It's business time! Let's talk Royal Mail OBA...

[@ixardesign8603]

Your video is more explanatory than Royal Mail's how to videos, they should pay you for this!

[@mariaangelicacastro3718]

Thank you so much your video is very useful for me 🙏😊 Blessings

[@christianclark1354]

If you're using shopify, you can look at getting a click&drop account from your OBA account manager. All your paid orders automatically appear in click&drop, and you can bulk print labels with the address and postage on them. You can also tell it the weight of each item and have it auto apply the postage you specified based on each product ordered. All you need is a zebra label printer and you can reduce this entire process down to pressing one button.

[@lillyboo1314]

I am sure will watch more times.....this is really helpful. Thank you hun xx

[@natashanatters]

Thanks, very informative. It looks a huge faff, struggling to believe it will save 10-30 mins at the post office if you still have to to all those steps at home ..... I guess letting my toddler play at home is the plus side if I can go down this route....

[@007dippa]

this is just what I was looking for this is a good video well done and thank you

[@Lily_Autumn]

This was so helpful, Rach! 👏🏻 I would love to see more of this kind of video, to help out clueless plonkers like me! 😂

[@OHNORachiovlogs]

Aww thanks lovely!! You are anything but a clueless plonker! But I will indeed do some more biz themed videos - I've got to film my one in response to everyones questions! I got LOADS! haha eek!

[@sewmanythreads3506]

Hello! you've explained that really well. Thank you! Im sending a lot more than usual at the moment and im so conscious of the queue forming behind me. I often leave with my head down as ive held everyone up. Theres one lad in particular where I post who's so helpful, nothings ever too much trouble but the others im constantly arguing whats large letter or not, they're constantly forgetting my proof of posting, its becoming a bit of an issue not only that its a lot of my time wasted. Iim now looking into pre printing my postage as although I meet the minimum for the OBA in not sure i will always meet the minimum. So ive saved your video for when I do always meet the minimum ive got it to look back on and to help me through the process. Thank you once again

[@Lelnard]

A next step, that I am on now, would be Royal Mail drop and go, or royal mail click and drop. You don't have to meet any criteria. Let me know if you need any more info about either :) I'm at Rebel Fudge Company on FB.

[@sewmanythreads3506]

@@Lelnard what is the difference between the 2? i printed my first lot of labels for the first time ever this week, although it was long winded at home it was so much quicker at the postoffice x

[@laviniapopescu9479]

HI Rachio, I have just recently signed up for an OBA account, however, they are advising to also sign up for a Click & drop account. What is the difference between the 2 and which is better to use, I am very confused? Also. what kind of labels you need because the 2 systems use different kinds of labels, as it looks.

[@TheWellnessAbbey]

This is so helpful- thank you xx

[@samdin6387]

VERY USEFUL AND MUCH BETTER THEN ROYAL MAIL BUT I WOULD REQUEST IF YOU CAN SHOW US HOW DO YOU PRINT ADDRESS LABELS AND THE POSTAGE LABELS, AS I SEE YOU GOT 2 LABELS ON YOUR PACKAGES

[@faithmonsoon]

Interesting to see mailing from a larger scale business. I sell on Etsy (not full-time) but my volume is only around 10 parcels or so a week. As I work full-time I find getting to the post office difficult sometimes so the Royal Mail Online postage is handy, especially at Christmas when I have larger volumes. It's a bit lengthier process but you can enter all details online, pay by card, print a label to stick on packages and pop in the postbox. Thought it might be useful for people not in the OBA realms but want to avoid long queues in the post office. I have no problem with this and still visit to chat with my local post office staff when I have more free time or signed for packages (which have to be scanned and accepted at a post office).

[@OHNORachiovlogs]

Thank you for your comment lovely! YES, online postage is great isnt it for smaller businesses - thank you for mentioning it! xx

[@bainsk8]

Than you Rachel, great video and really helpful. You made me laugh as I have the receipt problem at the moment, so many to sort out! Will certainly be making the switch. I'm also just up the road from you in Fareham, sending you a wave. :)

[@anamariapopa4891]

Hi Rachel! Lovely video and very helpful! We sell mainly in UK and with Ebay for international orders we use Global Shipping Program. Because we want to move to other platforms and sell more internationally I was hoping if you can please share more info. For international orders you have to attach a CN22 form for customs and duty? Thank you

[@jadens9569]

Thanks for this video. It helped me massively, I was on the verge of losing it with Royal Mail cos my account wouldn’t work on Safari. 😂 I just opened my account so I wasn’t aware you had to keep away from certain browser lol Can’t wait to start using it cos I’m sick and tired of arguing with post office staff what’s large letter or not.

[@mrfookayu]

Hey great vid.. But what about getting more grey bags? If you drop of the 2 you have, how can you get more for next time?

[@laoji6743]

Hi , Royal mail will no longer accept unbarcode label by end of June, how will you sort it in the future?

[@nubear5053]

Hi, great video. Do you now use the click and drop (linked to OIBA) website for label generation? We are just setting up.

[@garycrossan7827]

Hey Rachael. Very helpful video as I've just registered for the OBA, and it's not the most user friendly platform! I've just started selling on Etsy this year (was purely eBay before that) and had a quick question. For some reason a lot of buyers addresses are missing information, like the house number or road name. I don't always pick these up before sending products out, and so items sometimes don't turn up. Do you have a any kind of workaround for this? I think I'm a bit of a soft touch, as I always send out a replacement at my own expense. Wasn't sure if a more seasoned pro could advise on what I should be doing?!?! Congrats on the engagement by the way x

[@OHNORachiovlogs]

Aww thank you for the kind words Gary! I'm super glad you found this little video useful! So I do sometimes, find customers leave incomplete addresses on their orders, which is incredibly irritating! If I notice the issue before I send it, I always drop them a message within Etsy and ask them to confirm that the address is 'complete and correct'. Usually this gives them a chance to rectify the problem and I can post the item out knowing it'll get there now. If I don't spot the issue, because, well - it's often much harder to know with non UK addresses what is a complete address and what isn't, and the item doesnt arrive. My first response to the customer is asking them to confirm whether the address attached to the order is {again} 'complete and correct'. If the answer is no, I politely explain that that's the reason it hasn't arrive and let them know that I'm more than happy to re-send the item as a gesture of good will, but that it's their responsibility to cover the postage costs. Pretty much 100% of the time they're cool with this, and that's what I do! I don't think it should be the small businesses responsibility to absorb the costs when the reason for non delivery is completely down to the customer inputting their data incorrectly! But I always say kill them with kindness, and explain really clearly exactly why it hasn't arrive and what you're going to do :) Hope that helps x

[@garycrossan7827]

Wow! That was a quick response! That is a massive help :) Thank you. I'm glad it's not just me it happens to! Can I ask how you would charge them for the second lot of postage though? I'm quite new to Etsy, so didn't know if there was a way to invoice them again after they had already paid?

[@OHNORachiovlogs]

No probs! Yes I actually message them and request that they make a payment via Paypal - I find it works really well :)

[@garycrossan7827]

You're a star :) Thank you. I shall try to implement that next time it happens. I hope the wedding plans go well. I'm getting married in September too, so I feel for you. There is so much to plan!! But no doubt worth it in the end :)

[@jayjayf9699]

Do your customers for international have to pay customs charges ?

[@olubukolaelizabetholugbodi5189]

Thank you your video is true and very helpful

[@stevebarmore3509]

tell them let's say if you send 150 per week tell them 100 i believe if you send over the agreed amount 100 not 150 you get a discount cos your sending extra + if you are not VAT registerd use a franking mashine

[@OHNORachiovlogs]

Hi Steve, sorry I'm a little confused by your comment? So sorry! I'm not VAT registered...but I don't pay VAT on my OBA items as I'm able to send them using a VAT exempt code?

[@stevebarmore3509]

Never heard of a vat exempt code it costs me £2.62 for a small parcel and £15.00 per month rent on the machine which is divided between how many parcels i send approx 100 per month so every delivery costs £2.77 is your cost for a small parcel is ??

[@severnsea]

@@stevebarmore3509 I know it's a long time ago since your comment was posted but you don't need to be VAT registered. My understanding is that there are two services, BPL which offers £20 compo but is not tracked. The price is around the same as franking for a 2nd class small parcel but there's no VAT. The other service is Royal Mail 24/48 which doesn't include VAT but is cheaper and parcels (not letters) are tracked. With the VAT added it's still around the same price as BPL. We've just signed up for this as it will save on the price of franking machine rental and ink and the postage prices are roughly the same, give or take a few pence.

[@TheNextTorres9]

Im currently setting up my shopify store and understanding the shipping process is so difficult for me. When you send international, why do you not send it with DHL or another courier like that? Every company seems to handle their shipping in a different way and I'm confused.

[@watchvideos2879]

DHL cost much more than Royal Mail

[@mickycalf9268]

Great video, I have literally just signed up but Royal mail want me to buy a really expensive thermal label printer. I already have one actually but the labels are not long enough. Infact my labels look like yours and as I sell on etsy and other platforms that are not supported with the OBA I like the look of the way that you do it, printing the address and the postage separately. so Is there an option to just print the postage without the address? I haven't got as far as ordering anything yet! cheers x

[@OHNORachiovlogs]

Thanks Micky! Royal Mail tried to get me to buy a stupid thermal printer too but there really is no need. I print the address labels using my Dymo & then get my HQ number PPI labels printed in rolls of 1000 from ppi-labels.co.uk which makes life SO easy. I know that you can also just get a self inking stamp made up for each of the necessary labels {I order 2 types: UK1st, UK 2nd & International}. Which I image works out even cheaper! Hope that helps! x

[@onlykidsallowed1598]

Hi. Need little help please. I sell on ebay and want to open an account with OBA, where can I find the account and poster number? Thanks

[@chrissieslack5299]

I have just got a account this is very good demo... I am just being thick how do you print the pre paid labels for uk and international

[@toptechrated]

Thank you

[@Antoinette542]

Thanks for the tip .🤗

[@zannatul23]

hey! thank you, that was very useful. Quick question, where can I get the 2nd class stamps and packaging from? 10:55

[@AT-ww6pj]

I think thats a franking machine, i called up royal mail now and they said you have to use a thermal printer for click and drop

[@PicFinder-ai]

How do you handle return labels?

[@mullenio4200]

Thanks for the video. Don't take this the wrong way, but for a moment, I thought you had a Snapchat filter on your video as you have large and animated eyes. 😁

[@yingsiu2271]

Is there anyone know how to get proof of posting via using OBA?

[@jayjayf9699]

I’m confused on how to do shipping so I stumbled across your video

[@konczita86]

Hi can I just ask a daft question? I'm about to use it. I have OBA account set up. But I can't see how to print the delivery address... ! Do I do it through OBA or Click and Drop? (I'm going to drop all parcels off to post office). Thank you!!!

[@TheLifeOfGary]

Did you figure this out? I have just got my OBA account and trying to work this out now as well? thanks

[@martamichalak7461]

@@TheLifeOfGary I did everything through Click and Drop.

[@D0CBEE]

This system is confusing the hell out of me! My account has just been activated today, but they have told me to use click and drop with my OBA. Your OBA screen looks very different to mine and you are not using click and drop. Seems to be way too over complicated compared to Parcel2Go or other similar services.

[@KatyMackernessYouthfluencer]

King Skins I hope after a year you are better at it! I’ve registered last week and it’s so confusing!

[@webapptech2345]

Hi Rachio, Thanks for your helpful video. I am about to registered with Royal mail for OBA acc. I have couple of issues to clarify. It would be great if you could reply me. I have my company registered with ebay and FB to sell product and my wife has company registered with amazon acc. I am about to open an OBA acc with my company details. Now I want to use OBA acc to post all parcel from my ebay and FB accout and from my wife's amazon account. Do you think I can do that? OBA account giving me a certain credit amount for monthly use, If I cannot spend full credit on each month does royal mail will still charge me for full credit amount? Or If I need more credit to spend than how OBA account giving me more credit? I will be very glad if could manage your few time to reply me pleaseee.

[@christopherhirst5902]

great video. also ur voice is the same as dr sara kayat from 'This Morning'

[@jimmyjames5410]

You did it wrong, the large letters are meant to be all as an average. You dont need to put 1 over 100

[@severnsea]

Your "having a little chat" was taking up a lot of my time too, waiting in the queue behind you. so much so that I had to pull my order cut off time forward two hours so that I could go to the P.O. when it was a little quieter which may be costing me sales. OK not you personally but it's a common problem and I wish people wouldn't do it when others are waiting. It's very frustrating if you're busy. That aside, I appreciate the video as we'll be switching to the same service and yes, RM's videos are naff. Nothing like 150 a week needed, the emails I've got back from RM say 1000 a year, which is under 20 a week. I do believe they have lowered the limit though, it used to be 5000 items when I first enquired a few years ago. They didn't credit check me either because I have the worst credit rating mankind has ever seen. You're right, it's very clunky. We do use a range of services and it would help if they tagged the relevant codes onto the price charts so you know exactly which is which. Savings vary but it's about 18p a letter on standard 2nd class letter which, if you send 100 a week as we do it's a very significant saving - we reckon around £100 a month. Prices are similar to franking but without the cost of the machine and ink which probably costs us around £40 a month, so in total we'll save £140 a month. That's a lot for a small family business.

[@donnayule121]

Hello my name is Donna

[@gordonsmith7354]

bit waafly and long winded, but in the end, (last 10 minutes) told me what I wanted to know.

[@ianrarity2872]

Data protection breach... You have ALL your customer's address details on display. I wouldn't be happy for my name / address to be shown to the whole of KZbin! There's fines for this.