It just might be he only ships via UPS, their broker-rate to ship north tells me they don't want to do it. The Postal rate is quite cheap
However, there is a dodge that many eBay sellers are using, sell the item really cheap and make the profit on shipping/handling. Since eBay charges by sales price, with no charge for handling fees
They can be, depending on how they do it. I have no problem with a shipping and handling charge but they can be used in a bogus manor. In the case of these EBay sellers, many of them are using the S&H charge to both rip off PayPal and EBay as well as fool the buyer into thinking they are getting the item for less money. Another problem with this crap that may not apply to EBay so much but could happen is screwing you if you return it. You buy an interesting widget for the unbelievably low price of $19.99 but it has a $200 S&H charge. You the buyer reasons (like many in here have) as this thing is easily worth the $220 combined cost, probably more like $300 and it has a money back guarantee so who cares how the price is laid out. So you order it and it shows up a week later in perfect condition but it proves to be both an advertising scam and a piece of junk. No problem you say, it has a guarantee and send it back for your refund. The seller of course honors his commitment and sends you back a refund check ....... for $19.99. Hey, wait a minute, it cost you far more than that and you call the seller to get this corrected. His response is... I'm sorry Sir, but you paid $19.99 for the product which we fully refunded, the $200 was payment for our excellent shipping and handling service and is not refundable.
Then we're at an impasse. We'll leave it at that.
We all have our own ideas about what is ethical and what exactly is a necessary service I suppose.
To me it's a simple matter. To me sellers that offer a low low price and make up for it with very high and mandatory "shipping & handling" charges are unethical and of low character... and buyer be very aware. You know who you are and you know full well that what you are doing is wrong. My opinion.
eBay is who these people are "cheating", and yes, when a seller lists and item for $1 and charges $50 for "shipping and handling" they are cheating eBay out of the fees that someone more ethical would be paying (and yes I have seen those exact numbers)
Actually, you need to report them to eBay. It is a violation of eBay rules to pad shipping costs like that and they will end auctions that do so if it's ridiculously obvious.
I just did a random check of shipping charges on Ebay. I looked up cell phones. Many of the shipping charges hover close to $40!
Dave
The seller doesn't know what the price of the product is? Of course they do, they bought it and are now trying to sell it! If it costs them $10, then they should set the minimum bid no lower than $10. If they know it's going to cost them an additional $2 for shipping supplies, then they should set the minimum bid no lower than $12.
The problem is that these people are setting their minimum bids at $1, then charging $30 for shipping because they want to make up the profit for their item without having eBay charge them fees for it. If the auction goes to $20 and they charge $30 shipping, then they make $50 on the deal, rather than if the item went for $20 and they charged what it actually cost to ship, which might be $5.
In the end, shipping isn't supposed to be a way to make a profit, it's supposed to be a way to get the product to a customer.
And you have to report it to PayPal and they'll do something about it.
Part of the problem is that eBay doesn't have enough people to watch the auctions and catch all of this without being told about it, and the other is that eBay's claim to fame is having millions of auctions going on. If it starts going after a lot of the small-time cheats, etc. they wouldn't be able to claim that.
If you take the time to report a violation to eBay, they will usually step in and stop it, but if you think they're going to go looking on their own, you're out of luck.
I'd think eBay is well aware of high shipping charges. Pretty obvious to the casual observer, even. 2006 might see some new Ebay rules.
Dave
It's very dishonest when you realize that the seller is only paying "taxes" on the $100 and is getting the $15,000 completely tax-free because it's counted as shipping.
Most sellers on eBay won't allow you to pick up your merchandise even if you live next door to them. In fact, in all the years that I've been on eBay, I've only run into one person who would allow a personal pick up and that's because he had an actual physical store-front. Otherwise, you get it shipped, no matter what.
I agree, if the S/H charges are listed, or seller states he won't charge a handling fee, it's possible to figure out what your max bid will be. It's a feature.
Can any sellers say whether Ebay charges extra to have the shipping calculator on your page?
er
I don't understand this. Why not start the bidding at $3.50 and charge a $2.50 S/H fee?
er
I was responding to an earlier comment that no one should ever charge "handling" fees of any kind. Obviously, eBayers participating in final value fee avoidance by charging very high shipping costs should be killed. I'm talking about adding a few bucks to the actual shipping cost as a handling charge. What difference does it make if it's included in the price of the product or not? Either way, the buyer pays. Anyone who thinks the buyer doesn't pay is kidding himself. As long as it isn't excessive, I don't see a problem.
todd
As is the way with most everthing, action will only get taken when someone points it out.
I have reported sellers to eBay who were jacking up shipping costs.
todd
It's dishonest especially when the seller has somehow misrepresented the item such that it doesn't have the value to you you thought it did... and the seller won't reimburse you for the "shipping" charges. It happens.
Ebay rules to live by:
er
"Can any sellers say whether Ebay charges extra to have the shipping calculator on your page? "
IIRC Ebay does not charge to have the shipping calculator. They also allow the seller to add a handling fee in the calculation and that fee doesn't appear separately in the calculated shipping cost the buyer sees.
It is wrong in my opinion to fault a seller for adding a REASONABLE charge for packing materials into the equation.
"Can any sellers say whether Ebay charges extra to have the shipping calculator on your page? "
IIRC Ebay does not charge to have the shipping calculator. They also allow the seller to add a handling fee in the calculation and that fee doesn't appear separately in the calculated shipping cost the buyer sees.
It is wrong in my opinion to fault a seller for adding a REASONABLE charge for packing materials into the equation.
"Can any sellers say whether Ebay charges extra to have the shipping calculator on your page? "
IIRC Ebay does not charge to have the shipping calculator. They also allow the seller to add a handling fee in the calculation and that fee doesn't appear separately in the calculated shipping cost the buyer sees.
It is wrong in my opinion to fault a seller for adding a REASONABLE charge for packing materials into the equation.
"Can any sellers say whether Ebay charges extra to have the shipping calculator on your page? "
IIRC Ebay does not charge to have the shipping calculator. They also allow the seller to add a handling fee in the calculation and that fee doesn't appear separately in the calculated shipping cost the buyer sees.
It is wrong in my opinion to fault a seller for adding a REASONABLE charge for packing materials into the equation.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.