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$9.99 starting price with $119.41 shipping (Domestic)
Same seller has several listings with insane shipping, and yet several other listings with normal shipping.....
I was just curious, but not enough to ask WTF of the seller...

Badmike wrote:Ebay has again changed their policies. Now, to be a Top Rated Seller, you must offer one day express shipping for all your items.

I think you have misinterpreted the policy change.  The change is that you must list a 1 day handling time (not 1 day shipping time) and sellers must now enter the tracking number of the item into Ebay within the 1 day period after payment.  You are allowed to slip up a couple times but too many and you lose your Top Rated status (and Ebay fee discount).  Another part of the policy is that you have to also allow returns.

Neither of these really effect me as a small time seller who just creeps into Top Rated Powerseller status (a 20% discount of Ebay fees).  Since I print up shipping through Paypal the tracking is automatically inserted and I've never had a return (on Ebay or otherwise).  I wish Ebay would enforce more of these types of policies and automatically incorporate stuff like shipping time/price & handling fee into a set of autocomputed DSRs.  Over the last few months my shipping price DSR got hammered because I ship mainly from Canada to the US so the cost is high - I do not charge a handling fee and wasn't even charging the Ebay fee on shipping.  The only model I can really use is free shipping and incorporate a shipping fee into the product price (which is crap since it differs for every province within Canada and each US state).

Badmike wrote:

Gnat the Beggar wrote:** eBay auction listing blocked.  Please enable cookies in your browser for this site and for eBay! **

$9.99 starting price with $119.41 shipping (Domestic)
Same seller has several listings with insane shipping, and yet several other listings with normal shipping.....
I was just curious, but not enough to ask WTF of the seller...

Ebay has again changed their policies. Now, to be a Top Rated Seller, you must offer one day express shipping for all your items. This is impractical for a lot of smaller sellers (the one day shipping definitely favors the larger conglomerate that can work around the clock with many employees).  However, to skirt the rule, you can basically charge whatever you want for one day shipping and still list the item as being "available" for one day shipping. So many sellers are using the one day shipping button yet listing ridiculous shipping prices, in hope you won't use the service but if you did they would be heavily compensated.

In most cases with insane one day or express shipping, you can check out the listing and there is often shipping listed at a more normal price for other methods (In this case, $6.29 for media mail).

Mike B.

The seller changed his listing, adding media mail, because I asked him if it was just a mistake or if he was running a shipping ripoff for suckers.

He thanked me and added the media mail option.

Mars wrote:

Badmike wrote:Ebay has again changed their policies. Now, to be a Top Rated Seller, you must offer one day express shipping for all your items.

I think you have misinterpreted the policy change.  The change is that you must list a 1 day handling time (not 1 day shipping time) and sellers must now enter the tracking number of the item into Ebay within the 1 day period after payment.  You are allowed to slip up a couple times but too many and you lose your Top Rated status (and Ebay fee discount).  Another part of the policy is that you have to also allow returns.

Neither of these really effect me as a small time seller who just creeps into Top Rated Powerseller status (a 20% discount of Ebay fees).  Since I print up shipping through Paypal the tracking is automatically inserted and I've never had a return (on Ebay or otherwise).  I wish Ebay would enforce more of these types of policies and automatically incorporate stuff like shipping time/price & handling fee into a set of autocomputed DSRs.  Over the last few months my shipping price DSR got hammered because I ship mainly from Canada to the US so the cost is high - I do not charge a handling fee and wasn't even charging the Ebay fee on shipping.  The only model I can really use is free shipping and incorporate a shipping fee into the product price (which is crap since it differs for every province within Canada and each US state).

You are correct, it's a one day handling time, which I am also not about to do (I don't want to shut off my store for periods like NTRPG con or vacation on the off chance someone is going to hammer my DSRs because I was out of town and didn't ship their item within 24 hrs).  

Foreign shippers do get screwed on shipping to the US, but most of the bad ratings I've had have been overseas buyers who take the Ebay statement of how long a package should reach them as gospel and leave feedback accordingly. I've had stuff sit in customs for three weeks and sometimes European buyers don't understand that shouldn't be part of the shipping/arrival times.

Mike B.

Mars wrote:

Badmike wrote:You are correct, it's a one day handling time, which I am also not about to do (I don't want to shut off my store for periods like NTRPG con or vacation on the off chance someone is going to hammer my DSRs because I was out of town and didn't ship their item within 24 hrs).

I think this policy change is really meant to reduce the number of people currently in "Top Rated Powerseller" status who get a discount on fees.  Sellers must now get that tracking number entered into Ebay within 1 day or they are in violation so sellers that may post 1 day handling but take 2 will lose  their status and fee discount.

Bingo.  And not like it's easy to get the discount anyway, but Ebay needs to shave a little off the top, so.....

Nearly every single change in Ebay's policies since Donawhore took over has been geared at knocking the small time mom and pop seller off ebay and giving the giant megacorporation more advantages in the marketplace.  He could die the bloodiest, most painful and hideous death known (flesh eating bacteria on his face?) and I'd applaud.  

Mike B.

red_bus wrote:Chainmail "2nd Edition".  Hmmmm, is that a 1st edition picture?  

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Yes, I sent the seller a message/question/request... for clarification... additional pics.

I placed a small bid to keep track of the listing, but it will be exceeded with any subsequent bid.
Seller sent me some pics which I have posted below... Enjoy and good luck folks.
His book is indeed a 2nd Edition Chainmail.

Front Cover of actual 2nd Edition Chainmail being sold: 2nd Edition wording is there in this pic.


Front and back cover, showing significant staple rust, with some sort of issue on back cover... not sure what that is.


Inside Front Cover: Looks clean


Copyright page: Confirms what the front cover states, 2nd Edition...

Badmike wrote:

Mars wrote:
I think this policy change is really meant to reduce the number of people currently in "Top Rated Powerseller" status who get a discount on fees.  Sellers must now get that tracking number entered into Ebay within 1 day or they are in violation so sellers that may post 1 day handling but take 2 will lose  their status and fee discount.

Bingo.  And not like it's easy to get the discount anyway, but Ebay needs to shave a little off the top, so.....

Nearly every single change in Ebay's policies since Donawhore took over has been geared at knocking the small time mom and pop seller off ebay and giving the giant megacorporation more advantages in the marketplace.  He could die the bloodiest, most painful and hideous death known (flesh eating bacteria on his face?) and I'd applaud.  

Mike B.

Heck Yes - I'm glad someone finally said it. eBay went from Feebay to Greedbay to Sleazebay rather quickly. Any small change they can make to the detriment of the seller that increases their own pocket book THEY SHALL DO! It's a corporate mantra or something. Oh-ho, and don't fret that the big guys are feeling the pain too. The big mega-seller stores are exempt from all of the changes. Don't doubt that one nanosecond. I bet they don't pay per item listing fees! (And they get massive final value fee discounts on top of highly leveraged shipping cost discounts due to volume, larger purchasing power at the wholesale level, etc, etc, etc.)

I'm wondering how I'm going to keep the discount myself. Heaven forbid I ship 1 item at 12:01am instead of 12:00!! There go my (minimal) final value discounts. Why doesn't eBay just sell to that Chinese company that was looking at them a year ago. It seems eBay is moving in the direction of cheap quality foreign good anyway. Wasn't it called Alibaba or something? I can't remember now. Good thing there is Amazon and they don't charge a per month fee for each listing either.  

Don't you have debit card?  They usually can be used as a credit card.

Or do you keep your money in an old mattress?

dbartman wrote:Don't you have debit card?  They usually can be used as a credit card.

Or do you keep your money in an old mattress?

No debit card. ATM card out of necessity. It's nobody's damn business but my own what I purchase (also keeps impulse spending down). I shouldn't have to hand over my personal info to anyone who asks for it just for the sake of getting groceries. Cops need a warrant for it, why give it over to any jerk who asks for it?

So no, I don't go to stores which have these "rewards card" programs when I can avoid it. Don't like being treated like a trained dog. "Roll over. Sit. Beg. Buy this. Give us your name, address, phone number, entire purchase history. Good Consumer. Here's your reward."

Only have PayPal out of necessity, and got the account before EBay snagged them. At least I can control spending with it to some degree, as it's removed from the bank account by a step, and I never add from the bank account into it. Still not the happiest camper over that, though.

So much for freedom.