posted on July 25, 2002 09:51:54 PM new
I am bidding on this iten that weighs quite a few pounds and I emailed the seller for the shipping charges so I could judge how high I wanted to bid.this is his answer. ((i havent packaged this item yet-- so i dont know they weight. i charghe
actual shipping costs tho. sorry, )) What would you do.
posted on July 25, 2002 10:30:34 PM new
Not a very good answer. What does it take to weigh the thing and at least give you an approximate weight? Unless you really want the ITEM ( for Jack ) I'd skip it.
posted on July 25, 2002 10:44:06 PM new
What does his feedback and selling history look like? If he is an occasional seller(amateur) then he may very well be giving you his best attempt to answer your question and be honest with you. On the other hand, if he has been selling for a while and has a fair amount of feedback racked up (pro), he could be attempting to hide an unpleasant shipping and handling charge from prospective bidders. What is your gut feeling on this one?
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on July 25, 2002 10:45:08 PM new
Same exact thing just happend to me today, "I have no idea what it would cost to ship it to your zip code. I don't make a profit on shipping, I charge actual. Hope this helps."
posted on July 25, 2002 11:35:03 PM new
Unless you really want this item, I would pass. I don't consider myself a pro, but at least I will try to give a ball park figure or at least tell the bidder the weight & my Zip Code, then they can do the figuring. I know its hard to really know what something is going to cost umtil you have it packed. I just sold a huge stamp album. It weighed 9+ lbs, so I added 2 more lbs for packing & 2 dollars for insurance. I emailed the high bidder the amount. She paid with P/P & I packed it & shipped it FedEx. I was almost on the nose, cost me 32 cents of my pocket.
posted on July 26, 2002 02:24:48 AM new
I pack and weigh each item when I list it so I can give that info in the auction. It takes a little longer on the front end but saves time on the back end. I do not bid when I can't find out how much the shipping is going to be (or at least close). I did once and got a nasty surprise. Unless you really want the 'widget' I wouldn't bid.
posted on July 26, 2002 09:16:25 AM new
I am with sanmar & pmelcher on this. I would quit bidding for several reasons. If this is the way they are trying me NOW, how are they going to treat me IF there is a problem with the widget? 2) I still wouldn't know for sure how much they are going to charge for shipping.
I would be embarrassed if I emailed that to a potential customer. If I don't know "for sure" I give a ballpark figure and if it turns out to be more, I eat my error. NOT THE BUYER.
posted on July 26, 2002 09:20:17 AM new
Just the other side of the coin here.....
Since 6/30, I can no longer quote shipping costs in my auctions either. As a rule, I get several requests per day wanting shipping costs on individual items, or sometimes combinations of items.
I respond to each and every one with an exact figure. I also charge only actual costs. On the rare ocassions (in the case of combinations, usually) I have to 'guessestimate', I tell the potential bidder that if it actually weighs less packed, he will pay the lesser price, and if it is more, we will pay the difference. (No nasty surprises here!)
But here is my point: To a person, these people who request shipping charges never bid! No, NEVER!
And frankly, I'm really tired of it. It's like they just go through browsing, and clicking on 'ask seller a question' - and never give it another thought.
And before anyone jumps on me, I'm telling you what my experience has been - not yours, as either a buyer or seller.
I'm not trying to defend this seller, but sometimes I feel like doing about the same thing (but *sigh* I don't). To me, it's just part of the game.
posted on July 26, 2002 09:30:44 AM new
Oh, and one additional gripe:
In my auctions I say that if they will email us, we will be glad to calculate shipping to a particular ZIP code....so about 25% of these dummies email me a city and state...which means I have to waste additional time looking up the ZIP code!
posted on July 26, 2002 09:44:58 AM new
As a buyer, when I request info from a seller in regards to the shipping I supply my zip code.
As a seller, when I receive a request for the shipping charges, I ask the potential buyer for a zip code to figure the shipping.
We all do it differently, but it is a matter of "customer service" and how are they going to be if there is a problem with the widget. First impressions are important. If I get a stupid email from a seller, one of my "first impressions" is that I would not get treated properly if something goes wrong.
posted on July 26, 2002 09:46:42 AM new
I still don't know why people/sellers waste their time calculating shipping based on where someone lives.
I post the amount of shipping/handling and figure it will always come within a bit over/under and equals out in the end. I would never want to answer all those emails each day for people that never really intend to bid. Plus, I will Never understand those of you who act like it is a crime to charge a handling fee. We are practally giving away the products and still you think I have to pay for the peanuts/ boxes (yes, I buy boxes since everything doesn't fit into a Pririty mail box and I ship Fed Ex ground- much cheaper) and bubble wrap.
When you order from Speigel, JCPenny catalog, or any other catalog, they tell you ahead of time what the shipping will be and they are usually pretty fair.
Why waste so much time and energy on something most sellers don't mind anyhow???
posted on July 26, 2002 09:56:29 AM new
I try to treat my buyers the way I want to be treated. If I can save my buyers a buck or two, I do it. I try to keep the shipment as inexpensive as possible. Some don't care, while others do.
Very, very rarely do I charge for handling.
As buyer, I try to save on the shipping charges, too. I appreciate it when sellers try to keep the shipping low, too.
When I get as big as Penney's I will run my selling the way they do theirs.
posted on July 26, 2002 10:21:14 AM new
HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY,,,,,,,,,,I WANT THE ENTIRE AND I MEAN ENTIRE ADDRESS. IT'S SO EASY FOR THEM TO DO 76543. B.S. I JUST REPLY, SEE MY ME PAGE. 99% NEVER REPLY.
I PUT THE SHIPPING RATE IN AN "ITEM" I AM SELLING FOR A TEST LAST WEEK. $20.00......THIS THING USUALLY ENDS UP $40.00 -$60.00. THIS TIME,,,,,,,,OH! AND I START AT $29.00. ALWAYS HAVE. 0, BIDS. NOPE, NO MORE UP FRONT. THE "THING" IS HEAVY AH!! AND I GAVE THE WEIGHT!...
SANMAR,,,,,DID THE WEIGHT AND ZIP THING,,,,,NO REPLY.
MY ZIP IS CLEARLY STATED RIGHT IN THE AUCTION. SOMETIMES,,,,, WITH ACTUAL WEIGHT AND DEMENSIONS....HOW MUCH IS SHIPPING TO 65432......THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT THEMSELVES. THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE EXACT SAME HOOPS WE DO. FOR NOTHING.
GC2,,,,,,CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.
PEIK,,,,,,,,PEOPLE DON'T READ!!!! YES! THANK YOU!
GC2......WE LIVE IN TIMBUCKTOO.....YEA,,,,,GREAT.
CLARKVILLE,,,,,,IF THEY DON'T SEND IT IN THE FIRST PLACE ...........DELETE. PERIOD.
YUP, ME TOO BURNED OUT ON THE HOW MUCH IS SHIPPINGS.
AND OH!!!!!! JUST ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY SEE THEIR ZIP CODE BTW.
posted on July 26, 2002 01:17:24 PM new
I just include the weight and my zip code in the description along with the link to the USPS postage calculator and let the bidder figure out what it costs.
