Price gouging in shipping fees

[troveoftreasures2014]

It seems the sellers have found a loop hole in price gouging, they are listing the item at regular price, but charging extreme prices for shipping. It doesn't cost $20-35.00 to ship a 32oz bottle of rubbing alcohol. EBay needs to monitor these price gougers better, I will report every single one I see! 

[mudshark61369]

@troveoftreasures2014,

eBay because of the way they are structured has always had to be reactive to the various policy violations.  There is no possible way they can vet each of the  millions of new listings added to the site daily. 

There have been many reports of sellers listing items at a good price w/ Free shipping then people being charged for shipping, as well as those charging a high shipping cost.  Most of the offenders are chinese sellers.   They are doing this because they have been forced to use some of the private shipping companies instead of their Govt. subsidized shipping methods.  All you or anyone can do is report the listings.

[soh.maryl]

When shopping on eBay, if I find something I would like to buy, I look at both the price of the item and the shipping fee.  If I decide that either is too high, I hit the back arrow and find another item/seller.

[troveoftreasures2014]

Of course, as would in In a normal situation, but what I'm referring to is the items that are in high demand right now due to the pandemic. I saw a seller sell 2 bottles 32 oz rubbing alcohol for $117 in a bid. That's ridiculous. None of these high demand items are cheap so that wouldn't even be an option. Either the cost is too high, or the shipping fees are outrageous making the cost still too high. 

[troveoftreasures2014]

True, I'm sure it is impossible to weed them all out. I can understand having to use a private shipping company if you are out of the country, but the listings I seen were from the US. People are taking advantage of the pandemic, like the mass hysteria over toilet paper, I don't get it lol. 

[troveoftreasures2014]

Of course, as would I in a normal situation, but what I'm referring to is the items that are in high demand right now due to the pandemic. I saw a seller sell 2 bottles of 32 oz rubbing alcohol for $117 in a bid. That's ridiculous. None of these high demand items are being listed at an appropriate price, so that wouldn't even be an option. Either the cost is too high, or the shipping fees are outrageous making the cost still too high. 

[soh.maryl · Accepted solution]

As several of us have mentioned here, anyone can report any listing where they feel there is price gouging going on, or if one of the banned items is listed.  

[homackey]

Yes, I just saw a minute ago a rubbing alcohol for 2 $6.49 and the shipping is $25.90.  I bought last 2 wks ago before corona virus it only cost for $1.99, It cost me $30.15, I been watching for the cheapest price and shipping cost for a while now and not willing to spend $40 - $50. 

[inconmikey]

And now eBay is getting in on the price gouging on shipping, with their global shipping program. Something that used to have an eBay global shipping program charge of about $30 is now up to about $200. They would probably blame it on this fake pandemic of the common cold, of course.

[soh.maryl]

I don't understand.  When a seller uses the Global Shipping Program in order to sell and ship to buyers overseas, he pays only the postage to get the item to the GSP center in Erlanger, KY, where the package is then sent on to its destination.  The buyer is ultimately charged that additional shipping fee as well as any customs fees etc.

eBay has no involvement whatsoever in those additional charges. 

[inconmikey]

@soh.maryl:

eBay sets the price on the global shipping program, the seller has no control over it. A little while ago I was looking at getting some medical supplies from a seller in Britain (I'm in the U.S.A.) and the shipping was about $30, now it's about $200. Of course that is eBay price gouging.

[inconmikey]

Sure, anyone CAN report any item for price gouging, that doesn't mean eBay will do anything about it.

Since they started giving the option to report stuff for price gouging, I've reported hundreds of items that were being sold for more than the retail price for new and not a single one of those listings was removed. It's really just a waste of time.

[soh.maryl]

As I replied to you on the 10th of July, 2020, when a seller uses the global shipping program to deliver his wares to overseas buyers, the seller pays ONLY the cost of shipping to the GSP Center in Erlanger,KY, USA.

From the GSP center, the item is then sent on to its destination in whatever country the buyer is in.  The buyer is liable for those costs including any customs fees or other charges set by the COUNTRY TO WHICH THE ITEM IS SHIPPED.  So,sorry, I still do not understand your complaint.

Since you now mention your location in the US and that you're buying from a seller in the UK, I am sorry, but I don't know the location of the GSP Center in Great Britain, but would imagine that the GSP shipping works the same, only in reverse.  

[toysaver]

Twenty dollars is not necessarily gouging.   It depends on where the item located and where it is shipping to.   The further it has to travel the more it will cost, like a plane ticket, LA to NYC is usually more money than NYC to DC.  According to the USPS shipping calculator If you ship a box with 2 16 ounce bottles from California to Maine Priority is exactly $20.   The item is about 2 pounds and the box is 7 ounces making it ship at 3 pounds.   It will be a little less if the seller has elected to pass on discounts to the buyer.  If your location is on the West or East Coast anything more than 2 pounds from the opposite coast will usually be more than something shipping from within a few hundred miles.   I have boxes of toys that could be as much as $35 to CA but ship for only $10 to states surrounding me in WI.  Most of my stuff ships to surrounding sates in the Midwest. 

That is the crux of calculated shipping.   I think it's a beautiful thing.  

[toysaver]

You can't ship rubbing alcohol Priority it is a class 3 hazardous material and must go ground or surface as it is flammable.  This is can be more costly than Priority, it depends on the location.