Ebay prices crack me up!

e-bay does not collect a fee on "shipping". Let's say the "true" shipping and handling cost is $10. If you charge $30, you get $20 that is not dinged with a fee.

On another note, one technique I have found useful as a buyer is to query sellers for a 'best price to my doorstep'. I've used this technique when buying multiples of an item and usually query as many sellers as I can find selling the same or similar items. The seller then sets up a private auction for the agreed upon price. I have seen sellers load more than 50% of the quote into the shipping come auction time.

I always ask for shipping And handling, though frequently I'll pass an auction that does not quote S&H or provide a calculator.

"It's unethical, in my opinion to break out a separate (additional) charge for "handling" when that cost should be a part of the cost of the product."

That is idiotic for a number of reasons.

There is absolutely NOTHING unethical about charging a fee for a necessary service as long as the fee is disclosed in advance. It is also not a "scam." Only a moron believes they are scammed when they are told that shipping costs $x.xx if they buy something.

Simple math will prove that $19 for a product + $1 for shipping = $20 just like is $15 for a product + $5 for shipping = $20. Now maybe some people are fooled by the difference and feel a whole lot better and I'm certain the advertisers just love having those kind of folks around. However the rest of us don't much care about anything more than the all-in cost of $20, because that's what we are paying.

If you had ever shipped anything you would know that it costs money to buy packing tape, boxes and bubble wrap. People get really pissed off when the stuff they bought arrives damaged because it wasn't properly packaged.

"I have no use for jerkoffs that sell a $20 item for $5 then charge $40 for shipping."

The only j****ff is the one who can't clearly see that they are paying $45 for a $20 item and go ahead and make the purchase.

"Don't your customers have to "handle" it too? "

Yes they do. And they are more then welcome to bill themselves for their trouble.

Well, it's a little harder to build the price in on an auction. Since the seller doesn't know what the final price will be, it makes sense for the shipping and handling to be factored in by the buyer. I think it's different for a seller who auctions something here and there than it is for an established business who actually knows their fixed and variable costs and can factor them into the sales price. For me, I take the actual shipping cost and throw in $2 for supplies. I don't think it's unethical to break out a handling cost. What I think is unethical is one of the other stories in this thread where the bidder asked for the shipping cost prior to bidding and then when the auction is over a handling charge is sneaked in.

todd

It is against one's user agreement with PayPal to "charge back" PayPal fees.

That's also contrary to eBay policy. I don't know why they don't crack down on it, since it's money out of their pocket.

todd

they are only doing that to beat ebay out of thier fees

I understand it perfectly. Confusion is not the problem.

So if I sold you a car for $100 and charged you a $15,000 delivery fee that wouldn't be lame? (and *of course* you can't pick it up dummy)

If I sell you a tire for $5 but I charge $80 for mounting and balancing.... that's not dishonest? (and no, you can't mount it yourself sir... all tires come with mounting and balancing as a courtesty)

Buy one widget for $10 and we'll throw in a second widget for FREE... just pay the shipping and handling (which happens to be $12.95... EACH)

It's not at all difficult to understand.... and if YOU want to do business with folks that play these games, that's your option. But when you get bit in the ass by one of them, I hope you don't complain too loudly because this guy won't be feelin no sympathy!

Joe Barta

P.S. And if you think it's just okie dokie to skate past ebay's fees... if someone were to use a loophole to skate past paying YOU what you might otherwise be owed, I wonder if you'd think it was perfectly ok.

Okay, the car costs $15,100. Is that lame or dishonest? Seems perfectly honest and straight forward to me.

And who said you can't pick it up? I sold a large piece of exercise equipment on Ebay. For anyone wanting it shipped I charged "the actual freight cost plus $50 handling" The buyer paid $355 for the machine, $50 for handling, and $65 for freight. The buyer knew the story before bidding and was delighted with her bargain. I didn't bother to figure out in advance what the shipping would be, because I assumed the buyer would be local and pick it up. Then there would be no freight and no handling. Was I lame or dishonest?

Well, lets see. The tire costs $85. And that is dishonest how?

How could I get bit when the cost is known to me before I bid? If I am too stupid or lazy to add in the shipping before bidding then I certainly deserve what I get.

Ebay doesn't seem to have a problem with people charging handling; they would just charge commission on the entire transaction rather than just the product if they cared. Why on earth do you? Or are you just trolling on this and I bit?

Hundred of thousands of auctions. Not sure how they could monitor such things on an item by item level without any complaints. They may do some sampling, however.

They weren't/aren't chargin back the Paypal fees. They are just justifying inflated shipping by saying they need to cover the Paypal and Ebay fees.

It may be against Ebay policy, but many sellers do it. There would probably be a seller rebellion if they started charging their cut on shipping as some sellers pass along true costs and some items cost hundreds to ship.

Brian Elfert

I was looking at Dell computers on Ebay before Christmas and saw lots of good prices. But, the price became ripoffs when shipping of $75 to $100 was added. I ended up buying from the Dell Outlet.

One seller even had a different price listed for local pickup that was like $50 higher than the regular Buy It Now price. He was basically adding on the profit he normally makes on shipping.

Brian Elfert

Unless the seller says he allows pickups, you are required to ask before bidding if you want to pick up. A number of people have refused to allow pickups or charged a handling charge. I asked first, so I didn't bid, and now filter their listings out. No big problem. I have never refused a pick up, though it has just happened once. It is easier than shipping, and worth forgoing my $5 handling charge. Obviously other sellers don't feel that way, but they have the right to run their auction any way they want, as long as they conform to eBay requirements. Your BIL deserves a negative feedback for backing out of a purchase; though I expect the seller just let it go because it wasn't worth the hassle.

And what should I bid to the guy that was selling labels for my Dymo Labelwriter for $9.99 and was charging $25 flat rate for shipment to Canada?

The snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com entity posted thusly:

Approximately $0.00 (Cdn), unless your Dymo labels usually cost a lot more than $35.

Not at all hard to figure out..

I got a friend to Ebay some old books for me, stuff I hadn't looked at in a decade or more, but that was useful and costly when bought and might be useful to others. Most sold for $1.50 or so. I listed a flat $5 shipping, no deals. Most cost $1.40 for postage and a buck for the envelope. I "made" $2 or so extra on each book because of the postage...but I had to address the envelopes, drive them into town and stand in line to ship the suckers.

My decision: I'd rather throw the books away next time it happens. It's a PITA, got my buddy six or seven neutral feedbacks because of the shipping costs, and basically didn't bring in enough to cover the time and energy of entering the books on Ebay.

I don't know what those labels cost in a store, but I'd say you shouldn't bid if the combined price bothers you.

In my case I won't buy from any seller who has to resort to that kind of tactic because it screams "DON'T TRUST THIS PERSON". If a traditional store with an on-line service can deliver a washing machine for $30, why do some ebay sellers require the same amount for an item that will fit in your mail box?

We know that ratings and feedback on ebay are no longer credible guides to a buyer/seller's integrity. Common sense has to rule. From now on whenevr I see one of these obvious overcharges, the seller is going to get a pointed comment which will also be copied in to ebay.

FoggyTown

NEGATIVE $25

Does Ebay allow negative numbers in their bidding? I can buy 5 rolls of that label stuff at Walmart for $4.95, and for awhile they had an extra "free" roll in the pack, so 6 rolls for that price.

Every buy something from a traditional retailer or catalog warehouse then have it shipped? There is usually a shipping AND handling charge. Are these merchants being unethical?