Ebay rant

[JRG_80]

There's more to consider than just the size & weight when shipping. On high $$ items, insurance adds up quickly.

I shipped. Set of high $$$ Binos recently in a USPS flat rate box but after adding insurance it cost almost $20 to ship them.

Insurance is a option if the buyer chooses to do so or is noted *item shipped and insured" other than that you/I/ and John boy can expect uninsured ground.....But that aside can you justify $15 for a shirt?

jrg

[Outback]

As a seller, if I have to buy a box and bubble wrap, box something up and go to the post office to ship, that costs money even considering the half hour of my time at $0. Plus, shipping to various states can vary wildly. I've had to ship to Alaska and Hawaii and that was way more than across our great state. When someone snipes my item for way less than it's worth, at least I won't lose money on the deal which I did more than once early on. As a buyer, I get that and always sort by price including shipping.

[mg13]

Some Ebay sellers have been gouging on shipping for quite a while, however, it's more prevalent now because Ebay started charging fees to the seller on shipping price too. I charged a standard shipping rate for the last item I sold on EBay and when I paid my fees to Ebay they had charged me a percentage of my shipping!!!! I don't sell on Ebay anymore for this reason. They've gotten too greedy.

[fishin_envy]

That's how some people make more money. Say your competitor has a shirt for $30.00. So you put your shirt for sale for $20.00 and 15.00 shipping. Boom, 35 bucks if they don't catch it.

bingo !! That IS how they make their money.

[JRG_80]

As a seller, if I have to buy a box and bubble wrap, box something up and go to the post office to ship, that costs money even considering the half hour of my time at $0. Plus, shipping to various states can vary wildly. I've had to ship to Alaska and Hawaii and that was way more than across our great state. When someone snipes my item for way less than it's worth, at least I won't lose money on the deal which I did more than once early on. As a buyer, I get that and always sort by price including shipping.

A honest answer and viewing from both sides of the fence, I like that.

jrg

[BBReezen]

bingo !! That IS how they make their money.

Yep, it's all about the marketing and the "fine print".

[El Viejo]

EBay used to charge sellers by the selling price of the item. Some sellers would list their item for a low price but charge more for shipping. That way sellers were only having to pay the sellers fees on a lower amount. Now eBay charges on the total (sale price + shipping). Some sellers just kept shipping high.

As a seller I sometimes have a problem figuring out shipping beforehand and have refunded part a buyers shipping charges after I've mailed the item.

As a buyer try to find sellers that don't charge shipping. There are plenty of them out there.

[Smart]

If the price is too good to be true, the shipping usually makes up for it. There are no free lunches. A lot of the margins on deep discounted items/below cost type items on Ebay are made up in the shipping area.