Small eBay Annoyance

[brazilian_girl]

Originally posted by mandasmom:
95% of my customers use paypal. If you refuse to accept payments from them, you will definitely limit your customer base, because as one poster said-everyone wants their items as quickly as possible. I include the shipping calculator in all of my auctions, so everyone knows right up front what the costs will be-there are no surprises unless they didn't use the calculator, which is just stupid on their part. I personally am very leery of bidding on an auction where the seller says they will give the cost after you've won. I don't agree with grossly inflating postage (besides the fact that it will get you in trouble with ebay) but I personally don't feel badly if I make a dollar or two on shipping. JMO.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree! And I think sellers might specify the "handling" fees before the auction, so the buyers can't complain later. Once I wrote to the seller and asked if that was the real shipping/handling cost because I thought it might be MORE, I am always concerned about that. I complained about the Marisol outfit and the little mouse doll because they were so tiny, small boxes, and the s/h costs were more than the double of actual shipping costs...

Paypal is the only way I can pay, bidpay is not working any more. I used, a long time ago, to send very well concealed cash but I thank paypal because that way it was very risky and took ages to arrive... And I can only pay with paypal through credit card, not bank account, so I am willing to pay any fees concerning this, if the seller specify this.

I am soooo happy today, two dolls arrived!!! Perfect and beautiful Josefina and Felicity!!! I need to fix my digital camera!!

Ana Claudia
Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ January 24, 2006 05:34 PM: Message edited by: brazilian_girl ]</font>

[julliams]

I have no problem with people charging handling fees as long as they clarify that in the auction. Then I can choose whether or not to purchase from them.

In the case I was talking about the seller said he would airmail the parcel for $11.65 and then the parcel arrived 3 months later with a $4.70 postmark on it and it had been shipped surface. When I asked about it he said it was a shipping and handling fee and that it wasn't his fault the package went surface.

What he didn't realise (or else thinks I am stupid) is that there are rates for surface and rates for airmail and he chose to send the package surface. He can't blame the PO for that. The item cost me $1,75, the shipping $4.70 and then he slaps a $6.95 handling fee on there that he never told me about. As far as I am concerned he didn't get the price he wanted so he decided to make it the price he wanted. I think it is robbery myself! There was no indication of any handling fee in the auction nor did he tell me of one when I asked him about shippin costs.

That's why I was whinging.

Juliette

[[email protected]]

I usually do all of my selling in November/December, and this year I was too tired and busy, so I missed that one. Thanks, Rebecca.

That really stinks!

So I guess no more paypal transfers for me, at least on the selling end. I refuse to pay those outrageous fees for credit cards.

Annie, I don't think that that sounds prejudiced. I was thinking the same thing--that the situation with the seller in the opening post here was probably that way because her husband was the one doing it. It may have something to do with how men and women think and process things differently--although I think that some women also prefer to guess rather than charge real shipping, too.

At the same time, I need to say that the seller that gave me the tip about packing things up with the first bid was also a man, and I think that that was a very good tip.

I never give the shipping in the auction listing. I put in there somewhere that I will calculate the shipping when I know who the buyer is.

When I am the buyer, I always feel more trust for sellers who charge real shipping, rather than guess a ballpark figure.

Joy

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ January 24, 2006 12:10 PM: Message edited by: djsnjones ]</font>

[beccachris]

Joy~

You're welcome!

I don't think ebay/paypal did a really good job of advertising that new rule. I never received an email from either telling about it and just happened to stumble across it when reading the ebay message boards. I already had upgraded to a business account a couple of years ago, so it didn't effect me, but lots of people have only had the personal accounts for years now.

[[email protected]]

Juliette, it didn't sound like whining to me! If something is wrong, it's simply wrong!

Ana Claudia, just for clarification, when I was mentioning the Paypal transfers, rather than credit cards, I was not talking about a transfer from a bank account. I was talking about paying for an item with a direct transfer from your Paypal account--money that is in that account from other transactions where people have paid money directly into your Paypal account. I have left money there and then used it for things I would want to buy in the future. But your point is well taken about many of these options not working for you.

Mandasmom, how do you go about posting the postage calculator on one of your ebay auctions? I like that idea. Do you also warn people that the packaging will add to the weight? I can picture people complaining because when they estimated the weight, they got a lower number than I do when I weigh it at the end of the auction.

Joy

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ January 25, 2006 10:27 AM: Message edited by: djsnjones ]</font>

[mandasmom]

how do you go about posting the postage calculator on one of your ebay auctions?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">On the shipping page of the auction listing, the default goes to fixed price shipping (I think). The tab to the right of it is for calculating shipping. Just click on that. You fill in your zip code and the item's weight and it calculates the shipping automatically for customers. I put my items in their box and weigh them on my postage scale when I'm listing, so I know what to put for the weight. Most of my items are fairly light, and anything 1.0 lbs or less are the same price for priority. Plus, I sell the same items over and over and after a while you remember how much most things weigh. If you're listing several items, once you choose calculate postage, it defaults automatically to that unless you change it.