posted on June 30, 2006 08:05:02 PM
I am wondering how E-Bay determines just how much is excessive shipping. I sell video games where a lot of Power Sellers sell at a penny or 1.00, which I sell some of mine at a dollar also. How about light items such as jewelry? I would rather E-Bay crack down on the Sellers who ship items Media Mail that should go First Class or Priority,those are the ones that hurt me the most.
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Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on June 30, 2006 09:11:59 PM
A shipping charge that includes the ACTUAL cost of shipping, plus the cost of packing materials, plus the cost of beer in hot weather is reasonable. Anything beyond that is clearly excessive and the seller should be shot at sunrise or boiled in oil.
If Murphy's law is correct, everything East of the San Andreas Fault will slide into the Atlantic
posted on July 1, 2006 12:19:21 AM
"I would rather E-Bay crack down on the Sellers who ship items Media Mail that should go First Class or Priority,those are the ones that hurt me the most."
Umm, last time I checked ebay wasn't in the business of enforcing federal USPS regulations about mail fraud, waste and misconduct. That's what the Office of Inspector General's is for.
What their trying to stop are items like the one posted in another thread where the guy is selling tickets for .01 cent Buy it Now with $235 shipping. Clear ebay fee circumvention if I ever saw it. 1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
The big consignment sellers DO sometimes charge that much for handling, but it is unethical and unfair to their clients. It isn't fee avoidance, but a rip-off of their clients.
Say I charge an extra $10 for shipping that is not justified (e.g., it is completely justified for selling a multi-piece set of china, but not an iPod). The bidders are likely to bid $10 less than they would have otherwise, and the consignor's share of that $10 goes into my pocket rather than theirs... in the old days, we called that theft.
I usually charge $1-$3 handling, depending on the materials, time, etc. that I estimate for packing an item. Custom-made boxes, expensive boxes, multi-piece china, art with frames and glass all cost a bit more.
IF eBay cuts us some extra slack, and I'm not sure that they do, I think it's probably because they realize that we actually have employees whom we pay to pack, pay rent for a store to pack in, etc. Some of that is covered by our commissions, but the labor involved in a 90-piece set of china isn't.
posted on July 1, 2006 08:25:28 AM
Sorry Cash, did not mean to offend you.
I guess the better way to state my opinion is this. Ebay feels it is all right to let some people value their time and add a handling fee, but they do not think it is all right for the smaller sellers to do the same.
I think it is any sellers right to add a $5-$10 handling fee if they feel that is what they need to pack an item. I probably won't buy from them, but it is their right.
Someone here had a good idea. Ebay should readjust its fee schedule to cover the entire transaction including shipping. Maybe, possibly that might make buyers look at the total price instead of just the sales price.
posted on July 1, 2006 10:08:30 AMEbay feels it is all right to let some people value their time and add a handling fee, but they do not think it is all right for the smaller sellers to do the same.
posted on July 1, 2006 07:58:42 PM
I Bought a widget the other day,,,,,Seller stated,,,,If you don't like the shipping rate, DON'T BID.....I wanted the widget,,,,,I was the HIGH Buyer, I paid...
posted on July 2, 2006 05:11:40 AM
LtRay - surely you aren't suggesting that ebay increase their fee to cover shipping?? How would that help the buyer look at the whole price - they don't pay the fees - we do??
But then again if ebay did include shipping they probably wouldn't care what the buyer was charged.
It still upsets me that paypal charges fees on shipping.
posted on July 3, 2006 12:49:53 AM
No Lady, I'm not really "for" giving ebay fees on anything.
I've thought about the excessive shipping issue too darn much. How can anyone tell someone else their shipping is excessive ?
I do not see how anyone can police it except for the buyers.
The only way eBay could try to discourage it is by putting a fee on the total transaction.
None of us know what another seller's true shipping costs are. But on most of the 99 cent items and similar auctions, it is all too often obvious that the product cost is being included in the shipping.
and Fluffy, you made a good point. What do I base my statement on? I have no real facts pertaining to shipping. I only have my past experience with the way ebay has dealt with listings violations. They have taken down my auctions within hours of listing while I watch Power Seller auctions with basically the same issues complete their 7 days, get paid and receive feedback.
It is just a sore spot with me and I seriously doubt we will see eBay handle this situation any differently.
posted on July 3, 2006 04:18:15 AM
There may be a perception that ebay handles super sellers differently but I can say for a fact that a superseller had all (as in thousands and thousands) of listings ended over Memorial Weekend without notice and apparently without just cause. An ebay exec even posted an apology on a group discussion thread but that was about all he got - no fee refunds as of the last time the seller updated the thread (though those may have been given eventually), no assistance in restoring the listings. The seller relied on the ebay listings to track his inventory - so he lost all that vital data. His buyers on sold transactions got an email saying the transaction was canceled and implying the seller was not on the "up and up" and then, after the ebay exec got involved, another email saying the transactions were valid but not really reinstating the seller's reputation (and incredibly the guy had 100% FB). When it comes to ebay ending listings, it really does appear to be a level playing field. Edited to add: ok maybe smaller sellers would not get a public apology on a private chat board but BIG DEAL! That apology was not extended publicly to the people that count: THE CUSTOMERS!
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1 out of 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Take a look at your 3 closest friends. If they seem alright, you're the one! - Kyle Stubbins, CMS
