How to sell live koi?

[milehigh17]

Ebay is pretty impossible to get specific answers from, so here I am with my automatically generated forum tag I can't change.

I own a koi shop and want to start selling live koi on ebay. There are tons of listings; it's clearly possible. Nearly all of the live koi auctions have 50$ UPS next-day-air flat rate shipping. I have a small business account with UPS and even with the shipping discounts they give small businesses, my next-day-air shipping rates peak 100$ just sending a fish a few states away. 

How does this 50$ flat rate work? Is the true shipping cost variable, and the sellers are eating the difference? Does ebay have some special shipping deal with UPS that is actually a flat 50$ rate?

If anybody knows how this works, please lay it out for me 🙂

[simba6]

I don't think you should send them through the mail like that.

[kensgiftshop · Accepted solution]

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@milehigh17 wrote:

How does this 50$ flat rate work? Is the true shipping cost variable, and the sellers are eating the difference? Does ebay have some special shipping deal with UPS that is actually a flat 50$ rate?

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They might have their own account with the shipper and worked out a deal with them.

No, Ebay doesn't have any special rate.

[bonjourami]

Why would you look on Ebay for answers on how to ship Koi fish? Its your account, as the seller, you arrange the shipping options,not Ebay.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/09/19/usps-ebay-mail-delays/

[comics-scifi-collectibles]

Aside from the shipping question have you read the eBay mbg?  Do you know how a not as described refund request works?  If the fish is doa you must issue a full refund.  If the buyer SAYS that the fish was doa or dies within 30 days of delivery eBay will make you issue a refund.   EBay does not even require the buyer to send pictures for not as described refunds 

[milehigh17]

First of all, that's a really aggressive tone to set in an answer to a help forum post. Nobody who's already confused enough to resort to asking for help on the ebay forum needs somebody to be mean. Secondly, you didn't have an answer, so why reply?

Every live koi auction I've clicked has a "Seller does not offer returns" Return Policy, presumably to avoid this risk.

[bigdeals.etc]

Have you tried asking those other sellers directly? Or at least have you considered buying one from them so you can at least see some of their process?

[rebell45]

"Seller does not offer returns"

Means nothing under eBay's MBG program. If buyer says item is Not as Described, seller is forced to refund.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[bonjourami]

Seems to me that poster was trying to warn you of the pitfalls of selling live fish, I dont see anything 'aggressive'  or 'mean' about it.And if you thought that saying 'seller does not offer returns',meant you didnt have to refund, obviously you needed the warnings.

[milehigh17]

Yes but my shipping rates are constrained by the various standardized shipping rates offered by carriers, and none of those carrier rates match the rate regularly provided on ebay, which led me to consider that ebay may have its own rates. I could not find evidence to confirm this in the help articles provided by ebay, so I asked the help forum, as ebay suggested. Thanks for not helping.

[milehigh17]

Thanks man, that's all I needed to know.

[pburn]

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@milehigh17 wrote:

Every live koi auction I've clicked has a "Seller does not offer returns" Return Policy, presumably to avoid this risk.

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This comment alone substantiates your lack of knowledge about selling on eBay.

I wouldn't recommend you try to sell koi on this platform until you've learned the basics of selling. Start by reading up on eBay's Money Back Guarantee.

[tev4all]

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@milehigh17 wrote:

First of all, that's a really aggressive tone to set in an answer to a help forum post. Nobody who's already confused enough to resort to asking for help on the ebay forum needs somebody to be mean. Secondly, you didn't have an answer, so why reply?

Every live koi auction I've clicked has a "Seller does not offer returns" Return Policy, presumably to avoid this risk.

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How did you hear a tone in the words on the screen?

now, I'm confused.

[jameshen1]

I actually bought some koi on here years ago.  They arrived in good shape and all was well.  They did come UPS.  But I don't remember if it was overnight or not.  With the limited oxygen supply in the bag I would almost think it would have to be overnight.

But I don't have a clue how other sellers are shipping so much more cheaply than you can.  Maybe contact UPS and or FED EX and see what your options are at this time.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@milehigh17 wrote:

Every live koi auction I've clicked has a "Seller does not offer returns" Return Policy, presumably to avoid this risk.

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If you poke around in the Shipping and Returns section of this board, you'll soon find out that those words is a false sense of protection that ebay is giving sellers. Many find out the hard way that having that setting enabled in your listings is not a viable deterrent from that risk you mention.