posted on September 22, 2000 06:04:23 PM
Now hold on mboyko, if I recall correctly, I've seen you state many times that your profits are very low. If you are making a very good profit, I would think that a portion of that very good profit is coming from your inflated shipping charges. Some of your customers are seeing that and they are not happy. It's up to you if you want happy customers. Like I said, if you are satisfied with the way things are going, then more power to you. If you want to improve (there's always room for improvement) then you might consider re-evaluating your techniques. It's entirely up to you.
posted on September 22, 2000 06:04:57 PM
One of my first buyers (who has become a great friend) told me recently of a seller she had bought from. She purchased 6 video tapes from this seller, who would not combine shipping charges. So she exacted her revenge by getting him to ship each tape to a different address (her friends and family).
posted on September 22, 2000 07:16:36 PM
mboyko-
Please- take the comments on this page with a grain of salt. Don't assume that because you sell an item for $5, that other sellers are gouging when they list for $9.99. Look at it this way-
I buy a license plate for $3.00. I list it for $9.99 and that's what it sells for. I ship plate USPS priority at $3.20. I charge $3.20. My profit= approx $6.25 after fees, etc.
You buy a license plate for $1.00 (you said you got stuff cheap!). You list and sell at $5.00. You ship plate first class at $1.50, you charge $3.20. Your profit= approx. $6.00.
(Disclaimer: All dollar amounts are approximate and are not to be construed to represent hard factual renumeration!)
As you can see, the so-called gouging seller made their profit from sales price - not off of shipping.
Like I said in an earlier post, I don't mind paying a buck or two extra for a packing fee on a particularly valuable or fragile item. But I think if I paid $3.20, it came parcel post and was in cereal or old pizza box, I'd be perturbed.
I hope you'll consider the ideas presented here on this board, and I'm sorry that the thread has turned personal- kind of like your "this is a bad person" feedbacks.
posted on September 22, 2000 07:51:45 PM
Handling fees are fine, if they are within reason, I charge a .35 handling fee, that is for bubble wrap and packing peanuts. If they don't want to pay the handling fee, I am more than happy to ship it to them in newspaper. The problem is, he charges a huge handling fee to send items in trashy containers, his garbage as someone else pointed out.
That is not even the worst of it, his feedback practices are terrible, and I think someone who abuses the feedback forum in that way should be kicked off ebay. His buyers did their part by paying, there is no reason to treat people as he has. He also takes no responsibility for his actions, a classic case of "not my fault, someone else" an attitude that prevails in this country today. I find the whole thing sickening. Heather
posted on September 22, 2000 08:32:55 PM
This seller is one sad case. From the looks of most of his current auctions the buyers are catching on. I would like to know how cheap he gets his stuff. Maybe from the same dumpster the pizza box came from? Or the nearest Salvation Army box at 3a.m.? Hmmm.
posted on September 22, 2000 09:15:32 PM
>>"feedback practices are terrible"<<
I agree on this one. Giving a neg to someone because they gave you a neutral is excessive - like driving nails with a sludge hammer. Ouch!
I can however see both sides here. Can't these people read? "I do not combine shipping for people who bid on more than one of my auctions, so" [don't bid on more than one item if you don't want to be gouged]
posted on September 22, 2000 10:38:19 PM
Boy, I sure am glad I joined AW. It's fascinating -- and horrifying -- to get a glimpse inside the minds of some of the bad Seller types I've encountered on ebay, see the self-justification and rationalization that goes on to support their questionable, misleading, abusive and often downright unethical practices.
You boys 'n' girls with excessive handling charges ought to take another look at ebay's TOS. It's my understanding they take a dim view of Fee Avoidance practices, and shifting profits into handling certainly fits that category. A 1 cent minimum bid and inflated shipping would, IMO, probably qualify, especially when there's refusal to combine shipping. How glaring can it get?
The discussion on feedback has been especially illuminating, and it tends to push me further in the direction I've been heading anyway, which is to basically abandon the feedback system. Why? Primarily because of feedback retaliation. I got my 2nd neg recently, and it was from a dweeb with a +7 feedback (over about a 6-mo. period) who woke up one day and discovered I'd neg'd him for misrepresenting his item and not bothering to respond to my emails about it.
The only other neg I received was also feedback retaliation, for a nut case Seller I'd left a neutral for which was VERY generous on my part under the circumstances.
I think that I'm going to start insisting that trading partners leave their feedback first, whether they're buyers or sellers. I don't -- and won't -- engage in FB retaliation of any kind (including the type Twinsoft tries in vain IMO to justify), and I'm darned tired of both the reality and the threat of getting negative FB hanging over my head.
My other consideration in *basically abandoning* the feedback system is that it's been my experience that the higher the number of feedbacks, the lower the customer service orientation. (And btw, I find the FB vs transation rate of our pizza box seller here shocking -- and telling. You BET some of these people are afraid of FB retaliation and don't feel positive FB is warranted.)
So I tend to avoid people with FB in the high hundreds and above, as well as Power Sellers (oh boy, these I avoid like the plague!!). Since I'm not the only one who's noticed the inverse relation between high feedback and lackadaisical customer service when problems arise, I won't go out of my way to get lots more feedback -- just enough to keep the FB somewhat current.
The exceptions I'll make to giving FB are for newer ebayers who need more positive feedback (as long as they deserve it and I've not had a single buyer NOT deserve it, and only very few Sellers who didn't deserve it), as well as for those trading partners who have been exemplary in some way or another, and I've had a few.
Even tho I myself am a Seller (as well as Buyer), I really think ebay emphasizes Sellers' rights to the near exclusion of Sellers' responsibilities, and THAT'S why we have abusive, unethical Sellers on ebay. IOW, ebay tacitly approves all these shenanigans by their unwillingness to take a stand -- after all, it's the Sellers (not Buyers) who make them money. And where Power Sellers are concerned, ebay simply turns a deaf ear. I guess that's a variation on the Golden Rule -- he who has the gold, makes the rules.
Just today I discovered the Online Auction Users Association at http://www.auctionusers.org/ and I think I'll be joining that as a first step toward some improvements in the *community* we all belong to. We ALL seem to agree that bad Sellers (especially Sellers IMO) and bad Buyers are an ebayer's nightmare, but somehow some of us have trouble thinking that could possibly apply to us. Some of the guidelines I skimmed at this site earlier today kinda put things into perspective.
posted on September 23, 2000 12:14:35 AM
Boy, gift wrap IS expensive. Two bucks for a box, two bucks for a bow, ribbons ... I think I spent $20 bucks to wrap my kids' presents. Of course, I'll charge them a handling fee. Just KIDDING, ladies!
You know, I just want to make my position clear. It really bugs me the way this forum is used for personal attacks. It seems people are standing in line to insult this seller. Many have commented on the retaliatory feedback, but what I see are posters here making personal attacks, and the seller responding politely. This is the second thread attacking the seller, and not once has he/she responded in kind, or lost his temper, or put anyone else down. To me, THAT is very telling.
Those people making slanderous remarks (esp. accusations of fee avoidance) should take a good, close look at their own comments. Adding a handling fee is perfectly allowable on eBay, and $2 is not excessive. Today I stood in line for 15 minutes at the post office to ship a package to Australia. I charged a whopping $1 extra for this service. I suppose some posters would like to put my head on a spike for it, but I think the extra buck was more than fair.
When I was a kid, I read a short story by Ray Bradbury called "The Smile." The story took place in a depressing future where people stood in line to spit on the Mona Lisa. I'm often reminded of that story when I read these threads.
posted on September 23, 2000 12:32:48 AM
Twinsoft, there is an old expression. "Do not suffer fools gladly."
Bad sellers "personally attack" my wallet by driving bidders off of eBay.
Frankly I wish all the bad sellers and buyers would have their own section on eBay so they could gouge and neg themselves into NARU oblivion and leave commerce to us grownups.
posted on September 23, 2000 04:14:03 AM
I've been reading this (and the other) thread in complete horror. I think the seller in question likes the "power" his TOS has over the buyer. As for me, I would crawl to the Post Office on my hands and knees to satisfy a buyer. I work in retail, and without the customer, where would we be? Of course, you are always going to run into the hard to please customer, and those are the ones that I would just as soon not deal with anyway... but the majority of customers are great and I do all I can to please them. I combine shipping and have even shipped free on multi- auction wins. I have a long list of repeat customers who now go out of their way for me. I agree with the person that said if this seller's actions continue, he won't be in this business long. People like to be treated with respect. And I'm sorry mboyko, but leaving the three negatives for the neutrals was just WRONG! Your business is just that... YOUR BUSINESS... good luck in it because I'm afraid you are going to need it. This forum offers alot of help and ideas, you should set the attitude aside for awhile and listen to the thoughts of the posters....And all of the above is JMHO.
_________________
posted on September 23, 2000 07:51:08 AM
CleverGlrl - "higher the number of feedbacks, the lower the customer service orientation"
What a wide brush you paint with.
After busting my butt to make people happy for 2 years I have 850+ feedbacks and one neg. I got as a buyer. I have refunded money and shipping over trivial silly complains with out saying anything negative at all. If that is a sure sign to you I will give you bad service you need to change your ID from clever.
After a couple more years YOU will have a big feedback number and I suppose you will change ID to drop back to zero so people can trust you?
Otherwise you will be like the radicals in the 60's who agreed not to trust anyone over 30 and now they are 60. Opps...they should have stayed 30. Silly Geese.
[ edited by macandjan on Sep 23, 2000 07:53 AM ]
posted on September 23, 2000 08:35:34 AM
Twinsoft -- I think you need to read what I wrote about Fee Avoidance again. Here it is:
"You boys 'n' girls with excessive handling charges ought to take another look at ebay's TOS. It's my understanding they take a dim view of Fee Avoidance practices, and shifting profits into handling certainly fits that category. A 1 cent minimum bid and inflated shipping would, IMO, probably qualify, especially when there's refusal to combine shipping. How glaring can it get? "
I imagine few people would consider $2 handling excessive (depending on the item and cost, of course), but we ALL know there are Sellers out there who DO shift some or most of their profits into handling charges, and that IS Fee Avoidance as I understand it.
I'm having trouble understanding why you found my comments slanderous. If you felt YOU were personally targeted by my use of boys AND GIRLS -- I threw that in primarily for lurkers' benefit as well as to try not to target anyone specifically on this thread -- IOW, to make the comment more general.
Macanjan -- yes, I did paint with a wide brush when I said that *in my experience* the higher the fedback rating, the poorer the customer relations attitude. Sorry, but that's been my experience. While the bulk of my ebay experiences have been good to great, the ones that have been awful have been two or three nut cases and the rest high volume sellers. Power Sellers especially. Sorry, that's been MY experience, and I'll conduct myself accordingly. I DO know that not all high volume Sellers are bad (and really, that's the nature of generalizations is that it applies to some but not necessarily all) , and I'm glad to know you fit in that category. I commend you. In fact, I commend you as heartily as I condemn all the bad Sellers out there.
posted on September 23, 2000 08:50:54 AM
I am sorry to hear that not just for you - but because of what it means long term for the auction - it IS new and what will it be in another 5 years?
posted on September 23, 2000 09:38:10 AM
I WOULDN'T MIND THE USED PIZZA BOX -IF- IT ARRIVED IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS FROM THE END OF THE AUCTION, AND IT WAS STILL HOT. HOLD THE ANCHOVIES PLEASE!
posted on September 23, 2000 10:35:41 AM
I'd like to address the idea that 25% of your buyers leaving any feedback is normal.
I don't agree at all. I've seen several threads here on AW about this very topic, and lots of posters were getting 60% or more.
I average 80%.
I think if you're only getting 25% it should tell you something. Maybe a good, hard look at your selling/shipping practices is in order here.
posted on September 23, 2000 10:44:50 AM
My feedback ration is about 75%. If only 25% of my buyers were leaving feedback I would certainly wonder why. And yes, I normally leave feedback as soon as I receive payment, unless my instincts tell me to hold off.
248 Postitive
0 Negs
1 Neutral which was resolved for both myself and the buyer
I've left 330 feedbacks, 5 of which were Negs for none payment.
posted on September 23, 2000 04:18:25 PM
feistone: Where would you ever get the idea that I was talking to you? That was directed at twinsoft, and since I was not talking to you, I hardly think I owe you an apology, or anyone else. That statement was the truth, he has also negged every buyer that has given him a neutral or negative, so I am def. not going to apologize or retract my statement. Heather
posted on September 23, 2000 08:34:06 PM
Ok Heather. I apologize to you. I thought that you were addressing a comment that I made to you and I couldn't see that I did anything like that.
As for Twinsoft. I searched under his or her user name on Ebay and came up empty.
posted on September 23, 2000 08:43:59 PM
Click on his id here, his email address is there and you can search that way. Apology accepted, and I owe you one of my own for being rude. Heather
posted on September 23, 2000 09:58:21 PM
Would someone please give me instructions on how to locate a specific seller (like the one you're all talking about here), with the limited information in these posts?
posted on September 24, 2000 05:07:29 PM
I think a clean used pizza box is just fine. But a box full of ants yuck. For this guy to leave a negative means he is a sicko and a slob. He may also have some good plates. So take the plate and spray the ants...
