On two occasions I've paid what I thought were outrageous shipping charges, because the total cost wasn't too far out of line. In both cases, the items arrived *very* well packed, using those expanding-foam bags (which aren't cheap).
This is a bit of a gamble, though, because some sellers know how to pack stuff and some don't. On the whole I've done OK by avoiding sellers who are obviously clueless.
Sun, Jun 13, 2004, 2:28pm snipped-for-privacy@nospam.invalid (J.=A0Clarke) burbled: I wasn't aware that UPS, FedEx, or the US Postal Service would take anything packed in "a used cereal box". Further, I've never received anything purchased off of ebay that arrived in "a used cereal box". There, you've learned something new today.
What I've gotten has almost always been very well packed.
I never said anything I've gotten wasn't well packed. Don't know where you got that idea. Cereal box, tape, newspaper packing, no prob.
How much does your time bill out? Not your take-home but the whole package through G&A and fee? How long does it take you to put something in a box and write a label? How much does that work out to in dollars?
Well, let me see now. Hmm, if you consider that I'm on full disability, I guess it doesn't really matter how long it would take me to put something in a box and write a label. So I guess, depending on how you'd look at it, in dollars, that would be zip. Doesn't matter, I wouldn't tell you anyway.
Nope, stating a reality of business. It costs a little bit to put something in a box and ship it over and above what the carrier charges. For someone doing small volume that cost may be higher than you would expect.
And, it's eBay, not a store. See what Tim Douglass said, about $10 shipping, for something that cost less than a dollar to send. It ain't that high.
If you're just trying to unload some stuff you don't need, then that's a fine way to go about it.
It can be.
If you're using ebay sales to put food on the table it's a different story.
Than you want happy customers. Which means a reasonable shipping cost.
And if you're paying employees to pack and ship the stuff then it's a _very_ different story.
And part of that story is, I ain't paying some drone's hourly wage in one lump sum, just to have something shipped to me.
You must be one of the too tight people, or just don't get it.
JOAT I think, therefore I am. I think.
If you call that "well packed" then remind me not to buy anything even slightly fragile from you.
I see. So you're basically unemployed and your time is in your opinion of no value. That's fine, but don't find fault with others whose time is actually worth something.
And of course you've audited the particular operation that was doing the packaging and so you're absolutely certain you know their costs.
What leads you to believe that it's not a store just because it uses ebay as a marketing tool? IBM sells on ebay. I guess IBM isn't a "store".
All the happy customers in the world don't put food on the table if you lose money on each sale.
Then don't. Nobody's forcing you to bid on any particular auction.
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to "get". If you think the shipping cost is too high then don't bid the auction. As for being "too tight", I'm not the one who is whining about how someone charges too much. Or perhaps you meant "tight" in some sense other than "tightwad"?
Mon, Jun 14, 2004, 1:10am snipped-for-privacy@nospam.invalid (J.=A0Clarke) says: I'm not sure what I'm supposed to "get". If you think the shipping cost is too high then don't bid the auction.
Well, actually I figure the max I'm willing to spend, which would be the max I'd be willing to bid, combined with the shipping cost. Of course, it'd have to be for something I actually wanted, but, basically, you've got it. LOL
"tight" in some sense other than "tightwad"?
Can you dance? LMAO
This has been quite entertaining. By the way, a couple of hours ago, I bid on a book I want, started at $10, with shipping cost, by priority mail, $2.50. Both of which I think are completely reasonable. I also bid on another book, that if I get it, shipping will probably be around $7-8 US, because it'll come from oversea. Also reasonable - considering. LMAO
Oh yeah, if you truthfully believe, that I think my time is of no value, try asking me to work for you for free, and we'll both find out if I really think that. ROTFLMAO
JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.
I sell quite a bit on ebay. I add anywhere from 1.15 up for packaging and handling. I usually use a new box, bubble wrap or peanuts. depending on the item I can use 3-4 dollars worth of packing material to make sure it gets there in one piece. I price shipping accordingly. If an item will go in a USPS priority mail envelope I charge 15 cents for carrying it to the Post Office. I use ebay for extra cash, but I have to pay for packing material if you want it in one piece. If you don't care what it looks like when you get it you don't want to buy from me.
When I was trying to explain packing costs to the guy I completely forgot driving it down to UPS or FedEx, which these days can easily be 3-4 bucks worth of gas, not to mention amortized maintenance, tire wear, etc.
Tue, Jun 15, 2004, 6:46am snipped-for-privacy@nospam.invalid (J.=A0Clarke) claims: When I was trying to explain packing costs to the guy I completely forgot driving it down to UPS or FedEx, which these days can easily be
3-4 bucks worth of gas, not to mention amortized maintenance, tire wear, etc.Interesting statement. Interesting too, you would assume I'm unaware of all that, even with you "explaining" to me.
One thing I make, wood, finish, hardware, etc., materials cost is about $5.65. I say about, because it's a bit hard to come up with down to the penny figures based on the exact amount of finish used, and so on.
Packaging, new box, packing material, label, tape, etc., figures out to about $4. Not the exact penny, because I don't measure each length of tape. Then the shipper's cost averages $11.85, which makes a toal shipping (or whatever you want to call it), cost of $15.85. If it's within about 200 miles, I make about a 15 cent "profit" on the shipping. But, once it goes further than about two thirds of the way across the country, I "lose" a quarter or so. It averages out.
I don't put food on the table by this, it's a small sideline, so I add the $5.65 materials cost to the $15.85, then I figure in the "profit" I want, and that is the total. Yeah, yeah, the "profit" is the hourly figure I want to make, times the actual time working. It goes in my pocket, so I'll call it profit if I want to.
I'd be using the shop for something anyway, so I don't figure in overhead - depreciation of the tools, electricity, and so on. I go to town every day anyway, so I don't figure in mileage, wear and tear on the truck, and so on.
Yeah, I already knew about all that stuff. Years back I went thru the county library and probably read every book on starting and operating a small business they had. Then I went on and got about every bit of information the SBA had, and read them too.
So, yeah, I could charge $3-4 gas for shipping something. Well, that's if my truck got a lot worse mileage than it actually does, and I went to the next town over to ship the stuff out. But, I don't try to squeeze every nickel out of a transaction I can. Even if I was making a living off it, I'd still be going to town every day, so I doubt I'd add more than a minimal fee for gas, depreciation, etc., but, even if I did, I'd check the mileage to the tenth of a mile, and that'd be the charge, period. Electric in the shop, depreciation of the tool, etc., you bet I'd figure that in, but only as close to the minute as I could; it'd be covered in the purchase price, including material cost. Shipping is totally separate, and I might figure in the time taken to package something, if so, I'd time it down to the minute, and not charge more. I've also done a fair amount of time-study, work efficienty, etc., in my working life. Sometimes it's just more fun, not being so efficient.
You realize, of course, all this would be for a fixed price item. Sales on eBay, with bids, changes the rules. LOL
JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.
- Bazooka Joe
Well, since you seem to think that $5 is an "unreasonable" shipping and handling fee . . .
So you charge $15.85 for shipping then bitch about some guy on ebay making $5? Can you say "hypocrite"?
If you were doing this as a business you'd have to recover those costs somehow.
Don't know where you live, but here it's about 15 miles to UPS or FedEx. Go both ways it's 30 miles. That's 2 gallons of gas at over $2/gallon. If you've got a truck that gets better mileage it's still over 2 dollars just for the gas (darn few vehicles that anybody would describe as a "truck" without falling down laughing get better than 30 MPG). And this is an area where things are close together. If you're in rural Texas it's going to be a lot more than that.
So you'd have a standard charge for transportation? Or would you tell the guy that he would have to wait until after you had shipped to find out how much he has to pay so that you can charge him the _exact_ cost to a tenth of a mile?
I think that I perhaps see your problem. Did you work in an industry that did high-volume mass production? If so then that kind of detailed calculation is worthwhile--saving a penny a piece on a million units is substantial money. Some very large companies that do small lots take a different approach--there's a fixed percentage markup for overhead, varying by general task classification (for example there'd be one markup for engineering time, another for drafting, another for lab work, another for molding composites, another for machining, and so on. Far simpler to calculate than figuring out how many minutes of tool life you used up cutting a board in half.
And since we were talking about ebay to begin with . . .
Wed, Jun 16, 2004, 6:04am snipped-for-privacy@nospam.invalid (J.=A0Clarke) puts out: Well, since you seem to think that $5 is an "unreasonable" shipping and handling fee . . .
Missed it. Still. Yeah, sometimes $5 IS an unreasonable fee. Sometimes not. Depends.
So you charge $15.85 for shipping then bitch about some guy on ebay making $5? Can you say "hypocrite"?
"Making" $5? An interesting turn of phrase. I don't "make" anything off of shipping. What it costs, that I charge. Yeah, if I think I'm overcharged, I'd bitch. And, so would you.
Don't know where you live, but here it's about 15 miles to UPS or FedEx.
About 2 miles outside a small farm town. Closest "big" towns about
10 miles further. FedEx drop off at the local post office door, two other places in town take FedEx and UPS (that I know of), and UPS recently put in an office about a mile out of town. I've heard arrangements can be made for UPS at least, to pickup at your door - haven't checked. I only get mail at the post office, but If I got it at home, I'd imagine I could have the mail carrier pickup up from me. Like I said, I go to town every day, anyway. You can always make a once a week trip, lots of eBay sellers ship weekly.My "so-called truck" is a '79 GMC 1/2 ton pickup, small V-8, around
20 MPG, better if I try. My kid driving, around 10. Gas here $1.859, yesterday.I think that I perhaps see your problem.
No, no you don't. I always get this. Someone reads a post or two, or an e-mail or two of mine, and suddently they're an expert on me and my life. They're always wrong.
Did you work in an industry that did high-volume mass production?
No.
JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.
- Bazooka Joe
Geez, talk about focussing on minutiae . . .
No, if I think someone is charging an excessive price for something then I just don't buy.
Well, whatever you were doing you learned to micromanage a lot of stuff that doesn't need to be micromanaged.
As long as the shipping is clearly explained in the ad, I don't see the issue here. It is just part of the price you are willing to pay. Don't bid any more than you think the total price the product is worth to you with shipping included.
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