OT: eBay user charging too much shipping. Options

[mharrison]

Any thoughts on how to deal with an eBay seller trying to rape me on shipping? I've ordered an item that I've purchased a few of from other sellers. Shipping is typically around $10-$15. He wants to charge me $37.

I've already won the auction, and no, he didn't list and I didn't ask.

I think that I'll refuse to pay and take the hit if he won't work with me. I have 189+ ebay feedback (100%) and he has 1+ (100%).

I sent him an e-mail with shipping quotes from UPS and USPS for a package the correct weight and size.

[seanery]

maybe someone here is local and can pick it up and ship to you for less $ (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

[TINCAN914]

I just went through the same thing. He did however list the shipping. I knew it was a load of shit, but I wanted the steering wheel, so I paid it.
The seller is listed in California, and shipping was about $30.00. I can understand inflated shipping charges to cover all states if it's a flat rate, but $30.00 is a joke, if it's not an oversized package. I guess it alll comes down to how bad you want it. In your case, I would take the hit and tell him to pack it...

[gregrobbins]

I have noticed a lot of sellers are charging big shipping and handling fees as a way to make more money. I just purchased a steering wheel quick release for $.01, yes one cent. I paid $29 shipping and handling. I looked at a lot of auctions and the others would have been $35 or higher when shipping was added in. Did it cost him $29 to ship? Hell no, but I knew that and feel all things considered, I got a good deal.

Ebay mass sellers are getting tricky. I also hate that they want to give feedback once you have received your item and left them positive feedback. My feeling is that when I win the bid and pay, my part of the auctions is complete. They should leave feedback at that time, not later.

Just be careful!

[mharrison]

Hell, I don't even NEED the part. I've developed a clear lens to add to the turn signals in the corner of a Lincoln LS's Headlights. Here's a pic showing the original with the amber and my new clear lens.
(IMG:http://home.jam.rr.com/mharrison/LincolnLS/Headlights/Drivers%20Old%20&%20New%20Brighter.JPG)

At any rate, I was going to convert these lights from eBay and sell them. He only got 1 bid which was at his starting price. (Probably because of his 1 feedback rating. I think he's just jacking the shipping up because the lights went so cheap. I knew that the shipping couldn't be much from Fort Walton Beach FL to Madison, MS. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

I guess I've created my own problem since I didn't ask. I'll see how he responds to my e-mail. If he won't back off of the shipping, I will offer to pay the final listing fee so that we can both avoid negative feedback. If he won't go for that (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/finger.gif)

[ArtechnikA]

QUOTE (gregrobbins @ Sep 11 2005, 12:24 PM)

I have noticed a lot of sellers are charging big shipping and handling fees as a way to make more money.

they pay EBay fees on selling price, not shipping & handling, and EBay will eventually catch on. they don't like being ripped off either.

but - ALL the shippers are being hit with big fuel surcharges. the flat-rate tables don't tell the whole story - you have to dig into the fine print to find the *real* total price with the surcharges added in.

[rhodyguy]

where does he ship at? if the seller goes to a storefront; mail boxes etc, the brown store, business you pay much more than the actual shiping. what is being shipped? wheels, for example, properly boxed, will go across the country for $18 to $20ish each. not to include extra insurance other than the standard stated value.

k

[anthony]

Ebay has already 'caught on'. People have been selling this way on ebay since day one. I always bid on the total price plus shipping. If it's not stated I ask ahead of time. I have no problem buying something for $1 with $10 for shipping as long as the net is a good deal to me.

[mack914]

I always ask about shipping if it's not listed. When it's not, the shipping is usually high to make for a low sale price. I get irritated when a seller wants, after the auction, to charge me a packing fee on top of the shipping. How about getting a box or cardboard and making a container. Won an auction for a used 914 dash top, $15, great price. Then seller wanted to charge me $15 box it up and then $37 to ship. I said no way, and settled on taking a Neg. hit. That never happened, and I ended up getting a dash top shipped for $9.00 in a box created by the seller.
So watch out, shipping as a rule is fair, but some people will always take advantage of any situation.
I've been selling long enough to know off the top of my head what something is going to cost, so these guys that don't list shipping cost, send up a red flag.

[olav]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/agree.gif)

I always look for the shipping and ask to get it in writing via the "Ask the Seller a question" link.

I hate that they sneak in extra charges.

I don't really look to eBay very often to get parts anymore because of those issues. Too much hassle.

[mharrison]

Yep, I know. I should have checked with the seller. I actually thought that I had. I was bidding on two auctions at the same time.

As for fuel charges..... If the truck was empty except for my two plastic headlights weighing in at less than 10 lbs boxed, I could understand that. If that is how UPS or USPS are doing business then they deserver to fail. I don't think that is the case. I beleive that I am being raped on shipping by some sleazy seller in Florida. Fort Walton Beach, FL and Madison, MS aren't that far apart. Shipping charges wouldn't be that high if they were buring GOLD in their trucks.

The shipping cost should be no more than $10 and I won't pay more than $20. I'll give him $10 over, but no more.

[mharrison]

Well, a few e-mails back and forth and shipping is now $17.00 instead of the original $37.00.

I told him that I appreciate him working with me on the shipping. I was nice and polite the whole time, even when I politely asked him "How do you sleep at night knowing you're a cheating lowlife prick who feeds off of the scabrous underbelly eBay?" (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

Just kidding, I was nice. He was nice. Which is probably why it seems to have gotten worked out. I suppose that all's well that ends well.

Hopefully I'll get the lights and all will end well!

[IronHillRestorations]

Shipping charges are one of the first things I look at before I bid, and then factor that into how much I'll really bid.

I think inflated shipping charges are a load of (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/stromberg.gif)

It's one of those things where it's hard to say "I got hosed" when you saw the water running from the get go, but I know how you feel.

Good to know that the guy came down though.

Do you have a LS? How do you like it?

[mharrison]

I LOVE my Lincoln LS. I can't believe that I own a car that I only work on if I WANT to! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)

It's a great car. It kind of has the ride of the Lincolns of old, but without the floating feeling. It drives and handles GREAT while maintaining a smooth ride! It corners incredibly well for a 4-door luxury sedan. (It's no teener though!)

I decided to get a V6 instead of a V8. Partly for mileage and partly for price. I did drive a V8 though and I have no idea how I would manage to keep that under 100 on the interstate. I constantly catch myself in my V6 going 90 and having to back off. I guess that comes with the luxury sedan isolating you from the noise and feeling of speed. If I had it to do over again, I would probably buy a V8 with the Sport suspension or convert the regular suspension to the Euro shocks. (A Ford Option)

The V6 did handle MUCH better than the V8 though. I think in a V6 LS I could take a V8 LS as long as the road was a little twisty.

Did I mention that I LOVE this car? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

[jonwatts]

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/hijacked.gif) but it sounds like your issue is mostly resolved.

Can a seller specify that they won't take PayPal for credit card payments, but they will for PayPal cash payments? I know the guy is trying to avoid paying the credit card transaction fee but I didn't think Ebay let you do that.

And reading through all the rules and regs is like drinking from a firehose.

[jonwatts]

Nevermind, found it. PayPal policy

[mharrison]

Hmmm, I don't know if I'd go there with a seller. Bound to wind up in a negative feedback war.

[johnmhudson111]

QUOTE (jonwatts @ Sep 12 2005, 11:50 PM)

Nevermind, found it. PayPal policy

I have started doing a small amount of business on e-bay.

As far as shipping goes, I will use the shipping estimator on e-bay to quote shipping prices. For the most part I break even on shipping, sometimes it is a bit more or less than quoted but I don't inflate the cost to make more.

I accept PayPal but I have been considering adding a credit card surcharge to help with the fees that they charge. I think it is fair to ask for this for the convienence of paying with a credit card but I would state it in the auction so that the buyer would have full knowlage of what I was doing.

Just my $0.02 worth.

P.S. If it had been me and you questioned the shipping charges I would agreed to review them, show you how I came up with the charges, and make any adjustments if warrented.

[mharrison]

I do quite a bit of selling on eBay. I've gotten to where I can pretty well call it within $2. Occasionally I get a California buyer and the shipping is higher. Usually when my estimate is off, it is me that ends up eating a few bucks. Overall though, I think it works out well.

I don't charge a "handling" fee. Those suck. If you don't want to handle it you need to find a new line of work! I can FIND a box. I don't go to the dang pack & ship store where everything is 3x higher than it should be. I FIND a box. Pack it carefully. Load it up and take it to the UPS counter. I can't find cheaper rates anywhere. Unless it is a small item, then I ship in the flat rate USPS Priority Mail packages.

I much prefer, and I think my buyers do as well, a very reasonable flat fee listed in the auction. That way, if you don't like the shipping cost, don't bid. But if you do, there won't be any suprises.

As far as Paypal credit card fees. I just eat the cost on that. It isn't too much and usually I'm getting rid of something I don't want/need any longer. But, if I did a heavy volume the fees would probably get to me and I'd have to look into an additional fee or an alternate way of processing credit cards.

The seller was very agreeable to adjusting his shipping rates. He didn't tell me how he came up with the old rates, but he did list 3 different options for shipping with new reasonable rates. It was appreciated by me.

[jonwatts]

QUOTE (johnmhudson111 @ Sep 13 2005, 02:40 PM)

I accept PayPal but I have been considering adding a credit card surcharge to help with the fees that they charge. I think it is fair to ask for this for the convienence of paying with a credit card but I would state it in the auction so that the buyer would have full knowlage of what I was doing.

It doesn't matter if you state it up front or not, you are not allowed to charge a credit card surcharge to make up for the PayPal fee or specify that you take PayPal but not from credit cards.

You can say PayPal is not an accepted form of payment, but you risk losing a lot of bidders based on that.

In this case it doesn't matter to me because I had a few bucks in my PayPal acct.