|  |  Selling - Filling an Order
How do I fill an order?
Properly packaging and shipping orders is the most important thing a seller does. Sturdy packaging and correct shipping methods help contribute to an exemplary feedback rating—and repeat sales. When you receive an order:
Package the order - You’ll get an email from Half.com for every sale you make. When you receive this email, you have 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays) to ship the item. We strongly encourage our members to log into their My Account Sales page at least every other day, in order not to miss any sales. When packaging, securely wrap the items with a protective material, such as bubble wrap, Styrofoam, crumpled newspaper, or cardboard. Place the protected items in a sturdy box or bubble envelope (if appropriate) in order to prevent damage or loss during shipping. (Note that in the event of empty packages, sellers are held responsible for the item not reaching their buyer.) Address the packages clearly using large block lettering. Get ready to ship - Shipping your order properly helps ensure that it arrives in the same condition that you represented on our website. Print out the order notification email we sent to you, cut off the bottom portion, and enclose it in your package to the buyer. This serves as a reference and packaging slip.
Print a Shipping Label - Log in to “My Account” and click on the Print Shipping Label link next to the item you would like to ship. This will bring you to PayPal, where you can log in and print and pay for a shipping label for your order. Ship the items - Ship the order according to the shipping method specified by the buyer.
For additional details on shipping methods, see below.
How do I know if a buyer received my shipment?
Once you ship an item to the buyer, Half.com doesn’t receive confirmation from the buyer that the item was received. If you haven’t received any Feedback in response to an order you filled, be aware that this is an optional step for buyers. Not all buyers choose to leave Feedback for sellers, though it is encouraged.
You can contact your buyer directly using our email forwarding system. Here’s how:
Click the My Account link near the top right of the page. You may be asked to sign in.
Click the Sales link. Your most recent sales will be listed on this page.
If the sale in question is not on this page and you have the transaction number, enter it in the Search: Trans # box and click the Search button. If the sale in question is not on this page and you do not have the transaction number, you can locate it by clicking the drop-down menu to the right of the Search box, selecting Buyer ID, entering the buyer's user ID and clicking the Search button. You may also sort by a specific period by using the Period drop-down menu or by status using the Status drop-down menu.
Once you've located the sale, click on the transaction number to access the details page.
Click the Contact Buyer button. This will take you to the Contact a Half.com Buyer form, which you can use to send an email to your buyer.
How do I get a buyer's shipping address for a sale?
You can get all the information you need from your account anytime. Here's where you find it.
Click on the My Account link near the top right of the page. You may be asked to sign in.
Click on the Sales link in the Selling section of your account.
Orders up to the last 31 days old are listed here, from newest to oldest. Find the order in question and click on the transaction number link.
The Order Details page shows more information about the sale, including the item(s) you sold, product information, shipping method, buyer ID, the buyer's shipping address, the status of the order and the amount you are paid.
What return address do I use on packages I ship?
When you sell an item, you should use your address as the return address on the package. This will insure that, in the event of any shipping problems where the package gets returned, you'll know about the problem as quickly as possible.
How do I let my buyer know that I shipped their item?
Once an order has been placed, you’ll need to ship the item within 72 business hours. It’s not necessary to let your buyer know that you shipped the item, but Half.com offers the option of marking an item as "shipped." This feature sends an automated email to your buyer that includes any shipping notes you provided. If you printed a label through Half.com, the email will include the shipping tracking information and shipping service. When the order is placed, the buyer is informed of the date by which they can expect to receive the item.
If, for some reason, you shipped the item late, you can contact your buyer:
Click the My Account link near the top right of the page. You may be asked to sign in.
Click the Sales link. Your most recent sales will be listed on this page.
If the sale in question isn’t on this page and you have the transaction number, enter it in the Search: Trans # box and click the Search button. If the sale in question is not on this page and you do not have the transaction number, you can locate it by clicking the drop-down menu to the right of the Search box, selecting Buyer ID, entering the buyer's user ID, and clicking the Search button. You may also sort by a specific period by using the Period drop-down menu or by status using the Status drop-down menu.
Once you've located the sale, click on the transaction number to access the details page. Click the Contact Buyer button. This will take you to the Contact a Half.com Buyer form, which you can use to send an email to your buyer. By default, a copy of the email will be sent to you.
When do I have to ship this item?
Half.com requires that all sellers ship the item within 72 hours of receiving the order notification.
Holidays
Since sellers are dependent on the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the majority of shipping on our site, Half.com observes any holidays recognized by the USPS, and those days aren’t included in shipping times. You can find a list of these holidays on the USPS website.
Half.com doesn’t consider any of the holidays recognized by the USPS as part of the 72 hours required for a seller to ship an order. Weekends also aren't considered part of the required 72-hour shipping period.
How much will shipping cost me?
You can find the latest information on shipping rates from these carriers:
US Postal Service
UPS
Fed Ex
Seller Shipping Options and Reimbursement Allowance - Books, Music, Movies and Games
When you sell on Half.com you’ll receive a shipping credit or reimbursement to help cover the costs of shipping. The amount of the reimbursement depends on the type of product sold.
All sellers listing in Half.com's Books, Music or Movies product categories must use, at a minimum, U.S. Postal Service Media Mail to ship orders. When listing in the Game and Game Systems categories, sellers are required to use a minimum of Ground shipping. Sellers are also encouraged to offer an expedited shipping method. Expedited shipping methods should provide a 1-3 day delivery window from the time of shipping and include some type of tracking ability. Examples of this type of expedited service include:
Airborne Express Ground Delivery
Half.com recognizes that recent changes in the shipping industry have created different pricing zones. We encourage all sellers to investigate the different shipping methods that comply with the 1-3 day delivery policy and use the one that is most cost effective for the shipment.
Half.com will reimburse according to the following chart:
|
|
|
Item |
USPS®
Media Mail
/ Ground |
Expedited
Method |
Hardcover Book
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$3.07 per item
$1.40 per item |
$5.24 per item
$3.49 per item |
Paperback Book
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$2.64 per item
$1.19 per item |
$5.20 per item
$2.24 per item |
Audio Books
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$2.64 per item
$1.15 per item |
$5.20 per item
$1.94 per item |
Music
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$2.39 per item
$1.03 per item |
$5.20 per item
$1.99 per item |
VHS Movies
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$2.14 per item
$1.19 per item |
$5.20 per item
$1.99 per item |
DVD Movies
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$2.39 per item
$1.19 per item |
$5.20 per item
$1.99 per item |
Games*
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$2.89 per item
$1.15 per item |
$5.20 per item
$1.99 per item |
Game Systems |
Ground |
Expedited
Method
|
Large Consoles
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$13.50 per item
$13.50 per item |
$18.00 per item
$18.00 per item |
Small Consoles
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$7.00 per item
$3.50 per item |
$9.00 per item
$6.00 per item |
Controllers
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$7.00 per item
$3.50 per item |
$9.00 per item
$6.00 per item |
Flash Cards
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$4.00 per item
$2.25 per item |
$6.00 per item
$4.00 per item |
Other Accessories
Additional Item - Same Seller |
$5.25 per item
$2.50 per item |
$7.00 per item
$4.50 per item |
The shipping allowance we provide is sufficient to cover the cost of shipping the vast majority of items that are sold at Half.com. However, this allowance may not be enough to cover the cost of shipping heavy books (books that weigh more than two pounds), multiple book sets (encyclopedias), or oversized books (books that are taller or wider than the average hard-cover bestseller and don't fit into a priority mail envelope). In these cases, you may want to adjust the price you set for the item in order to make up any difference between what the U.S. Postal Service charges to ship the item and the shipping reimbursement.
* When shipping games, we recommend that sellers use first class mail (when appropriate) instead of Media Mail when using ground as a shipping option.
Packaging
All orders must be shipped in appropriate packing materials designed to minimize the chance of damage or loss during shipping. (Note that in the event of empty packages, sellers are held responsible for the item not reaching their buyer.) For protection in the event of disputes, we highly recommend that sellers insure and track shipments.
Packages shipped via U.S. Postal Service Media Mail should have "Media Mail" written or posted on the outside of the package to ensure prompt and correct delivery of the item.
Insured and trackable shipping is very important to ensure a seller is protected from loss. The use of insured shipping methods also helps protect all Half.com members from fraud. Sellers should direct buyers to return damaged items to them so that the seller may file an insurance claim with the shipping carrier. If Half.com must refund a buyer in the case of a damaged or lost package (in accordance with the Buyer Protection Policy), the amount of the sale will be deducted from the seller's account balance. If the account balance isn’t sufficient to cover this deduction, a seller's checking account or credit card may be charged for the amount of the sale. Half.com won’t reimburse sellers for loss resulting from damaged or missing packages.
Your package will consist of the following:
The packing slip (use the bottom portion of the email notification) The securely packaged product
The buyer's name and address information is provided for the sole purpose of shipping the specific purchased product(s) and may not be used for any other purpose, either in connection with such shipment(s) or separately from such shipment(s).
What if I won't be able to ship my items within the allotted time?
To avoid having orders placed when you will not be able to ship them, please take a moment to put your inventory on "vacation." Here's how you do it:
Click the My Accountlink near the top right of the page. You may be asked to sign in. Click on the Vacation Setting link under Selling on the left side of the page, then click Leave for Vacation to enable your vacation status.
When you’re ready to bring your inventory back up online on Half.com, go back to this page and click on the same link (which now reads Return from Vacation), then click on the Return from Vacation button.
|
