@dbfolks166mt wrote:
The day eBay stops charging FVF's on shipping, which they are never going to do, I may consider it. At the moment the difference between the retail the buyer pays and the actual cost I obtain the label for covers the eBay fees and some of the packing materials.
If eBay did quit applying FVF's to the shipping cost I venture to guess that the number of listings offering free shipping would decrease rapidly.
Wont happen, first we're talking huge chunk of change in revenues but then folks revert back to low price and high shipping to avoid fee's. Right now no different than any operation retail or not, when a card is swiped the "Discount Rate" as it's called w/ merchant accounts applies to the entire transaction albeit granted 2.n/3.n% - 5.n%.
Ultimately the USPS is going to run up against a wall of their own making. As they continue to try to run in the green per their plan rates will climb and expenses are unlikely go downward in any significant fashion. There comes a point where lower tickets goods are simply too unattractive given shipping costs and that plays to the advantage of Amazon, Walmart etc. who have specialized arms towards freighting.
What the USPS should be doing and should already have been doing 20 years ago is staggering mail delivery zones out to two days. But they are a cow along with numerous other cows that range and border civil services. Since for so many ages they've been able hold hostage the public they've no capabilities to become agile whilst they try keep afloat in economic environment. Public Schools are another, Water Authorities yet another, Town/Community based Dept's of Public Works yet another. The younger generations can't recall for example a time when the afore mentioned were not Unionized. Unions in business were beaten and bruised for ages on end and discouraged by both the businesses and public officials. Yet now most aspects of Civil Service related jobs are unionized usually with MANY unions not just one.
For example, our local schools have an Administrators Union, Teachers Union(s), Support Services Union, Clerical Workers Union on and on all separate so as the employee's can basically hold each others Unions and Boards of Education/Community hostage. Whilst at the sametime those services ULTRA CRITICAL to community safety are caught in the mix such as Fire Dept's, Police, Prosecutors etc. An educator in public schools working 8/9 months a year IMHO in no way shape of form should have salary/benefits that Trump Police Officers who put their lives on the line for community safety. Folks who work at The Water Authority (which is often political based Nepotism as are Dept. Public Works) same deal.
Sooner or later it all breaks as folks within communities and the businesses thereof are the sourcing of monies and will be FORCED to battle with Civil Services. I mean that's crazy! One exists at the behest of the other, not the other way around.
