What to do when a eBay seller overcharges S&H for classi

[flywheels]

I won 4 loose NES games today (Gradius, Lifeforce, RC Pro-Am, Code Name: Viper). The seller's fine print said $5 flat rate shipping within the US. I won all for auctions for $.99 each. Got the invoice from the seller a bit later and it was almost $20! The seller claims that the first item is $5 and the others are $2.50 each...this after I e-mailed the seller complaining about the shipping overcharges.

He told me that if he doesn't charge these amounts he's losing money. These charges supposedly cover tape, boxes and such. He then went on to tell me that he only uses USPS Priority mail and that my package weighs 2 lbs. Well the boxes are free and you can even use the post office's FREE Priority tape and the boxes are FREE as well. I think this seller is just pissed that his auctions didn't close for a higher amount. He is relatively new to eBay (around 55 feedback rating, but all 100%) so I'm not sure what is up w/ this person and their crazy shipping practices.

Anyone, what should I do. Swallow my pride and pay the inflated shipping amount? Refuse to pay and suffer my first negative feedback in years and possibly face penalties from eBay? I know eBay doesn't usually interfer when it comes to disputes such as this so I stand at a crossroad not know which path to take. I really want the games, but I hate to give in to this cheat!

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[imanerd0011]

He is charging you $10 to ship 4 NES carts ? That is definatley too expensive. I would reason with him... tell him you are willing to pay $6.50, and that's it. It shouldn't cost anywhere near that. If he has 100% feedback, he too will probabley be nervous that you will give him a neg.

[charitycasegreg]

yeah $13 for shipping for that is rediculous. I always complain when they overcharge. And it has always worked. Just tell him that the games he sold ended at a buck each because they are only worth that and that shipping should only cost maybe $7 at the very most... though it will probably cost only about $4. I sent a 2 lb package a couple days ago that only cost 3.85 priority mail.

[Flack]

They were four separate auctions. Did the bidder say he would combine shipping? If not, he's doing you a favor.

[Hovoc]

They were four separate auctions. Did the bidder say he would combine shipping? If not, he's doing you a favor.


if they are 4 different auctions, i could understand the shipping chardes, but if 4 games fit in 1 box, i fail to see the point

[Zing]

My Ebay policy is the exact same as your seller's. If a buyer wins multiple auctions, I charge full price for the highest shipping amount, then half of each additional item. Understand that shipping is not the only cost for listing on Ebay. There are Ebay fees, packaging costs, and almost always Paypal fees. Even the cheapest auction will cost me at least $1.50 in fees. The fees quickly go up depending on the ending price. I am aware that most people factor in shipping costs when deciding how much to bid. I just need assurance that I will not end up losing money by selling my items.

Charging $2.50 for each additional game is in no way overcharging. Also, $3.50 per NES cart is a very good deal.

[petewhitley]

You should have read the auction. Pay the fees or you're at fault.

[Hovoc]

I just need assurance that I will not end up losing money by selling my items.




then dont sell on ebay.


you cant be happy that you get a great find for an even betterprice and at teh same time be upset that you sold something for way under what it should go for.

if you dont want to loose money on an auction, then start off with a higher starting price or use reserves, no need to pad your shipping costs so you make money, imagine how youd feel if companies could increase sales tax on days they are having a buy one get one free sale x_x

[Flack]

I just need assurance that I will not end up losing money by selling my items.




then dont sell on ebay.


you cant be happy that you get a great find for an even betterprice and at teh same time be upset that you sold something for way under what it should go for.

if you dont want to loose money on an auction, then start off with a higher starting price or use reserves, no need to pad your shipping costs so you make money, imagine how youd feel if companies could increase sales tax on days they are having a buy one get one free sale x_x

If they posted that policy in the store window, and I shopped there that day, I'd expect to pay it. If it pissed me off, I wouldn't shop there.

[kevincure]

I know we've discussed this a million times here, but yes, it's wrong to extort on shipping. The shipping component covers packaging + post, that's it. Nothing more.

Why does it matter if the seller is upfront? Because it's not fair to other sellers. When a buyer scans prices on an ebay search, he only sees the auction value, not the shipping fee. Those ripping people off get more views and more sales. It's unfair to ebay, who is quite specific in calling this unfair (fee avoidance). Their own business is damaged by exorbinant ship costs from sellers (an analogy is a restaurant that charges 5% extra on credit card payments - the cards don't allow this because, if it became common, people would stop using credit cards). Of course it's unfair to the buyer, who often doesn't read all the fine print, and who expects no fee avoidance seeing as it's an ebay policy.

In this case, the buyer should pay. But to the sellers who think this is OK: Your justifications are wrong. You're unfairly ripping off your buyers.

[Daria]

Try to reason with him. Couldn't hurt, if he negs you so what? Bad feedback is more likely to hurt a seller then a buyer.

That said don't use ebay for common games, not worth the shipping.

[pixelsnpolygons]

Tough situation. It is what I hate about eBay - I sometimes wish that the shipping charges could somehow be calculated by a third party that would also make sure people were getting a fair rate. eBay has turned into a place where people find any old shit they can, sell it for $0.01 and then charge you $20 to ship it - even if it is a pen. Why some fat ass loser with nothing better to do hasn't started a lawsuit is beyond me - in a country where you can sue and win for anything, this is a multi-billion dollar suit waiting to happen.

But anyway that is just BS - I'd at least approach him about it, if he doesn't budge, weigh the cost of a negative feedback with not having to pay that. One way or another, make sure he gives you a feedback first and leave him at least a neutral for his crappy business practices.

[max 330 mega]

i really wouldn't wanna do this, but if i was in this situation, i dont think i could bring myself to pay that ridiculous shipping, id take the negative.

[Hovoc]

i really wouldn't wanna do this, but if i was in this situation, i dont think i could bring myself to pay that ridiculous shipping, id take the negative.


yeah like daria said, itll hurt him more than you

[petewhitley]

I know we've discussed this a million times here, but yes, it's wrong to extort on shipping. The shipping component covers packaging + post, that's it. Nothing more ... In this case, the buyer should pay. But to the sellers who think this is OK: Your justifications are wrong. You're unfairly ripping off your buyers.

What you are advocating goes against what has been determined to be fair and legal business practice for years and years, far before eBay was a glimmer in a collector's eye. Yes, we've gone over this a million times; it's still business as usual. Shipping & Handling includes fees over "packaging + post". Extort? Gimme a break.

Moreover, what do all you shipping and handling cheapskates think of a business such as Mailboxes Etc., that packages and posts items for *gasp* a profit? What about Fed Ex, UPS, etc? Do you boycott these for profit companies?

[Iron Draggon]

Well frankly, I think that most people here are just too goddamn cheap to even be collectors, nobody around here wants to pay a dime for anything. If you just want to complain about the high cost of buying stuff on ebay, then stay the hell off of ebay and stick to places like flea markets and resale shops.

Otherwise, you get what you deserve and have no right to complain about other people's business models. As mentioned here previously, there is far more expense involved in selling on ebay than just shipping and handling alone, and this is hardly a case of true shipping extortion fees in this case.

You bid on all the items, you won all the items, and the seller is discounting the shipping on all but one of the items. I'd say that he's being fair enough, but if you must press the issue any further then I would only have the balls to ask if he'd at least discount the shipping on the first item as well, but if his listings clearly state his policies, then you're really just being a cheap bastard.

Sorry to be so rude, but I'm really losing my patience with all the whining cheapskates here who think that everything on ebay should be priced as though it was found at the Salvation Army in a box marked "all items in this box FREE to classic gamers because they're too damn CHEAP to buy them"

Funny how so many people here are more than happy to accept WAY more than what a game is worth as payment on ebay, but turn right around and BITCH about what a game is costing them to make a payment for it on ebay.

Honestly, if you can't afford to play on ebay, then just don't go there, but for God's sake please stop whining about it here, because it's driving the rest of us who can afford it or at least be big enough to swallow all our pride and pay the necessary extortion fees to get whatever we want absolutely nuts.

BTW, if you know that you won all those games for alot less than they're actually worth, then you're just being even more of an asshole about it. Pay the seller, count your blessings, and shut the hell up, you got a good deal.

[scorch56]

What Iron Draggon says.. absolutely.. positively agree. Ditto.. 100%. Long before I even joined the DP forum.. I was a SegaXtreme member and most of the 'kids" on that board are the same way too. I've seen them try and haggle and bitch over a $.50 difference in shipping before to the point of where it becomes maddening.

Example: (fictitous; but it happens all the time like this)

Some guy goes on the board and wants to sell his Genesis console for $5 (a bargain); he also states that shipping anywhere in the U.S will be around $7. For the next two weeks you've got people bitching and criticizing him for his S&H and some even have the gall enough to ask him if he can send it parcel or media mail and save a lousy dollar.. amazing.

As I recall.. the USPS will ship up to a 1 pound package for $3.85. Parcel post for a pound might be about a buck cheaper. Pay a buck more and get your item in 2-3 days or wait two weeks and save four quarters.. sheesh.

[flywheels]

Look people, I'm not whining or crying over this matter and I'm not a cheapskate...but I'm not stupid either. It pisses me off so much when seller's try to make the buyer's pay all of their expenses such as PayPal fees and the eBay fees. Hello people, that is the cost of doing business and you take it out of your income.

This particular seller is lying to me. I've sent him several e-mails trying to work out this matter in a civil manner and he refuses to budge. He told me that it clearly stated that in the fine print it lists $2.50 per item after the first...which it doesn't! Look yourself, tell me if I'm blind and I don't see where he says $2.50 an item thereafter.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=8151776234&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

I'll admit, I ran across these 4 seperate auctions with about 4 mintues to go so I had to make up my mind fast whether to bid or not. I read the shipping info and it clearly said reduced shipping w/ multiple purchases. Maybe I was wrong to assume that he would ship all 4 games together at once...but in my 6+ years on eBay buying and selling I've never ran into a jerkhole like this fella. He's trying to compensate for a low selling price on eBay by jacking up shipping. He told me that as a fellow eBay seller I should understand about not wanting to lose money. Sure, nobody wants to lose money when selling something on eBay...but that is the risk you take when you either start your auctions out cheap or don't use a Reserve price. I can't tell you how much this burns me up!

And this whole handling crap also bugs me. I know it takes time to drop these items off @ the post office so I don't mind paying an extra buck or two, but to charge me $15 in postage for something coming in a FREE USPS Priority box that weighs 2 lbs. is absolutely freakin' crazy. In one of his e-mails to me he gave me his ZIP code and told me the box weighed 2 lbs. and they he'd be shipping via USPS. I'm not an idiot, I checked the post office's website and I know that shipping isn't that much. Why on earth would he expect me not to be upset when he's overcharging me? I hate getting a package in the mail and see that the postage charged was way under what I actually paid...filthy crooks.

So now I'm faced w/ either giving in to this jerk and paying the overpriced shipping or facing negative feedback and non-paying bidder notices from eBay times 4. I've got a positive 1300+ feedback rating that is pretty tarnish free so I hate to get a blemish over something like this. Then again, I feel like the majority of people feel the same as I over shipping practices such as this so in the end I don't think the negative feedback would effect me as much the seller thinks so.

[Flack]

I'm still not sure what the negative feedback would be for? The guy says he will reduce shipping on multiple auctions, which he did. If you wanted to know how much it was going to be reduced, you should have e-mailed first. If I were the seller I would be POed!

[kainemaxwell]

Flywheels, if it'll make you feel better always add him to our eBay black list if you really want:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4961&start=150

[goatdan]

My Ebay policy is the exact same as your seller's. If a buyer wins multiple auctions, I charge full price for the highest shipping amount, then half of each additional item. Understand that shipping is not the only cost for listing on Ebay. There are Ebay fees, packaging costs, and almost always Paypal fees. Even the cheapest auction will cost me at least $1.50 in fees. The fees quickly go up depending on the ending price. I am aware that most people factor in shipping costs when deciding how much to bid. I just need assurance that I will not end up losing money by selling my items.

If you have a policy about it, that is fair... however, reading your post you are committing fee avoidance, which is illegal under the ebay rules. You can not cover eBay or PayPal fees with your shipping. That is not fair in any way and is fee avoidance.

Unfortunately, if your seller doesn't be so bold as to state that he is charging extra in shipping to cover eBay and PayPal fees, there isn't anything you can do. Reading through the auction, the weirdest part about the seller is that he charges $2.00 on any money order or cashier's check that is sent. Not just is that wrong, I'm pretty sure that is banned by eBay rule. You cannot charge the extra 5% for PayPal or Credit Cards, and if you do you are banned from eBay.

Honestly, I would suggest finding an online vendor that you trust for most of your game purchases. They can be a little higher in price, but you know that they will not rip you off and for the most part that you're supporting people in the hobby. There are lots of great online video game stores. To name a few that I've used:

- Good Deal Games ( http://www.gooddealgames.com/ )
- Lik-Sang ( http://www.lik-sang.com/ )
- Pack Rat Video Games ( http://www.packratvg.com/ )
- WarpZone Video Games ( http://www.warpzonevideogames.com/ )

Just for reference, I checked how much shipping would be for four NES games from my own Web site and it came to $4.20. And we charge a 25 cent handling fee, so that means shipping should come to $3.95 via Priority Mail. But, as others have already mentioned, you probably shouldn't do anything this time and just pay the money... Except I think your seller's math is off:

Four games at .99 = 3.96
First game shipping = 5.00
Next three games at 2.50 = 7.50
-------------------
Total = 16.46

That seems to be what you should pay, and if that's the case I would think it wasn't a bad deal -- you got four good games for about $4.00 apiece. Through the vendors, you'll be paying a lot less in shipping, but a more for the games. I think that through one of them, it would've come out to about $20.00. But I'll keep using them -- people I trust + supporting people in the hobby + getting a game that I can trust the condition of = better way to spend my money.

[Quintracker]

The only thing that caught my eye about the auction page was "Shipping and Handling rates are non-negotiable." That pretty much makes the whole argument pointless. I do agree that it's a tad on the expensive side, but I'm surprised in over 1300 transactions you've never run into something this bad before. Consider yourself lucky! :)

[flywheels]

I love the fact that the seller is now blaming eBay for not putting in the line about the extra $2.50 per game after then initial $5 shipping charge!

I got the seller to finally come down to $10 shipping for all 4 games. Still too much in my opinion, but it isn't going to get any better.

Live and learn I guess...

[Raedon]

I'm so glad I got into collecting carts before it became a known hobby.

[jetset516]

Offer him no more than $5-$6 for shipping. Ebay has a policy against excessive shipping. If he refuses then don't pay for the auction(s). This garbage that "you should have read the auction..." is a lame point of reasoning to accept that you should be ripped off. Ebay is not a business. It's an online yard sale.
Bottom line, dont let him rob you. If you need to take a sucker punch in the form of a retaliatory neg then do so. This guy needs to be negged.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Offer him no more than $5-$6 for shipping. Ebay has a policy against excessive shipping. If he refuses then don't pay for the auction(s). This garbage that "you should have read the auction..." is a lame point of reasoning to accept that you should be ripped off. Ebay is not a business. It's an online yard sale.
Bottom line, dont let him rob you. If you need to take a sucker punch in the form of a retaliatory neg then do so. This guy needs to be negged.

So true, I just had an issue with one game just now. I bought the game on Nov 20th. Wanted $2.50 for First Class. Seems fair. Yet she sends it Media Mail...$1.42....I just got it today Dec. 4th.

A week ago, I asked her when did she ship the game, she claims Nov. 22nd. The package says Nov 24th

Lie to me once, shame on you....lie to me twice...shame on me for dealing with an idiot.

15 days later...it finally arrived....biggest mistake was taping the cartridge to the instruction booklet. Which has now damaged the manual.

[charitycasegreg]

Well if you dont want to pay that much for shipping, and he won't budge, either pay that much for the items, or tell him you cannot pay that much for them because you didn't think he would charge you that much on shipping and that you would pay the fees he is left with and he can relist them again. Then wait to see if he gives you feedback, if he doesnt give you feedback, don't give him any, if he gives you feedback, feedback him accordingly.

[Cmosfm]

You know, I sell a lot of stuff on eBay in bulk sometimes, and if it's a small media item than I usually charge 2.99 per first item, 1.99 per additional item.

Lots of times my items end at .01, sometimes .99, but you have 4 carts that ended at .99 each.

.99 x 4 = 3.96 - Ending price of carts

Then the seller had to pay to list each one, which if he used a gallery pic like most people, it was .50 per item.

.50 x 4 = 2.00 - Listing Fee

3.96 - 2.00 = 1.96

Then the seller had to pay a total value fee, which is 5.25% of the total ending price per item, about 5 cents per item.

2.00 - .20 = 1.80

So currently the seller has made 1.80 off of 4 games. He charges you 5.00 for the first item and 2.50 per additional item. Total is 12.50 for shipping alone.

1.80 + 12.50 = 14.30

The seller ships the items Priority Mail at 3.85

14.30 - 3.85 = 10.45

Now we can factor in the sellers packaging costs (most people dont use the free packaging at the post office, sorry), Time (Getting packaging, packing it up, standing in post office lines, etc etc), Gas (2.00+ a gallon! Hope he lives next door to the Post Office), Paypal Fees (if applicable - which probably are), etc. etc.

But say we forget about all those necessary and undeterminable costs and focus on what he actually MADE off of these items, 10.45

10.45 divided by 4 = 2.61

2.61 a game is what the seller is ACTUALLY making, wow....I pay 3.00 per game at thrift stores and pawn shops and most of those suck, and you're getting some damn good games there.

My views are as both a seller AND a buyer on eBay, eBay isn't a magical place where you can get anything you want for free, it's a place where people just like me and you are trying to make a little bit of money...this seller made almost nothing.

Pay the total cost, be happy that you got some good games at approximately 5.00 each shipped, and next time read the auction thoroughly, if you don't agree with the terms than don't bid.

Simple as that! :D

[Zing]

(an analogy is a restaurant that charges 5% extra on credit card payments - the cards don't allow this because, if it became common, people would stop using credit cards).

It is regular and accepted practice for dozens of computer stores near me to charge 3% for payment with a credit card. Credit card companies don't necessarily disallow the practice. It is usually state law.


reading your post you are committing fee avoidance, which is illegal under the ebay rules. You can not cover eBay or PayPal fees with your shipping. That is not fair in any way and is fee avoidance.

This does not fall under "fee avoidance". The rule you are thinking of is concerning "payment surcharges". This rule states that you cannot add on surcharges for buyers that use a particular form of payment.

Ebay says: "Sellers may charge a reasonable shipping and handling fee to the final price of their item, providing that this fee is disclosed in the listing."

I have never been able to "make money" off of shipping charges. I almost always end up partially paying out of pocket for shipping, especially on high priced items which end up having relatively high ebay fees.

[mr_jiggles_13]

actuaally boxes and tape are'nt free. they are both quite expensive at USPS

[Ed Oscuro]

Building on what Mr. Jiggles wrote...

I recently sent off a single SMS game to a DP goer, I got paid $6.85...after paying for a bubble mailer at the PO (none of the old ones I had lying around fit an SMS game, surprisingly), which was something like $1.30, and then paying for media mail, I must've made under $3 on that game. Sad.

[petewhitley]

Building on what Mr. Jiggles wrote...

I recently sent off a single SMS game to a DP goer, I got paid $6.85...after paying for a bubble mailer at the PO (none of the old ones I had lying around fit an SMS game, surprisingly), which was something like $1.30, and then paying for media mail, I must've made under $3 on that game. Sad.

Building on the whole idea of small expenses adding up, my nearest post office is a 10-mile round-trip from my home. It is NOT somewhere I pass by on a daily basis. At current gas prices and the 20mpg I get in-city, it costs me a very real and literal $1 in gas alone to ship an item (I'm not a huge seller, and often make dedicated trips for shipping).

[DynastyLawyer]

Cry about it.

So obvious, I can't believe it took 32 posters to reach this conclusion.

[kevincure]

If you live far from a PO, you can a) have Priority boxes/tape delivered to you at no cost (order at the USPS site), b) print off packing labels from Paypal at no cost, c) drop your packages off in a local mailbox (or in your mailbox as outgoing mail, flag up, as I remember doing when I was younger and lived in the boonies).

And Zing, you're wrong on this one. Both MC and Visa (and I'd imagine the other major CC companies) don't allow merchants to charge surcharges, and often levy large fines if they do. I'm studying Intl. Economics, and this issue has come up, but a quick search on google pulls up ( http://www.phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=456 ), for instance, if you want to check for yourself. The stores that charge the surcharge are not only harming their own business by causing cardholders to shop elsewhere, but are risking losing the ability to take CC's altogether.

[surrogate]

You should pay as long as the seller has abided by what is stated in the listings. It looks to me like it is stated very clearly in the auctions.

-Shipping and Handling rates are non-negotiable.

-Save up to $2.50 shipping for each additional item.

You obviously felt that each game was worth $5.99 as there was no guarantee you would win any or all of them.

[goatdan]

reading your post you are committing fee avoidance, which is illegal under the ebay rules. You can not cover eBay or PayPal fees with your shipping. That is not fair in any way and is fee avoidance.

This does not fall under "fee avoidance". The rule you are thinking of is concerning "payment surcharges". This rule states that you cannot add on surcharges for buyers that use a particular form of payment.

No, I'm thinking of fee avoidance...


Ebay says: "Sellers may charge a reasonable shipping and handling fee to the final price of their item, providing that this fee is disclosed in the listing."

Correct. You're talking about a reasonable fee for shipping and handling. And your fee is reasonable as long as it is stated. As soon as you say this though (from your original post):


Understand that shipping is not the only cost for listing on Ebay. There are Ebay fees, packaging costs, and almost always Paypal fees. Even the cheapest auction will cost me at least $1.50 in fees. The fees quickly go up depending on the ending price.

When you state that you have higher shipping fees to cover the eBay fees, you are committing fee avoidance. I'm not claiming that your shipping rates are outrageous (I don't even know your eBay name), just that you can't state that you charge higher shipping because of fees.

Does that make sense? I'm not trying to pick on you or anything like that, but you can't be so bold as to state that you charge a higher shipping fee to cover fees.


If you live far from a PO, you can a) have Priority boxes/tape delivered to you at no cost (order at the USPS site), b) print off packing labels from Paypal at no cost, c) drop your packages off in a local mailbox (or in your mailbox as outgoing mail, flag up, as I remember doing when I was younger and lived in the boonies).

Close... You can only have USPS pick up packages that are under one pound, and you must have prepaid for the shipping on them. I've been looking into just "drop shipping" stuff for the GOAT Store (instead of spending an hour a week in line at USPS) and that is exactly what they told me. Unless it varies by urban vs. rural?


And Zing, you're wrong on this one. Both MC and Visa (and I'd imagine the other major CC companies) don't allow merchants to charge surcharges, and often levy large fines if they do. I'm studying Intl. Economics, and this issue has come up, but a quick search on google pulls up ( http://www.phuketgazette.com/issuesanswers/details.asp?id=456 ), for instance, if you want to check for yourself. The stores that charge the surcharge are not only harming their own business by causing cardholders to shop elsewhere, but are risking losing the ability to take CC's altogether.

Yup. Getting the GOAT Store set up to handle CC transactions was amazingly complex. Not just do the credit cards not help much at all, but they very much restrict what you can and cannot do with cards. You can't charge a surcharge based on the agreement you sign (not law though, as far as I know) and if the CC companies find out you have, they will revoke your ability to accept CC payments and you can basically never get it back. it sucks.

This is neither here nor there but it really bugs me -- if you are an online merchanct and you accept a CC payment that is fraudulent, you have to pay the CC company to refund the customer in full and pay them a $25.00 fee for their trouble. Interestingly enough, only MasterCard, Visa and American Express allow you to verify addresses in the US. With Discover, you're basically rolling the dice every time you accept a payment.

Outside of the US, most CC companies don't allow address verification.

Interestingly enough, the technology to make CC transactions much more secure has been available for years, but the CC companies don't want to do anything to halt fraud. Not just does the threat of fraud get people to pay them for "fraud protection," but when it happens the credit card *benefits* by charging the merchant. The GOAT Store had about $1000.00 worth of foriegn CC fraud shortly after we got the system (which is made worse by the fact that once you've sent the goods, you lose even more), and now we don't accept CC payments from most foreign countries.

Anyway, sorry for the mostly off-topic ending. CC companies suck :(

[FurinkanianFrood]

Well frankly, I think that most people here are just too goddamn cheap to even be collectors, nobody around here wants to pay a dime for anything.

It depends on the defintion of collector. I have paid large amounts of money for games (mostly PCE, Import Saturn, and NeoGeo home cart), simply because I wanted to play them.

On the other hand, if someone is less particular than I am, they could get a large collection of excellent games rather cheaply.

If I were to sell my PCE and Saturn collections on ebay I could make thousands, and I certainly paid less than I would make.

I don't often sell or trade any of the stuff I have however because I always make damn sure I want to play I game before I spend the money. I collect to play. I could have probably gotten complete collections for several U.S. systems by now but I don't personally value those much compared to having my favorite games to actually play on the real console.

As far as Ebay policy goes, while I don't like being charged more as opposed to less for anything, sellers who are up front about excessive shipping charges are not breaking any rules. People who refuse to pay for the items are non-paying bidders and are treated like crooks, regardless of their reasons. I didn't make the rules.

I don't think ten dollars is worth getting an NPB warning over. Especially when the games are good and you can't even argue that the guy makes a profit. If you don't like the seller, don't buy from again. NPB warnings are much worse than negative feedback. If you don't pay for the item you will get both. (Three times gets someone banned if I remember correctly)

If an ebay auction looks fishy I wait for another one, or buy something else that I wanted about as much and put off the game until later.

I used to buy things on ebay too quickly because I thought they were rarer than they really were only to find the item later for much less.

Some expensive games deserve the hype they receive, some don't.

Don't worry to much about finding another copy of a rare game if you are primarily interesting in playing games rather than caressing still shrinkwrapped packages.

Many games which sell for very large amounts show up on ebay fairly often despite their rarity (Ginga Fukei Sapphire for instance). If a game is truly a holy grail it will not be hawked on ebay several at a time.

There are some games that are touted as greatest-ever by some and still considered average or worse by others (Radiant Silvergun is a good example, many love it, but if I wrote a personal top 50 list for the genre it wouldn't make it.)

In conclusion, if you are willing to deal with the ebay way of doing things be wise about it and learn from mistakes and misconceptions, if not there are often little known shops on the net that are much better for most types of games. I frequent ebay because I collect very obscure/rare imports that are difficult to find elsewhere, but anyone with a different focus would probably be better served elsewhere.

For people who collect the stuff I do, you gotta admit shipping from Japan is a fair sight cheaper than getting to Tokyo from DC :)

[goatdan]

:embarrassed:

Does anyone know what I did to change the formatting on my post and how I can change it back. I just went through it all with the editor, and nothing looks od...

Sorry :(

[Promophile]

OMG someone done borked the page.

[petewhitley]

If you live far from a PO, you can a) have Priority boxes/tape delivered to you at no cost (order at the USPS site), b) print off packing labels from Paypal at no cost, c) drop your packages off in a local mailbox (or in your mailbox as outgoing mail, flag up, as I remember doing when I was younger and lived in the boonies).

You left out: paying for the postage (by weight, I don't use a scale) and purchasing insurance, both things I cannot do from home.

[ManciGames]

If you have a policy about it, that is fair... however, reading your post you are committing fee avoidance, which is illegal under the ebay rules. You can not cover eBay or PayPal fees with your shipping. That is not fair in any way and is fee avoidance.

That's why you just say "handling covers the cost of materials and my time involved in packing / mailing."

"My time," being the unarguable element here... Simple.

[NESCollector75]

[quote="jetset516"]Offer him no more than $5-$6 for shipping. Ebay has a policy against excessive shipping. If he refuses then don't pay for the auction(s). This garbage that "you should have read the auction..." is a lame point of reasoning to accept that you should be ripped off. Ebay is not a business. It's an online yard sale.
Bottom line, dont let him rob you. If you need to take a sucker punch in the form of a retaliatory neg then do so. This guy needs to be negged.[/quote

no offense but "you should have read the auction description" is not a lame point. I charge a flat fee of $6 to ship most my auctions, how it ends up working out is that It can range anyware from $4-8.35 to ship it within the US or Canada. Some sellers don't have the time to package it up, take it to the post office, get a quote bring it back and email you the actual shipping cost. IF the sellers states something in their auction that you don't like DONT BID. There is plenty of other people selling stuff that you can bid on. Giving somebody a negative because you don't agree to their terms which they state in the auction description is not fair in my opinion.

[Melf]

What you are advocating goes against what has been determined to be fair and legal business practice for years and years, far before eBay was a glimmer in a collector's eye. Yes, we've gone over this a million times; it's still business as usual. Shipping & Handling includes fees over "packaging + post". Extort? Gimme a break.

How you can charge a handling fee when all the packaging items are provided free of charge by the post office is beyond me. Shit, you don't even have to pack it until you get to the PO. You can do it right there.


Moreover, what do all you shipping and handling cheapskates think of a business such as Mailboxes Etc., that packages and posts items for *gasp* a profit? What about Fed Ex, UPS, etc? Do you boycott these for profit companies?

I live in Puerto Rico, where companies like UPS are almost criminal. Buy 2 CD games? Pay $17 shipping + $10 charge! Oh, and be sure to take the day off from work and sit around the house like an ass, as they never, ever give you any indication of when they might come by. I've had UPS bring me stuff at 8AM and almost at 9 at night. Screw them.

When I sell on eBay, I use the PO exclusively. People pay me with a postal MO which I can cash right there for free, all the packaging items are right there and free, and I can get good, cheap tracking and insurance for the item as well. There's nothing "cheapskate" about it. If you pad you auction with shipping costs, you suck as a seller.

[petewhitley]

How you can charge a handling fee when all the packaging items are provided free of charge by the post office is beyond me. Shit, you don't even have to pack it until you get to the PO.

You clearly do not understand anything about running a mail-order business, amateur or professional. Thanks for your un-informed opinion x_x .

[goatdan]

How you can charge a handling fee when all the packaging items are provided free of charge by the post office is beyond me. Shit, you don't even have to pack it until you get to the PO. You can do it right there.

The business I run, the GOAT Store, charges a 25 cent handling fee for our orders. This is because we spend time making the packages, going to the post office, standing in line and on packing materials. USPS does not give you packing peanuts, bubble wrap or anything like that for free. It is completely fair to charge a handling fee, especially depending on what the person is buying. If I was purchasing 20 games from somewhere and wanted them packed well, I would expect to pay more money. That's only fair...

[Cmosfm]

How you can charge a handling fee when all the packaging items are provided free of charge by the post office is beyond me. Shit, you don't even have to pack it until you get to the PO.

Most of the time, people do not sell just ONE item on eBay, I've had up to 100 items at a time on eBay all ending on one day...I wonder how the post office would appreciate me lugging in 100 items in boxes and requesting 100 packaging boxes plus materials, for free, and sitting up there for hours and packaging all my stuff up.

:roll:

I agree with Petewhitley, for the first time in my life, you sir know nothing about what you are talking about.

[Promophile]

I donno about Perto Rico, but in Illinois if you use free packing stuff you HAVE to shop priority, which doubles the cost. Add in paypal/ebay fees and such and your in the red if you item didn't sell for very much

[petewhitley]

I agree with Petewhitley, for the first time in my life

:D

[Griking]

Well frankly, I think that most people here are just too goddamn cheap to even be collectors, nobody around here wants to pay a dime for anything. If you just want to complain about the high cost of buying stuff on ebay, then stay the hell off of ebay and stick to places like flea markets and resale shops.

Otherwise, you get what you deserve and have no right to complain about other people's business models. As mentioned here previously, there is far more expense involved in selling on ebay than just shipping and handling alone, and this is hardly a case of true shipping extortion fees in this case.

You bid on all the items, you won all the items, and the seller is discounting the shipping on all but one of the items. I'd say that he's being fair enough, but if you must press the issue any further then I would only have the balls to ask if he'd at least discount the shipping on the first item as well, but if his listings clearly state his policies, then you're really just being a cheap bastard.

Sorry to be so rude, but I'm really losing my patience with all the whining cheapskates here who think that everything on ebay should be priced as though it was found at the Salvation Army in a box marked "all items in this box FREE to classic gamers because they're too damn CHEAP to buy them"

Funny how so many people here are more than happy to accept WAY more than what a game is worth as payment on ebay, but turn right around and BITCH about what a game is costing them to make a payment for it on ebay.

Honestly, if you can't afford to play on ebay, then just don't go there, but for God's sake please stop whining about it here, because it's driving the rest of us who can afford it or at least be big enough to swallow all our pride and pay the necessary extortion fees to get whatever we want absolutely nuts.

BTW, if you know that you won all those games for alot less than they're actually worth, then you're just being even more of an asshole about it. Pay the seller, count your blessings, and shut the hell up, you got a good deal.

:rocker: \^_^/ :hail: :rocker: \^_^/ :hail: :rocker: \^_^/ :hail:


Look people, I'm not whining or crying over this matter and I'm not a cheapskate...but I'm not stupid either. It pisses me off so much when seller's try to make the buyer's pay all of their expenses such as PayPal fees and the eBay fees. Hello people, that is the cost of doing business and you take it out of your income.

Um, that's how all businesses stay in business. Companies pass on the cost of their expenses to their customers. The phone company does, your grocery store does and yes, even people who sell videogames online do.


This particular seller is lying to me. I've sent him several e-mails trying to work out this matter in a civil manner and he refuses to budge. He told me that it clearly stated that in the fine print it lists $2.50 per item after the first...which it doesn't! Look yourself, tell me if I'm blind and I don't see where he says $2.50 an item thereafter.

You're right, I don't see that mentioned either. So basically that means that you get no discount at all and should be obligated to pay $5 shipping for each game as the auction clearly says. Better?


So now I'm faced w/ either giving in to this jerk and paying the overpriced shipping or facing negative feedback and non-paying bidder notices from eBay times 4.

and correct me if i'm wrong but I believe if you get three separate non paying bidder complaints in a given time your ebay account can be suspended.

[SoulBlazer]

Just another case of needing to be carefull on those EBay auctions. Although in this case the buyer DOES have a right to complain because the seller is doing something not mentioned in the auction.

[Melf]

You clearly do not understand anything about running a mail-order business, amateur or professional. Thanks for your un-informed opinion x_x .


I agree with Petewhitley, for the first time in my life, you sir know nothing about what you are talking about.


Both of you are right, I know nothing about screwing my buyers. If either of you could read, you'd see that he says that he's being charged $5 for buying four items from the same seller. It may not state it in the auction but I assume, given that the both of you know so much about selling on eBay, that to pull that kind shit with someone means one less customer.

I'd personally not buy anything from him if he's going to pull that shit.

[jetset516]

You clearly do not understand anything about running a mail-order business, amateur or professional. Thanks for your un-informed opinion x_x .


I agree with Petewhitley, for the first time in my life, you sir know nothing about what you are talking about.


Both of you are right, I know nothing about screwing my buyers. If either of you could read, you'd see that he says that he's being charged $5 for buying four items from the same seller. It may not state it in the auction but I assume, given that the both of you know so much about selling on eBay, that to pull that kind shit with someone means one less customer.

I'd personally not buy anything from him if he's going to pull that shit.

Also lets not mistake Ebay as a substitute for a real job. It never was meant as a business venture. Its an online garage sale. You're trying to get rid of some old junk and get a few bucks off it. Sad thing is, there are now tons of ebayers who *do* treat it as a business, and as such they manipulate the system by using excessice shipping charges to cover thier unrelated expenses (ebay/paypal fees, etc).
Sad..like everything else ebay was once a fine place. Greed is helping ruin it.

[petewhitley]

You clearly do not understand anything about running a mail-order business, amateur or professional. Thanks for your un-informed opinion x_x .


I agree with Petewhitley, for the first time in my life, you sir know nothing about what you are talking about.


Both of you are right, I know nothing about screwing my buyers. If either of you could read, you'd see that he says that he's being charged $5 for buying four items from the same seller. It may not state it in the auction but I assume, given that the both of you know so much about selling on eBay, that to pull that kind shit with someone means one less customer.

I'd personally not buy anything from him if he's going to pull that shit.

What's your eBay ID Mr. Hot-Shit Businessman? Mine's petewhitley, same as my forum ID here and same as my legal name. Go ahead and add this illiterate flim-flam seller to your blocked list. I wouldn't want your whining, contract-breaking, cheap-ass to bid on any of my items anyways.

[goatdan]

I donno about Perto Rico, but in Illinois if you use free packing stuff you HAVE to shop priority, which doubles the cost. Add in paypal/ebay fees and such and your in the red if you item didn't sell for very much

It's not that big of a difference if the item doesn't fit in an envelope. Parcel Post for boxes is nearly as expensive.

The GOAT Store used to offer a choice in shipping - Priority or Parcel Post, but we charged $0.75 for the envelopes (paid $0.73 cents apeice at another store for them) and $0.25 handling, and it *always* made our system quote Parcel Post as being about ten to fifteen cents higher than Priority (It checks at USPS for a shipping quote). After getting a bunch of complains about Parcel Post being "unfairly" more expensive, we now only ship Priority Mail.

If you're shipping a boxed anything, Priority is totally the way to go. The only times people on eBay piss me off is if you buy a boxed game, pay $6.00 in shipping and it comes squashed in a media mail unprotected envelope. Just pay the extra for Priority Mail and keep the product the same way please.


Sad..like everything else ebay was once a fine place. Greed is helping ruin it.

Personally, I think that eBay is doing a good job themselves of making it a crappy place to sell and buy stuff, but then again, they are a monopoly and not going away...

[mr_jiggles_13]

and OP, it was not smart of you at all to bid without reading the shipping description, it was very stupid of you, he should charge you more if you dont go through with the deal because of fees.........

[Melf]

What's your eBay ID Mr. Hot-Shit Businessman? Mine's petewhitley, same as my forum ID here and same as my legal name. Go ahead and add this illiterate flim-flam seller to your blocked list. I wouldn't want your whining, contract-breaking, cheap-ass to bid on any of my items anyways.

My ID is melf*. Feel free to check it. :D

..and why so hostile? Did I hit a nerve?

[petewhitley]

My ID is melf*. Feel free to check it ... and why so hostile? Did I hit a nerve?

Just returning the favor. Something about a holier-than-thou coming in here and telling Cmosfm and myself that we can't read/screw buyers kinda puts a kink in my neck. Particularly when your ignorance of the universally accepted mail-order business model is obvious from your posts. :D

B.T.W. I went ahead and put you on my blocked bidders list. Thanks.

[Melf]

Just returning the favor. Something about a holier-than-thou coming in here and telling Cmosfm and myself that we can't read/screw buyers kinda puts a kink in my neck. Particularly when your ignorance of the universally accepted mail-order business model is obvious from your posts. :D

I don't see where I was any more "holier than thou" than any of the other posts in this thread. You're the one who came in and commented multiple times about your superior knowledge of the mail order business.

Eh, whatever. This derail contributes little other than establishing our different opinions about the matter. I won't convince you and you won't convince me.


B.T.W. I went ahead and put you on my blocked bidders list. Thanks.

I've never even heard of you in five years as a member of eBay so this means very little.

[petewhitley]

Eh, whatever. This derail contributes little other than establishing our different opinions about the matter. I won't convince you and you won't convince me.

But the problem is that your opinion is in direct opposition to the legal, popular, and accepted opinion that the mail-order industry has operated upon for decades. It's not a derail; you are apparently ignorant of mail-order as a money-making business, and thus, your opinion is uniformed. I don't need to convince you. You need to convince the grand majority of individuals and companies that sell commercial goods by mail.

[Melf]

My "problem" is that I'm not in favor of a seller charging separate shipping charges to the same buyer for multiple purchases. I don't know what world this is standard practice but I'm amazed anyone would buy from a seller who thinks this is ok.

[goatdan]

My "problem" is that I'm not in favor of a seller charging separate shipping charges to the same buyer for multiple purchases. I don't know what world this is standard practice but I'm amazed anyone would buy from a seller who thinks this is ok.

Depends on what you're shipping. 4 NES games do cost more to send than one. In Priority Mail, it goes up a whopping ten cents... but if instead of winning 4, you're winning 40...

It really adds up.

If I bought two arcade machines on eBay from the same seller, I wouldn't expect to be able to combine shipping at all. If anyone does make it cheaper, I think that would be out of the ordinary.

[Daria]

Lots of times my items end at .01, sometimes .99, but you have 4 carts that ended at .99 each.

.99 x 4 = 3.96 - Ending price of carts

Then the seller had to pay to list each one, which if he used a gallery pic like most people, it was .50 per item.

Who wastes gallery pictures on .99 cent items? o.O

[Melf]

Oh no, with something like a cab it would be impossible to combine. I agree 100%. Something like 4 NES games, for example, shouldn't be a problem. I've had sellers combine things for me (AES carts, for one) and it's a good reflection of the quality of service. Had he told me "sorry, separate auctions = separate charges," I'd have probably paid to save my feedback but would never bid on his stuff again.

[Griking]

My "problem" is that I'm not in favor of a seller charging separate shipping charges to the same buyer for multiple purchases.

Ever order anything from BMG or Columbia House music club? They absolutely rapr you in shipping costs. Pretty much whoever you purchase form online charges more for shipping the more you order.

[flywheels]

Problem solved! Let's all just move on....

[Cmosfm]

Also lets not mistake Ebay as a substitute for a real job. It never was meant as a business venture. Its an online garage sale. You're trying to get rid of some old junk and get a few bucks off it. Sad thing is, there are now tons of ebayers who *do* treat it as a business, and as such they manipulate the system by using excessice shipping charges to cover thier unrelated expenses (ebay/paypal fees, etc).
Sad..like everything else ebay was once a fine place. Greed is helping ruin it.

Actually, no, it's NOT an online Garage Sale, it's an online AUCTION site. I can put Stadium Events on eBay and sell it for about 300.00, but at a garage sale I'd be hard pressed to get 5 bucks for it.

on eBay, you can make money, you CAN make a living off of it. I don't, but if the time comes that I do NEED money, I can make it.

But there are people that think you can just jump on eBay and get something for a dollar or two shipped. Things dont work like that, sellers on eBay are just like you, human beings, we want to make a little money because we need it and you want to screw us out of the little money we DO make because you think this is just some big online "garage sale".

Sorry, it's not, it's a way to make money and provide people with items at the price they are willing to pay. And I don't think a few extra bucks on several auctions you win are going to kill you, but it may be a big deal to us. I sell 10 items and they all end cheap, do you think I really want to take my time listing, packaging, shipping, etc etc etc. just to break even because I charged you actual shipping costs and nothing else?

I'm NOT an asshole, and all my customers are 100% happy and always come back to me. I even have a guy who buys all my media auctions that end at .01 or somewhere around that mark. Last time I sold some items, he won about 30 of my auctions, lots at .01, some at 1.00, all dirt cheap. He knows that I charge 2.99 for the first auction and 1.99 for each additional auction and he wound up paying 50.00+ for shipping and handling. But he STILL got a good deal, and he will STILL come back to buy more from me.

Again, if you don't like eBay, go to Amazon.com, if you don't like a sellers terms, don't bid. If you don't understand an auctions rules, ask questions before bidding. It's all very simple, and thinking you can get something for nothing is foolish and inconsiderate of other sellers.

I believe this topic is over with, now lets all move on with our lives, hopefully Melf learned what to do when bidding next time and hopefully a few people understand the sellers side of things now.

[flywheels]

[quote=jetset516] He knows that I charge 2.99 for the first auction and 1.99 for each additional auction and he wound up paying 50.00+ for shipping and handling.

But why charge so much when you can ship items for a lesser amount? I understand that no one is forcing anyone to bid on items from a seller who has shipping practices such as these...buy why calculate shipping for multiple items going to the same buyer like this? That is just a way for the seller to make a few extra bucks to compensate for a low auction selling price. Why not just start the auction off @ a higher minimum bid or using a Reserve Price? Some of these listings on eBay nowadays hardly seem like auctions anymore...

Sure, there are costs to doing business and as consumers we end up paying for some of those. However, most business on-line now charge a flat rate for shipping regardless how much or how little you buy...or something of the like. I know that I'll purchase again from someone (auction or website) that charges shipping as the guy charged me or this particular jetset516 fellow. I feel its a sneaky practice pricing items dirt cheap and then sticking the buyer w/ a hefty shipping charge. Is it illegal? No, but I personally don't find it a very good business practice or a way to build a strong customer base.

I'm not trying to start any arguments or anything, I just don't understand this particular shipping practice that I ran into last week. I don't want any flames or someone lashing out @ me for my opinion...just take it for what it's worth...my opinion and nothing else.

[Lost Monkey]

I feel its a sneaky practice pricing items dirt cheap and then sticking the buyer w/ a hefty shipping charge. Is it illegal? No, but I personally don't find it a very good business practice or a way to build a strong customer base.


This type of shipping practice is the natural evolution of competitive market like eBay...

The prices at which auctions end get lower and lower, creating a "buyer's market". Sellers need to make a profit in order to be able to continue to sell.. so they need to adjust things to be a little more favourable for themselves.

Some sellers will give up trying to sell, others will try to gain an advantage with even lower prices and higher shipping costs... Your suggestion of raising prices would result in a seller paying multiple times to relist an item, while buyers flocked to the seller who has the lower price and is making up for it with higher shipping charges.

The way I see eBay, is that there are 2 types of auctions... First you have the folks who are pulling things out of their attic and selling it.. these people are usually satisfied to get anything for their "junk" and generally do not need to supplement their sales with handling charges. Second, there are resellers. The resellers need to make a profit in order to continue to do business. They generally have the shipping policies where you pay a high price for the first item and a discounted price for each subsequent item.

Your goal (and mine) as a buyer is to recognize which type of auction you are dealing with and accept the terms of the auction accordingly.


I sell DVDs on eBay for a living (not for much longer though) and over the course of the last couple of years there has been a trend for the DVD prices (B.I.N.s) to get lower and lower, but the wholesale price is not... :/ Most big DVD resellers on eBay are now making a profit solely in the form of their handling fee.. Does this seem fair? Not really.. but when one or two big resellers started doing this, others HAD to follow suit or leave the game.. because nobody is going to bid HIGHER for something they can get (at first glance) for less. Truth be told, most buyers are not looking at the shipping charges before bidding... and that is why it works..

When I sell my own personal belongings on eBay, all my shipping charges are ACTUAL COST. I defend my investment by either having an opening bid I would be happy with, or using a reserve, but all the DVDs I sell have profit built into the handling. I have no choice.

[Achika]

:embarrassed:

Does anyone know what I did to change the formatting on my post and how I can change it back. I just went through it all with the editor, and nothing looks od...

Sorry :(

It's the double - and > that does it. Make the double - a single - and you shouldn't have a problem ;)

[Steven]

I read through this thread last night but now have a chance to finally respond to it. It's rather interesting.

1. I've been a proud and satisfied eBay user since 1999. eBay is a great place to score all sorts of cool things at great prices. My policy is, if it's priced too much for my blood, I won't bid on it, and hey, whatever, I'll wait patiently for the next time it appears, for no game (on the Saturn anyhow, which is what I ONLY buy for) appears on eBay just once.

2. I never had a problem with shipping. If I did, I'm sure I emailed the seller in advance to discuss combined shipping.

3. The original poster said he saw the auctions in their last 5 minutes or so, and had to make a quick decision. That's the risk you run when you do that -- simply because if you win multiple auctions you can't contact the seller in advance.

4. Know the shipping terms. You don't like, you don't bid. Simple.

5. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle. Pay the bidder and next time be better. Although to be fair on you, I do think that more properly combining the shipping would be "fair"... but rare things are fair in life.

6. eBay doesn't suck to me, as a buyer... nor as it been "corrupted" by greed. There are great deals to be had every month. You just have to be at the right place at the right time.

7. To the poster on page 2 who collects for Saturn -- great post mate! Totally concur with ya and appreciated the extended eBay "unwritten rules" rant... as it's nice to know someone else understands the nuances of eBay.

It's not rocket science people. Your bid is a contract. Know as much as possible before placing a bid. If the seller seems fishy in any way, forget the auction(s) and wait for the next one.

[tyranthraxus]

I prefer to buy a large lot, cherry pick what I want then ebay the doubles as
a lot. Its the only way I feel to minimize the shipping fees.

People have to gouge to make money on those cheap auctions. I personally
don't see how selling anything for less than $10 profit is really worth the
trouble of selling. There is just so much work to do in getting an item,
taking a picture, setting up the auction, e-mails, packaging and shipping.
How does anyone make more than 10 bucks an hour doing all that work?

[Cmosfm]

He knows that I charge 2.99 for the first auction and 1.99 for each additional auction and he wound up paying 50.00+ for shipping and handling.

But why charge so much when you can ship items for a lesser amount? I understand that no one is forcing anyone to bid on items from a seller who has shipping practices such as these...buy why calculate shipping for multiple items going to the same buyer like this? That is just a way for the seller to make a few extra bucks to compensate for a low auction selling price. Why not just start the auction off @ a higher minimum bid or using a Reserve Price? Some of these listings on eBay nowadays hardly seem like auctions anymore...

First of all, I always start my items out at .01, almost ALWAYS. That's been a habit of mine since I first started and will continue that way. So if he won 30 of my cd's at .01 each, I suppose I should charge him .30 and what, 5.00 media mail? :roll: Cmon, be real here.

[Melf]

Sorry, it's not, it's a way to make money and provide people with items at the price they are willing to pay. And I don't think a few extra bucks on several auctions you win are going to kill you, but it may be a big deal to us. I sell 10 items and they all end cheap, do you think I really want to take my time listing, packaging, shipping, etc etc etc. just to break even because I charged you actual shipping costs and nothing else?

If they sell cheap, that's not the buyer's problem. Paying a "few extra bucks" might not make the whole purchase worthwhile if shipping is significantly more than the actual cost of the item.


Again, if you don't like eBay, go to Amazon.com, if you don't like a sellers terms, don't bid. If you don't understand an auctions rules, ask questions before bidding. It's all very simple, and thinking you can get something for nothing is foolish and inconsiderate of other sellers.

I still don't see how not wanting to pay huge shipping costs for buying from the same seller is foolish and inconsiderate. The same way you're looking to make a few bucks, the buyer is looking to save a bit. How is that wrong?


I believe this topic is over with, now lets all move on with our lives, hopefully Melf learned what to do when bidding next time and hopefully a few people understand the sellers side of things now.

I've been a member of eBay for five years and have always had great transactions, thank you. I haven't "misunderstood" anything other than why it's considered ok by some sellers to charge extra shipping for items to the same buyer but it's not ok to consolidate the charge into one fee that covers the whole lot, especially if it's for a return customer. You have customers who are willing to pay it? Good for you. Not everyone thinks that way. I'm looking at it from a consumer's point of view, not a sellers. Maybe that's why there's the "misunderstanding."




Know the shipping terms. You don't like, you don't bid. Simple.

Exactly. I don't know why so many people got sand in their vaginas over this. I don't bid on auctions like that, end of story. Yet people had to act like they teach Marketing 101 over something so stupid. x_x

[slip81]

Yeah it's a lot of money and it sucks to pay it, but you're kind of locked into it now. This is precisely why I hardly ever buy from ebay now, people are charging way too much for shipping these days.

And before I hear anyone complain about shipping costs and boxes and tape and other fees I say fine, charge a person for shipping but that's it. I don't hink it's right to charge a buyer for the ebay fee the seller is charged, I think that's something that you as a seller agree to pay as the cost of getting rid of your item. And as for supplies, I've been selling on ebay for years and I've never payed for a box, I get them for free at the post office, and stores will give you boxes if you just ask for them, and I also save all the common sized boxes I get when ever I buy something. And a roll of packing tape can often be bought for a dollar or less.

Anyway sorry to rant. It's a lot of money, and an overcharge IMO, but in the future just make sure you research the S&H charges before you bid.

[petewhitley]

I don't know why so many people got sand in their vaginas over this. I don't bid on auctions like that, end of story. Yet people had to act like they teach Marketing 101 over something so stupid. x_x

That's not the end of the story, because you in turn come on this board and bitch about it. Melf, you are part of that group who "got sand in their vaginas" by accusing eBay sellers (and indirectly, the mail-order industry) of "screwing" consumers by charging a handling fee. Myself and others are defending the decades-old status quo from upset people like yourself who need a course in Marketing 101 to understand how "something so stupid" (mail-order) works.