Why are shipping and some prices so high?

[kaitipoo]

I am frustrated because I find and item I want at a reasonable price, and then the shipping is sky high; way out of preportation to what it really costs.  Grrr.  Do sellers think that by pricing it real low, I will be willing to end up over paying because I want the item so badly?  I know sellers are trying to make a living and they hate low bids, but some of those same sellers think nothing of going to a garage sale and talking the seller down so they can turn around and jack up the price when they sell it on eBay.  Maybe the high shipping is why I see so many things with no bids.  And why do some sellers price a book or CD or game for example, that everyone has at a semi reasonable price say for eample 10.00 for a CD and then their price is 100.00+?  Do they really expect to get that?  And that is before the shipping is added.  I have seen games that are not so rare that you can never find them priced at 500.00.  Thanks for letting me vent.  I do not direct this at hard working honest and reasonable sellers.

[rixstuff]

Imagine how awesome it would all be if the sellers in CHINA had to pay postage from the port to the buyer like us US sellers do! The primary reason that the PO has to raise rates is the increase in parcel traffic (letters have decreased significantly) but packages from China come in by the millions and are NOT PAID for by the Chinese.

[tigerguy1978]

so it's more ethical for ebay to profit from people overcharging on shipping?

[tigerguy1978]

honestly, as a buyer i just look at overall price and decide if it's a price i am comfortable paying.  as a seller though, i have to stick up for myself.  i have had people email me arguing with me over shipping cost numerous times.  a lot of what i sell are sports cards and i do most of my shipping for $2.99.  i actually had a guy email me the other day on a card i wanted 2.99 for plus 2.99 for shiipping.  he says "since i am already paying 2.99 in shipping, can i have the card for $1?"  i gave him a breakdown that i don't think most people understand.  actual postage, 2.61.  ebay fee on shipping .30.  paypal fee on shipping .09.  cost of bubble mailer .10.  cost of tape, paper and ink approx .10...all this means that i lose about .21 on shipping.  

and on one occassion i got one of those backhanded positive feedbacks for a heavy cardboard stock poster that i charged 4.99 on shipping for.  "item arrived quickly.  quite excessive shipping though".  seriously!?!?  the tube plus postage was about $6 alone!! 

sorry i just had to vent.  i think some people just want something for nothing and sorry, but i am not on here to take a loss or even to break even.

[amtpdb]

I have asked several seller that charge outrages shipping if I could pick up the item at their wherhouses. The answer is always NO. Half of them use the shipping to make up for the profit they want and use the low price to suck you in! eBay should stop this practice when it is obvious.

[pikabo-icu]

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@amtpdb wrote:
I have asked several seller that charge outrages shipping if I could pick up the item at their wherhouses. The answer is always NO. Half of them use the shipping to make up for the profit they want and use the low price to suck you in! eBay should stop this practice when it is obvious.

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@amtpdb

Easily remedied by shopping TOTAL price..

Always check shipping & add it to item cost.

This is also the very reason eBay charges FVF's on shipping. 

Annnndd this thread is VERY old.. 

[amtpdb]

It may be an old issue, but people are still having this issue. eBay also offers like items at the bottom of an items page and the low price items with high shipping always seem to get into these offers which makes them an issue. As you said eBay charges for the shipping as they were getting cheated out of fees. This shows that they can identify the seller doing this,but it doesn't effect eBay's monie so they refuse to address the issue.

[kh-ornesh]

Hello Everyone,

Due to the age of the thread, it has been closed to further replies.  Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thanks for understanding!