posted on September 8, 2001 06:37:43 PMfrom a catalog we would pay around the same for shipping yet we are all po'd that the guy has the nerve to charge $8.50.
The $8.50 wouldn't bother me if it was in the listing (and it should have been)... Either the deal is a good value or it isn't. Not being willing to combine two small items to save on shipping would bother me.
I was just looking at at a catalog that just came in the mail... s&h in this catalog goes by cost of the items you order... a $50 stereo and a $50 ring have the same s&h...
posted on September 8, 2001 06:46:48 PM
Microbes wrote:
Last I heard, UPS delivers to anywhere in the USA. (actually to most places in the world, but there is a customs brokerage issue to places out side of the US) If it's a matter of not being home when a deliver is made, heck, UPS is cheaper yet to a work address.
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UPS might deliver anywhere BUT not to a post office (USPS) box. The shipping charge was stated as $3 so I was pretty sure it was not going to be Priority OR UPS as even a business address (if you have one to send to) is not THAT inexpensive. To me it was misleading. I made a mistake in assuming that because of the cost it would be sent First Class USPS. That is why I stated that you should ask the form of shipping as well as costs or given the costs then ask the form. I still think that would be a good thing for a seller to note rather than waiting until I have replied to the end of auction notice with my shipping address. If you DON'T ship via USPS at all I DO think that is out of the ordinary just like NOT accepting money orders is. It isn't wrong but should be noted.
Just because it works for you does not mean it works for everyone. Let the bidder make an informed choice before he or she gets caught up in hoop jumping.
But, considering that the subject seller of this discussion did let the bidder back out I don't think a negative feedback is warranted.
posted on September 8, 2001 06:49:31 PM
Revvassago -- If those 30 inquiries were all for the same auction... you'd better check it and see whether you actually DID list the shipping in the auction. I have seen plenty of auctions which had the "see description for shipping charges" box marked -- but there was absolutely no information about shipping at all, in the auction. Another possibility is that it's too hard to find, especially if your description contains a long TOS. But you're right that some people don't bother to read, too.
Captian23 -- No, I wouldn't order from a mail order catalog that charges that high of shipping.
Violetta
(Not known by this nickname anywhere but here.)
posted on September 8, 2001 07:11:12 PM
wbbell wrote:
Do you ever order from any mail order catalogs? In many cases, those ship prices are outrageous and nowhere near their actual cost. The Disney Catalog is what I particularly have in mind, but there are tons of others. How is this any different?
and...
In your case, a price was stated up front. If you want the stuff bad enough, you agree to pay it. Yeah, sometimes the seller may do something you don't like and you may feel wronged, but it doesn't (necessarily) make the seller some sort of evil entity, ripoff artist, con man, etc.
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Yes I have ordered from catalogs when it is reasonable. I would not order from Disney as not only do I think the ship price is out of line so are the item prices. But I do respect that they have quality items and don't keep the prices from me.
I have ordered from on-line merchants or merchants who have on-line stores and the shipping is often more reasonable than what you can get on eBay. The last one only charged $1.98 and the one before $5 for 3 or more items. And, it is fully disclosed. I get to make an informed decision.
I think eBay might have driven the high costs of shipping and handling at non-auction mail order companies down.
As far as the person who charged $12 for handling above the shipping costs, I think with 17,000 feedback he is far from a newbie. He also probably doesn't need my business. I didn't leave a bad remark for what I agreed to pay. Nor did I call this seller a "con-man, evil entity, rip-off artist," etc. and I didn't even hint at that. But, I won't be back.
Perhaps he could have a 25,000 feedback rating if more people were happy (and reflected that in the feedback which I certainly didn't). Asking what I would be getting for my $12 puts us back at the "Well, the bidder didn't ask" mentality. How can the bidder cover everything? Shouldn't some things be assumed like proper packaging?
Plus on a per item basis he would not have made as much profit on the shipping each or even two or three items out separately as he did shipping all eight together.
But, here at least I wasn't complaining about the costs I agreed to pay just discussing it.
It isn't just the bidder who should make informed choices. The seller should too. I would have been back if the items had been shipped safely. I would have been back enthusiastically if there was a reasonable break on the overall total price of shipping.
I would pay more, and have, for a known seller I think does a good job and I do look over their auctions on a regular business.
Revvassago wrote that 30 inquiries were received regarding shipping price. Why would you want to answer all those by not stating the shipping price clearly. I only once had a question as a seller regarding shipping. I am not saying that they aren't building better idiots and Revvassago didn't have it clearly stated but I asked the other day about shipping and the seller was snippy about it being stated in the auction. When I replied that I would never bother him if I could have found it and that I still couldn't find it, he admitted his copy and paste must not have worked. Then when I bid he cancelled me out and ended the auction!
[ edited by another_smith on Sep 8, 2001 07:19 PM ]
posted on September 8, 2001 07:30:16 PMIf you DON'T ship via USPS at all I DO think that is out of the ordinary just like NOT accepting money orders is. It isn't wrong but should be noted.
Well, not accepting money orders is kind of "out of the ordinary"...
I ship primarily VIA UPS, but I can and do make exceptions, mostly for International deals, Alaska, Hiwawii, and APO / FPO addresses (because for these addresses it makes sense).
I have a good reason for shipping this way, the stuff I deal in is mostly heavy items (10 lbs to 150 lbs.) and a lot of "oversize" boxes. Stuff that would cost over $50 to mail can be shipped UPS for $20 to $30. Insurance on a $500 item is only $1.40 Via UPS.
You might be surprized, to a business address in the same zone a light package can be shipped for about $3.00 via UPS if you have an account with UPS. But if this was a fixed cost to any address, $3.00 via UPS is a losing proposition. I would almost suspect the packages are being shipped on a company account without the bosses knowledge.
posted on September 9, 2001 09:38:00 AM
Emailing a seller for shipping cost is sometimes a waste of time. I recently tried to find out a shipping cost from the seller. The reply..."I'm not sure..Maybe around $10.00". You better believe I steered clear of that one. Very frustrating.
posted on September 9, 2001 10:03:01 AM
I know that everyone preaches the "ask before you bid" but I just had this happen...on a buy it now.
Bid on a 1 oz. metal beer opener,and found out AFTER I'd bought it that shipping was 4.00!
-response to your comment-AS A SELLER I ALWAYS SHIP IN BOX ,NOT ENEVELOPE,a metal opener is hard and can be felt by anyone who handles mail,they maythink it is coins or jewelry and steal it.
i have small items stolen in the mail-mother of pearl buttons size of quarters,small cardholder etc.
many ebay buyers are also sellers and vice versa,those who sell postcards and used books ship bookrate and give away packing material,those who sell high end expensive porcelain figurines charge enough for good packing and customers dont mind if there is a discrepancy in postage and shipping charge,they want their items arrived in mint condition,why bother to bid if item arrived damaged,sure there is insurance but the goal is to acquire a peice of artwork not recyle your money back
posted on September 9, 2001 12:14:54 PM
I may be wandering a bit off topic here but...
I think most people would agree that sellers are entitled to collect a handling fee to cover additional expenses such as packing supplies and time spent.
However, if a seller is charging significantly above the average shipping charge asked for by most sellers, they would be well advised to state the shipping charges in their auctions. If they feel that they are entitled to collect additional fees to cover their expenses (and I'm not saying that they're not entitled) they could avoid a lot of complaints and problems by stating the actual shipping and handling charges up front rather than trying to hide it until after the auction closes.
When I hear sellers stating that their "handling" charges include such items as babysitting fees and gas expense, I sometimes wonder if they are trying to recover all of their gas money and babysitting fees or just those related to their eBay activities. I honestly don't know what kind of expenses each individual incurs related to their selling on eBay. But if someone is selling a significant volume of items, I do know that apart from the immediate cost of packing materials and postage, an additional $3.00-$4.00 of such "handling" for each item will pay for a lot of gas and babysitting. I sincerely doubt that they make a separate trip to the post office for every item that they sell. If they are selling a small volume of items and the inclusion of additional fees (to cover such expenses) raises the cost of the shipping and handling to a higher level than normal, perhaps they need to re-evaluate if they can justify passing such expenses onto the buyer...
Please note: I have only used the examples of babysitting and gas expense because I recall them being mentioned in another recent thread. I realize that in some cases these expenses may be justifiable. There are other expenses incurred by sellers that may also be passed onto buyers, such as wages for an assistant or the seller themselves. All I'm really trying to say here is that if all of the incurred expenses force the seller to raise their "handling" charges to a level which is above what many buyers are expecting or willing to pay, it makes the seller uncompetitive and they may need to re-evaluate their expenses on a cost-per-item basis. It may be necessary for such sellers to change some of their business practices...
posted on September 9, 2001 02:14:27 PMI sincerely doubt that they make a separate trip to the post office for every item that they sell
i've thought of this before, as well
although it was one of my first ebay 'sins' as a new seller to not put shipping in my listings, i do think sellers do a disservice - to themselves, and buyers - when they don't. excepting, of course, instances where you must first know the zip code, etc.
more and more people are shopping the 'going, going, gone' listings and, understandably, more comfortable bidding when the shipping price is known. not to mention what a pleasure it is when a buyer, on their own, sends payment because they already know the total.
i'm deliberating on whether or not to bid on something i think i want. auction ends today, no shipping info. emailed the seller yesterday afternoon to ask - no response. maybe she's out of town, or something. just checked her 700+ feedback. 1 weird neg, 2 neutrals from naru accounts, nothing on overcharging for shipping. i'll probably bid, but i wish i knew shipping first. if it's higher than i think is reasonable, oh well; i'll pay and not buy from her again.
recently bid on 3 items from a seller. her shipping was on the high side, but was in the listing. (this is one of those 'ooh, i know i can do well with them with good photos/title/description' cases - not this seller's usual category.) she said yes, she'd combine for me; shipping still high, but the overall price is still excellent, and that's all that matters to me.
and i don't get why this seller didn't want money orders, either. mistake on the buyer's part, but surely an understandable one.
kittyx3
edited to add:
if i were the seller and, after emailing a buyer that they'd sent a payment method i don't accept and got a reply of simply 'ok,' i'd be thinking, 'ok what?? ok, you don't want it now? ok, you're going to send me the payment methods i do accept?? what?!'
[ edited by kittykittykitty on Sep 9, 2001 02:20 PM ]
posted on September 9, 2001 02:40:23 PMmore and more people are shopping the 'going, going, gone' listings
Yes, and IMHO this is silly in any case except something you need right now, or something inexpensive.
Not just because of questions you might want to ask the seller (although this is a good enough reason not to shop the going going gone list), but because you are not giving your self time to think.
If you shop the "new today" list, you can take time to think over what your maximum bid should be, clear up any questions you might have, compare prices to "closed listings" to know you are not paying above market value, and have a few days to think instead of buying on impulse. Then you can place a bid (even snipe if you want) with confidence that you are going to get your moneys worth.
I have seen plenty of auctions which had the "see description for shipping charges" box marked -- but there was absolutely no information about shipping at all, in the auction. Another possibility is that it's too hard to find, especially if your description contains a long TOS. But you're right that some people don't bother to read, too.
