Shipping is crucial when selling secondhand online. Best practices ensure that your item reaches your buyer efficiently and in good condition. Here's a guide covering some best practices in shipping.
1. Choose the shipping option wisely
When creating your listing, you’re given the option between 2 methods: Easy Shipping and Custom Shipping. Each has their own advantages, and their small drawbacks.
Easy Shipping: Probably the most convenient one for you. As a seller, when someone purchases your item with the Easy Shipping option, we’ll send you within 1 business day a marko tag and a pre-printed label with the buyer address. You’ll then be able to use this kit to label your package, while the Post directly comes to your home to pick the item up. On the other hand, as this a standardized process, the buyer only has 2 pricing options: 7 CHF or 9 CHF for an express delivery. For some items, 7 CHF can become quite expensive and an obstacle to the sale.
Custom Shipping: While you need to prepare the label, and hand over the package to a Post office yourself, you have the opportunity to decide how expensive are the delivery costs. This way, a little bracelet you’re selling at 10 CHF can easily be shipped in an envelope at a cost not higher than 2 CHF. That way, the buyer saves some money, while you don't waste any.
2. Quality Control
Always double-check your sold item – implement a small quality control procedure to ensure that the buyer will receive exactly the item that you listed and described on marko. This includes:
Are there any stains or defects that you would have missed?
Is the item the correct one, in the correct color and size?
Is the item ready to be used/worn — or does it include repair/washing?
3. Accurate Packaging
Use sturdy, appropriately sized boxes to prevent damage during transit.
For most items, you don’t always need to go with the standard shipping box offered by the Swiss Post. Instead, try to reuse a smaller content. This not only better protect the small item inside, but can also significantly reduce shipping costs.
If the item isn’t fragile, you can choose a more sustainable way by reusing old plastic bags or other eco-friendly packaging.
Use sufficient cushioning materials like bubble wrap, packing peanuts, or old newspapers to protect fragile items.
When reusing shipping packaging, make sure to remove all previous labels or bar codes. You want a fresh, clean package, ready for a new trip!
4. Labeling
If you have chosen the Easy Shipping option, you will receive a marko label on the next day through the Swiss Post. If you haven’t received the label, please contact us. More info on How Easy Shipping works.
If you have chosen Custom Shipping as a method, make sure that you use clear handwriting when preparing your label and double-check the address of the buyer.
Make sure to place the label at a visible spot on your parcel, and securely seal it.
❗️marko easy shipping delays❗
During the holidays, paper shipping labels may take longer to arrive. Print the digital version to ship faster or add 3 days to your shipping deadline to avoid cancellations!
☝️ Good to know: You'll also receive a PDF with the shipping barcode in the email notifying you of your sale. Simply print it out and use it to ship your package at your local post office right away.
5. Track your shipping
When using Easy Shipping, the whole tracking is automated and gets updated for the buyer and the seller directly on your marko profile. That’s the beauty of our cooperation with the Swiss Post.
With Custom Shipping, you need to have a receipt of your parcel and put the shipping number into the sale overview so that the buyer can track the item.
Take a look after a couple of days to see where your item is at.
Delay in shipping? Proactively contact the buyer so they know you’re on top of things.
6. Return Policy
Your buyer has a right to return or decline the item within 2 days. When selling on marko, you agree to follow our Terms & Conditions, and this includes the Seller Return Policy.
In case the buyer returns the item, they’ll be the one paying for the return shipping. So, you won’t have any additional expense on your end.
For any kind of returns, he or she will let us know what the reason for the return is. If we see that this can be an area of improvement for your listing (color in the photos and in real aren’t really the same), we’ll actively reach out to you with some recommendations. Then, you can re-sell your item while avoiding another return.
Implementing these best practices can help you streamline shipping processes, reduce costs, and enhance your buyers’ satisfaction.
Want to use different addresses?
When you buy or list an item, you start with one address for everything. But you can add more addresses for extra flexibility. Check out How can I manage different addresses for all the details.