eBay

booksalot336 · ‎09-12-2020

The seller charged me $24 for shipping (Priority Mail), yet the actual cost was $11. What type of feedback do I leave or just let it ride?

fab_finds4u · ‎09-14-2020

A seller can charge everyone the same shipping cost, and it can be what it costs to ship it from coast to coast. Everyone paying the same shipping cost is "fair" but if you happen to live nearby then it's expensive shipping but it's allowed. It's excessive if the seller is adding a fee in the shipping & handling to cover their final value fee or to pay for their gas to get to the PO or to stand in line. Those fees should be built into the item cost. The handling cost should be a reasonable fee for packaging the item and to cover the cost of packing supplies.

The thing is a buyer needs to have some knowledge of what it costs to ship an item and if they think it's high then don't bid. Bidding means you agree to all their terms including the shipping. It wouldn't be right to agree and then not agree after your package is delivered.

glasser · ‎09-14-2020

Shipping costs have been an issue on eBay since day one. Used to be people charged more for shipping since no fees were charged on shipping.

It is true a seller can charge what they want for shipping and some people do incur handling costs, especially if they need to purchase boxes, fill, etc.

It is also true that buyers are sensitive to shipping costs (thanks Amazon for making charging for shipping seem like a crime against the empire).

Given both the seller and buyer's needs, Transparency should rule the day. I try to make my shipping costs extremely transparent. I use the calculator and put the estimated weight of shipping in my listings. As someone mentioned earlier, it is hard for some buyers to estimate what is reasonable. If I say an item is going out as 5 pounds then they can more easily decide reasonableness. I charge postage only never a handling fee.

Lately, I have been using more flat rate shipping (not USPS boxes, bad deal most of the time) but just a flat rate that I think is fair. Since USPS is by distance, sometimes I lose buck or so and some times I make buck or so. However, I think buyers like the price certain. Also offering more than 1 option helps. If something is heavy, I usually offer FedEX ground in addition to USPS since it is much cheaper long haul and the buyer has the option to make the call on the shipping price..

And don't forget this part psychological. If pay more for shipping then the item, no matter the true shipping cost, I am always likely to feel why I am giving money to the shipper instead of the product I am receiving.

pjcdn2005 · ‎09-14-2020

@bigdeals.etc wrote:
@booksalot336 wrote:
You're missing the point. Excessive shipping charges shouldn't be part of the equation when making a purchase. Shipping charges should be fair. God help your buyers if this is your practice as a seller.
Then why did you buy the item from that seller?

I don't care what the reason is... you shouldn't buy something that you have any problem with only to complain about it afterwards. You could have avoided this.

You're assuming that they had a problem with the shipping cost at the time of purchase. What if they believed that really was the cost but that the label stated it was less than the half of the cost paid and that is why they are now upset? Is the buyer in the wrong for expecting the seller to have given them a reasonable shipping cost in the listing or should they be expected to try to figure out what the cost of shipping really is ahead of time?

If the seller doesn't want to run into these type of complaints than they should use stealth postage, free shipping or bury the handling cost in the item cost.

7606dennis · ‎09-14-2020

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
@bigdeals.etc wrote:
@booksalot336 wrote:
You're missing the point. Excessive shipping charges shouldn't be part of the equation when making a purchase. Shipping charges should be fair. God help your buyers if this is your practice as a seller.
Then why did you buy the item from that seller?

I don't care what the reason is... you shouldn't buy something that you have any problem with only to complain about it afterwards. You could have avoided this.
You're assuming that they had a problem with the shipping cost at the time of purchase. What if they believed that really was the cost but that the label stated it was less than the half of the cost paid and that is why they are now upset? Is the buyer in the wrong for expecting the seller to have given them a reasonable shipping cost in the listing or should they be expected to try to figure out what the cost of shipping really is ahead of time?

If the seller doesn't want to run into these type of complaints than they should use stealth postage, free shipping or bury the handling cost in the item cost.

What you are saying is that the buyer assumed that the amount charged by the carrier for their service is all the cost factors included in what the seller charged for S&H. This is an error on the buyer's part to assume this even though they agreed to the amount of S&H charged by the seller when making the purchase.

"It is an intelligent man that is aware of his own ignorance."

pjcdn2005 · ‎09-14-2020

I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that sellers should be aware that a buyer's perception is important and regardless of what the packaging etc cost, they need to keep in mind that many buyers are going to compare the label cost to what they actually paid and if the handling costs are expensive (I do think that more than double the postage cost for handling is expensive) they may have an unhappy buyer.

I'm not going to post again because I think that we all have our opinions on this and I'm not here to change anyone's mind..just posting how I see it.

7606dennis · ‎09-14-2020

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that sellers should be aware that a buyer's perception is important and regardless of what the packaging etc cost, they need to keep in mind that many buyers are going to compare the label cost to what they actually paid and if the handling costs are expensive (I do think that more than double the postage cost for handling is expensive) they may have an unhappy buyer.

I'm not going to post again because I think that we all have our opinions on this and I'm not here to change anyone's mind..just posting how I see it.

Alas! Because the buyer perceives one thing to be true doesn't necessarily make it so. The amount of the shipping charged by the carrier is, I admit, part of the S&H, however, it is not the whole cost regardless of if the buyer perceives it to be so. It is not the seller's fault that the buyer's perception was not accurate.

Personally, I do not like stealth postage labels. I give my customers credit for being able to grasp the concept that the amount charged me by the carrier is not the only cost involved in the S&H I must recoup by what I charge them. Of course, at a live on location sale, "As Is, Where Is" works well, but when shipping is involved all cost factors must be taken into account. I give my customers credit for being intelligent enough to realize that fact.

"It is an intelligent man that is aware of his own ignorance."

bigdeals.etc · ‎09-14-2020

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
You're assuming that they had a problem with the shipping cost at the time of purchase. What if they believed that really was the cost but that the label stated it was less than the half of the cost paid and that is why they are now upset? Is the buyer in the wrong for expecting the seller to have given them a reasonable shipping cost in the listing or should they be expected to try to figure out what the cost of shipping really is ahead of time?

If the seller doesn't want to run into these type of complaints than they should use stealth postage, free shipping or bury the handling cost in the item cost.

Yes, I did assume that. Which would have led to my next point (that you touched on) that had the buyer never thought about what the exact postage might be... this problem never would have existed. Ignorance would be bliss in this case.

I believe the buyer is in the wrong to expect any seller to give a credit back for anything that is beyond what is described or advertised. Think about this logic vice versa... if the OP truly believes shipping charges should always be exactly what postage is, then they should be volunteering to pay sellers more than asking price when they have free shipping. I have never had a buyer offer to pay more when buying my free shipping listings.

Does knowing this postage cost make the buyer like the item any less? If it is as advertised, it shouldn't. I'm not defending any shipping price deception, but generally speaking, if the total price was clearly shown to the buyer... and obviously the buyer was satisfied enough with it to continue purchasing... there shouldn't be any problem.

This sort of reminds me of the times I would sell a few items for about less than $10. One time I got a buyer who was super peeved at me because when they got the item they found out it is easily found at a dollar store. Yes, I sourced that item from a dollar store. But I did everything that I was obligated to. Clear title, clear description, clear price, UPC, brand, photos, etc. Despite the buyer being satisfied with the quality of the item, they were still upset thinking I scammed him and was demanding I credit him the difference. Was I wrong to sell the item to the buyer at that inflated price? The buyer would've been fine and dandy had they not realized where I sourced the item. Buyers need to be more responsible with their own due diligence.

I agree though that having stealth postage would limit these issues, but perhaps the OP just looked up the cost from a website or "just heard from a friend." Who knows where they got that info from.

lightlily_arts · ‎09-14-2020

Buyers know the total price before purchasing and actually it isn't fair to complain or ding the seller for it afterwards. Especially if the total price was fair. If buyers think the shipping is too high why purchase? Also please remember that sellers have to pay a separate final value fee on the shipping charge as well. In addition, some sellers put their expenses into the shipping portion of their price.