Ebay shipping gouging....

This guy has a few VDO gauges on ebay. Shipping from wyoming to anywhere else in the US - $17.01 for USPS? What is he shipping them in, concrete lined with lead?! Pure shipping gouging.

Zach

if that's who i think it is, i think he's just covering his ass.
i am sure if you email him, he will only charge actual shipping.

So don't buy it ......................... The Cap'n

That's the way ebay is. Sellers are inflating their shipping costs to avoid the high ebay fees. However, there is an extension for Firefox that will add the shipping charges to the current bid so you can have an idea of your potential total price. Check out ShortShip

so where in lies the problem

If you don't put a flat shipping cost then you spend all your days answering questions from people wanting to know shipping cost.

I made that mistake when I sold around 30 items my first time using ebay. Answered about 200 emails that week all dealing with shipping cost.

I saw that too. My thought was that he is trying to save himself on ebay fee's. On the gauge I saw, the starting price was something like 1.99. Ebay charges more for listing according to the starting price. Same if you do a "reserve price".

It seems dishonest to me.
I have sold several things on Ebay, and have always charged shipping to the buyer from what the UPS or USPS website estimated. Also I have always given the buyer the info I used so that he could validate the shipping on his end.

But $17.01 to ship a single gauge? That is expensive to the point where it starts to make me mad. Using the USPS calulator for parcel post, that gauge could ship from PA to CA for under $10.

I will give him the he is up front about his obsene shipping costs. At least he lets you know in advance instead of sticking you with them after the auctio is over.

Zach

I don't see how it is dishonest. Bidding on this started at $0.99. With the 17.01 shipping, that would have given the seller a top-end gross of $18. Is that unreasonable for this item?

The information has always been there. It's not hidden. The bidders know what it wll cost them if they win. No surprises.

With the ebay fees and the paypal fees and the cost of GAS to get to the post office, I completely understand mark-ups for the "handling" portion of "shipping and handling".

If you don't like the "obscene" shipping costs, don't bid.

OH I did bid on some porsche wheels not to long ago. The shipping wasn't there but had a calculate button. Stupid me bid before checking the shipping price. Turned out to be something really crazy like 7 or 8 hundred

I quickly canceled my bid HAHA

I state on my add what I add to the shipping as handling. I've sold a dash that I built a wood crate for and charges $25 for handling in addition to the shipping. The wood alone cost me $28. I think it is fair to add a nominal handling fee to cover packing and handling. I usually over pack, but have not had a claim yet.