eBay warn? if so, I never saw.) Many of my items that would normally go for £2.20 postage (normal second class) now £5.20. Am very out of pocket..could not repackage. Items had to go today. No time. And how can you flatten certain items eg bags, shoes etc?? You cannot. I have lost so much of my profits! Not the buyers faults so i had to cover the extra myself. How i wanted to scream, to have to for eg pay £5.20 postage for a Primarni handbag, that had sold for 99p plus £2.20 postage! I had to honour it... I have lots more to sell too. I don't see how i can shift it now. Who's going to want to pay £5.20 postage for a jumper or jacket when the starting bid is 99p? Or a light handbag, that may be featherweight but is bulky. ALL my jackets, jumpers, shoes and bags sent today were £5.20 per packet. That wasn't even Recorded Delivery! Just reg second class! How the fecking feck can they justify an increase of £3. £3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I managed to miss all of those Purple - argh

ebay did send emails and also increased postage maximums in categories where there is a maximum fee

I was talking to my postie today, he had absolutely no clue about the postage cost increases! I was quite gobsmacked tbh

I wont be selling shoes or bulky items any more. I hope that RM see their mistake soon.

yep no shoes will go for under £5.20, except for flip flops

If you can package something into a cereal box (today I used a Sainsburys cheerios box for example) then that will still go as a small parcel - dimensions are under the basic length - 45cm, width - 35cm, depth - 8cm. Might help with some packages for you.

Just use Hermes OP - I sell a lot on ebay and amazon and after getting stung so badly on the first day of the increase I vowed never again to use RM for anything except large letter at £1.20. Outrageous increases and with alternatives so easy to access now I feel sure RM will come to regret this.

I was merrily getting stuff ready to e-bay at the end of March and came across the price increases . I had to read it twice as I couldn't believe how much it had gone up.

So, nothing was e-bayed and it's all been plonked on the car boot sale pile.

vote with your feet- use Hermes or Collect+, cheaper & great service - is just as easy, easier really. No more queuing in the post office, no more paying to park for me too, is a no brainer.

Agree collect+ and Myhermes are cheaper and much easier to use. No more Royal Mail for me unless it's something tiny. No loss as I hate going to our post office, they're so grumpy in there!

With regards clothing, I've done really well selling bundles of say 10 or 12 items of kids clothes. Put together carefully so it looks like you can "mix and match" outfits and show this well on the photos. For things like this people don't bat an eyelid at £5 postage with hermes or collect+. Less parcels to post too!

Meglet, do you have much success with car boots? I have loads of bulky kids stuff that I want to get rid of, but everyone I've mentioned it to says they're a waste of time, no-one want to pay for anything?

I have got rid of a lot of bulky kid's stuff at NCT sales. They are good for selling stuff that is not worth very much but would cost a lot to post e.g board games, cheap dolls etc. For other bulky stuff that is worth more, you could try Gumtree or Netmums For Sale board for local pick-up.

gales I've only sold at car boots a few times. But the last time I did one (3yrs ago) the childrens items sold really well. This time it will be nearly all kids stuff, so I'm going to try my luck in the summer.

I have asked around on FB for the 'nicer' car boot sales so I will head for once of the better ones. Even it all goes for 50p or a £1 I should do well, I've got 3 big blue ikea bags overflowing with bits.

Pandsbear's idea about fitting things into a cereal box is a good one! I had to repackage something I was sending, and JUST managed to get it acceptable to go at £2.60. Phew.
If you use a small post office and the staff are nice, ask if they'll give you a photocopy of their new postal sizes chart. If they will, you can mount the photocopy on card, after having cut out the 'small parcel' and 'large letter' slots.
This'll be a useful ready reckoner. Irregularly shaped parcels with lumps and bumps in the middle just can't be accurately measured with a tape measure.
I think Royal Mail has shot itself in the foot. Having lost most of its letter post, surely they should be pleased that trading by post has bumped up their income to compensate, and should encourage this - instead of which, RM has done the opposite.