Potential Buyers sending messages complaining about shipping costs - Suggested Response?

[zan_antiques]

Hi, I'm a veteran seller, but the shipping costs have become fairly outrageous, and I do think it is the correct rate, it's just expensive to ship heavy items in these current times.  I sell mostly glass and pottery.  I am getting bombarded by potential buyers complaining about shipping costs (some nice, some not so nice). I'm exhausted from answering the questions.  I've tried to explain that eBay calculates the shipping cost based on distance, weight and size of box.  Some potential buyers are just put off when the cost of shipping is higher than the (perceived) value of the item. I've been starting all my auctions at $4.99 regardless of value, trying to gain attention and let bidders value the item through their bidding.  Do I need to raise my starting price, to simply off set the price of shipping?  Would any of you have a suggestions for a polite and generic answer to some of the messages I am receiving from potential buyers?

[simba6]

Place them on your blocked bidder list.  Buyers like that are often real trouble if they do buy.

[nobody*s_perfect]

" .... eBay calculates the shipping cost based on distance, weight and size of box. "

IMHO you should put that right in your listings. I get very few queries about shipping, since I state clearly in each Description that the shipping cost that buyers see is the actual USPS postage, based on their location and the package weight.

Glancing through some of your listings, maybe those coasters could safely be shipped in the small flat rate box, at substantial savings, especially for farther buyers. And any package up to 1 pound should go via First Class package; you can offer Priority Mail as a second choice as an option for buyers who are in a big hurry.

It might help to give buyers a reality check if you provide measurements. For instance, that set of 3 Rae Dunn ornaments: Do they measure one inch, 3 inches, or maybe 5? For ceramics the size makes a huge difference in shipping weight.

[patd3283]

You have the same problem I do.  You are near the left coast so items going to the east or northeast are expensive to ship.  I am near the right coast and things going to Oregon or Arizona are expensive to ship.  Unless you can ship flat rate or the item is very desirable, there is no sale.

[jonathankirkland]

I don't want to crush your business model...

But is it worth trying to sell a $5 item for $30 including shipping?

As a seller you have to keep in mind the buyers are looking at the total price of the item, cost + shipping (and now in the last few years tax added on as well).

It makes it much more difficult to justify the price of an item being bought if the shipping is identical or MORE than the item value/cost itself.

Just my opinion.

[hollysfinds]

I sell mostly china so I hear ya.

I too usually explain how shipping is calculated.

Sometimes I will tell the buyer the box size, weight, and location and let them check for themselves.

Shipping costs are high and sellers don't like it any more than buyers do, but it is what it is.

I don't get inquiries about the shipping often, but it does happen.

I put what weight of the item will be when packed right in the description. 

[fern*wood]

I would check out 1st class for some of the smaller items if possible.    Maybe that would help some.

[sin-n-dex]

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@jonathankirkland wrote:

I don't want to crush your business model...

But is it worth trying to sell a $5 item for $30 including shipping?

As a seller you have to keep in mind the buyers are looking at the total price of the item, cost + shipping (and now in the last few years tax added on as well).

It makes it much more difficult to justify the price of an item being bought if the shipping is identical or MORE than the item value/cost itself.

Just my opinion.

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I put reasonably cheap shipping (the $5.80 combined shipping promo - proof sets do not ship for $5.80), and add $2-3 to my item cost so I can put it in a flat rate bubble mailer. The customer sees the $5.80 combined shipping and thinks this is great. I have lots of items that sell for more than my competitors, but I have significantly less shipping costs than some of them.

C.

[duncanvr]

This is why I sell small items, easy to store and I still ship using stamps. No protection but I message every buyer and have over 14.000 positive feedbacks so my shipping method still works in today's climate. I ship world wide old vintage paper items from before world war 2. I think tracking is a rip off you still have no protection when it says in transit you can't get an update and buyer complains its late. I avoid heavy items like the plague. Its just getting to the point where its no longer worth buying as much as we used to when shipping was cheaper in the good old days. But they continue to raise shipping every year so at some point buyers are going to complain if you have $4.99 start and $30 shipping. Even though its actual shipping some buyers expect FREE shipping every time and an accurate shipping rate will just put them off from buying. Its probably costing you in potential sales to. At the rate from post office you may as well use actual door to door courier service I hear some have found its cheaper. I agree with the other member who said to block the complainers sometimes selling to someone who already complained will just make the sale go down south. I think some would be trying for partial refunds to. My advise is time to look for light weight easy to ship items. If USPS raise prices again next year it will get even worse. I am in Sydney and believe me we have the same ridiculous postage cost over here. These postage hikes kill sales! One more thing you could try is don't use calculated but have a flat rate slightly discounted but you'll have to cover the shortfall in your start prices.

[frodobagginskennedy]

I sell large heavy dish sets and glassware.  Your shipping prices for items is high.  Your shorts at $15.00?  You can get them in a padded flat rate for 8.00..an ashtray for $15.00 shipping?  You need to closely look at different options

[jayjaspersgarage]

Clothing can ship cheaper than a flat rate padded envelop if it weighs less than 1 pound.  Sellers need to look at all options and not settle for flat rate boxes.  I often see the competition charging double what I can on items weighing less than 16 ounces including a modified box so I do the research and take advantage of it.

You are allowed to modify plain boxes so they are just the right size for 1" of foam around the item.  The weight of the box doesn't have to put you over the 16 ounce level.  I cut my packing slips in half to get the weight of something under the next level and it works when you avoid a price jump weight threshold. 

No doubt you could raise the starting or sell price and offer free shipping.  I prefer to keep the shipping and handling separate because handling is part of the total cost.  Packing materials usually are super cheap clean recycled items but aren't always free.

The only time I got questions about shipping costs was when I used to mail geological rock samples around the world.  I had to tell the international customers it was what it was.  They would pay $90 for a rock and question why it cost $20 to mail it to Germany or The Netherlands.  

[kds99]

Besides trying to reduce shipping costs, maybe shipping fewer items priority, you may want to consider offering free shipping. Just add the cost of shipping to your furthest coast (East or West)) to your sales price and never get another complaint about shipping costs. I gave up trying to explain to buyers along long ago.

[thestuffthatyoulove]

Depending on the weight of the (larger) items, you will save a lot of money on shipping if you use the Regional Rate boxes provided free by the post office, over the flat rate boxes.

For example, you can mail up to 15lbs in a Regional Rate A box at the 2lb postage rate.  The cost varies depending on the postal region the package is mailed from and to, so you should always check your options and compare the different postage options/costs, but the Regional Rate boxes will almost always be less expensive to mail in than a medium or large flat-rate box.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Your experiences with people complaining about shipping costs is one reason I offer free shipping on my items. I roll all expenses into the item price. Before listing, i package and weigh items to see if the rolled-in price makes sense. Not everything is suitable to sell this way, but for the most part it works for me. Sometimes buyers just don't know what it costs to ship an item, and not just the postage, but the packing materials is a part of the cost as well. Buyers may not take that into account. With free shipping, there is no reason for a buyer to complain, and it also contributes to better placement of my items in Search.

[thestuffthatyoulove]

I also noticed that you sell a lot of small items that would easily mail First Class Mail in a bubble envelope (under a pound).  Your best option on those items is to simply add the postage costs to the item price, and list the items with "free shipping", and also offer the buyers the option to upgrade the shipping if they so desire.  With Free Shipping, your sales will increase, as will your placement in the search results.  It's a win/win for everyone!