Please stop wasting S/H money

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

...Just venting...

Please, don't waste money. Either let me keep it, or you keep it. Please, please, please don't just hand money over to USPS for no reason.

It's one thing to overcharge me by charging me a way higher than actual rate, or "undershipping" by charging me $20 for FR box and shipping GA for $7 ... at least YOU kept the money...

But please, don't "overship". That just adds insult to injury in my book. If you can pocket some money, do it, don't hand it to the USPS. I rather you profit than waste money and hand it to a carrier.

I received a Med FR box the other day that I paid nearly $20 for, from one state over ... It had something fairly small in it. Could've fit 10 or so of these in one Med FR box, so the box was way oversized. Also, couldve been shipped GA/Priority by weight for probably $7. Couldbe even used a USPS FR Padded Envelope. In any case, seller could've dropped $10 from the S/H charged to me, OR pocketed like $7-8 extra. Either one is better than handing USPS $ for no reason.

We're in business to make money, right? Stop wasting it.

[fern*wood]

I think it’s mainly a lack of shipping knowledge and/or ease in using the free available box.

[robbie31415]

Yar, some people don't deal with boxes and do everything in FR free boxes.

[inhawaii]

Some sellers, even experienced ones still have a lot to learn about shipping.

[rosszonebricks]

Or have no idea how cheap you can get a postal scale, so stick to Flat Rate so they don't have to 'go to the post office and stand in line' to weigh it.  *shrug*

[lamber9347]

This happens to me on 90% of the items I purchase. Sellers automatically reach for that FR box and pay higher fees for a small no weight item that is being sent just 1-2 states away. I only purchase items showing GA shipping or free shipping so I am not paying these extra charges. It is a shame but they are so afraid of items being delayed (never happens to my purchases either) that they are willing to pay higher rates for priority/faster shipping. Best of luck to you....

[ten_o_nine]

I agree with you that it's important for sellers to be mindful of their shipping costs and to try to minimize them whenever possible. It's a way to show respect for the buyer's money and to build trust in the transaction.

If you're satisfied with your purchase, consider leaving positive feedback for the seller. In your feedback, you could mention the issue with the shipping costs and suggest that they review their shipping to avoid overcharging in the future. This way, you'll be helping the seller improve their services while also acknowledging their good work.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@ten_o_nine wrote: .... In your feedback, you could mention the issue with the shipping costs and suggest that they review their shipping to avoid overcharging in the future. This way, you'll be helping the seller improve their services while also acknowledging their good work.

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IMHO a private message with tips about saving on shipping costs would be more appropriate, rather than using feedback to publicly accuse the seller of overcharging for shipping .

[toomuchstuffagain35]

Ease of use. I'm usually pretty good at fitting the box/mailer size/type to the item, but every now and then I'm just too tired to go digging for the right box when I get home after work.

[powell-memorabilia]

A LOT of sellers don’t n these boards share that they always round up on dimensions and weight.  Seems silly, right?  Those are experienced sellers losing money on a good chunk of their sales.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

Oh, I'd give brand new or very new sellers a total pass, heck I wouldve messaged them a head of time to make sure IK how they're shipping and not wasting my money or their money. Some "semi-experienced" sellers are lazy or not knowledgeable. Some aren't focused on how to maximize profits...

Guys, the one who sent me the Med FR box when they couldve shipped for half the price or less ... was an EXTREMELY experienced eBayer .... 14 years on the site, 19,000 items sold, 2300 active listings ...

I get goofy lazy shipping or quirky shipping all the time ... I get pkgs under 1 lb shipped in Small FR boxes all the time where padded envelopes are TOTALLY appropriate and GA is totally acceptable. I try not to interfere as some people take offense ... there are some sellers I'm comfortable with ... one I buy from regularly has free Priority S/H and I always tell him he can ship GA if he wants. The stuff gets to me in 2 days regardless of GA or Priority and I'm never in any hurry anyway.

But a super experienced seller using a Med FR box for no sane reason, you just can fix that type of lunacy.

[yuzuha]

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@rosszonebricks wrote:

Or have no idea how cheap you can get a postal scale, so stick to Flat Rate so they don't have to 'go to the post office and stand in line' to weigh it.  *shrug*

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Heck, you don't even need a postal scale if you're not shipping very large/heavy things. A properly-calibrated kitchen scale will work in a pinch.

[dbfolks166mt]

     A lot of sellers and businesses fail to evaluate shipping costs when posting their items. Given the rising cost of shipping it may be one of the key factors in determining how to price your item. It may also be relevant to the sales tax the buyer pays as many states do not charge sales tax on shipping if the cost is separately identifiable. 

     With the introduction of ground advantage (GA) and ground advantage cubic I seldom use priority mail these days since GA comes with insurance. I am on the east coast so I seldom use free shipping since in order to bake the cost into the price I would need to factor in the worst case shipping cost which would overcharge east coast and mid-west buyers. The buyer would also pay sales tax on the shipping since it is not separately identifiable even though they may live it a state that has no sales tax on shipping. 

     I only use flat rate envelopes or boxes when I know for sure that despite where the buyer may live there is no other cheaper way to send the item. This usually involves smaller heavier items that would probably be cost prohibitive to ship any other way. For example 30 pounds of lead can be shipped in a medium flat rate box for around $14. 

     Even when calculated shipping is used ground advantage is my default but I also look at UPS rates which are often cheaper for oversized items and will make that the default method when it is the lower cost alternative. When I find that I can upgrade the shipping method after the buyer has made the purchase I will often do so if there is a minimal difference. If the difference is significant, which is seldom, I will refund the buyer the excess postage. 

     I just placed an order from a company for an item that weighted less than 2 ounces and was less than 300 miles from me. Their default shipping was priority mail and had a cost of $12 for the $3.95 item I had ordered. I actually called the company about the shipping cost and asked if they could change the shipping to ground advantage. They were unaware of ground advantage so I had to walk them through an explanation of that service for which they were grateful. The did change my shipping to GA and my cost was $3.68. They are now working on adjusting their site to incorporate the ground advantage shipping method. 

     When I purchase something on eBay or any other site I always rack and stack the results by total cost of the item lowest first. The eBay results almost always come up with listings that use calculated shipping. Some buyers may not care or may need the item immediately and in those cases it probably makes little difference to them what they are paying for shipping. Shipping cost is going to continue to become an increasing factor for ecommerce. 

[soh.maryl]

Who are you addressing -- eBay?