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ambush
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May 25, 2006, 12:29 PM
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Ridiculous. 15+(8 if you're in Canada for some reason) USD shipping on something that would cost MAXIMUM 4 bucks to ship.

This is now *normal* seller behavior on eBay.

And I'm not even talking about the fake items CLEARLY advertised as GENUINE or PERFECTLY crafted to fool you. eBay does *nothing* about that.

http://item.express.ebay.com/__Apple...mdZExpressItem
this is the most "legit" fake, because the seller admits it's "non-eom".

eBay's ****. It used to be cool. It used to be a cool place to shop, because the customer had some bargaining power. Now it's all gone. This experience is replaced by a stressful one ("is he a scammer", "are those fakes", "why 30$ shipping for classic air mail?", etc.)

Share your negative experiences here!
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 12:38 PM
 
I still buy and sell on ebay, and when I see something like an iMac CDROM with $16 shipping charges, I usually send the seller a 'colorful' note hoping that their automechanic anally rapes them the same way that they're ruining the ebay experience with their shipping charges.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 12:39 PM
 
PS: Props to you for spelling ridiculous correctly.
     
turtle777
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May 25, 2006, 12:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by ambush
Share your negative experiences here!
I agree, the shipping charges are out of this world, but there is a reason.
High shipping charges act as a reserve price that is not "taxed" by eBay.

I don't have to many negative stories, because I stopped buying on eBay a couple of years ago.
You can almost always find a better deal for a brand-new item somewhere online.

eBay is overrated and is going down the M$ route.

-t
     
Eug Wanker
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May 25, 2006, 12:40 PM
 
For last eBay RAM purchase, I paid $11 for Global Priority Shipping from the US to Canada.

They shipped via Global Express Shipping, even though it costs more.
     
Tomchu
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May 25, 2006, 12:49 PM
 
All sellers on eBay nowadays try to make money off shipping, and it pisses me off. I know how much it costs to ship various items, because I've sold lots online -- and it's nowhere close to the $25 for a stick of RAM via USPS air mail that sellers charge.

I refuse to buy on eBay now on the grounds that whatever money I save on the price of the item I'll have to pay back on shipping.
     
olePigeon
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May 25, 2006, 12:54 PM
 
Check out the Cell Phone area. It's hilarious. $.99 phones with $149 "shipping and handling."
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turtle777
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May 25, 2006, 12:57 PM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon
Check out the Cell Phone area. It's hilarious. $.99 phones with $149 "shipping and handling."
Again, for emphasis:

High shipping charges act as a reserve price that is not "taxed" by eBay.

-t
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 12:59 PM
 
For what it's worth, when I sell things on eBay I put a breakdown of exactly what the shipping costs are.

Buyer pays actual shipping costs, which includes actual cost to package item (if I take it to a packing place I pass on the packing costs) and actual cost for buyer's choice of shipping, unless it's a small item that can be shipped in the flat rate priority mail box, in which case shipping costs are $3.95 or $4.95. (I forget what the flat rate is)

No hidden add on charges. I pass on exactly what it costs me to ship.

Unless the buyer doesn't read and is from another country and bids on an item when my auctions clearly state will not ship outside the US/Canada. And then wins. I usually tack on a $5-$10 fee for the "hassle factor" of properly dealing with their country's importation laws if the buyer insists on paying me and agrees to it.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 01:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by what_the_heck
Again, for emphasis:

High shipping charges act as a reserve price that is not "taxed" by eBay.

-t
Yes, and that is clearly a violation of the rules, and eBay could probably shut those auctions down if they wanted to.

$15 shipping charges are one thing, but $149 is an entirely different ball of wax.
     
torsoboy
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May 25, 2006, 01:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by ambush
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Ridiculous. 15+(8 if you're in Canada for some reason) USD shipping on something that would cost MAXIMUM 4 bucks to ship.
Well the reason is clearly given for the extra $8... "Shipping to outside the US is $8 extra via registered mail for security reason". hahaha! $15 shipping for something that costs $3 to ship, then another $8 for "Security" reasons. That's pretty funny. I wonder who the security is for.


Oh, and I don't buy on ebay. I haven't found anything for a decent price on there since about 1998.
     
turtle777
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May 25, 2006, 01:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by Person Man
Yes, and that is clearly a violation of the rules, and eBay could probably shut those auctions down if they wanted to.

$15 shipping charges are one thing, but $149 is an entirely different ball of wax.
If eBay shut down all auctions that overstate shipping charges, they might as well shut the whole darn thing down.

-t
     
El Gato
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May 25, 2006, 01:18 PM
 
Originally Posted by what_the_heck
If eBay shut down all auctions that overstate shipping charges, they might as well shut the whole darn thing down.

-t
Yes, they should. eBay is shite and PayPal is a customer service nightmare.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 02:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by what_the_heck
If eBay shut down all auctions that overstate shipping charges, they might as well shut the whole darn thing down.

-t
I wasn't talking about the "small" overcharges, the really big (i.e. $149) ones only.
     
Socially Awkward Solo
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May 25, 2006, 02:29 PM
 
I just dealt with this ass who sent me a small script and charged me $12 shipping. When I got the item it clearly said the shipping cost $2.85.

So i ask what the deal was and I get a bitchy response about how International shipping forms take longer to fill out and the post office has a long line.

What an asshole.

(P.S shipping to canada is no way longer or more complicated to fill out).

"Laugh it up, fuzz ball!"
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 02:45 PM
 
Actually shipping to canada is a pain in the ass. It costs more, you can't track it, and you have to fill out extra forms. Hence why I no longer allow shipping to canada.
     
Socially Awkward Solo
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May 25, 2006, 02:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by FrankeniMac
Actually shipping to canada is a pain in the ass. It costs more, you can't track it, and you have to fill out extra forms. Hence why I no longer allow shipping to canada.
So $2.85 shipping cost and a customs form where you list the value and contents should add another $10?

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RAILhead
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May 25, 2006, 02:50 PM
 
I use eBay and PayPal constantly. Never had any problems at all.

Further, this isn't and "eBay" problem, it's a seller problem. I've passed over several items because shipping was too high. Simple as that.
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Lateralus
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May 25, 2006, 02:50 PM
 
I just paid $16 for shipping on a Radeon card that I'm sure cost no more than $5 to ship. It is frustrating.

As a seller, I charge more than the actual shipping on a regular basis, but not by much. For something that would cost me $5 or $6 to ship, I might charge $9. But I factor in the fact that I have to pull from my stash of packing materials, which includes anti-static bags, bubble wrap, tape... etc. And then drive to the post office.

When a larger seller does it, like the one I purchased from, it really is a whole different ballgame. They ship in mass so their cost is lower, and they buy packing materials in mass, so their cost is lower on that as well.
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ambush  (op)
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May 25, 2006, 03:58 PM
 
Originally Posted by RAILhead
I use eBay and PayPal constantly. Never had any problems at all.

Further, this isn't and "eBay" problem, it's a seller problem. I've passed over several items because shipping was too high. Simple as that.
No, it's as simple as eBay letting sellers assrape their guidelines/TOS.
It's as simple as eBay being a greedy corporate entity and raising their fees as often as they can. Because, like Michael Moore says, for the shareholders, there is no such thing as enough
     
Cody Dawg
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May 25, 2006, 04:06 PM
 
It's not so easy.

Ever consider how much packaging costs?

Ever consider how much gas to and from the post office costs?

Ever consider the fact that some sellers are adding insurances costs - even though they don't state that they are?

I've had to send some things out and a BOX at Staples was $2.85 for a small box. Styrofoam peanuts were $10 for the cheapest bag. Some people can say, "Wrap it up in newspaper," but that doesn't ensure that the item will be covered by insurance because there are certain requirements for packaging and shipping materials (such as newspaper does not qualify.)

Sometimes there are hidden costs not evident to a buyer.

$15 is a bit much but guess what?

Don't buy it.

     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 04:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by RAILhead
I use eBay and PayPal constantly. Never had any problems at all.

Further, this isn't and "eBay" problem, it's a seller problem. I've passed over several items because shipping was too high. Simple as that.
Ditto.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 04:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by Socially Awkward Solo
So $2.85 shipping cost and a customs form where you list the value and contents should add another $10?
No. But having to fill out another form that you can only get at the counter then having to leave the line, fill it out, then get in line again is ****ing annoying. Plus if you do ship something, you can't track it. If a canadain buyer claims they never received anything, you have no proof otherwise. You can get screwed.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 04:17 PM
 
Originally Posted by Lateralus
I just paid $16 for shipping on a Radeon card that I'm sure cost no more than $5 to ship. It is frustrating.

As a seller, I charge more than the actual shipping on a regular basis, but not by much. For something that would cost me $5 or $6 to ship, I might charge $9. But I factor in the fact that I have to pull from my stash of packing materials, which includes anti-static bags, bubble wrap, tape... etc. And then drive to the post office.

When a larger seller does it, like the one I purchased from, it really is a whole different ballgame. They ship in mass so their cost is lower, and they buy packing materials in mass, so their cost is lower on that as well.
Ditto. I overcharge by a couple bucks, but sometimes it bites me in the ass. For the past year I just sorta guess what shipping would buy, sometimes I lose a littel, sometimes I gain a little. But packaging and shipping takes TIME. It isn't free. Ever seen how much places charge for boxes? Good christ. NOW THAT is a ripoff.
     
andi*pandi
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May 25, 2006, 04:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cody Dawg
I've had to send some things out and a BOX at Staples was $2.85 for a small box. Styrofoam peanuts were $10 for the cheapest bag.
recycling. I have a stockpile of amazon boxes and packing materials, they've been used several times. Just smack a new label on there. A shoebox works for most items. If I'm buying on ebay, I don't want to be paying for shiny new boxes!
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 04:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi
recycling. I have a stockpile of amazon boxes and packing materials, they've been used several times. Just smack a new label on there. A shoebox works for most items. If I'm buying on ebay, I don't want to be paying for shiny new boxes!
Sometimes your box is the wrong size. Try shipping a computer and finding a box for it. Freaking impossible.
     
tooki
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May 25, 2006, 04:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by what_the_heck
High shipping charges act as a reserve price that is not "taxed" by eBay.
Everyone forgot one other thing: you can't dispute shipping and handling charges with a credit card company. It's a tactic used by camera shops in "Crooklyn", who'll charge a super-low price on a camera, and really high shipping (the total still being a good price), and then ship the wrong merchandise (or used, or broken, etc). The customer disputes it with the CC company, and you'll win. But the sleazy merchant gets to pocket the $150 S&H on something that cost them $10 to ship.

All this mess -- crazy S&H, counterfeit goods, crooks, and the hassle of it all -- is why I don't use eBay. If I can't find it on Craigslist or the Pennysaver, I buy it new or used from a reputable reseller.

tooki
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 04:28 PM
 
But there are many reputable sellers on ebay.
     
tooki
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May 25, 2006, 04:34 PM
 
So what? Their eBay prices are no lower than reputable resellers' prices.

I don't want to have to guess who are reputable sellers on eBay, then go through the hassle of the bidding process (which I may not win!), and then finagle payment somehow (I hate PayPal). I much prefer to just order from a proper dealer, or just use Amazon. If I want used gear (pretty much only relevant to camera stuff), I go to the local camera shop.

tooki
     
turtle777
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May 25, 2006, 04:37 PM
 
Originally Posted by tooki
Everyone forgot one other thing: you can't dispute shipping and handling charges with a credit card company. It's a tactic used by camera shops in "Crooklyn", who'll charge a super-low price on a camera, and really high shipping (the total still being a good price), and then ship the wrong merchandise (or used, or broken, etc). The customer disputes it with the CC company, and you'll win. But the sleazy merchant gets to pocket the $150 S&H on something that cost them $10 to ship.
Wow, didn't know that. Good stuff.

Thanks, tooki.

-t
     
ambush  (op)
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May 25, 2006, 04:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cody Dawg
It's not so easy.

Ever consider how much packaging costs?

Ever consider how much gas to and from the post office costs?

Ever consider the fact that some sellers are adding insurances costs - even though they don't state that they are?

I've had to send some things out and a BOX at Staples was $2.85 for a small box. Styrofoam peanuts were $10 for the cheapest bag. Some people can say, "Wrap it up in newspaper," but that doesn't ensure that the item will be covered by insurance because there are certain requirements for packaging and shipping materials (such as newspaper does not qualify.)

Sometimes there are hidden costs not evident to a buyer.

$15 is a bit much but guess what?

Don't buy it.

So are so eloquent you could have a talk show.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 05:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by Cody Dawg
It's not so easy.

Ever consider how much packaging costs?

Ever consider how much gas to and from the post office costs?

Ever consider the fact that some sellers are adding insurances costs - even though they don't state that they are?

I've had to send some things out and a BOX at Staples was $2.85 for a small box. Styrofoam peanuts were $10 for the cheapest bag. Some people can say, "Wrap it up in newspaper," but that doesn't ensure that the item will be covered by insurance because there are certain requirements for packaging and shipping materials (such as newspaper does not qualify.)

Sometimes there are hidden costs not evident to a buyer.

$15 is a bit much but guess what?

Don't buy it.

Spell it out. Spell out the charge for packing the item (box + materials), spell out the charge for the styrofoam peanuts (but don't you dare charge the full $10 for the peanuts unless you use the whole bag on the buyer's item), spell out exactly what the shipping charge will be. Spell out exactly what the insurance charge will be. Spell out exactly what the extra charge for a tracking number/delivery confirmation will be. Let the buyer make an informed decision as to whether they want the item or not. Don't charge a penny more than your cost for packing and shipping the item.

The "hidden costs" don't have to be hidden. "Hiding" them only makes it look like you have something to hide.

And don't charge for gas to and from the post office/shipping depot or for waiting in line for 10-15 minutes. That makes you look like a cheapskate or tightwad.

Your customers will remember that and not feel cheated (whether they were actually cheated by others or not), and will be more likely to buy from you again.
     
Eug Wanker
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May 25, 2006, 05:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by tooki
So what? Their eBay prices are no lower than reputable resellers' prices.

I don't want to have to guess who are reputable sellers on eBay, then go through the hassle of the bidding process (which I may not win!), and then finagle payment somehow (I hate PayPal). I much prefer to just order from a proper dealer, or just use Amazon. If I want used gear (pretty much only relevant to camera stuff), I go to the local camera shop.
Well, sometimes the local dealers don't have what I want, or it costs twice as much.

I look for eBay sellers with 3 digit numbers of feedback reviews, and 99%+ positive feedback.

I also tend to use BuyItNow a lot. Yeah I end up spending a few bux more (but still often much less than local sellers), but then I don't have to wait a week.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 05:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by tooki
So what? Their eBay prices are no lower than reputable resellers' prices.

I don't want to have to guess who are reputable sellers on eBay, then go through the hassle of the bidding process (which I may not win!), and then finagle payment somehow (I hate PayPal). I much prefer to just order from a proper dealer, or just use Amazon. If I want used gear (pretty much only relevant to camera stuff), I go to the local camera shop.

tooki
You're forgetting one thing, which is glorious about ebay: The power of FEEDBACK. If circuit city dicks you over, do you really think tehy give a ****? A seller on ebay will. Hence why I've had only ONE problem in my 6+ years of bidding, and that was on some stupid asian guy who could barely speak English. My new rule? If they have great feedback, and they can spell things right, then they're probably okay.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 05:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by Person Man
Spell it out. Spell out the charge for packing the item (box + materials), spell out the charge for the styrofoam peanuts (but don't you dare charge the full $10 for the peanuts unless you use the whole bag on the buyer's item), spell out exactly what the shipping charge will be. Spell out exactly what the insurance charge will be. Spell out exactly what the extra charge for a tracking number/delivery confirmation will be. Let the buyer make an informed decision as to whether they want the item or not. Don't charge a penny more than your cost for packing and shipping the item.

The "hidden costs" don't have to be hidden. "Hiding" them only makes it look like you have something to hide.

And don't charge for gas to and from the post office/shipping depot or for waiting in line for 10-15 minutes. That makes you look like a cheapskate or tightwad.

Your customers will remember that and not feel cheated (whether they were actually cheated by others or not), and will be more likely to buy from you again.
No. Dude. have you shipped ANYTHING for someone? Ever? It takes TIME to pack stuff, and to ship it. It's kind of a pain in the ass actually. I usually charge a few bucks extra because I don't make much on the item anyway. It's still a good price, or they wouldn't have bid on it.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 05:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by FrankeniMac
You're forgetting one thing, which is glorious about ebay: The power of FEEDBACK. If circuit city dicks you over, do you really think tehy give a ****? A seller on ebay will. Hence why I've had only ONE problem in my 6+ years of bidding, and that was on some stupid asian guy who could barely speak English. My new rule? If they have great feedback, and they can spell things right, then they're probably okay.
And you're forgetting one thing, which is not-so-glorious about ebay: The scammers who break into other people's accounts with high feedback to take advantage of the naive people with a rule like yours.

Not that you yourself are naive. But there are others who are.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 05:59 PM
 
Originally Posted by FrankeniMac
No. Dude. have you shipped ANYTHING for someone? Ever? It takes TIME to pack stuff, and to ship it. It's kind of a pain in the ass actually. I usually charge a few bucks extra because I don't make much on the item anyway. It's still a good price, or they wouldn't have bid on it.
Yes. I have shipped things for people. I generally do not charge anything in addition to what it directly costs me to ship something.

I paid $29.55 to box (at a packaging store) an old broken monitor I sold on eBay and got $2.00 for. The shipping cost $25.60. I charged the buyer $57.15, which was monitor + packaging + shipping. The goodwill I generated is worth more to me than the 60+ minutes of my free time I spent in doing so.

I'm not saying you shouldn't charge for your time. If you do, spell it out up front so the buyer knows that $5.00 or whatever is going to you for your time. Then they can make an informed decision about whether it is worth it to them or not. You might still end up looking like a cheapskate to some people, though.
     
ism
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May 25, 2006, 06:09 PM
 
After guessing an average amount for shipping I've now taken to weighing every item I ship, getting the shipping cost on weight and adding a few pence (25p) for packaging. I state that this is what I do on each item. I probably lose out a little everynow and again because when packaged the item might tip over into the next weight bracket.

Sure it takes time and it's a pain in the arse to do, but I'm happy that my shipping fees are legit.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 06:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by Person Man
Yes. I have shipped things for people. I generally do not charge anything in addition to what it directly costs me to ship something.

I paid $29.55 to box (at a packaging store) an old broken monitor I sold on eBay and got $2.00 for. The shipping cost $25.60. I charged the buyer $57.15, which was monitor + packaging + shipping. The goodwill I generated is worth more to me than the 60+ minutes of my free time I spent in doing so.

I'm not saying you shouldn't charge for your time. If you do, spell it out up front so the buyer knows that $5.00 or whatever is going to you for your time. Then they can make an informed decision about whether it is worth it to them or not. You might still end up looking like a cheapskate to some people, though.
Not really. $5 is $5 is $5. I could say shipping is free, but I charge an extra $5 for my time. It wouldn't matter to the buyer.
     
andi*pandi
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May 25, 2006, 06:12 PM
 
on a large ticket item, perhaps not... but on a $4 pair of kids pants, having fricking $8 shipping is outrageous.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 06:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi
on a large ticket item, perhaps not... but on a $4 pair of kids pants, having fricking $8 shipping is outrageous.
$8 isn't bad. I've shipped plenty of things that I didn't think would cost much to ship but ended up being $7-$13. You're getting kids pants for $12 total, which, last time I checked, is still a great price.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 06:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by FrankeniMac
Not really. $5 is $5 is $5. I could say shipping is free, but I charge an extra $5 for my time. It wouldn't matter to the buyer.
It would to me. And it matters to some other people too. If you're content not selling to those people, more power to you.
     
Person Man
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May 25, 2006, 06:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi
on a large ticket item, perhaps not... but on a $4 pair of kids pants, having fricking $8 shipping is outrageous.
Not if it actually costs $8 to ship the pants. Now you'd have an argument if the actual shipping cost (including packaging, but not including "time spent") was $1 and the seller charged you $8.
     
tooki
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May 25, 2006, 06:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by FrankeniMac
You're forgetting one thing, which is glorious about ebay: The power of FEEDBACK. If circuit city dicks you over, do you really think tehy give a ****? A seller on ebay will. Hence why I've had only ONE problem in my 6+ years of bidding, and that was on some stupid asian guy who could barely speak English. My new rule? If they have great feedback, and they can spell things right, then they're probably okay.
I'm not "forgetting" that. I don't want to have to sift through dozens of mostly-irrelevant listings on eBay's slow-as-crap site to see which ones are what I want, at reasonable price, from someone whose high feedback might be real, and then still have to bid on it. It's a tremendous hassle for what is often trivial discounts. The things I am interested in are seldom good values on eBay. I'm sure that's great for the seller, but as a buyer, it's dumb.

If I go to Circuit City, I can look at the goods and decide to buy or not, before I buy, and if I decide to, I can get it right away. Of course, for most items I prefer to patronize local resellers, in my case Service Photo for camera gear, Gramophone and Tweeter for AV gear, etc., rather than big-box stores.

I'm glad for you that you've had positive experiences with eBay. But I have decided that the massive outlay of time and research (and the risk) that eBay requires is simply not worth my sanity just for the potential of a savings.

tooki
     
tooki
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May 25, 2006, 06:35 PM
 
P.S. I have actually taken the time to leave feedback on Resellerratings.com. Feedback isn't exclusive to eBay, and I think Resellerratings.com's feedback system is superior.
     
Madferret
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May 25, 2006, 06:43 PM
 
Originally Posted by tooki
P.S. I have actually taken the time to leave feedback on Resellerratings.com. Feedback isn't exclusive to eBay, and I think Resellerratings.com's feedback system is superior.
But nobody cares what they say. I've never even heard of that site, as I'm sure most people haven't heard of it, but they DO know what ebay is.
     
Cody Dawg
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May 25, 2006, 07:43 PM
 


I've never heard about resellratings.com either.

Additionally, I wait 89 days, 23 hours, and 55 minutes to leave negative feedback for someone so that they can't retaliate and leave me a negative since by the time they try to leave it 90 days has passed and they can't do squat. I just set up a note in Entourage to remind me when I need to do that - and I also add them to the Blocked Bidder list.

     
tooki
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May 25, 2006, 07:47 PM
 
Resellerratings.com is great for weeding out crappy sites from good ones. Lots of people use it, though nowhere near the 100% of online shoppers that need to be familiar with it.

tooki
     
brassplayersrock²
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May 26, 2006, 09:11 PM
 
i've had ONE really bad experience on ebay out of about 200 or so. this guy who claimed he was on the east coast and i was in california at the time, and well, i paid the shipping, $35 for a small box and peanuts. anywho, turns out the ****er lived about 30 mins away from me, and i found this out from the return address he stupidly put on the package. anyways, i went to his house and we talked (nicely) about why he claimed he lived on the east coast ect and why he scammed me for the shipping. he felt REALLY REALLY awful. he refunded me $30 because the shipping was actually just $5. so is life

Brass

ps
thanks tooki for the site, it might come in handy.
     
   
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