Shipping in eBay

There's a good reason to do exactly as you say, and then there is also a good reason to not do so.

I also sell on Ebay. I am a full time professional who does NOT have ready access to UPS, the USPS, or to free boxes excepting the post office. My time truly is at a premium! I am actually sacrificing time

away from my job, kids, wife, etc. to mail this package to another person. I am also incruing costs from packaging materials including bubble wrap, shredded paper, styrofoam pellets, and most importan- tly the packaging tape.

Granted, I never charge more than $2 per package myself for handling fees. I honestly feel that anything below $2 is justifiable because of the time that I'm removing from my life to do this. I get paid apx. $20 per hour to do my job. I feel that you're getting a bargain when I use my materials to securely pack a model in a box so that it won't be damaged, wrap it, and then deliver it to a usps station as well as wait in line for the idiot who doesn't know what flavor of stamps to buy.

I've basically wasted about $20 doing this job and am only going to get $2 in return over the price paid for the model. You should be hap- py inthis particular case. what goes on for other sellers I can't say. Many of them choose to have 'flat' fees so that no one pays too ungodly much for something, while others have it set in other ways. They are their own conscience. I do not presume to tell the manager at the local corner mart what prioces to set, I simply choose not to buy from him if the price is too high. Eventually sellers who's shipping rates are too high will get the clue.

Sending these people notes will only serve to infuriate them and the same people will drop their 'shipping' rates and raise their prices. And if it's a difficult kit to find, then it is us, the buyers, who lose out.

I suggest, just don't buy their stuff.

Don't send notes, emails, etc. en masse. Maybe negotiate with them on a private basis, but don't encourage them to keep their rates up.

They want to make $$$ ???????????? Face it, you are sending the note to pester them. You disagree with their practice (s) and dont like it, and are trying to make a statement.

No, you will just eliminate buyers like yourself, and the seller (s) can now do business with more interested parties. ie; people who are more willing than you to part with their own $$$

And there's the problem. You go to eBay looking for a deal, the sellers go to get as much as they can. You seem to have a problem with sellers making $$ any way they can.

if you're interested.

Now that you mentioned it No.................

But I wish you the best of luck on eBay. You seem to need it,

PS; Learn to snipe :)

AM

I believe Ebay fees are not charged on postage so that explains a lot of low prices and high P&P.

eBay prohibits avoiding paying their fees by having ultra-low prices and exceptinally high shipping/handling fees. See

for details. That said, there is, as someone said earlier, more to shipping costs than just the postage. Boxes, tape, styrofoam peanuts and time to put it all together and the time lost standing in line at the Post Office, the UPS store, etc.

If I think those costs are out of line -- like someone charging $15.95 to ship a 6 ounce model kit via Priority Mail, I just don't do business with them. A giveaway is when the item starts out at $0.01. If the shipping charges aren't listed in the ad, then ask the seller. I've never ran across a reputable seller who won't tell you what the shipping charges are and what's included for the money. You can also check the seller's feed back; even with eBay's new "feedback private" option, you can see the numbers but you can't see the details so be careful.

Postage is charged by zone on Priority Mail parcels weighing more than a pound.

Unless it fits in a Flat Rate Box. :)

I inquired to a guy the other day regarding a small item...something that could probably ship First Class for less than $2. He wanted $6 for "the 48 states" via Priority Mail. Ok, fair enough, I'll pay him a bit extra for his service and reduce my bid accordingly. But, since I'm in Puerto Rico (outside the 48 states) I am obliged to clear up shipping questions regarding my location in advance. He quotes me $8 to my location! From his location (South Carolina) to me is CHEAPER than his shipping to California! This happens repeatedly and when it does I just forget it and move on. Many folks just make up their own padded rate charts on the fly based on their presumption of how much things cost mixed with a general lack of geographical knowledge. There's too many good sellers out there to waste time with people that you know will be 'difficult' later should a problem arise.

-Bill

Sorry but I respectfully disagree with the method you use to justify a handling fee. It almst sounds like you are 'sacrificing' yourself so you can sell a few items to us rubes out here, like you are doing us a favor or something. I find that extremely condescending.

Christ, I should charge you $20 for just reading this hogwash you are spewing! And $10 more to reply to it. John

I look at the cost of the item, plus the S&H charge and the cost of a stamp and a MO if used. Add it all together and if the total is withinthe range I'm willing to pay for the item than thats cool. If not then I pass. John

True, but most of the models I ship will go for a lot less than $7.70 via Priority Mail. Still, the flat rate boxes are a good deal for anything unusually heavy that will fit in them.

Then don't bid. The guy is right. Getting boxes, buying packing material, making trips to the post office all eats up a significant amount of time and yes, money as well. I can't handle whiners who think they are owed a "better" "shipping charge" then what they see on seomone's eBay auction. Especially if they win the auction then bitch about wanting a cheaper rate then what is clearly posted on the auction. If the charge is clearly explained and posted, either accept it or pass on it. No one twists your arm. That's Capitolism at it's finest. End of story.

T.B.

Stephen Tontoni wrote in news:tontoni- snipped-for-privacy@comcast.dca.giganews.com:

Ow! The Rapide, though an intersting kit isn't worth $15 by itself, never mind $15 shipping plus the cost. I paid $10 for mine, but I'm really cheap.

Frank

You have to weigh everything carefully. I paid $20.00 P&H for a $0.01 DVD of a movie that SWMBO was looking for for a long time. If I could have found it at the local Media Play (never in stock but they would special order it) I would have wound up paying around $45.00. That time it was worth it.

Know what? I put up a suggestion here regarding shipping on ebay. I didn't do that in order to persuade anyone of anything. Simply if one agrees that there are sellers out there who are gouging on shipping, then I'm suggesting that we complain to the sellers who do it.

If you have no such complaints, or are a seller who gouges on shipping yourself, then read no further. This is not for you. Arguing and insulting each other here will not serve to change anyone's mind and I have no such delusions.

I have said my piece.

--- Tontoni

i like the "averagers". on guy told me the average package he sent out was 5 lbs, so he charged a "flat rate" of $20 to everyone. i asked if he "averaged" in a 10 pound pacjage for $20 and he said, oh no, i have to charge for the extra weight. i asked if he still charged $20 for a 1/2 pound pacjage and he said, well. it "averages" out in the long run. when i suggested he was "averaging" out his wallet and was a crook, he got offended. so i blocked him and he complained. ebay left the block so he neither buys nor sells to me.

*IF* the charge is clearly stated ahead of time then I agree. However that's not what was being discussed, it was one person justifying why he charges so much and explaining to us that the poor baby(him) was taking away from his family time to do us all a favor by selling us his items. Oh the excruciating pain of boxing up an item and mailing it. If it's such a tough thing to do then perhaps he shouldn't see stuff. He makes it sound like we should burn offerings to him and drink a virgins blood or something. Bullshit! John

Uhh, he doesn't charge much. $2.00?

Don't buy from him. Nor me. And while you're at it, get over yourself.

E.P.

In the process you also posted a falsehood or two and got vcalled on them. Deal with it.

Thank you for the encouragement; I think I'm dealing quite nicely with it. I do appreciate the concern though.

That's a little off the point of my last group posting... which was to say that if you feel that a seller is charging excessive posting, you can tell the seller you think it is. That's what I do. That's all.

I don't think there's a lot of discussion around that, to be honest. It's one of those "if you agree" ideas rather than a "you should think this" idea.

--- Tontoni

Well, here are my thoughts, if anyone cares...

Sending out emails complaining to sellers is pointless and a bit weird considering the circumstances.

There ARE plenty of people on Ebay who abuse the system and play infuriating games with S&H. Yet this is nothing new, it's been going on for decades in every selling medium. Might as well complain about human nature, some people will be like that.

This cuts both ways though as sellers will readily attest to, there are plenty of rotten buyers who think they deserve things that they simply don't (or are complete morons). I read the feedback left for sellers before bidding and often see negs for idiotic reasons from buyers who obviously didn't read the description and seem determined to bitch about anything. Often it seems the buyer is annoyed that they had to pay anything at all!

Yet still, this whole issue of overcharging for S&H can't simply be swept under the rug or rationalized- because it corrupts the whole system.

I purchase a lot of items from Ebay and some of the deceptive practices used are downright insulting. It might be the status quo, but that doesn't mean it is the way things should be. When the S&H gets to a certain point it destroys the trust factor (killing the goose). This isn't an issue of principals, it's Caveat Emptor, but let's not forget that the buyer is less protected than the seller is.

The seller has the money and the buyer has only faith in the buyer.