Author |
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 7:44 pm
Based on the comments here, there are far more people who look at shipping costs than you may imagine. I'm with Granny... if a package that is going to weigh less than one pound costs more than $4 something to ship, then I'll pass. I know exactly how much it costs to ship a Priority Mail item across the country. And bubble wrap? It doesn't cost that much, when you buy it in bulk and amortize it out. Pennies, in fact. So no, I don't consider padding shipping by $2 or more dollars is an ethical way of doing business. I have asked sellers why shipping was so high. One seller realized there was an error (she entered the weight incorrectly) and revised it. Another agreed to ship it to me at "cost", which meant she had bumped the shipping charges up quite a bit.
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Yellek
Member
08-22-2001
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 7:52 pm
Charging for bubble wrap or other packing materials makes sense if you aren't a bulk seller. If I'm wrapping up crystal that I got as wedding presents and don't want, so I'm selling on ebay, I'm going to have to use a lot of bubble wrap and if you don't buy bulk, it's not that cheap.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 8:17 pm
Agree w/Yellek. I'm not (nor ever will be) a "bulk seller" -- and I've never charged much extra for the bubble wrap. However, I DO reserve the right to charge for it! When we sold about a dozen items, I spent over $30 on the boxes and wrap -- I passed those prices on through the shipping charges, but they were clearly stated so there was no "surprise." They were reasonable -- never more than $1.50 above the actual postage.
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Holly
Member
06-19-2005
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 8:30 pm
A couple of weeks ago I bought a small, very light item from a Canadian seller. He wanted $7.59 S&H in total. I wrote to him asking why so much and he replied he needed that to cover his material, time, gas to PO etc. I relented and paid the S&H, which was as much as the item itself cost. A plain, brown envelope arrived with the silicone/rubber item inside, unwrapped, and the total cost to him in stamps was $2.04 Canadian $ (probably $1.50 US?) Plus the product had a sticker on it with the name of a Dollar Store in Canada and is just cheap junk and unusable. Rather than post negative feedback and get a retaliatory, BS response, I walked away. Ebay needs to change it so that the seller must leave feedback first once the payment is received from the buyer. With the exception of 2 people I buy from occasionaly who are honest and not greedy with the S&H, I'm finished with eBay now. Too many rip-off sales.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 10:50 pm
Eeyores, that is what many sellers do. Frankly I wouldn't buy from them with the inflated shipping and handling. I'd rather pay a fair price for the actual item or items and be billed for actual shipping, postage and of course a bit for handling.. I recently searched for a book on ebay and found a bunch of copies. Unfortunately I accidentally bid on a copy from a different seller than I thought I was choosing and only after winning (I might have used buy it now, actually) I realized my blunder. I let them know I thought the shipping cost was a total rip-off but, since I had bid, I felt obligated to complete the transaction. They never even acknowledged my comment and were slow to ship. I was careful in my feedback but did say buyers should read the shipping info.
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Graceunderfyre
Member
01-21-2004
| Monday, March 27, 2006 - 11:29 pm
Lots of things to comment on here- 1st Shipping. . . I do look at the shipping when buying stuff - a lot of people stick it to you with that so I will not buy from someone unless I know upfront how much it's going to cost (flat rate or shipping calculator). If I'm not sniping (yes I'm very guilty of that), then I'll email the seller with my zip code and ask for the weight of the box and cost of shipping. I ask for the weight so I can use my online calculators with whoever they are using to figure out how much the shipping should actually cost. I'm fine with people adding for padding but I'm not ok with gas/time. That's part of selling on eBay - you don't have to pay high amounts for advertising or a storefront so in exchange you are paying for the gas and time. Plus, with USPS (which usually turns out being the cheapest method for me personally) you can use click and ship online which means you weigh it at home, use their boxes for packaging (yes they are free boxes if they have USPS on them), print up a prepaid label and stick it out with the rest of your mail. Now I know my postmaster told me if it's over 1lb that I need to come in to drop it off - but I often put packages over a pound and he's never complained. Also, when I do go into the Post Office, he has it set up so we can just walk up to the counter and drop off the boxes as long as they have the prepaid label on it. I realize not everyone has this sort of relationship with their postmaster - but having moved between 3 post offices since I started selling on eBay - I know it's possible to talk to the postal carrier and your local post office to work things out. That's what I did and they made agreements with me - a total stranger, new to the area, but promising to use their services. The 2nd thing I wanted to address is the feedback process. I completely disagree that sellers should leave feedback once an item is paid for. That is not the end of the transaction, so it shouldn't be when feedback is left. Buyers should be the first to leave feedback - once they are satisfied with what they've bought. THEN, the seller can leave their feedback - I think it's irresponsible as a seller to do it before the buyer. I know when I am selling on eBay, it's for a little side business I've developed, so I'm looking at this as a business transaction where I want to make sure my customer is happy. More often than not, customers will not tell you they are unhappy until they leave feedback. As a seller, if you've already left feedback for the unhappy buyer, you have no way of defending yourself. Also, a buyer that does not go the proper route of contacting you when something is wrong is NOT a positive experience. I guess what I'm saying is in order for me to leave feedback, I need to know that the buyer is using the proper channels (in paying, in reporting problems and in leaving feedback). I NEVER leave feedback for a buyer until they've done it first. It's my understanding that the reason they created replies to feedback was to help curtail retaliation feedback. I just wish they had the manpower to actually do more about it.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 8:19 am
Once again people, boxes and envelopes are free from the post office. You never pay for a priority mail box or envelope, or even shipping tape and labels. Never. So charging for a box *is* unreasonable. Second, you can buy a box of bubble wrap (25') for $5.25. That is 21 cents a foot. 21 cents! That is NOT $2.00. And that is a cost of doing business. Just because you sell on eBay does not mean you are not gonna incur business costs. These are all business deductions, too, by the way. If you are thinking of selling, you should pay attention to the numbers of us here who are saying we do look at shipping and we do not bid on items sold by those who obviously inflate their shipping costs. Most of us are longtime eBayers. Yeah, so you'll end up with some schmuck who pays your inflated shipping costs. But you probably won't get repeat business that way. Grace, I have left large boxes for my postal carrier to pick up (especially after my accident during the holidays). He's fine with it. And I do bring prepaid postage-labeled boxes to the post office, and drop 'em at a counter without standing in line. Since I live in the "big city" you can see how easy it is to work around the "standing in a line so my time costs money" argument.
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Yellek
Member
08-22-2001
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 9:33 am
Second, you can buy a box of bubble wrap (25') for $5.25. That is 21 cents a foot. 21 cents! That is NOT $2.00. And that is a cost of doing business. My point is, not everyone on ebay is a business. If I'm selling one thing and have to pay $5.25 for bubble wrap, I don't think it's unreasonable to pass that along to the buyer. Of course, I wouldn't buy the big 25' roll, I'd buy the amount I needed, but my point still stands. If I disclose my shipping fees in my listing, then it's up to the buyer to decide if it's worth it. I know there are mass sellers out there that do gouge on shipping, but I'm defending us sellers who are just selling personal items and are not doing it for an income.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 9:37 am
The point is that advice was asked for selling on ebay. The fact is that a lot of people look for shipping costs and will not bid on an item if shipping is high. So if you want more bidders (= a higher selling price), then you should not charge much for shipping. That is not to say you can't or shouldn't charge a high shipping price--just don't do it if you want a lot of bidders.
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 11:03 am
I have been selling on eBay for 6 years and ship 95% UPS. I purchase boxes, bubble wrap, popcorn and tape. I state the shipping fee in my auctions and let the buyer know exactly what they are getting for that shipping price. As Yellek says, it's up to the buyer to decide. The choice of how to ship (and what a buyer is willing to pay) really, really depends upon the product and the reliability of the shipping service. I believe landi asked for selling advice. My best advice is write the clearest description you can, be honest, and take very good photos. Answer all correspondence promptly and ship as soon as you are paid. Research what you are selling - check finished auctions to see what your competition charges for shipping and the prices at which the auctions ended. Knowledge is power. 
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Graceunderfyre
Member
01-21-2004
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 11:25 am
I agree Bonza & Landi - be clear, be honest and have good photos You can always go back and add to your descriptions too. . .and when people send questions to you, you have the option to go back and answer them directly or do it on the auction description. When you do it on the auction, the question and answer will show to everyone - try to take advantage of it if you feel like the question may apply to others.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 11:59 am
bonza and other sellers, do you only use paypal? do you also accept checks or money orders?
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 12:11 pm
landi - I accept PayPal and money order, but not checks. I also say no international shipping in my auctions. If someone writes to me and asks if I will ship internationally or accept a check, I usually cave to both because they have taken the time to ask. (But it is so much easier & quicker when it's PayPal and domestic.) If I accept a check, I wait 10 business days for it to clear before I ship. You can now set up auctions to block international bids and to only accept a bid from someone with a PayPal account. Every restriction you add to an auction will, of course, reduce the amount of buyers that might be going after your stuff. That's a choice I don't mind making when I can be so much quicker and efficient limiting the things that take more of my time. But - I have not added those blocks to my auctions, I just state PP & MO accepted, no international shipping. Over time I have run into a number of bidders that live outside the US but have arranged with friends or family to have things shipped to US addresses. I know you didn't ask about shipping but for some reason I gave the long-winded answer. LOL
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 12:27 pm
Oh yes, clear ,bright photos are always good. (My opinion is that a clear, bright photo makes the item more appealing than if the same item had a dull, fuzzy photo. Plus I figure if the seller is not able to take/post a photo nicely maybe they won't pack/mail the item nicely either. But that's just me!) Multiple photos are really nice with certain items, but not necessary with many. I think there is something like a ten cent charge per photo though. (Been a while since I sold something so I'm not 100% on that.)
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 12:36 pm
Don't get me started on pictures on eBay. Some of the worst photography ever. If people only knew what to do and took a little time, they could make the objects that they are selling look so much more attractive.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 12:40 pm
I agree Jimmer. If there are multiple listings on the same item, I am always drawn to the one with the crispest picture. Good grammar is important to me too. I figure if the seller can't write a few sentences with correct grammar and correct spelling, then they could easily botch up the correct address or they may not understand something like proper ebay rules.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 1:10 pm
Ohgawd, don't get me started on the grammar. I figure if they can't even write, how can they describe the item? LOL. Landi said she was interested in becoming a seller and asked for the "ins and outs". Shipping is part of being a seller. Note that UPS shipments are not the norm, and most sellers (at least of the smaller sized items) ship USPS. Remember to include your terms in the item description. If you will take returns for a refund, state so. If not, state so. Do not make any assumptions. And remember, less is not necessarily better on eBay. You want to SELL your item. Be honest, but including lots of descriptive text ("vintage jadeite batter bowl, 2 quarts, 10" diameter, no scratches or cracks" may draw someone in than the description who just says "green bowl". Do not assume that everyone is looking at your pix with a high resolution monitor (therefore can't tell that the jadeite bowl is jadeite!). And multiple photos for sure! From different sides, showing maker's marks, whatever. If you are new to eBay (with few feedbacks), you may want to not sell high ticket items for a bit. Buyers will beware a new seller or one with low feedback numbers. (Are you new to eBay, or did you sign up with a new ID due to lots of negative feedback, or did you get kicked off and came back with a new ID?). Most important, be descriptive in your titles! And then be descriptive in the text. When a buyer searches, he/she will search on a keyword. Try to include that word in your description. Finally, whatever it is you wanna sell... go see how others are doing it. Pay attention to the sellers who seem to be the most successful and see how they do it.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 2:02 pm
i have 35 good feedbacks as a buyer. no negatives. is that a good start?
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 4:03 pm
Yup, Landi, that's a good start. Just one more word of caution. I don't use paypal (personal choice based on a LOT of outside issues), and I clearly state that on all my auctions. I only accept money orders or certified bank checks. Up until my last listings of videos, this has never been a problem. The last time around, I had two people who backed out of the deal after harrassing me w/numerous emails about NOT taking paypal. It was clearly stated, and I stuck to my guns -- but if you DO accept paypal, it will be much easier. 
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 5:45 pm
Yup, Landi. That's a good start! I accidentally bid on a Xmas ornie last year from someone who didn't take PayPal. She was really sweet, though. She knew I wanted the ornie for my tree, so she said she'd ship out right away. I was so mad at myself for bidding on the puss 'n boots ornies and not checking first! But she was awesome! THOSE are the sellers you wanna go back to again and again. PayPal makes life every so much easier for buyers and sellers. As a buyer, you get your money faster. As a seller, you paid fast so you'll get your item faster. I love PayPal!!! 
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Halfunit
Moderator
09-02-2001
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 5:49 pm

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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 5:56 pm
HALF!!!! and you're a moderator too! you are such a bad bad girl!
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 5:58 pm
Half - ROFLMAO!!!!! eBay has a vast, and I do mean vast amount of information online, for both buyers and sellers. Below are links to two great topics: eBay Selling Help How Do I List An Item For Sale?
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Yellek
Member
08-22-2001
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 5:58 pm
hahaha! 
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - 6:06 pm
Costa, Did the seller take paypal for your ornaments or just send it out before you sent payment? I would have been happy to wait longer for their payment, but they refused to pay at all! Instead of saying "oops -- didn't read it" or offering any apology at all, they just harangued me for not accepting paypal. Sorry, that's not good business on THEIR end. Landi, if you're going to be selling a lot, I do think Paypal is easier if it works for you. Half -- LOL!! Wow -- wonder what the "buy it now" price would be on something like that! 
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