posted on March 16, 2001 06:07:50 AM
I know this is always a hot button item but I'd like to know what buyers think about shipping & handling terminology in an auction.
Assume:
Product costs me $3.00
USPS charges are $2.00
Specialty box costs me $.50
Average Packing material charges are $.25
Average Packing material includes the cost of peanuts, bubble wrap, labels, tape, etc. I average my total annual expenditures for these items over all packages shipped. It would be a little high for some, low for others, but it's just an average.
Now, as a buyer, which would you prefer to see in my auction:
Option 1
Starting price = $3.00
Shipping = $2.75
OR
Option 2
Starting Price = $3.75
Actual Shipping = $2.00
If you choose Option 1, what is the best way to indicate the shipping is for more than just "actual postage"? Does it matter if I say "shipping charges are $2.75" or "shipping/handling charges are $2.75"?
If I were to state it as "shipping charges are $2.75" and you got the box with only $2.00 postage on it, would you feel you'd been ripped off?
I do believe there no perfect way to do this & what works for one person doesn't work for another, so this is just to gauge the feelings of ALL buyers when viewing the price & language of shipping.
posted on March 16, 2001 06:23:07 AMIf I were to state it as "shipping charges are $2.75" and you got the box with only $2.00 postage on it, would you feel you'd been ripped off?
Not at all! I think most reasonable ebayers would understand that the additional $.75 went to materials, etc. I think most people tend to get offended over the really egregious extra charges...for instance, being charged $5.00 for shipping, while the package shows up via first class mail with a postal charge that reads $1.50.
Btw, hope you're doing well, Eventer; I for one miss "seeing" you as frequently around here.
Been gone for a little over a month while my daughter showed on the Florida horseshow circuit. Now I have to be back to pay for the new horse she picked up.
Hope all has been well with you, too! Time to do another "fun with smilies" thread.
posted on March 16, 2001 06:33:20 AM
Hi,
As a buyer, I want to see the amount you want listed in the description. It wastes my time to have to contact the seller to find out how much I will be charged, and if the auction is ending soon, I won't bother bidding or trying to contact you. How you break it down doesn't matter as much as seeing the total.
If you state actual shipping, then I expect the postage on the package to be the amount I was charged (ok to round up to the nearest 50cents). If you just say shipping will be $3, I am ok with that, no matter what the actual postage is, but many buyers don't like it if the actual is really less than what they paid.
If you go with option 1, you should state shipping/handling rather than shipping.
Option 2 works for me also, I consider the total cost of aquisition when deciding how much to bid.
PepperAlso
Personally, when I buy items I am usually just concerned with the bottom line (bid price + s/h charges) so both of these options would work fine for me! However, if you were to go with Option 1, I would not simply state "shipping charge." While some bidders might interpret that as all the costs included with shipping... there are just as many that would assume it would be for actual postage only. You could easily receive some disgruntled bidders as a result. The way I denote this in my auctions is to simply state "s/h by USPS mail will be $x.xx." I find that the abreviated "s/h" tends to be more easily embraced by bidders than actually seeing "handling" typed out. Also, other questions they might have are answered by letting them know what carrier you are using. (such as can you deliver to PO boxes, etc...)
posted on March 16, 2001 06:40:11 AM
Cost to ship this item:
$1.25 via first class mail. Insurance will be added to the final shipping cost. Shipping for International Bidders will vary and will be calculated at the close of the auction.
eventer: That is in my TOS for all my auctions. I change the cost and shipping method accordingly. The above is for a postcard auction. I ship in rigid mailers which generally cost me around 50 cents each and the postage is 55 cents. I make 20 cents on the deal and have sold quite a few postcards. Not one person has complained.
I list almost all books (unless they are extremely heavy) and LPs at $2.00 via Media Mail.
I just don't think bidders want to see something like $2.00 for item and $10 shipping and handling and it ends up costing 99 cents to mail. If they were willing to pay up to $12 total, it shouldn't make a difference. It's a psychological thing.
posted on March 16, 2001 06:43:56 AMIf I were to state it as "shipping charges are $2.75" and you got the box with only $2.00 postage on it, would you feel you'd been ripped off?
No, I don't think that would be unreasonable. I do think you should make it s/h and say first class mail or media mail or however your going to ship it.
posted on March 16, 2001 07:00:06 AM
I am mostly a buyer on ebay (sold a few things, may sell more in the future, which is why I read this board). How I bid: I figure how much the item is worth to me TOTAL. I don't really care how much the s/h is; I just like to know in advance what it will be so that I can bid the highest amount on an item and not go over what I am willing to pay for an item. I know that there are costs associated with shipping, so exact shipping isn't a problem. I don't even look at the postage when I get an item. I won't bid on an item without knowing shipping charges; if I catch an item at the end of an auction and there isn't time to contact the seller about shipping, I pass on the item.
Ceil
ceilmary
posted on March 16, 2001 07:17:26 AM
Hi twelvepole,
Do you really think it's necessary to state the type of shipping (media, fc, etc) unless the shipping stated is starting to enter priority & I'm shipping via FC rather than priority?
posted on March 16, 2001 07:30:25 AM
Hi Eventer,
Well if it is less than the cost of Priority probably not, but I feel when it gets to $5.00 or over then it should be listed.
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on March 16, 2001 07:35:27 AM
Thanks, twelvepole,
I agree...when it gets into priority range, best to state the type of shipping rather than let some buyer make the wrong assumption (not that actually stating it is going to prevent SOME buyers from assuming it anyway).
As long as your listing states the exact cost of shipping ("$2.75 Shipping" or "$2.75 S/H" or some variation of that, not "Actual shipping", with no dollars and cents total), I'd be satisfied. If your listing stated "$10.00 Shipping", and the box came with $1.85 in stamps on it, I would not complain.
As a bidder, I don't particularly care what your packing material costs are. I usually don't care what your shipping method is, either. If, for some reason, it was important to me, I would be sure to ask if it wasn't stated in the listing.
All I really need to know in order to make a bid is how much more money, over and above the final bid, I will need to spend to get the item delivered to me.
posted on March 16, 2001 11:27:27 AM
Option 1
Starting price = $3.00
Shipping = $2.75
OR
Option 2
Starting Price = $3.75
Actual Shipping = $2.00
Actually, that doesn't work. A lot of a sellers think they can incorporate expenses in the starting bid and it will work out the same as adding it seperately, but it doesn't. Let's say the winning bid is $10. In option 1 the winner will send you $12.75 ($10 plus $2.75). In option 2, he'll send you $12 ($10 plus $2). So, by adding the packaging cost to your starting bid in option 2, you're actually going to be paying the packaging costs out of your own pocket.
Just keep all of your shipping-related costs seperate. If your S&H is reasonable then you shouldn't have any problems.
posted on March 16, 2001 12:41:46 PM
I think it is widget and catagory dependent.
What is the competition up to?
What is the average price for this item?
In some catagories you can build it into your opening bid. I got one item at below ex++ retail cost, paid $7 for shipping, fellow sent it for $8 and change, not including box.
I bought another item, a rare piece of sheet musice for my mom. There were two auctions, so I went with the one for the slightly better condition. It costs more for shipping but starting bid was off by a penny.
As I said in the other thread about the sega game, I don't mind s/h as long as I know what method is going out the door.
posted on March 16, 2001 02:36:12 PM
As both buyer and seller I like and go with the "S/H $xx.xx via priority (first class, media) mail". This is brief, clear, to the point and allows the bidder to have a generalized expectation of when the item might reach them as well. The bidder can then make the decision as to the appropriateness of both the figure and method of shipping in deciding whether to bid. It also eliminates "how do you ship" emails from those bidders that feel they have been "burned" by a previous shipping expectation that didn't pan out (i.e. $6.00 s/h for a lightweight piece of clothing in a manila envelope for .99 postage, etc.)
posted on March 16, 2001 02:39:33 PM"shipping charges are $2.75" and you got the box with only $2.00 postage on it, would you feel you'd been ripped off?
The consensus answer, "fine", is great.
I do agree however that media shipping should be distinguished from first class. If one plans to ship media, it should say "$2.75 shipping via USPS media" (or whatever it really is called) .
Most people believe there to be three tiers of service: Priority, 1st, and media. If they think they're buying a higher tier than they get, that 's a problem
