We sell a lot on Ebay and a company called Itembase contacted me several times by phone and email before I gave in and listened to what they had to offer. Their main pitch is that they can increase your sales by using their database of your customers to send reminder emails and other offers. We already do that with our email marketing (using MadMimi). So not really interested. They also provide a lot of stats about your sales.
But then their sales rep Anika showed me a page of postage rates if we joined up and use their PackCrowd shipping service. I think is based on Itembase's link with UPS who are also investors in the business.
Needless to say the prices looked great with shipping inside the UK for under £2.00. I am so fed up that we cannot get a better rate than £2.80 from Royal Mail or anybody else for small light parcels. Not much cheaper than if we went out and bought the stamps. Anything wider than 25cm or thicker than 2.5cm is a parcel now. I do not want next day delivery, I just want the package to get there reliably within 3 working days. And when my customers complain I want tracking which I think Itembase will include.
Also sending packages to Germany by airmail we are having a lot of failures and at a cost of over £3.50, without tracking, this is a bad value service. Again Itembase promise a cheaper tracked service.
And every small mailorder business hates the fact that Royal Mail charge us a whopping £900 each year just for their vans to collect our mail. The red vans turn up here at least 3 times a day delivering letters and parcels anyway so could they not collect my mailbags for free?
So we are still waiting to be linked up to the shipping service. Is it too good to be true - watch this space!
December 2014: Latest news is now that nothing will happen until New Year. I might have a word with Mr Jørgensenand on LinkedIn.
PS ItemBase is a Berlin based startup . It was founded by Denmark native Stefan Jørgensenand investors include UPS.
But then their sales rep Anika showed me a page of postage rates if we joined up and use their PackCrowd shipping service. I think is based on Itembase's link with UPS who are also investors in the business.
Needless to say the prices looked great with shipping inside the UK for under £2.00. I am so fed up that we cannot get a better rate than £2.80 from Royal Mail or anybody else for small light parcels. Not much cheaper than if we went out and bought the stamps. Anything wider than 25cm or thicker than 2.5cm is a parcel now. I do not want next day delivery, I just want the package to get there reliably within 3 working days. And when my customers complain I want tracking which I think Itembase will include.
Also sending packages to Germany by airmail we are having a lot of failures and at a cost of over £3.50, without tracking, this is a bad value service. Again Itembase promise a cheaper tracked service.
And every small mailorder business hates the fact that Royal Mail charge us a whopping £900 each year just for their vans to collect our mail. The red vans turn up here at least 3 times a day delivering letters and parcels anyway so could they not collect my mailbags for free?
So we are still waiting to be linked up to the shipping service. Is it too good to be true - watch this space!
December 2014: Latest news is now that nothing will happen until New Year. I might have a word with Mr Jørgensenand on LinkedIn.
PS ItemBase is a Berlin based startup . It was founded by Denmark native Stefan Jørgensenand investors include UPS.
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