VermilionFire wrote:For the second set of auctions in a row, I've had a buyer purchase insurance ($1.35) for an item won for 99 cents.  
Am I missing something here?

What is the insured value of the item?  Is the seller asking you to insure it for more than the $0.99 he paid?  I'm not implying that he's trying to scam the Post Office, but maybe the replacement cost of the item is more than $0.99.

Or maybe he just kept clicking and paid for insurance without knowing it.

My understanding is I can only insure the item for 99 cents since that's all it sold for on eBay.  If it's lost I'll have to use the eBay auction as proof of its value (and shipping costs cannot be insured).  It just seems weird to insure something when the cost of insurance is even more than the cost of the item.  

Beyondthebreach wrote:Guys, don't read too much into this . . . the truth is that there are a lot of, umm . . . let's say "clueless" buyers out there.  The more inexpensive items you sell, the more you see this kind of thing.  I've had dozens and dozens of buyers purchase insurance on items valued $4.00 and less.  I've also had many, many buyers purchase mulitiple items and then pay for shipping right away . . . which means ebay simply adds the costs together as I haven't combined the charges.

So, if someone buys 8 modules at an average of $5.00 each, they then choose Priority mail at $5.25 each for a total of $40 in mods and $42 shipping!  Sometimes they even add on insurance - in this case 8 x 1.35 for a total of $10.80 in insurance!  All this means I have to send them a big refund and waste some of my time . . . I guess I could just keep it    , but I never do . . . sometimes I deduct $0.50 more for the extra effort, but that's about it.

I have that happen at least once or twice with every auction set. I always refund, too. It is good for business.

I'm currently dealing with a buyer who didn't seem to think it might be a good idea to ask how much it would cost me to send two very heavy hardbacks to the US from the UK... so of course, when they won and I saw their address I went "wtf!?"

together the books cost £14... shipping is gonna be about 50! surely it would have been cheaper for them to just buy the damned books from the us? it's not like they're rare.. it's a fricken 3.5 dmg and a monster manual!

some people are idiots

According to royal mail it does.. they're goddamned heavy. Airmail is about 30 odd quid or something... but it's a ridiculous amount whatever it is... I was reading the royal mail and ups quotes and going "OMG! wtf!?"

Since royal mail brought in their new rules it's made posting things to the us much much more pricy... EU no worries, within the Uk it's fairly cheap... anywhere else, and you're looking at about twice what the actual item's worth just to ship!

I should point out that not all those who pay excessive shipping are clueless. I do it sometimes by choice.

If you look at the global RPG market, I'd say it is:

85%  US / Canada
10%  UK
4% Europe
1% Australia

In Australia, we have a depressingly small used RPG market. If you want to boost your collection, you really have no choice but to buy from the US / Canada.

I scan the Sellers until I find someone that has a number of items I want so I can combine shipping. If you get 4 items from a Seller, you can justify the shipping cost by combining it. Occasionally, you bid on four but win just one - so you are stuck - you have to pay way too much shipping for just one item.

Also occasionally, I have made a very small bid $1 - on a single item that I know is worth $10-15 - knowing I will have to pay $10 postage. If I get it for $1, it means I am really paying its actual value (though most of the money goes to the postal service!).

Point being, there are cases, where it happens accidentally or is justifiable.

Ok. Edited to include Canada.  

BTW. I mostly ignore auctions in Canada as the postage is much more expensive than the US. It usually just just isn't worth it.