The “to Prep” flow
Shipping-label orders come to you as label files in a shared Google Drive folder:
- Las Vegas team works the “to Prep” folder.
- Alton team works the “Alton IL” folder.
The daily flow
- Find your labels in your folder. Each file is one shipment (sometimes 1 of 2 boxes — see the filename).
- Read the filename first — it tells you the product, grade, customer phone, platform, order #, and tracking # (anatomy below).
- Pick the right unit. Match model and grade exactly (A+ vs GU vs fixup). When a unit is downgraded at inspection, the filename note will say so (example: “[was A+]”).
- Pack it right: correct unit, all listed accessories, padding on glass/acrylic parts, FEP note for resin units (see Customers page). Use the weight and box size from the Pricing sheet — never guess a weight.
- Print the label at 4×6 and put it on the box. Check the name, address, and warehouse one more time before it goes out.
- Move the file to your “Done by <your name>” folder. That move is how your work is counted — a finished order that is not in your Done folder did not happen.
- Finish the loop (checklist below) the same day.
Never touch these folders for daily counts: “Archived” and “Warranty (done)” are not part of the daily prep flow. Warranty work goes to “Warranty (done)” only when the returns process says so (see Returns & Repairs).
How to read a label filename
Our filenames follow one strict formula — never invent your own format. Reading left to right:
[FLAG] [QTY] [TYPE] [GRADE] CODE [NOTE] (PHONE) PLATFORM ORDER# TRACKING# [LOCATION]
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
[FLAG] | Special status only, e.g. [cancel and refund], [out of stock], [negotiated]. Flags show the current status — if a flag no longer matches reality, flag it for review instead of shipping on it. |
QTY | Blank = 1 unit. 2x = 2 units in one box. 1x with 1of2 / 2of2 = split shipment — each box has its own tracking #. |
TYPE | Blank for normal sales. parts, supplies, Warranty TECH, Exchange TECH, RTN TECH for service work. |
CODE | Product code with the grade baked in: S4U+ = Saturn 4 Ultra A+, S4U_GU = Good Used, S4U-[fixup] = fixer-upper. One exception: Jupiter SE GU is just Jupiter_SE (no _GU). |
[NOTE] | Attention flags: [no combo], [add 1kg gift], [bad LCD only]. Read it before you pack — it changes what goes in the box. |
(PHONE) | Customer phone — used for the customer contact record. |
PLATFORM ORDER# | eBay = EB 12-34567-89101 · Shopify = Shopify NV3340 · Etsy = Etsy 4187043190 · Mercari = order number only. |
TRACKING# | USPS starts with 94… (22 digits). FedEx is 12 digits. |
LOCATION | NV = ships from Las Vegas, IL = ships from Alton. |
Example: S4U_GU (7025551234) EB 12-34567-89101 9434636208192282131 NV = a Good Used Saturn 4 Ultra, eBay order, shipping from Vegas.
Do: if a filename and the order disagree (wrong model, wrong grade, address mismatch), stop and ask. The filename is a claim — the order is the truth.
Don't: rename label files on your own. Renames need a review first, because customer contact records mirror the filename exactly.
The 5-step fulfillment checklist — every paid order, every platform
- Label saved to the Archived Drive folder with the correct spec filename.
- Tracking written back to the source order (eBay / Shopify / Etsy / etc.).
- Customer notified on the marketplace's own channel.
- Tracking text sent on the 702 line using the standard template (copy it from Customers & Messages — word for word, including its spelling).
- Customer contact filled in (Quo): real name — never a bare phone number — plus label filename (Company), tracking link, order #, address, “Prepped by”, ship date, done date.
An order is not finished when the box leaves. It is finished when all five steps are done.
Weights and box sizes
- Source of truth: the “Pricing” spreadsheet, “3D printers” tab — columns “Weight - LBS” and “Shipping Size”. Look it up; never guess a weight or a size for a label or a quote.
- 20 lb USPS parcels are always the 6×5×10 in box (entered as 10×6×5). See Shipping Rules — this one is a hard rule.
- Find a gap or a wrong number in the sheet? Report it — gaps get filled from the listing itself, not from memory.
Quick quiz
1. A label file is still in “to Prep” but the box already left. What is missing?
The file must be moved to your “Done by …” folder, and the 5-step checklist completed (tracking written back, customer notified, text sent, contact filled). Unmoved = uncounted and unfinished.
2. The filename says Nep4Max_GU but the shelf unit is a Neptune 4 Pro. Ship it?
No. Model and grade must match the filename/order exactly. Stop and ask.
3. What does [cancel and refund] at the start of a filename mean for you?
Do not ship it. That order was canceled/refunded — the label is dead. See canceled-label cleanup in Shipping Rules.
4. Yellow tape on a box — what do you write in the inventory notes?
That the unit was repackaged in Nevada (Las Vegas).