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Parcel Questions

Where can I send parcels to?

Almost everywhere! We have options from UK Mainland all they way through to North, South and Central America, all across Europe, the Far East and Australia. Use our quote and book tool to make sure a country is covered - if it shows up here it will be fine when you book your order.

What happens after I place an order with Shipping Manager?

As soon as your payment is received our system will automatically book your parcel with the appropriate carrier. We have invested heavily in this system so that you can be sure that whether you order night or day, your order will still be processed correctly and on time.

Which carriers do you offer?

We offer services from a range of carriers including DHL, Parcel Force, TNT, DPD and UPS. Depending on your specific parcel details and the destination we will provide you with the cheapest quotes possible. On every occasion you will be presented with a complete range of services - arranged by default as the cheapest first, but the other option open to you will also be shown. This is especially important if you want an urgent delivery (prior to 10am or 12 midday on the next day service for example) or if you want a Saturday morning delivery (restricted to a Friday collection though).

Do you provide insurance and what happens if I miss the collection driver?

This is answered in our comprehensive terms and conditions which can be found here. You will also find a quick bullet point guide. Insurance is provided on all parcels up to a value of £50 when you place an order, but please refer to the terms and conditions to ensure you comply with the requirements. Packaging guidance can be found here.

 

Our insurance prices are:

 

- Up to £50 - included
- Up to £100 - £2.00
- Up to £250 - £5.00
- Up to £500 - £10.00
- Up to £750 - £15.00
- Up to £1000 - £20

Are there any restrictions on the items I can send via your courier?

There are restrictions and a list can be found here. If you are in any doubt about the items you are sending please contact us.


Payment questions

How can I pay?

We currently accept PayPal as well as all major credit/debit cards.

Do you offer discounts for eBay Power Sellers?

If you send a high quantity of parcels per week then contact sales@shippingmanager.co.uk to discuss your specific requirements.


Technical Questions

Is it safe for Shipping Manager to access my eBay account

Yes, we don't require your eBay password for you to create an account. Instead eBay provide us with a unique access key which we use to download your orders. This provides us with limited access to your account and can be disabled by you at any time by editing your profile details within eBay.

Do I have to have an eBay account to use your services?

No, Shipping Manager has been designed to offer automation for many different e-commerce platforms. Currently these include eBay, ShopDirector, Zen Cart and osCommerce, there will be others. If you are interested in using Shipping Manager, but use an on line shop not already mentioned please contact us.

Do you offer any other forms of integration?

Yes. We are very happy to say that we have developed an API (Application Programming Interface) system so you can integrate your own systems directly with Shipping Manager. This provides you with an unrivalled amount of automation - in simple terms a customer can go to your on-line shop, purchase a product and be presented with the delivery options (the same as you are when you do the booking) The customer chooses their preferred method (they may for example opt for a more expensive delivery prior to 10am or a Saturday delivery) The cost is added to the checkout process in your shop (you may also have added a margin to the price you pay us via your Shipping Manager account) The purchase and delivery are confirmed, you get an e mail and everything is done - you have sold an item, its collection has been ordered, confirmed and paid for - all without you even touching your computer. Integrating the API does require a reasonable amount of technical knowledge but we are very happy to discuss this with you on an individual basis - contact us on technical@shippingmanager.co.uk

 

eBay

Does Shipping Manager have access to my eBay account?

No. When you signup on our site you will be redirected to eBay's server where you will be asked to login and click a link to authorise Shipping Manager to have limited access to your eBay account. This is done on eBay's server and we never know your password - you are simply allowing Shipping Manager to access your account to download the customer and product details. This link can be disabled by you at any time. Please do not use the same password for your eBay and Shipping Manager account (this is entirely your own choice however, but different passwords increases security and your confidence).

How does the link between my eBay account and the Shipping Manager software actually work?

eBay allows third party software to access certain aspects of your account with your express permission. Shipping Manager takes advantage of this functionality, allowing us to access just the information we need to be able to offer you a courier booking service.

How do I pay for the courier services that I book?

Payments are made via your PayPal account or with a debit/credit card at the end of the checkout process. As an additional time saving option you can top-up your Shipping Manager account, keeping a positive balance to fund your orders. At the final step of checkout you have three payment options - PayPal, credit/debit card or fund from your top-up account.

Do I need to be a PowerSeller to use Shipping Manager?

No. Anybody with an eBay account who needs to send a parcel by courier can use Shipping Manager.

Do I pay extra for using Shipping Manager?

No. There is no charge for using Shipping Manager. The only cost associated with booking your courier services via Shipping Manager is the cost of the courier service you select and we work hard to keep costs down. In many cases there is actually a saving to be made by using Shipping Manager. We do not charge any subscription or membership fees, you are not committed to using the tool once you have signed up and there is no requirement on you to send anything. We recognise that retailers need cost effective and time saving tools - leaving them to concentrate on the income generating side of their business - Shipping Manager does exactly this and all at no extra cost.

Does Shipping Manager only book a courier service for items sold via eBay?

No. We are able to link your Shipping Manager account with any number or variety of e-commerce platforms. There is no limit but all can be managed within one Shipping Manager account helping you keep control of your shipments.

Can I link 2 or more eBay accounts to my Shipping Manager account?

Yes. If you have more than one eBay account - or indeed any other on-line shopping facility we can link them all into one Shipping Manager account.

Will I have to send all of my products via Shipping Manager?

No. After downloading your orders you will see all of the completed auction items which have been paid for in you Shipping Manager account. You are then able to pick those to send via courier, ignoring the items you intend sending by another route. If you regularly auction items that are never sent by courier it is possible to tell your Shipping Manager account to ignore these when downloading your items - it is also possible to set your Shipping Manager account to only download a specific item, ignoring others that are never sent by courier.

Are deliveries signed for?

Yes. All courier companies require a signature on delivery.

Can I track the parcels?

Yes. When you log onto your Shipping Manager account and go to 'Tracking' you will see a live real-time update on all of the parcels you have booked via Shipping Manager. This puts you in control - and lets you identify a problem may have occurred without having to wait for an unhappy customer to contact you. We also provide a simple to use track and trace facility so you can keep an eye on a particular parcel in transit. You may also want to give your customers their booking reference number and a link to the Shipping Manager front page so they can track their parcel.

Is there a limit to the amount of parcels I send?

No. We do not impose any limits on the numbers of parcels you send - it can be anything from 1 per month to hundreds per day.

Can I arrange collections from another address?

Yes. The default settings will make your own address the standard collection one but it is a simple process to over ride this and make any address you wish the collection address.

Courier services are dependent on size and weight, how does Shipping Manager get this information.

Shipping Manager will present you with a range of services, the cheapest by default, and these are dependent on the package size, weight and destination. If the relevant details have been included in the item description within your eBay account this will be downloaded. If the detail is missing you will need to add this prior to obtaining a quote - this is a simple and quick process with 4 boxes to be completed - weight, length, width and depth (in kg and cm). It is possible to add the measurements for any item you send regularly and when these are downloaded the dimensions are automatically entered.

Are there size and weight limits?

Courier companies have strict limits on size and weight, however, Shipping Manager will only offer you a courier service if your parcel meets the carriers criteria. It is important that you accurately declare your parcel measurements as all parcels are scanned and oversized parcels are likely to be surcharged and on occasion rejected and returned.

Can I send multiple items to the same address?

Yes. If one of your customers buys more than one item Shipping Manager will recognise this and give you the option to combine an order. Note - this is not the same as sending multiple boxes to one address - which need to be booked as separate shipments. If you can combine multiple items in one box - use the combine feature during the booking process and this will be treated as one shipment.

Will my eBay account be updated to indicate that he item has been dispatched?

Yes. As soon as you place a booking via your Shipping Manager account a message is sent back to your eBay account to update the auction details automatically.


CSV

What is a CSV

CSV (Comma Separated Value) files look the same as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Some shop owners record their orders on an spreadsheet then arrange their collections at the end of the day. Others have a facility within their on-line shop to export a CSV with their product and delivery details.

Do you have a template for the information fields of the CSV?

No. This is a good demonstration of the flexibility of Shipping Manager - you tell our software where the information is within your CSV - so for example if on your sheet the first column contains the customers e mail address you put 1 in relevant box of the loader inside your Shipping Manager account. This process is repeated for all of the needed fields - and once completed the first time (assuming your CSV structure remains unchanged) it is saved. You are then able to import a CSV in the same way as orders are downloaded and the process can be completed in as short a time.


Top Up

How does using the Top up facility speed up the booking process?

At the end of the checkout process if you choose to pay with either your own PayPal account or a debit/credit card this inevitably takes a few seconds to be processed - in most cases this is the single longest section of the booking process. By using our Top Up facility you keep a positive balance in your Shipping Manager account and if there is enough to cover the cost of the contents of your shopping basket the payment is authorised instantly. We do not set any limits on the balance within your top up account - some choose to load up with enough to cover a weeks orders others enough for a day.

Can I have a refund of my balance if I close my account

We are of course happy to refund any outstanding balance from your account at any time.

Is there a discount if I use the Top Up to fund my orders.

We do not offer a discount for using this facility but as many of will realise using Top Up does help reduce our PayPal fees (reducing the individual transaction fee) so overall it helps us keep costs down which we pass back in the shape of good low rates for everybody.

Can I Top up my account by cheque, BACS etc.

We are happy to discuss alternate payment methods - please contact us at sales@shippingmanager.co.uk


Track and Trace

Do I need to do anything to get the most recent tracking information?

No. When you log onto your account you will see the live and up to date information about your parcels - the information coming directly from the carriers own servers. If you have the account open on your computer for a long time you may want to refresh the browser.

Is Track and Trace different from Tracking?

No. Both lead to the same information - however tracking shows you on one screen the current status of your active orders - this is a fantastic tool for the busy retailer and really puts you in control, on occasion you may even know there is a problem before you get an angry customer contacting you to say an expected delivery has not been made. Track and Trace (the small box at the top right of the screen) allows you to look for the detail of a specific order. As an added customer service you may want to provide your customers with a link to the front page of Shipping Manager where they themselves can Track and Trace their parcel in a very simple yet powerful tool.

Can I check collections as well as deliveries?

Yes. This is one of our innovative features. You can track all of your deliveries and filter them by those which are delivered, collected, not collected or returned to sender. This feature gives you management control and information over your courier service. The data presented includes historical data, and you have access to the tracing information from each order number - making this a quick and very user friendly feature.


Quote and Book

When would I want to use this?

This function can be used in two ways - firstly as a simple quoting tool allowing you to obtain an accurate quote for the services we provide, useful when you have to price a delivery before downloading your orders or in response to an enquiry. Secondly it can be used as a stand-alone booking tool if you need to arrange a courier collection for an item not sold on your on-line shop or eBay account. This replaces the 'add manually' function in the earlier version of Shipping Manager.

Do bookings placed on this tool show up in my account management area?

If you are logged onto your Shipping Manager account when you use this tool then yes the orders are recorded within your management area.


General Information

Where is Shipping Manager based?

Our registered offices is Aske Stables., Aske, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 5HG

Our company number is 6445884 (Parcel Shipping Manager Ltd)

Is Shipping Manager VAT Registered?

Yes our registration number is 924 3453 32