Hard to collect because of greedy Ebay sellers.

[alexkidd2000]

I am finding it hard to get a good collection. Not because I cant find the games, or because they cost too much. Its hard because of people ripping me off on shipping for 90% of my purchases. I end up paying usually 7-$10 per game in USD to send to canada. Sometimes if I win say 3 or more auctions from one buyer they combine shipping a bit but it might still cost me $15. Then everytime I get the package the cost on it is like $2-$5. This really adds up when you need a complete collection.

Ebay should start enforcing reasonable shipping charges. I can understand paying an extra buck or so for packaging, but when I pay $12 and it cost the seller $3 I get pissed off!

[anagrama]

No-one can build a collection solely through eBay without paying through the nose. Get out there in the wild and start hunting!

[Muscelli]

they should have shipping fees, and cut some other fee out

[Jibbajaba]

I agree about eBy enforcing shipping charges, but you're nuts if you are using eBay as your primary source of games o build your collection. Sure, I pick up stuff on ebay every now and then, but thrft stores and flea markets are neccesity if you want to build up a decent sized collection without beaking the bank. Even if shipping charges are reasonable, you can easily double the price you pay for games.

Chris

[squidblatt]

Ebay is just going to make collecting more expensive. We're going to have to accept it, I guess. I get annoyed with the sellers who go around raiding second-hand shops in order to make money off a hobby they have no interest in. I bought a SMS game that was touted as mint condition only to find that it was incomplete, had a torn label, was covered in goo, and defaced with silver marker. When I gave feedback the seller accused me of libel. I'm sure she had no idea what the standards are.

[Raccoon Lad]

I HAVE to use eBay, the stuff I collect is either obscure, foreign, or both.

[Uzi 9mm]

I agree, start looking around at local shops for games. The only time you should really use eBay is for Rare or Hard-to-Find games.

[tholly]

what ebay should do is what they do on half.com

set shipping for certain items and charged right to a credit card

no waiting for payment, no arguements, and no $90 shipping on an item that costs $1 to ship priority

[vincewy]

There're other resources available for collectors, half.com and amazon.com both have set shipping rates, sellers have to go by the actual price w/o tricking the buyers.

There're also some online retail stores, depending on what you collect, I actually prefer those places than eBay as I know the sellers very well (Dreamcast - Good Deal Games, DC History, Neo-Geo - Neo-Geo.com or some reputable individuals going to Japan on a regular basis).

If you collect certain systems, you should've known by now which sources.

[SuperNES]

i live in freaking nowheresville, VT where EVERYTHING is at least 1 hour drive away. all my thrift stores in my area only carry old clothes and tacky junk that smells like old people. oh yeah and there's all the filthy little kid's board games, toys, and stuffies. oh yeah, and none of this is helped by the fact that i'm 13 and (obviously) can't drive anywhere. my only source is ebay, and i, too, am annoyed at the prices. i think ebay should enforce a set price for shipping depending on the item's sell price.

[Super Mario Fan]

I think half the fun of collecting is hunting at Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, and the like. It's hard to explain it, you should try it though. It's really fun.

[Nesmaster]

I only really buy on ebay if its something i really want, or I can't get it here. I'd never rely on ebay as a whole for my collecting, but I understand that some people have no choice :/

[Griking]

This has been discussed to death already. Do a search for eBay shipping here and see how many hits you get.

Shipping rates are so high because sellers pass the cost of eBay and Paypal fees onto their customers. Like it or not, against the rules or not that's just the way it is and I don't see it changing any time soon.

[Drexel923]

Don't forget our very own Buy/Sell forum.

BTW, I still have a bunch of games left for sale at very good prices ;)

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55722

:D

[Iron Draggon]

What kills me is the shipping charges of certain Asian importers! The last few imports that I bought from ebay I had to pay $10 - $15 for shipping to the US, and I had no choice but to pay it or keep searching for games that I had already been searching for months for! So there's not much that you can do about it if only one seller has what you want and it's rare/obscure or hard to find like you said. You know if you don't buy it, chances are you may never see it again, and if you do it may take years for it to show up again! And of course the seller knows what they have, so they kill you on the price and on the shipping too! Most ebay sellers aren't like that, but it sure does seem like most of the ones who have the really hard to find rarities and obscurities are!

[alexkidd2000]

Ok I hit pawn shops weekly. I go to any flea markets I find. I also check garage sales frequently. In all that time, I have never once found a mint boxed ColecoVision game which is what I collect. I am pretty much stuck with ebay.
I think I am going to start leaving bad feedback to anyone who blatently lies about shipping charges to me.

[goatdan]

Oi... Don't get me started on shipping on eBay. I just won a bunch of auctions for pictures and brochures of roller coasters, and the seller is going to charge me $62.00 to ship them to me. $62.00! The weight of the package and size will be about 100 sheets of paper... and he won't give me any discount...

Unfortunately, I was a moron and didn't contact him before bidding, so it is my own fault, but that is just crazy. He told me that they were "really heavy" and would take a lot to package. On the other hand, I'm getting 20 video game systems from another seller for the GOAT Store and paying actual shipping fees of less than $40.00. WTF?

That having been said, it's up to the individuals to find places with good shipping. I have a ton of games coming to me from Europe shortly, and shipping is really low. I also agree with the 'find a place' theory, and I love Good Deal Games and DC History too, along with others. I used to use VGLQ all the time, but then their shippings fees got SUPER expensive, so I stopped buying from them. That's a big reason we decided to start the GOAT Store actually...

But yes -- find what you want and then if you can afford it, buy in bulk if you are buying online. I can't think of any times I would only order one item because of shipping.

[dj898]

not every where is cheap for sending stuff...
from here sending any where for even small items cost way more...

besides it's up to the seller and buyers to determine on the auction, nobody can say one way or the other...
it's only when someone trying to charge like $90 for shipping from US to UK when the actual shipping would be no more than $15-20...
otherwise it's determined between those two... and if the shipping charges are too high you can always report to eBay...

$10-15 from Asia to US is about the norm. And that is what most US seller charges for shipping to this way as well although sometime I come across US seller who trying to charge $30. o_O If I send a single CD from AU to US I need to pay $10 for normal air mail. Obviously with economy air it's bit cheaper but than who wants to wait three months for delivery? :p and some sellers are restricting a certain type of shipping - i.e. if I sell an item over $100 I will only offer EMS or at the minimum the air mail+insurance+delivery check...

like others said building the collection using eBay is bit silly...
I only use eBay when I see the price is cheapest around... for others and rare stuff I personally go and hunt...

ymmv of coz...

[StealthLurker]

I HAVE to use eBay, the stuff I collect is either obscure, foreign, or both.

Ditto. Nothing I want is available locally. Ebay and other online sources is the only way I can acquire the things I collect.

[dj898]

the question is then do you really want your obscure and rare item shipped inside manila folder with no protection with cheap shipping or bubble wrapped inside the cardboard box and shipped with insurance and delivery confirmation at the extra cost? I know which one I will choose... :p

[vultar]

I agree that the shipping costs on Ebay are pretty high sometimes. However, having just sent something to Cananda, it can, without handling fees, cost around $10 as long as you want confirmation or insurance. At least that's what the post office lady told us. The big problem is that these people aren't giving you everything you pay for. I personally only buy lots or single games I need off of Ebay and only if the shipping is either listed or they're using the shipping generator.

[Iron Draggon]

...I just won a bunch of auctions for pictures and brochures of roller coasters...

WOOF! Share the love with a fellow coaster junkie! What all did you get? PM me!

[ianoid]

Shipping is a scam. It makes for a nice niche for me- I ship carts and other small objects for free when I sell on eBay (really I factor that into the min price and BIN) or I charge the same or less than shipping in the US. OF course in the US, you get your item much faster (2-3 days rather than 5-10) and you get a minimal form of tracking.

Shipping to Canada is only marginally more expensive. Bets on the folks charging alot to ship to Canada are charging alot to ship to the US.

Always note that you can tell a seller what shipping is in the form of a question before the auction is over. "I checked on usps.com and it would cost $15 to ship a 4 pound package. If I win, can I pay actual price shipping?"

My free shipping autions are mostly won by Canadians- it's clear that I'm reaching a target audience.

[dj898]

over the time I asked about two doze US sellers about shipping from US to AU for single title - either STD CD jewel size or STD DVD case size - and the quotation I got varies between $7 to $39??? o_O and they were all using same air mail with no extra bits...

now tell me what's wrong here?
incidentally I know via air mail it's about $7-9 depends how it's packed...

now for the same CD/DVD from AU to US the minimum I can get using thinnest packaging - i.e. no protection - is $10-12 for air mail.
if I use one of those CD/VHS size cardboard mailer box I had to charge extra $1/2...

unlike others I don't make any money from my eBay auctions... I just want my money back and if not I don't sell...

[bargora]

I don't get it. What, are you people bidding on stuff without knowing up front what the shipping & handling fee is going to be? If so, then WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?

If you want to pay <= $10 for a game and the shipping is set at $6, then bid $4 max. If shipping is set at 3$, then bid $7 max. I don't see what's so hard about that. Yeah, I know the sellers are fee avoiding (which is against ebay rules), but honestly, what are you going to do about it? Go cry on an internet forum?

[alexkidd2000]

No I said what I was going to do. I am going to leave negative feedback to anyone who lies to me about shipping costs. If everyone did this people would stop ripping us off. And its easy to say only bid so much, but when you get into a bidding war on a rare object that flies out the window. Regardless if you pay $53 or $60, if the shipping is double the real price you are getting scammed!

[bargora]

All right. Do what you like. They'll probably just neg you back. If you feel that you are being overcharged for shipping & handling, it would probably be better to report the seller to ebay. Since ebay's cut is based on the final bid value (pre-shipping & handling), a seller who shifts the majority of his price over to the shipping & handling term to avoid paying ebay fees will make ebay angry. Fee avoidance is explicitly against ebay's rules.

Besides--if the seller had posted the shipping & handling cost up front and you bid on the auction, then I don't really think you have a leg to stand on as far as posting a negative feedback. Yes, they are overcharging. But you knew that up front and you bid anyway, accepting the terms. If you're going to cry about it after you agreed to the terms, well, that's just childish.

Oh, and you got into a big bad bidding war and just lost control? And now you're mad because not only did you bid too much, but also you think that the amount you agreed to pay for shipping & hndling is too much?

:sob:

All I'm saying is that if they posted the shipping & handling charge up front, then you agreed to it when you bid. Now, if they posted one shipping & handling cost in the auction and then charged you another after you won the auction, then I take it all back. Is that what you mean by "l[ying] to [you] about the shipping costs"? Or do you just mean that they charged you $10 shipping & handling when you know that it only cost $3 to ship? If so, don't forget the handling! Some people are just expensive handlers. LOL

[alexkidd2000]

Just because I know what the seller is charging, doesnt mean I know if it is an honest price. I cant always tell how much something is going to cost. I know when I get it and see the postal price on it.

[esquire]

Just because I know what the seller is charging, doesnt mean I know if it is an honest price. I cant always tell how much something is going to cost. I know when I get it and see the postal price on it.

Don't forget it's Shipping & Handling. Sellers can charge more than the actual price of shipping for their handling fees which may include the price of packaging, time for packaging and time for delivery to the shipper. If you don't want to pay those fees, than arrange for pickup yourself.

Honestly, do we actually need a weekly thread about someone complaining about being overcharged $3 for shipping? It's getting so repetive and beat to death. Maybe we need a sticky thread titled "OMFG I got ripped off on shipping on ebay!!!" where everyone can post there gripes.

Unless its something drastic like charging you $18 S&H and getting a paper envelope with $1.87 postage, you shouldn't be complaining. If so, maybe you should stay away from ebay and look for your finds locally. "Handling" fees are a cost of doing business and have always been passed onto the consumer no matter what business is involved.

[Tron 2.0]

I HAVE to use eBay, the stuff I collect is either obscure, foreign, or both.

Ditto. Nothing I want is available locally. Ebay and other online sources is the only way I can acquire the things I collect.
Same for me as well not for my current console stuff at least ^^;

[bargora]

I see. So it all comes down to this:

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY SOMEONE TO HANDLE MY JUNK

If that's the case, handle your junk yourself.

[alexkidd2000]

Handling fee should be taken from the money they make selling the goddamn item.

[Roi]

I think half the fun of collecting is hunting at Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, and the like. It's hard to explain it, you should try it though. It's really fun.

:cheers:

[esquire]

Handling fee should be taken from the money they make selling the goddamn item.

While your at it, why not simply demand they give their stuff away for free? Sheez.

[SoulBlazer]

Hey, I happen to agree with you personaly.

When I sell stuff on EBay, I NEVER charge the buyer for my EBay fees or PayPal fees and I do the best I can to keep my shipping right about where it's susposed to be.

Of course, it's also a reason why I sell 99 percent of my stuff on Amazon instead. LOL

[Jibbajaba]

Handling fee should be taken from the money they make selling the goddamn item.

Whenever I sell anything on eBay or elsewhere on the internet, I charge the buyer for the actual shipping plus any packing materials I have to buy. Perhaps you think that I am therefore overcharging, but If I sell an Atari cart on here for $1, and charge only a dollar for shipping (which is about what it would cost to ship a VCS cart first class), then I pay for the bubble mailer, I basically have no money left. So I charge $2 shipping for a VCS cart so that I make sure that the dollar I charged for the game goes into my pocket.

And I'll re-iterate; You're nuts if you rely on eBay for your collection. Buy stuff here and on AtariAge and whatever forums are dedicated to whatever it is that you collet. You will get better deals and pay cheaper shipping prices.

Chris

[Raedon]

i live in freaking nowheresville, VT where EVERYTHING is at least 1 hour drive away.


You are in the BEST place in the world..

I live in Nowhere Texas and going to obscure flea markets made and funded (threw ebay) my collection.

Most of the stuff I sold was to NY city or other area. Use Ebay for rare/obscure.

[bargora]

Handling fee should be taken from the money they make selling the goddamn item.
You know, even if people didn't charge for handling, it wouldn't make a difference in how much you're paying for stuff on ebay, assuming that bidders have half a brain. Here's why:

Seller 1 posts an item. Say, Klonoa 2 for PS2. Opening bid is $4.99 Shipping is listed at $3.85, because that's what priority shipping costs, and not one red cent more.
Bidder A looks at the item and thinks that he would like to pay no more than $20 total for the item, delivered. So he puts in a bid for $16.15.
Bidder B looks at the item and thinks that he would like to pay no more than $25 total for the item, delivered. So he puts in a bid for $21.15.
No other bidders look at the auction, and Bidder B wins with a proxy bod of $16.65. Add $3.85 for shipping, and Bidder B owes Seller 1 a total of $20.50.

Now another Klonoa 2 is up for bids, but Seller 2 is a GREEDY BASTARD. He puts an opening bid of $4.99, but lists Shipping at $10.
Bidder A looks at the item and thinks that he would like to pay no more than $20 total for the item, delivered. So he puts in a bid for $10.
Bidder C looks at the item and thinks that he would like to pay no more than $25 total for the item, delivered. So he puts in a bid for $15.
No other bidders look at the auction, and Bidder C wins with a proxy bod of $10.50. Add $10 for shipping, and Bidder C owes Seller 1 a total of $20.50.

So what's the difference? What? Both sets of bidders were willing to pay the same amount between cases? Both winners paid the same amount? And both sellers got the same amount? Oh, right. Seller 2 has offended your sense of propriety.

As long as buyers' brains aren't made of cottage cheese and they take the shipping/handling amount into account when deciding how much they want to spend, then there will be NO DIFFERENCE in the outcome as far as how much money the buyer spends and how much money the seller receives.

If, on the other hand, simple math is beyond the ability of the buyer, then yes, there could be cases where the buyer feels that the total is too much when the seller points out that shipping and handling are additional.

As I pointed out before, the only party getting shafted (assuming that all buyers are acting rationally) is ebay, which is getting a percentage of $10.50 in the second case instead of a percentage of $16.16 in the first case. But if sellers in general restrict their "shipping" term to the actual shipping amount, then what you will see is an increase in the final bid value for the same items.

So it will be no easier to collect even if all sellers are "non-greedy".

[dj898]

Handling fee should be taken from the money they make selling the goddamn item.

how about giving the seller your bank account and social security#....... :evil:

[Bluteg]

Here's a genius idea.

If the shipping is too expensive and you do not like Bagora's method (which is what I do) then DO NOT BID on the damn auction. It's not that hard and usually the ripoff shipping is on the games for more popular consoles anyway. Eventually if no one bids on items with high shipping the sellers will lose money due to ebay fees. I don't understand the problem it's just like any other marketplace, flea, pawn or retail store. There will allways be someone trying to rip you off, you just avoid it and move on.

[dj898]

if someone's bitching about the high shipping or what not here's what I do.
I will get the cheapest the mail rate and ship the dame CD in a normal paper envelope without any protection to bring down the shipping charges. I'm sure the buyer will be more than happy coz they are getting the cheapest shipping rate around - mail rate is lot cheaper than parcel according to our postal service...

if the buyer gets the item in less than mint condition like disc snapp'd in half or broken case.. well they asked for the cheapest shiping rate and that' what they are getting...

for feedback? who gives s**t anyway...

[GunPanther]

About two months ago, I bought a decent Airsoft Shotgun for only $0.01 with a shipping & handling charge of $19.99 :eek 2:


I know for sure that the $19.99 went straight into the pocket of the seller and he ended up selling his item for under $1.00 through ebay. Fee avoidance? It sure is. But hell, if they're smart enough to beat the system, more power to em'.

Maybe I should list auctions like that? Cool items at only $0.01, but with a shipping & handling charge of $50.00. LOL





:rockets: GunPanther :2gunfire:

[dj898]

i remember years ago I got my Jumbo Grade RX-78 Gundam kit from Bandai for $0.01 with $99 for S/H...

turns out the thing will cost me close to $170 if I buy it from local shop so I have no complaint... :D

[Blackjax]

Most of the people commenting on this don't seem to have run into the extreme profiteers that the original poster was talking about.

Yeah, we see the "shipping" cost before we bid, but that is absolutely no guarantee that the seller is going to abide by this!

You bid on game X... already stating $18.95 S&H, you figure this is high, but you want the game so you bid and win.

In comes the seller's email... $18.95 is JUST the shipping... want priority? $5.00 more. Want to use PayPal? Add an additional 5%. Finally pay for it all... and the friggin thing takes over two weeks to ship and is marked $1.85 Media Mail.

This is happening more and more on eBay, and it has gotten me to stop using it completely.

[anagrama]

oh, ferrchristssakes... is no-one else sick to death of this topic (and it's endless clones) yet?

There's 3 simple rules here. Follow them all and there will be no problems:

1. Don't bid if you don't know the shipping (& handling) costs
2. Don't bid if you aren't happy with the shipping (& handling) costs
3. DON'T COME HERE AND BITCH ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS


end. please.

[FantasiaWHT]

Most of the people commenting on this don't seem to have run into the extreme profiteers that the original poster was talking about.

Yeah, we see the "shipping" cost before we bid, but that is absolutely no guarantee that the seller is going to abide by this!



Actually there is a guarantee :P A seller demanding undisclosed charges to their buyers should be reported to ebay. Or a seller quoting one shipping rate (priority) and shipping it out via another (media)

[esquire]

Most of the people commenting on this don't seem to have run into the extreme profiteers that the original poster was talking about.

Yeah, we see the "shipping" cost before we bid, but that is absolutely no guarantee that the seller is going to abide by this!

You bid on game X... already stating $18.95 S&H, you figure this is high, but you want the game so you bid and win.

In comes the seller's email... $18.95 is JUST the shipping... want priority? $5.00 more. Want to use PayPal? Add an additional 5%. Finally pay for it all... and the friggin thing takes over two weeks to ship and is marked $1.85 Media Mail.

This is happening more and more on eBay, and it has gotten me to stop using it completely.

Good. Less competition for me to win auctions. :)

[devilman]

I noticed a couple of mentions for DC History - that's a new one on me. Where are they based and what's the URL? :)

[alexkidd2000]

oh, ferrchristssakes... is no-one else sick to death of this topic (and it's endless clones) yet?

There's 3 simple rules here. Follow them all and there will be no problems:

1. Don't bid if you don't know the shipping (& handling) costs
2. Don't bid if you aren't happy with the shipping (& handling) costs
3. DON'T COME HERE AND BITCH ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS


end. please.

Maybe some of us dont like to get ripped off. Is that so hard to understand? When you are in a bidding war with someone calculating shipping into your bid goes out the window. I just want people to be honest. You can argue your side but this is mine.

[pookninja]

now when im on ebay,looking for games,and i see a game i like,i already have an idea in my head how much i am willing to pay for the game,and that would include shipping.so,lets say that you see a game that you want,and are willing to pay 10 dollars for it,and the seller is charging 5 dollars for shipping,just dont bid over 5 dollars for it,that way you didnt overpay.i get games all the time from ebay where i paid 4 or 5 dollars for shipping,and when i get the game,the postage was only $1.80 or something like that,but it dont bother me,because i always bid very low on auctions that have high shipping.also,dont just use ebay for adding to your collection,go out game hunting.i hit all the goodwills,flea markets,and gamecrazy at least once a week.hell,thats part of the fun,finding that certain game you have been wanting,and finding it at a great price.

[bargora]

When you are in a bidding war with someone calculating shipping into your bid goes out the window. :roll:

I'd deliver the "don't get into a bidding war" speech, but I guess I don't really care all that much how abused you feel by ebay sellers, and I've already typed enough advice.

As has been suggested, complain to ebay, not to us.

P.S. Learn how to snipe.

[Bluteg]

Want to use PayPal? Add an additional 5%.

Ebay will go ape shit wild over someone charging extra for paypal. If you report them they will get kicked off.

[Griking]

oh, ferrchristssakes... is no-one else sick to death of this topic (and it's endless clones) yet?

There's 3 simple rules here. Follow them all and there will be no problems:

1. Don't bid if you don't know the shipping (& handling) costs
2. Don't bid if you aren't happy with the shipping (& handling) costs
3. DON'T COME HERE AND BITCH ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS


end. please.

Maybe some of us dont like to get ripped off. Is that so hard to understand? When you are in a bidding war with someone calculating shipping into your bid goes out the window. I just want people to be honest. You can argue your side but this is mine.

I understand that people don't like to get ripped off but didn't you even read Anagrama's response? He told you how to avoid getting ripped off.


1. Don't bid if you don't know the shipping (& handling) costs

What's so difficult to understand about that?

[Aussie2B]

Handling fee should be taken from the money they make selling the goddamn item.

Have you ever done any selling online yourself? Do you really think the seller should PAY to have the LUXURY of spending their time packing up your item and making a trip to the post office? I mean, I like clearing up a little space in my house, but not as much as my free time. If I wasn't getting paid for it, I wouldn't sell on eBay. I'm not going to take money out of the small amount I get to make my shipping cost exactly match the price on the package. Packaging materials cost money too, you know. Depending on where you go, you may have to pay up to around $1.50 just for one small envelope. And after all those costs, if I have a buck or so left over, then good; that goes towards my fees and the trouble of packing something up nicely and getting it shipped out.

[Steven]

Don't worry guys, this kid here is clearly yet another sad misguided fella. One day he'll learn the error of his ways (I hope).

I agree with the guy who posted the 3 rules. Learn it. Live it. Thank you. Good night.

:D

[SoulBlazer]

Right now on Amazon I have books selling for 50 cents. Yes, FIFTY CENTS. Even with shipping added on, after Amazon takes their cut I'm making a dollar, if I'm lucky. Why am I doing it? Just to get the DAMN ITEMS OUT OF MY HOUSE!

Not everyone cares about making a huge profit. :roll: