eBay, are you guys INSANE? What are you even thinking with the eBay branded shipping supplies?

[albany_sellers]

I know I can't be the only one scratching my head over how VASTLY inflated the prices are on the eBay shipping supplies, particularly this quarter. eBay has reached a level of absurdity that I can't even wrap my head around.

Take the 12x12x12 eBay boxes, and how they are charging $55.30 for 25 of them. What? $55 for 25 boxes that half the time are missing the glue on the side, poorly aligned and generally just poor quality. You can buy 25 of them on Uline for about $27 instead, and get much, much higher quality boxes than anything eBay offers.

The 8x6x4 boxes from eBay? $29.37. Excuse me? I can buy the same thing for $11.50 in far better quality with Uline. In fact, I can buy DOUBLE that on Uline for less than 25 on eBay. The only possible thing I can think of to explain this is corporate greed. They want you to have to add money with the coupons, or waste part of your coupon with them.

It's to where I have canceled my premium store subscription since the coupon is no longer even a mild motivation to keep it. I can just buy elsewhere and save more money with a basic store than by wasting money on a premium store for shipping supplies that are not worth the time to order from eBay. You have to wonder what is wrong with eBay these days.

[richard1rst]

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@albany_sellers wrote:

I know I can't be the only one scratching my head over how VASTLY inflated the prices are on the eBay shipping supplies, particularly this quarter. eBay has reached a level of absurdity that I can't even wrap my head around.

Take the 12x12x12 eBay boxes, and how they are charging $55.30 for 25 of them. What? $55 for 25 boxes that half the time are missing the glue on the side, poorly aligned and generally just poor quality. You can buy 25 of them on Uline for about $27 instead, and get much, much higher quality boxes than anything eBay offers.

The 8x6x4 boxes from eBay? $29.37. Excuse me? I can buy the same thing for $11.50 in far better quality with Uline. In fact, I can buy DOUBLE that on Uline for less than 25 on eBay. The only possible thing I can think of to explain this is corporate greed. They want you to have to add money with the coupons, or waste part of your coupon with them.

It's to where I have canceled my premium store subscription since the coupon is no longer even a mild motivation to keep it. I can just buy elsewhere and save more money with a basic store than by wasting money on a premium store for shipping supplies that are not worth the time to order from eBay. You have to wonder what is wrong with eBay these days.

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Well first of all I don't actually "buy" the boxes from eBay. I get them for free. As a result I get to spend less real money to buy fewer boxes from Uline. Something you get for free doesn't actually cost you anything. You may not be happy with how much you are getting for free - but you are getting them for free so the posted price is irrelevant.

And by the way, the $27.00 Uline price you posted is PLUS SHIPPING so they are not really $27.00.

[toysaver]

Most people don't buy from them, they get the subscription for free products.   One time I actually paid for some padded envelopes and figured they were half price because I had gotten the same for free as well. There is no such thing as a free lunch, somebody pays somewhere. 

[fbusoni]

@albany_sellers 

Keep in mind that many eBay sellers are re-selling eBay branded supplies.  You have to look carefully at the buyer identification.

I have a brand new package of eBay branded white tissue paper from a few years back, with the name "eBay" printed in black letters... I don't think that this is made any longer and I am thinking about listing it for $500.  😂

But seriously... I looked at Uline, as I'd heard many good things over the years.  Their prices for boxes / shipping are pretty high, a lot more expensive than what I can get on eBay or Amazon.   I'm certain that Uline's cuts are quite precise and that the boxes fold at perfect right angles, but in the end the box will be discarded, just like the box for which I pay half and whose right angles are more at, say, 85 degrees.  

[flp]

I've bought from Uline in the past and found that their boxes were not aligned correctly making taping the box more difficult.  I'm no longer buying from them for that reason.  Plus, the bigger reason is that they were bringing in immigrants illegally while publicly trashing immigrants who came illegally.  Then they would severely under pay them while working in deplorable conditions.  Cruelty and hypocrisy I can not stand.

[luckythewinner]

It's to where I have canceled my premium store subscription since the coupon is no longer even a mild motivation to keep it

The very first time the supplies coupon became a mild motivation to keep a store subscription, I would have ended the store subscription.  In a heartbeat. 

[reallynicestamps]

I get a coupon for shipping supplies.

With the coupon, the supplies are free.

I pay the sales taxes (PST &GST on the posted price)

Shipping is free.

So if a box of poly envelopes is $35.00 and my coupon is $35, I pay only $5.25 for 100 poly envelopes.

YMMV

[meme6253]

I stopped buying supplies from ebay, They are to high even with the coupon.

[bandrhome]

Ive bought 12 x 12 x 12 from W.B. Mason. Bundle of 25. $28.90 delivered.

Sometimes I buy from Grainger as I can pick them up. $26 for 25.

[adamcartwright]

@meme6253 

Ditto. I no longer buy boxes with the coupon.

Last time, I used my coupon for eBay shipping tape.

I use it to snazz up my brown boxes so they'll stand out in the USPS bins. 

[chapeau-noir]

Complaining about the price of something that's free?

[johnrj1226]

Excuse  me I rarely paid for a padded shipping envelope or box 99 %  of my items were  over 16

 oz. shipped USPS Priority mail.  USPS shipped me all the the  envelopes  and boxes I wanted in various  shapes  and sizes.  - just order  them  at USPS.com - sent at no charge,

[gloryglorygifts]

In reality, the store subscription fee is paying for the shipping supplies. It's a smoke and mirror trick to make you think they are free, but they aren't. The prices have gotten extreme and the quality is absolute garbage. I noticed that with the last bunch of padded envelopes and 4x4x4's that I got. 

I use the coupon once a quarter but thankfully I only need the smaller packaging, like padded envelopes, 4x4x4 and 6x4x4. Those I can get much cheaper at Staples and my tissue paper I get from Papermart. Papermart quality is amazing and well worth the additional cost. I get the larger sheets and cut them in half.  I once had a customer ask me where I got it from because he thought it was great to make kites with.  Staples I pay $15.01 for 50 boxes of the 4x4 free shipping; Ebay I paid $45. 

[farmalljr]

Your coupon does not give you "free" supplies. If you get a 50 dollar coupon, there is a $16.67 hidden fee in your monthly subscription price. eBay is paying the distributor, who is paying someone for the supplies. 

Would you rather have a $50 coupon quarterly, or lower your store fee 17 bucks? Because you ARE paying for that store subscription and those "free" supplies. IMO, I can buy my supplies cheaper elsewhere, and not have to advertise for some other company as well. McDonalds does not advertise for Burger King. If each of you own a business, why would you want to advertise someone else's business? And pay dearly for the privilege to do so. 

I don't think anyone pay's eBay to advertise on TV and Radio, other than sellers. Radio and TV stations are not paying eBay for the privilege to advertise for them. Sellers here though, pay for the privilege to use packing that benefits eBay, not the individual seller. All eBay supplies advertise for eBay the company, not any individual seller. When I used to get their supplies, I always covered up their branding anyway. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Uline has never been the lowest delivered price I can find for anything.

But Uline has a big catalog and sometimes is the only supplier I can find.

Since I have reduced the number of different packaging materials I use, I have no use for Uline.

When I have a coupon, I use Ebay packaging. When I don't I buy from ValueMailers or The Boxery.