You want to reimbursed for bubble wrap, packing tape, peanuts, filler of other sort, black markers used to write addresses. printer ink and so on...Please remember if you use priority mail, the tape boxes , padded envelopes, normal envelopes of any size are free in any post office lobby and you can take as many as you like ( AND YOU ARE CHARGING FOR THEM??? ) Personally i don't care about reimbursement as i prefer to spend a bit of my own money in packing materials ( such as the above mentioned ) and have the item arrive unbroken. But it seems that is not important to you...is it ? Packing materials like mentioned in the above statement are part of the ongoing expenses of a business.......Priority mail ( if over 1 pound in weight ) is the only way i can be sure the tracking number is used properly...otherwise i send it via 1st class mail as a package or parcel so the tracking number can be affixed. If i sell a coin , war medal or badge, i pack it in a plastic holder, then use bubble wrap around it so it gets little if no damage and then staple between cardboard , and then place in an envelope..if it is too thick, i may use a small cookie box and wrap with paper. As the item is sometimes less than 1/4 inch thick, it can go normal mail for a forever stamp but i dont send like that... I send everything as a package as i refuse to send without a tracking number... Maybe that costs too much for you but not for me as i know one has to spend money to earn money. Just remember that if it was a normal envelope going at normal rate, it would go through the sorting machines and the item may get damaged and therefore the buyer will blame you and not the post office equipment and we all know it would not be your fault... What is to come next?? NEG FEEDBACK!!!! I never used to worry about it until i got a few uncouth and dishonest people saying the package was never delivered. You see they had everything in their court as ebay sided with them.. That is when tracking was a must. Once it leaves my hands and is passed over the post office counter, no seller has any control. of the package. Now to counteract that, i now insist of a tracking number....That way it is scanned and i am covered and ebay has a record of it..... Unless the buyer wants to buy an air ticket, fly to cleveland, ohio airport , go out to the west side by taxi and meet me personally and pick it up for free but i will still insist on a picture taken of me handing it to the buyer and to place in an ebay message to them just so ebay has it on record. The package may cost just on $4 where the flight and taxi may cost $250.00 . The photo of the buyer receiving it is because there would be no tracking number to follow and must be placed in an ebay message for ebays records... Buyers want to pay nothing for items and have it shipped free...well until i buy out the USPS and send my packages for free ( as i will own the post office) , the free shipping will not happen. If a seller offers free shipping, it is well covered in the start price already and if any fool cant see that, then they should not be in ebay... Another thing is buyers not leaving feedback. Well if they dont want to do that, then it is ok but sellers have to know if it was delivered or not and that forces them to charge for tracking so buyers are simply just costing themselves more in shipping costs. I have given up trying to educate the average buyer and they can wallow in their own problems. Remember that buyers started all of this nonsense and sellers have to reciprocate in a similar manner.... Most sellers sales are way down from 2 or so years ago and i am sure you are well aware of that. If ebay gave the same sort of laws to sellers like they have to buyers, this would be a booming site to use...But they have only done it to themselves...Many people i know that were ebay vendors, are now gone to other sites because of the feedback swaying towards the bidder. Personally i dont care about ebay fees ( listing or selling ) , shipping costs, packing material costs, gas used to go to the post office , wear on the shovel if the driveway in winter if it needs clearing of snow and so on and so on. I suppose if you were having lunch and it fell on the ground, you would have to charge more in shipping to compensate for the loss of food???Hmmmm ???? ... How come you did not mention wear on the tires, using up the globes energy on the indicator lights of the car if you turned a corner, brake fluid, wear and tear on rubber window wiper blades if raining, wear and tear on the metal catches when opening and closing the drivers door of the car , usage of the springs of the drivers seat as when sitting on them, they get a bit weaker and so on... Now i bet you dont scan a picture of the package and send it to the buyer before you leave for the post office as that may be a bit of wear and tear on the scanner, wear and tear on the mouse, wear and tear on the keyboard keys so you would have to add that into your expenses. I personally scan packages only so ebay has it on record and that it is addressed to the exact address stated in the buyers account...You see i dont place importance to a minute out of my time doing that scanning for the buyer and ebay as you see in the longrun , i have all that information on record like ebay does... I am getting to the stage i may start scanning the post office receipt with the tracking number...That may stop a few dishonest people... What about when the package is left at the front doorstep and people steal packages ...Are sellers to be blamed for that as well??........ Now ,,,i admit i have gone way overboard ( in fact way too far ) here but where does it all end??? Until we can find another way of sending packages safely , there is no other alternative than to have shipping with tracking to make the packages non destructible by using peanuts, bubble wrap etc... lastly ..have a most lovely and wonderful day...OIO
