EBay frustrations

I am selling a center console on ebay and I have stated that the shipping is $30 now I am getting e mails from some one (timothystaats) that I screwing the buyer on shipping cost. The actual shipping cost less packaging is CDN$25 the current bid is $10 which is a bargain if it goes for that price.
Am I ripping some one off on shipping ?
Depends where the buyer is I may drop the shipping cost but it will be no more then $30.
Looks like people have nothing better to do then complain.
If timothystaats is on this forum contact me direct.
Sorry about this grumble but it hit a nerve

I recently sold a Midget radio console and the shipping on that to NY from MI was almost $15, so you're not too far out of line, depending on where it's going.

UPS/FedEx/etc. always charge more for residential delivery as well.

When I listed the stuff we pulled from the '67, I put a shipping price and also that if the cost of shipping was less, the buyer would pay the exact cost to me. If I undercut the shipping price, I took the loss.
Sometimes you go to two different Post Office's and you get different measurements and weights along with costs. Easy enough to charge actual shipping after the auction.

Paul

Well its a legit gipe for a lot of people as there are many who do charge a lot for shipping its like an insurance policy for returns. Also your guy may not realise that postage in Canada is higher than in the states - or at least so my brother tells me.

Canadian shipping costs are crazy, I try to shy away from buying from Canadian Ebayer's for that reason. What ya gonna do though....thtas the way it is!

Actually it's not a legitimate gripe. it's whining. If he isn't happy with your posted shiping he should shop elswhere. I ussually block guys like that from bidding, to prevent them from getting screwed by me. (in their mind) I have good feedback , and many return customers , so I don't need jerks bidding.

$30 does seem high because it is such a light item, however if that is for shipping across the border, then that would sound about right. Shipping across the border, even with USPS, is usually more trouble and expense than it is worth if the item.

If you put the shipping cost in the original ad - then I don't see the problem - regardless of what it is. And there is always your "handling" part of the shipping and handling.

Unfortunately, a lot of people are not aware that postal rates in the went up earlier this year. For example, you can no longer ship anything parcel post outside the US, which means that everything now goes Airmail. I believe Canada postal rates also went up as I bought an item in Canada last month and the shipping was outrageous (and it was the actual Canada Post shipping price!) The guy complaining about high shipping costs in Canada should try getting something shipped from the UK.

It got sold to a bidder in Saskatchawan so I revised the price down to $15 for shipping
Console sold for $10 I am just glad these parts are going need to get rid of them before we move.

put up a link to it. If it's an early speaker console i might be interested. Would that postage include to UK?

If you've got $30 stated in your listing, then go for it. If they don't realize what shipping costs are from Canada, that's their problem. If you'd sprung what to the might seem a high $30 AFTER the auction ended, then maybe they'd have a reason to question it. And give them a chance to justify it. Shipping is going to cost you more than just the stamp. If someone wants a fragile item like a plastic console to be shipped wrapped in a piece of used newspaper, then they'll have to expect to receive it damaged. If they want it properly packaged to arrive safely, then they should expect to pay a reasonable amount for shipping.

My 2 cents.

A center console is a long, fragile item. It is going to be a large package and it is going to cost more than normal.

In addition, since the price of the console is so low, the whiner could have just bid lower for the console than he might have otherwise to compensate for his percieved problem with the shipping cost (which I don't view as excessive regardless since I see real UPS charges on an almost daily basis).

I have found selling MG stuff to be the worst. I tried selling some stuff. I sold a set of lever arm shocks for $20. After the guy received shocks he said they leaked when he turned them upside down over night and wanted his money back. After a few things like that I pitched the rest of my MG parts, gauges, etc. People were too cheap and it wasn't worth my time.

Sorry, rant off.

gow589 Wrote:

KLUTZ Wrote:

gow589 Wrote:

Let me end this thread as I started it.
The guy who whinned about the shipping cost has now apologized for his remarks.
What he read was my international rate which is overseas, and he did not realize the rate is variable.
Shipping rates are always topical and it is wise to check out the shipping rate before you bid on items. I have been stitched up several times and I am allot wiser now. For example, take a look at watches on ebay only $1 but check the shipping rate out it is very high.
I feel better now thanks for all your input.

Where are you moving to Geoff?

We are moving to a small town called Magrath near Lethbridge, Alberta.
I am moving the shop as well. Purchased a house on a acre of land with a nice shop as well a large double garage. Needed to move away from the rat race of Calgary and slow my life down. I will still be making MG parts and restoration. Should be moving in January.
Can't wait

Have you offered him the option to pick it up himself at no extra charge? Maybe once he considers the costs coming to pick it up himself... the $30 for packing, labeling, taking it to the post office, and postage won't seem too bad. ;)

> We are moving to a small town called Magrath near Lethbridge, Alberta.

Wow - Magrath! Don't blow away. I was down in Waterton on the weekend - it was unbelievably windy (and I'm from Lethbridge). If you get bored you can go to one of the big towns nearby (Raymond or Cardston)! :)

I have bought and sold a few hundred items on ebay. As long as you are listing your shipping than he needs to move on. There is nothing wrong with your price from North North America. It is common practice on ebay to set your starting price lower to reduce your fees, and boost the shipping a bit to cover. Look at small electronics..... .99 buy it now and 5.99 to ship. Just my opinion, I could be wrong, I often am.

From our experience, alot of people just look for things to complain about. You also have to take in the cost of the shipping materials and gas to the post office. Another thing, is that the domestic shipping must cover the whole country, from Maine to California. Not everyone lives right next door:).


peace, Kyle

It seems that quite a number of ebay sellers have taken to offering their items at a low reserve price with an inflated shipping cost.
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This allows the seller to recoup ebay and paypal fees along with the shipping cost, and minimize the commission paid to ebay.
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I dont much like it (and neither does ebay), but if it is CLEARLY posted in the item description, let the buyer beware.
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I once bought an item from a nearby seller and offered to pick it up to save the shipping... he balked, saying I would have to pay the shipping charge anyway to cover his "costs". We compromised.
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But ebay says nothing about car dealers that charge "doc fees" on ebay sales, which clearly is "money for nothing".????