Getting harder and harder for me to buy on eBay due to sellers gouging on shipping

[time-to-go-hiking]

I am wondering what is going on. I may have started 6 months ago I am not sure.

Too many times I have to pass on buying some piece of audio equipment because the seller is asking insane prices for shipping.

Before you respond, I have been buying and selling on eBay as a part of my hobby for TWENTY FOUR YEARS, I KNOW what it costs me to ship stuff.

I got an offer from a seller on a stereo tuner that I was watching, they offered it to me for $100 which I would have accepted except they want $85 to ship GROUND, it does NOT matter where they are, I just shipped a similar item about 3000 miles recently and it was LESS than $30 to ship. I asked them about shipping and they responded that the tuner weighed 12 pounds and it was beyond their control.

I have had this happen to me too many times, it does not cost $25 to ship a small radio part, it does NOT cost $140 to ship a stereo receiver, not long ago I shipped TWO heavy receivers in the same box (boy was it heavy !)quite a distance for $50 !!!!!

Why is this happening so often now but was uncommon in the past ? Are they trying to make some extra money, even with fees on the shipping they DO come out ahead. I personally do the best I can to ship at cost.

I would like to hear from sellers why they would charge so much for shipping and from buyers as to why they would pay insane shipping costs ?

Are people just accepting this trend ? Do people besides me actually care about shipping costs ????

and I hope people will be civil in their comments !

[heckofagame]

There is an easy solution. If you don't agree with the shipping cost, look elsewhere. 

[ms.rodriguez*]

You do not know how they are shipping. Maybe they want to ship priority mail. Maybe they use FED ex.  Maybe they double box the items and the measurements are more than a cubic foot.  Maybe they add insurance. I know that insurance is for the seller but whenever I sell something pricey, my customer pays for the insurance either through the starting price or the shipping.  Some sellers pay someone to pack and ship the items.  That labor needs to be covered.    Some do not know that ebay is charging the same fee on the starting price and the shipping price so they price the item lower and the shipping higher when in reality , it does not matter since the ebay fee is identical.

THe only thing that I can tell you is if you don't like the total price,  hen click the back button and try to find your item from another seller.

[buyselljack2016]

Just like eBay those sellers are trying to make the $$$ wherever they can.

Many buyers look at the "total cost" when making their buying decisions.

Good that you are an "aware" buyer, and know when to walk away.

[lamber9347]

Everyone likes to play by their own style. What I mean is that some sellers like to take into account all sorts of variables, their gas driving to the PO, their shipping supplies, (even though the majority use recycled packaging and bubble wrap), and most of all their time. Those tend to complain of no sales. To each his own. The sellers that I'm friends with all charge actual shipping costs and absorb the other variables as cost of business. They price their items accordingly and tend to be happy about their sales.  You'll just have to continue to hit that back button when the shipping charges are too high or non-sensical. Best of luck to you....

[time-to-go-hiking]

I know how they are shipping because the listing tells me

[albertabrightalberta]

I've found that buyers who complain about sellers who (they allege) overcharge for shipping are unaware of actual prices that the carriers charge. All carriers have raised their prices over the last several years and most (if not all) also charge dimensional shipping, meaning that if the packaging is oversized, the price of shipping increases exponentially. 

My suggestion is that before buyers complain about "gouging" on shipping, they do some actual calculating of price by going to the carriers' websites and inputting weights, measurements, zip codes, etc. 

[joliztoyco]

I can't speak for all of them, but most sellers on this board do their honest best NOT to make money off shipping. I do almost all my auctions with "free shipping " because the other sellers on here convinced me it would be good for business. 

And I think it has.

Yes..there are unscrupulous sellers making money overcharging on shipping. But they're not here.

I may disagree occassionally with some sellers on this board but they're all long time, successful sellers who wouldn't exist if they were scamming buyers on shipping. So the shady sellers you're trying to address probably never come here.

On a side note, it's costing us 35 bucks or so to send a decent size Lego set to either coast. More if we insure it! If I lowered the price on my auctions and put a shipping charge of 38.00 instead of " free shipping", I'd get a bunch of buyers reacting just like you are.

Blame the Post Office for high shipping.

Not the sellers.

[monroe67]

"I would like to hear from sellers why they would charge so much for shipping and from buyers as to why they would pay insane shipping costs?"

USPS costs just keep going up and up.  

My selling ID does not create the shipping costs that are shown in her listings.  I use US Postal Service (USPS) calculated shipping in all my listings.  I am in southern California.  eBay's calculated shipping looks at my zip code and the buyer's zip code, and quotes to the buyer the amount of postage that the USPS requires MINUS the small discount that eBay offers to buyers.  

As a buyer, when I see a listing for something that I like but I think the postage cost is too high, I click on the back arrow and look at the next listing.  

[myfrugalboutique]

Shipping has gotten ridiculous and I try and always have it just break even. I always show the shipping price on the label. A 4oz package USPS which would be a lipstick , depending on the zone it is going to, is easily $4. 

[fab_finds4u]

Why is shipping your item for parts that's  similar to a tuner costing $47.50 shipping?

A regular size package weighing 12 lbs is over $57 retail Priority Mail. If the package size is over 12 inches in length then it becomes a large package that costs more.

I agree a small radio part could go in a small flat rate box for way less than $25.

If I think the shipping has too much handling charge added I pass on it.

[lakefor94]

I always look at total price and go from there. If I don't like the price, I move on.

As a seller, I ship at the eBay discounted rate for the buyer. Just want to break even on shipping. Can't say I remember the last time a buyer questioned the cost to ship.

[time-to-go-hiking]

I consider your answer to be quite rude. I told you in my post that I sell all the time and I know what it cost me to sell.

[time-to-go-hiking]

a couple weeks ago I shipped this preamp equalizer from Washington state to Florida for LESS THAN $20

so I don't want to hear about the insane cost of shipping

that is about as far as you can ship an item in the lower 48 states

[12345jamesstamps]

How does one explain when it says free shipping? Some sellers do offer free shipping. Maybe look at free shipping items and then look at the price of the item.