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Shipping Fees
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burntwire brothers
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2004 1:40 pm

jagd wrote:Check out the shipping on this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %3AIT&rd=1

My zip gave a quote of $25 via UPS or $40 via USPS...

What was there something special in the auction? Burnie put in a reasonable bid? The only item I'm not familiar with is the Dungeon Tiles.

Care to elaborate Burnie?

Just looking to fill in some prints that we needed. We could have sold anything we didn't from the lot and made most of our money back. Shipping was high so I put in what we thought was a reasonable bid.

Beyondthebreach
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:27 am

Rather than start a new thread, I just thought I would revive an old one on a similar subject. There has been some discussion on excessive shipping charges (especially for muliple purchases from the same seller) and I thought I would chime in with how "unconcerned" or just "clueless" some buyers must be.

I regularly get overpaid by buyers for shipping charges. It amazes me how much some people will send me. Since virtually all my auctions have BINs I will regularly see someone purchase several items and then send payment. As I didn't invoice them first, ebay will automatically add together the shipping fees for each auction - thus someone who purchases 4 items and chooses Priority will get charged $4.50 every time and they actually go ahead and pay it!!! Just a few days ago someone bought 5 books that totalled around $22 and they paypaled me an additional $28.00 in shipping - they actually paid Priority FIVE times and paid insurance FIVE times as well.

I had to send them a $17.00 refund as I was able to get it all in a Flat Rate box. I charge about a $1 handling but don't add on additional costs for multiple items.

Another complete lack of concern with spending money seems to be paying multiple times for the same item. Getting two payments is frequent and I have to refund one and send a quick explanation. My record is someone who paid for an item five times. After the first "double" payment which I refunded, they sent another . . . which I refunded . . . so they sent another. . . which I refunded . . . so they sent another. Obviously, they were disregarding my very clear explanation of why I was sending the refund so I ultimately figured they would only be content if I kept the additional payment :) .

I guess my point to all this is that there are many people out there who just don't care, understand or can't be bothered with little details like shipping costs. Which is why is must be so easy to "slam" buyers with high shipping fees - they just pay it and don't think twice.

"Gleemonex makes it feel like it's seventy-two degrees in your head... all... the... time! "

Ekim Toor
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 5:59 pm

I guess my point to all this is that there are many people out there who just don't care, understand or can't be bothered with little details like shipping costs. Which is why is must be so easy to "slam" buyers with high shipping fees - they just pay it and don't think twice.

That's it. Too many buyers just don't care and either ignore shipping costs or just pay whatever to get the item. This type of buyer mentality has doomed many "smart" buyers and has every graduate of the "how to make a profit on ebay" school charging $10 media mail to ship a copy of danger at dunwater or the classic will combine auctions at only $3 more.....so buying 4 ral partha blisters packs cost somewhere in the $15 range.

I don't mind a seller making a dollar or two on the shipping, but the ones that plainly use it to pad their profits rank....in my book, right up their with politicians and child molesters.

Blackmoor
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:31 pm

If you do not like the shipping costs do not bid!!

I do just that all the time, dealers who inflate shipping get less!

Games can get you through times of no money but money can not get you through times of no games!!

jkason
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 11:12 pm

Bet Your Ass!!

I hate sellers who list a module for $5.00 or a H/C for $10.00 and then charge a $10.00 shipping fee.

Burns me up, Dammit!

Dave, get the barbarian in the corner a drink, quick!

Beyondthebreach
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:28 am

All this crap with shipping fees and overcharging for multiple purchases makes me laugh sometimes. I spend too much time on eBay . . . way too much time . . .

I know what items sell for on average and what the other resellers usually get for their items. That "book" on "how to make a million" on ebay won't help them in the long run -- at least not reselling RPG's. You will find -- over and over -- that the customers who buy 10 modules at once will usually come back and buy 10 modules again.

Are they really making more of a profit charging ungodly amounts for shipping? Are they sure of it? Have they ever tried keeping shipping rates fair for an extended period of time?

I think -- taken as a whole with many items sold - that you will find the average sale price much lower when sellers charge exceptionalal shipping (and don't discount or mimimally discount) for multiple purchases. And you risk negative feedback and alienating customers.

But what do I know . . . . :roll:

"Gleemonex makes it feel like it's seventy-two degrees in your head... all... the... time! "

morgansurname
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:53 am

beyondthebreach wrote:All this crap with shipping fees and overcharging for muliple purchases makes me laugh sometimes. I spend too much time on eBay . . . way too much time . . .

I know what items sell for on average and what the other resellers usually get for their items. That "book" on "how to make a million" on ebay won't help them in the long run -- at least not reselling RPG's. You will find -- over and over -- that the customers who buy 10 modules at once will usually come back and buy 10 modules again.

Are they really making more of a profit charging ungodly amounts for shipping? Are they sure of it? Have they ever tried keeping shipping rates fair for an extended period of time?

I think -- taken as a whole with many items sold - that you will find the average sale price much lower when sellers charge exceptionalal shipping (and don't discount or mimimally discount) for multiple purchases. And you risk negative feedback and alienating customers.

But what do I know . . . .

Well said

May Eru's light shine upon you always.

Gnat the Beggar
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:09 am

I agree. I tend to spend a little bit of money on E-Bay :roll:

, and almost all of it goes to sellers who charge fair amounts for shipping. I seldom get caught not looking at shipping, but sometimes I do, and when it happens I am angry at them and myself. But, I will not be screwed by the same seller twice, as I am one of those persistent bidders who will RUN from overcharging sellers....

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
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Ekim Toor
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:18 am

In case some of my comments offended any sellers on the forum,... let me say that 95% of my transactions the shipping cost has been fair. It's the 5% that take advantage of the "spirit" of ebay, that I have problems with.

As said by others, if the shipping is listed and it is high... walk away. If the shipping isn't listed then ask the questions before bidding.

Gnat the Beggar
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Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 12:54 pm

Ekim Toor wrote:As said by others, if the shipping is listed and it is high... walk away. If the shipping isn't listed then ask the questions before bidding.

Well and truly said. Best advise you could give.....

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
Stated by me as a PC during a run of Tegel Manor DMed by killjoy at NTRPGCon 2010

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Kingofpain89
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:52 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 57510&rd=1

When I looked at this lot I thought to myself "Geez this guy sure is charging a lot for shipping." But then I figured, there are quite a few items there and I can see the shipping being a little higher than usual even with no box sets. Then I noticed that he has listed different shipping costs for the auction. At the top he states $13 and then later he states it is $14. Honest mistake, he must have been tired at the time.

Then I looked at this auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

$11 for a handful of those little Traveller books??? I may not know a whole lot about shipping costs but this seems just a bit ridiculous. Maybe he is using old silicon breast implants for packing material? 8O

killjoy32
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:18 am

KingOfPain wrote:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 57510&rd=1

When I looked at this lot I thought to myself "Geez this guy sure is charging a lot for shipping." But then I figured, there are quite a few items there and I can see the shipping being a little higher than usual even with no box sets. Then I noticed that he has listed different shipping costs for the auction. At the top he states $13 and then later he states it is $14. Honest mistake, he must have been tired at the time.

Then I looked at this auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

$11 for a handful of those little Traveller books??? I may not know a whole lot about shipping costs but this seems just a bit ridiculous. Maybe he is using old silicon breast implants for packing material?

seems pretty excessive to me! you tried contacting him to confirm it? i don't live in the US, but would have been absolutely sure you can mail things of that size a lot cheaper? but then what do i know

Are we nearly there yet?

Badmike
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:39 pm

killjoy32 wrote:
KingOfPain wrote:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 57510&rd=1

When I looked at this lot I thought to myself "Geez this guy sure is charging a lot for shipping." But then I figured, there are quite a few items there and I can see the shipping being a little higher than usual even with no box sets. Then I noticed that he has listed different shipping costs for the auction. At the top he states $13 and then later he states it is $14. Honest mistake, he must have been tired at the time.

Then I looked at this auction:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

$11 for a handful of those little Traveller books??? I may not know a whole lot about shipping costs but this seems just a bit ridiculous. Maybe he is using old silicon breast implants for packing material?

seems pretty excessive to me! you tried contacting him to confirm it? i don't live in the US, but would have been absolutely sure you can mail things of that size a lot cheaper? but then what do i know

Even if he was shipping flat rate priority ($7.70), he'd still pocket over $3 from shipping...but it's more likely he's shipping media mail, which would net him more than $5 shipping profit. BTW, those books are heavier than you think, I just weighed 13 of them and it's nearly 3 lbs.

Mike B.

Kingofpain89
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:52 pm

Badmike wrote:
killjoy32 wrote:
seems pretty excessive to me! you tried contacting him to confirm it? i don't live in the US, but would have been absolutely sure you can mail things of that size a lot cheaper? but then what do i know

Even if he was shipping flat rate priority ($7.70), he'd still pocket over $3 from shipping...but it's more likely he's shipping media mail, which would net him more than $5 shipping profit. BTW, those books are heavier than you think, I just weighed 13 of them and it's nearly 3 lbs.

Mike B.

Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot that those 1st edition Traveller books were lead-lined. :wink: Cmon Mike, you are a seller and I have looked at the stuff you sell and I dont recall any of your shipping costs being that high. Heck, you don't charge nearly that much for a boxed set and I know how you package those.

Just my opinion, but to me it is wrong. I dont mind a seller making a few dollars extra off of me but I'm not getting ripped off paying $13 for what is most likely going to be shipped media mail.

nn
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:21 pm

If you win an ebay auction, are you obligated to pay for shipping?

ie, if you win a measly 2$ item, and the seller tries to charge you an exorbitant shipping fee, can you just pay them the purchase price and tell them to ship it to their dustbin? Could they claim you were a non-paying bidder? Could you force a retraction of negative feedback?

Gnat the Beggar
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:51 pm

nn wrote:If you win an ebay auction, are you obligated to pay for shipping?

ie, if you win a measly 2$ item, and the seller tries to charge you an exorbitant shipping fee, can you just pay them the purchase price and tell them to ship it to their dustbin? Could they claim you were a non-paying bidder? Could you force a retraction of negative feedback?

Yes,

Sure, tell them whatever you want, but be ready for retaliation from them and from E-Bay,

Yes,

Not likely...........

NOTE: (IMO) If you bid on a listing and the shipping cost is clearly noted, or the listing states that you should contact the seller about shipping costs before bidding, then you have no grounds to complain, regardless of how rediculous SH may be.

"Guys, I am starting to think Tegel Manor might be haunted..."
Stated by me as a PC during a run of Tegel Manor DMed by killjoy at NTRPGCon 2010

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killjoy32
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:00 pm

Aneoth wrote:NOTE: (IMO) If you bid on a listing and the shipping cost is clearly noted, or the listing states that you should contact the seller about shipping costs before bidding, then you have no grounds to complain, regardless of how rediculous SH may be.

thats where i always fall down cos i never look - far too impulsive for my own good :?

Are we nearly there yet?

Badmike
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Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:00 pm

nn wrote:If you win an ebay auction, are you obligated to pay for shipping?

ie, if you win a measly 2$ item, and the seller tries to charge you an exorbitant shipping fee, can you just pay them the purchase price and tell them to ship it to their dustbin? Could they claim you were a non-paying bidder? Could you force a retraction of negative feedback?

If it's clearly stated in the description, both ethically and legally I believe you are committed to paying. I've bought $1 items before that the guy charged $5 shipping on (a single mini). It all depends on what is exorbitant. If the guy on the mini transaction had tried to slip another $5 in for a "handling" fee or something, I might have raised hell.

On the other side, I've had buyers try to stiff me on shipping before. Even though my shipping costs for single items are CLEARLY posted in the item descriptions, and I send them an invoice with the correct shipping, they'll send what they consider the "correct" payment and demand I ship. I just wait them out.....they item isn't going anywhere until I get the full shipping amount. I won't file an unpaying bidder on them to be nice (and since I have the first "installment" of their payment in hand), but the item isn't going anywhere until I have full shipping payment. I find there are certain people that always do this, I guess it works enough that they have been rewarded for this behavior.

I charge $4.50 for everything that can be fit inside a priority envelope....a priority envelope is a flat rate $3.85. I also will pay for delivery confirmation on orders over $20, leaving me a whopping 20 cents profit on most of my transactions. I've had buyers simply send me $3.85 since they "know" that is the price for shipping a priority envelope, not the $4.50 quoted. At this point in time after so many years doing this, I won't even go into any spiel, I just calmly ask for the extra money and wait them out. Works every time.

Mike B.

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