Shipping costs...seriously out of control.

[Mythik]

so I won this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1


It's being sent by USPS (AKA pretty freaking cheap), and he's charging me $17...

Even with trying to cover some of the e-bay fees in the shipping cost, that's ridiculous...

The package itself shouldn't be more than like 3 lbs, and not big at all, especially if the boxes are collapsed...

Worst part, is that it said nothign about cost in the auction...

I feel like an ass, but I just e-mailed him about it.

[Griking]

Never bid on anything unless you know what the shipping is going to cost up front.

It looks like this guy has had his share of problems in the past. His rating is deceiving. It seems like he gives retaliatory feedback and then negotiates with the buyer to mutually remove the negatives.

[Veepa]

so I won this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1


It's being sent by USPS (AKA pretty freaking cheap), and he's charging me $17...

Even with trying to cover some of the e-bay fees in the shipping cost, that's ridiculous...

The package itself shouldn't be more than like 3 lbs, and not big at all, especially if the boxes are collapsed...

Worst part, is that it said nothign about cost in the auction...

I feel like an ass, but I just e-mailed him about it.

Oh so it was you who won that auction! It bidded on it the begging for a max bid for 5 bucks. I knew I was going to get outbid, but I wasn't going to pay more than 5 dollars.

[Flack]

People will keep doing it as long as y'all keep paying it.

[Kejoriv]

People will keep doing it as long as y'all keep paying it.

Exactly. Also, before I bid and the shipping costs are not known. I always email the seller and ask the costs. If they dont reply, I dont bid, simple as that. The item will be on Ebay again trust me. Unless its some super rare item, then the item will go for big $$ then shipping costs really wont matter right? <- run on sentence

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Like it would cost anymore then a dollar to ship a bunch of flatten game boxes. x_x

[SoulBlazer]

It sucks, but what everyone has said is right -- if the shipping costs are not CLEARLY stated, always ASK the seller before bidding. Learn from this and move on.

Or buy from me on Amazon where you have fixed shipping prices.

[Cmosfm]

I looked at the auction and thought they were complete games in boxes, and even THEN it was pretty damn high, now that I notice they are just boxes....and 17.00 to ship some BOXES that will cost 2.00-3.00....that's insane.

Don't pay, I wouldn't give this jackass any of my money. Unless he wants to lower his shipping rate to 5.00 or less. You'll get a negative feedback, but fuck it, it's worth it.

[Mythik]

haha, he e-mailed me back again with a new invoice...this time shipping was $12.40 ($4 cheaper than before, and still about $10 over what it will actually cost...)

what the hell should I do? Tell him to try again?

[junglehunter]

I can't believe you even bid in the first place. That feedback (even if it's mostly neutral) would really force me to go elsewhere. :/

[Darth Sensei]

haha, he e-mailed me back again with a new invoice...this time shipping was $12.40 ($4 cheaper than before, and still about $10 over what it will actually cost...)

what the hell should I do? Tell him to try again?

I wouldn't pay. But in the future follow the above advice.

[Mythik]

I e-mailed him back offering him $8 to ship it...seemed more than fair, and he took the offer...Understanding guy just trying to make some extra $$ off of shipping.

[esquire]

Never bid on anything unless you know what the shipping is going to cost up front.

It looks like this guy has had his share of problems in the past. His rating is deceiving. It seems like he gives retaliatory feedback and then negotiates with the buyer to mutually remove the negatives.

This may be a safe practice if you truly want to avoid these type of sellers at all costs. However, I would not necessarily avoid the auction simply because it doesn't list a S&H fee. Of course its always good practice to email the seller before placing a bid, or even retracting a bid if the seller does not respond to your email inquiring into the S&H fees. Regardless, if you still decide to bid on any such auction, you would be within your legal rights to refuse to pay any excessive shipping fee. Ebay has a policy against excessive shipping fees. Penalties include cancelling the listing (which means no retaliatory negative feedback against you) and even account suspension.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...-shipping.html

If the shipping fee is not stated, the seller is only entitled to charge actual shipping and a "reasonable" handling fee.

What the buyer did here is exactly what I would have done, and what I expect eBay would want the parties to do. If the seller would have refused to lower his hnadling fee, the seller could have been reported to eBay.

Just because a seller is going to try to rip you off on S&H doesn't mean you have to comply. As long as people keep paying excessive S&H fees without questioning them, these type of sellers will continue their egregious behaviour.

[Bluteg]

I think he is just mad beacause his "SUPAR RAER FINAL FANTASY AND CONTRA !!!1" boxes did not fetch what he/she thought they would.

[NintendoMan]

I e-mailed him back offering him $8 to ship it...seemed more than fair, and he took the offer...Understanding guy just trying to make some extra $$ off of shipping.

Actually, that 10-12 shipping would have sufficed. I mean 15 boxed nes games, with oversized box for protection, and PLENTY of padding would weight enough!

But at least your only paying $8 now!

[slapdash]

I'm happy... I've been seeing a seller (ubidupay -- u sure do!) who charges $11.52 for postage per game and doesn't combine shipping. I don't let high postage bother me, but bid a total including it, hence I don't bid much for the game, knowing how high postage is.

I just won a GC game for $2.53 or something. Even with the excruciating postage cost, it's under $15, which is what I was shooting for. I'm guessing others stayed away because of the postage cost? Maybe, but it's funny to me.

Saw another auction today where in the description it says shipping is $5.85, but at the top and bottom it says $26.85. ?!? I asked the seller "Is it 5.85 or 26.85, and if the latter, why?!?". I don't expect a response. :-)

[Funk Buddy]

Actually, that 10-12 shipping would have sufficed. I mean 15 boxed nes games, with oversized box for protection, and PLENTY of padding would weight enough!

But at least your only paying $8 now!

Umm... they were empty boxes, no games.

[suppafly]

Last week I paid $8 US shipping to send one LOOSE genesis cartridge from detroit to clarkston (theyre like one-hour away only by car) in Michigan..

I hate most ebay sellers :@

[ozyr]

All I know, having used UPS, is that they charge more for smaller packages - at least in my experience. I use USPS for small stuff. He still charged too much, but I can't see it being only $2-3 through UPS...