11. Collecting locally
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You may want to arrange for an item to be collected in person… if you are sending a life size elephant, it may be too big and too heavy to send. Equally, the crown jewels might be too fragile to pop in the post. Please make sure you write this detail in the description box when you add it to your shop, and select ‘Local collection’ in your delivery drop down box.
Even if you’re not sending an elephant or the crown jewels, you can choose to offer ‘Local collection’ for people who live near you. This means there is no postal fee.
Remember that you still have to get to the drop off or collection place… this may involve spending money on transport. You may need a bus or train fare, or an adult may be driving, which means spending money on petrol. These hidden costs are not included in the price that you are buying or selling something for.
Once someone has opted for ‘Local collection’ when buying or selling an item, why not set up a collection point in your local post office, or arrange to meet in a busy shopping mall. Tradem recommends that you choose somewhere busy, where you are not alone….
It is VITAL that your parents or responsible adult know about your meeting. They might even like to come with you? If you have never met your buyer or seller before, you should be accompanied by an adult. Not everyone in this world has good intentions like you, and we want you to be safe.
For a little challenge… Go to the Royal Mail website and compare the price of postage for parcels of different weights and sizes. Some items would be so expensive to send,that it wouldn’t be worth someone buying it from you and paying the postage cost.