posted on April 2, 2007 02:53:51 PM
I just got 8 pull-back die cast toy racing cars to amuse my son and me while waiting in endless post office lines. They are mint in box and I got all 8 of them for $5 on eBay auction. Shipping charges were not given and I was too lazy to ask. - Stupid me, I choked when I saw $17.00 s/h, but paid promptly without complaint because I should have asked first and the seller is entitled to profit from the sale. The package was sitting at my post office for a week, along with my other held mail. I was floored to find the seller PAID $17.00 postage plus used her own oversized packaging to send the cars priority mail with Delivery Confirmation. The cars would have fit very nicely in the $8.10 flat rate Priority Boxes provided FREE by USPS, with 2 inches left over. Why would anyone pay nearly $9 to ship peanuts? I wasn't in a hurry to get the cars and the seller wasn't late in shipping them. I would have been happy with ground mail but wasn't given the option. All that aside, the one who really got screwed was the seller and the one who received the benefit was USPS.
[ edited by pixiamom on Apr 2, 2007 03:05 PM ]
posted on April 2, 2007 06:13:58 PM
I won't bid on an item if the seller won't answer my e-mail question about the shipping. Period.
Speaking of shipping fees, we were at a dinner party last night, and half the people at our table had recently bought items on eBay for which the shipping was horribly high. I'm talking $17.00 to ship one book within the U.S., etc. Another friend bought a book for .01 cent, shipping $14.00. Some of them are new to buying on eBay and didn't know they should get the shipping quote before they bid. But they all agreed they'll have to think hard before bidding on something again. I did my best to explain how that happens and how there are really scummy sellers who make all their money on shipping.
They're educable and have learned from this, but those sellers didn't do us sellers any favors by being so scummy.
_____________________
"There is more to life than increasing its speed." --Mahatma Gandhi
posted on April 2, 2007 06:17:47 PM
Strange thing is, I don't really regret the purchase. These are really beautiful cars from a quality manufacturer. Retails from 9.99 - 12.99 each when you can find them at my local hobby shop. Retired 1997. I don't begrudge the seller the high shipping except that she foolishly wasted it on unwarranted shipping charges. I prefer transactions where both the seller and the buyer benefit. Perhaps she was disgruntled and selling off her husband's collection?
posted on April 2, 2007 10:48:51 PM
Maybe your Seller thought she was doing the right thing by packing so well but I like your idea about the hubby's collection..LOL.
I was looking at some china today and came across a seller in Kansas who was selling a replacement saucer...just the saucer..no cup.. in their EBay Store for US$8.00 and wanted US$19.00 to ship to Canada by USPS Economy parcel Post.
I looked at their other auctions and they all were very high shipping.
We can send that same saucer to anywhere in the US from Canada for US$5.50.
Don't they realise how many sales they are possibly losing or maybe they just don't want Canadian buyers.
[ edited by otteropp on Apr 2, 2007 10:50 PM ]
posted on April 3, 2007 06:10:41 AM
Maybe she is unaware of the flat rate box.
Why not just send her a little note stating how pleased you are with your purchase ...however ?
If she isn't a high volume seller, she could be totally unaware.
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on Apr 3, 2007 06:11 AM ]
posted on April 3, 2007 07:05:28 AM
Ladyjewels..not sure if you meant me or pixiamom...in my case, I was just browsing and didn't buy. The same seller had TOS full of dire warnings so maybe has been burnt by someone and is over-reacting....a LOT.
