I totally sympathise with you! I just bought a book from ebay from a seller in the US and he charged me a $6.95US handling fee. I couldn't believe it! I paid $11.65 for what I thought was airmail. The book turns up 3 months later. It was shipped surface mail for $4.70 and when I asked the seller about it he said it was a flat shipping and handling fee. It even says in my invoice that it is airmail but he certainly didn't ship it airmail. Grrrrrrr!

I sell on ebay myself and I only ever charge people the actual postage. I get all my boxes from our local shopping mall and I got the bubble wrap from my husbands work (they had a large shipment of robotic parts come in all wrapped in bubble wrap and they were going to throw it out.

I NEVER charge my buyers any extra that the actual postage so I get so annoyed that I always seem to have to pay handling fees to everyone else! Sure it takes time to go to the Post office and stand in lines - I know that all too well but I would never actually charge someone for my time.

Next they will be charging us to set up the auction and take the darn photo! (that takes time too)

Juliette