eBay

theofficefan4life · ‎01-22-2019

Why is it that when it comes to a govt. subsidized "business" known as the USPS, the rule "if it's not broke, they'll find a way to break it" is so clearly evident? This entity known as the USPS is $13.2 BILLION in debt. We're supposed to believe that somehow their stupid new "zone" regulations are somehow going to change anything for the better? As if this new system is going to magically bring them out of the red? I mean seriously, do they offer a college class to learn all the new shipping container mathematical equations and zone breakdowns? Gotta be rocket scientist to ship a **bleep** Nintendo game now.

bear-in-texas · ‎01-31-2019

Just managing the increase rates based on Zone, where buyer pays actual shipping, would be simple, well somewhat. However, with eBay (adding 10% to shipping charge) and PayPal (adding 2.9% plus $0.30 to shipping charge) charging about 14% to the shipping charge we pay, there is no simple solution I can find, and no fair charge for the buyer and seller. The only ones guaranteed to come out ahead are eBay and PayPal. I do not mind paying them fees for the services, but as it is, they make as much as I do each year. Rant! Rant!

Hope someone comes up with a good solution!

bear-in-texas · ‎01-31-2019

Just managing the increase rates based on Zone, where buyer pays actual shipping, would be simple, well somewhat. However, with eBay (adding 10% to shipping charge) and PayPal (adding 2.9% plus $0.30 to shipping charge) charging about 14% to the shipping charge we pay, there is no simple solution I can find, and no fair charge for the buyer and seller. The only ones guaranteed to come out ahead are eBay and PayPal. I do not mind paying them fees for the services, but as it is, they make as much as I do each year. Rant! Rant!

Hope someone comes up with a good solution! I agree with 13thlakes.

caninekopz · ‎01-31-2019

The only issue with your reasoning is that UPS and Fed Ex do not receive the amount of subsidies from the tax payers that the USPS does. USPS receives those subsidies to ensure 1st class packages are delivered to US taxpayers at a reasonable cost knowing that some shortfalls will occur.

THE BIG ISSUE HERE FOLKS IS THE CONTINUED SUBSIDIES FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING FROM CERTAIN AREAS OF THE GLOBE THAT THE UN FEELS ARE UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES, LIKE CHINA, TO KEEP THEM COMPETITIVE.

Rich

nobody*s_perfect · ‎01-31-2019

@bear-in-texas wrote: ... with eBay (adding 10% to shipping charge) and PayPal (adding 2.9% plus $0.30 to shipping charge) charging about 14% to the shipping charge we pay, there is no simple solution I can find, and no fair charge for the buyer and seller.....

Just leave the shipping calculator set up to show the retail pricing, so the difference serves as a built-in handling fee. You'll have to switch to a flat rate for 13+- 15.999 ounces.

lja440 · ‎01-31-2019

@bear-in-texas wrote:
Just managing the increase rates based on Zone, where buyer pays actual shipping, would be simple, well somewhat. However, with eBay (adding 10% to shipping charge) and PayPal (adding 2.9% plus $0.30 to shipping charge) charging about 14% to the shipping charge we pay, there is no simple solution I can find, and no fair charge for the buyer and seller. The only ones guaranteed to come out ahead are eBay and PayPal. I do not mind paying them fees for the services, but as it is, they make as much as I do each year. Rant! Rant!
Hope someone comes up with a good solution! I agree with 13thlakes.

The solution is to think of these fees as RENT.

I along with eBay have space in a B&M. For my space I pay RENT of $400/month + 10% commission. I will have to pay this no matter how much or how little sells. If I don't make a sale on eBay I have no FVF.

My shop is opened and manned Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 6pm and 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Except we were below zero (-27 wind chill yesterday) so the shop was closed yesterday and today. Ebay is open 24/7.

When I go into my shop to stock shelves I need to be fairly presentable. I can list on eBay in my jammies, with a mud mask on, while dying my hair...…..

Frankly, I can sell lower value items here. I can sell tons of books here and they just take up space at the B&M. I can sell used Jeans here for good money. I can't sell anything but very vintage clothing at the B&M and that does not sell well at all.

Unless you go to the free sites like CL and put up with 75 % of your potential buyers being scammers or no shows, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE FEES/RENT. The trick comes down to BUYING your inventory at a low enough threshold to pay that rent and still make a tidy profit.

kinzuacollections · ‎02-01-2019

Amway did that to their their newsletters. Added 2 cents and that adds up. So in the end they kept the extra penny collected for 6 million newsletters.I could survive on those pennies.

kinzuacollections · ‎02-01-2019

you have done your homework on the USPS. did you know there is also a special loan office for the postal service? that is never exposed. It is true that the government does not subsidize but there is off book loan to them. Same dang thing different legally though

kinzuacollections · ‎02-01-2019

yes the difference is the distance calculated that the 4 ounce package will travel. Lke the one post says you might rethink free shipping by averaging it out from where you are at and then add the 12 % to all your free shipping first class listings.Not much but for small seller to absorb this cost may make the difference between life or death

oak3196 · ‎02-01-2019

Lot of people are talking about the zones and it should cost more . Why I am I getting charged the same price for a 8oz package and a 12oz 3.85 for 8 to 12oz . Lets look at how stupid the gov. is . Look around ebay . Item costing 5 $ from china is free shipping . Why is that USPS gives them a huge break on shipping. How much cost is it for USPS to work Sunday because of amazon . 325.7 million people in the USA . Take China and Amazon away . Post office makes money .

atlo7 · ‎02-01-2019

Rate hikes just lose business for usps and sellers. As an example, I used to have @ 20 international buyers per month a few years ago, now after several rate hikes to @ $12.00 for a 1 ounce 1st class package, I'm lucky if I get 1 international per month. The same will happen for domestic mail. So, usps keep raising your prices till you go out of business!

lja440 · ‎02-02-2019

@atlo7 wrote:
Rate hikes just lose business for usps and sellers. As an example, I used to have @ 20 international buyers per month a few years ago, now after several rate hikes to @ $12.00 for a 1 ounce 1st class package, I'm lucky if I get 1 international per month. The same will happen for domestic mail. So, usps keep raising your prices till you go out of business!

Still cheaper than FedEx and UPS, and I delivered the same amount of packages and mail that came through last week.

People have said the same thing every time there is a large jump in the price of anything, gas, coffee, heck I still see people buying cigarettes and what are they up to now? $5 a pack or more (not really sure I don't smoke).

penguins_dont_fly · ‎02-02-2019

@lja440 wrote:
@atlo7 wrote:
Rate hikes just lose business for usps and sellers. As an example, I used to have @ 20 international buyers per month a few years ago, now after several rate hikes to @ $12.00 for a 1 ounce 1st class package, I'm lucky if I get 1 international per month. The same will happen for domestic mail. So, usps keep raising your prices till you go out of business!
Still cheaper than FedEx and UPS, and I delivered the same amount of packages and mail that came through last week.

People have said the same thing every time there is a large jump in the price of anything, gas, coffee, heck I still see people buying cigarettes and what are they up to now? $5 a pack or more (not really sure I don't smoke).

$13 in NYC

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/health-and-medicine/2018/06/01/new-york-city-cigarettes-base-pr...

There is no locality (outside of Native American Tribal Nations) that is under $5. Even military PX and NEX are over $5.

This list is from summer 2017 ... it's the most recent I could find

https://www.theawl.com/2017/07/what-a-pack-of-cigarettes-costs-in-every-state-3/

penguins_dont_fly is a Volunteer Community Mentor
Buying and Selling since 2013