Excessive shipping?

[booksalot336]

Any comments about sellers who charge excessive shipping costs? Sometimes I end up paying double the amount of the actual shipping cost of the item in the listing. How is it possible, for example, for a seller to charge $4.00 for shipping a postcard when the actual shipping cost was less than a $1.00? I know some sellers try to make money off shipping but I don't agree with it. Is negative or neutral feedback warranted?

[radtech1971]

Oh, I’m such a low volume seller it doesn’t make any real difference to my bottom line.  And it is a very rare occurrence.  I don’t bother unless it amounts to more than a dollar or two.

[johnrj1226]

You should  validate this  info before you buy and  pay for and item.  Not complain afterwords.  A shipping and  handling fee means  more than  just the  cost of  a shipping label  - things like the  cost of a box or envelopes, insurance for loss/damage, packing materials, tape, print label, ink, tape, etc. etc.  Plus the seller  is charged a FVF on the shS/H fee - as much as 10% that they need to recover somewhere - cost of item or S & H. The shipping label  can  have up to  3  different cost to the seller say USPS shipping i.e.  Retail Rate, Commercial Rate or Commercial  Rate Plus.  If an item ships via Priority Mail - you can add more variables Like -  Std. Priority, Regional Rate A or B, Flat Rate envelops (two types), Small, Medium or Large Flat Rate Boxes - don't want to get in to what  happens if  the Box is too big - there are big surcharge for  exceeding 1 cubic foot size - yeah I  ran into that when I had to ship a Western Style Cowboy hat - was  just  about  9 cu. ins. too big - Dang it.

[johnrj1226]

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@booksalot336 wrote:
Ok, come on. We all pay for gas, paper, ink, time, etc. How do you break it down into such small increments to justify shipping? I would not want to have to pay your shipping charges.

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Simple add up all expenditures for those items paid for last year divide by the number of items shipped last year and add + a little more to allow for  price increases say 5% and add the result to each  item sold in the coming year.

Business must track all costs of doing business and recover them in theri selling price - Business 101 or less or be an ONFPO.

[castlemagicmemories]

I'm sorry you are not pleased with shipping; I would suggest not buying if you don't agree with the shipping cost if you feel it is excessive.

No one promised that you would pay actual shipping cost.  There are other expenses that go into selling that are allowed by Ebay to be added into the shipping.

No, negative or neutral feedback is absolutely not warranted.

[castlemagicmemories]

If you don't care if the post office might bend your postcard then just tell the seller and I'm sure they will ship it the way that you want. 

Possibly, but the seller might not want to ship it in a way that is not likely to get there without being damaged, even if the buyer instructs them to do so, and they are required to ship by the shipping method specified in the listing.

[johnrj1226]

Just  checked out  a few of you listings for coins & medals and your price to ship them is $4.00  shipping  via Priority Mail - how  can you ship so low?   Must be  burying the balance of the actual label cost or actual label + some additional amount more of your  S & H costs in the selling price of the item.  I've  done that too to make it appear my S & H is really reasonable.  Guess that is like playing hide the pea aka The Shell Game. 

Your other items, some have free shipping and you do  have some rather light weight paper items that you charge $3.00 for First Class Package shipping.  They  possible could  be shipped for 55 cents or a buck  ten  too w/o tracking.

Maybe those  sellers  you are referring to are just being up front with no hidden agenda.  You don't  have to buy from them.  Like you they  probably won't  change how they charge for S & H.  To each their own.

Some where eBay has published what they suggest can be included in a Shipping & Handling charge  over and above the label cost.

[jennieaa]

I gave up counting how many positive feedbacks I get for "great packaging".

I've had multiple people ask in advance how I package - because they have received bent cards.

I've had a couple plead with me to securely package their card because their carrier likes to bend any envelope they receive.

None of that can be accomplished for 55 cents.   So anything more than that is not "excessive" postage to those buyers. 

I might be more inclined to agree with you IF you paid $4 shipping and the seller shipped it for 55 cents.   I don't know that I would leave a neutral or negative for that reason, but I would express my displeasure to the seller since I was expecting something more than a regular envelope.

[creekcoyote]

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@jennieaa wrote:

I gave up counting how many positive feedbacks I get for "great packaging".

I've had multiple people ask in advance how I package - because they have received bent cards.

I've had a couple plead with me to securely package their card because their carrier likes to bend any envelope they receive.

None of that can be accomplished for 55 cents.   So anything more than that is not "excessive" postage to those buyers. 

I might be more inclined to agree with you IF you paid $4 shipping and the seller shipped it for 55 cents.   I don't know that I would leave a neutral or negative for that reason, but I would express my displeasure to the seller since I was expecting something more than a regular envelope.

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Actually, all I expect is for the card to get to me in the as described condition within a reasonable time.  If the total cost is agreeable to me, I don't care how it is shipped or what it is shipped in.
I don't care how they break down their costs or if they actually make money on the shipping.  All I want is my item at the agreed upon total price.

[creekcoyote]

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@creekcoyote wrote:

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@jennieaa wrote:

I gave up counting how many positive feedbacks I get for "great packaging".

I've had multiple people ask in advance how I package - because they have received bent cards.

I've had a couple plead with me to securely package their card because their carrier likes to bend any envelope they receive.

None of that can be accomplished for 55 cents.   So anything more than that is not "excessive" postage to those buyers. 

I might be more inclined to agree with you IF you paid $4 shipping and the seller shipped it for 55 cents.   I don't know that I would leave a neutral or negative for that reason, but I would express my displeasure to the seller since I was expecting something more than a regular envelope.

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Actually, all I expect is for the card to get to me in the as described condition within a reasonable time.  If the total cost is agreeable to me, I don't care how it is shipped or what it is shipped in.
I don't care how they break down their costs or if they actually make money on the shipping.  All I want is my item at the agreed upon total price.

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All this angst on E-bay about seller's making money on shipping is ridiculous.  There are absolutely no laws anywhere, that I know of,  that state a seller or anyone else for that matter cannot make a few cents on the shipping costs of an item. 

I would bet that most on-line companies make a buck or two off their shipping and handling charges and we willingly pay it to get the item we want.  Or they charge free shipping and then charge more for their items.

Which is why I sometimes think it is a good idea to use free shipping.  No one knows, except the seller, what the breakdown in costs are.  And I doubt that anyone cares buying under the free shipping option.

I fail to understand why anyone would get upset about just where the seller's profits come from.

Why does anyone actually care that the seller makes money off the shipping costs?  

Would people rather the item be priced higher and shipping lower?  

We are still going to pay the same final cost and the seller will still get the same amount of monies that they were counting on when they listed the item.

It has just got to be in the perception.

[johnrj1226]

@creekcoyote 

I agree with your statement  -" It has just got to be in the perception."   Would add "some people just like to nitpick"

The internet  often fosters a syndrome  I call "internet muscles" it has similar symptoms to a thing called "beer muscles" that shows up sometimes at the local watering hole.

[anthonyd46]

Why is anyone recommending shipping something without tracking with all the ebay rules in place? Thats an INR open and shut case waiting to happen.

[johnrj1226]

Guess for the same reason folks don't buy flood insurance then complain when the creek  does rise.  Some might call it risk management other might  say "penny wise and pound foolish."  For the record - we do not  have flood insurance but live on  the highest elevation in our county (1148 ft. above sea level),    Sherman & his troops camped out  here when they were marching to the sea and if water gets here up here we have enough timber to build  an ark plus two  bass boats.

Economically, it would be OK to do if  one sells  item for cheap and a 55 cent stamp will  get it delivered but  longevity as an eBay seller  in good standing is at risk with INR claims.  Personally, have never shipped anything w/o tracking - but  we  have  sold 1522 items at an average price  of ~$29 (including shipping revenue).  Pleased USPS came up with the FCP service with & without the zone pricing for ship our less than a lb. packages.

[no_zero369]

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@booksalot336 wrote:

When I'm the seller and the cost of shipping turns out to be less than the stated cost in the listing, I refund the buyer the difference. I don't factor in time spent, travel, etc. to justify a high shipping charge.

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If one is not considering ALL of the costs of selling, then one is engaged in a hobby and not running a business.  Hey that is fine, everyone is entitled to operate how they wish.   But when one encounters a seller who is running a business, said seller is not worthy of negative feedback for doing so.

[no_zero369]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

If you don't care if the post office might bend your postcard then just tell the seller and I'm sure they will ship it the way that you want. 

Possibly, but the seller might not want to ship it in a way that is not likely to get there without being damaged, even if the buyer instructs them to do so, and they are required to ship by the shipping method specified in the listing.

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@castlemagicmemories 

er, um, ah......   IS this correct?  

In recent posts one of the blues has stated that as long as the seller meets their stated handling time AND the item arrives by the last estimated delivery date there is no cause for a SNAD.  Also those comments do not appear to have any prohibition on switching shipping methods, nor processes in place for punishing buyers who engage such practice nor compensate buyers.

Just an observation....

[castlemagicmemories]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

If you don't care if the post office might bend your postcard then just tell the seller and I'm sure they will ship it the way that you want. 

Possibly, but the seller might not want to ship it in a way that is not likely to get there without being damaged, even if the buyer instructs them to do so, and they are required to ship by the shipping method specified in the listing.

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@castlemagicmemories 

er, um, ah......   IS this correct?  

In recent posts one of the blues has stated that as long as the seller meets their stated handling time AND the item arrives by the last estimated delivery date there is no cause for a SNAD.  Also those comments do not appear to have any prohibition on switching shipping methods, nor processes in place for punishing buyers who engage such practice nor compensate buyers.

Just an observation....

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Yes, a Blue did state what you have said, I remember it well  .  Previously it was as I stated, you must ship by the method specified.  I have seen since the statement that you don't necessarily have to ship by the method in the listing, that if it wasn't, it would be  SNAD.  So I understand your concern.

@Anonymous 

May we have some clarification on this?  Thank you!