No wonder people can't make money selling coins

I purchased a 1903 Russian 3 kopeks coin on eBay. I paid $1.29 plus $1.95 for shipping, which is a total of $3.24. Well, the seller sent it to me by certified mail, and I got it today. He paid $3.79 in postage, plus you can figure about 30 cents in eBay fees plus about 40 cents in Paypal fees. That means he spent at least $4.50 to sell me a coin that I paid $3.24 for. This is probably one of those people who goes on about how eBay is such a racket and no one can make a profit there. But what is this person thinking? Why do you use certified mail for a $1.29 item? Even if an occasional shipment gets lost in the mail, you're still better off than a guaranteed loss. And now I had to go to the post office and wait in line for 20 minutes to pick it up. This sort of thing has happened a few times recently. I don't understand why people are using certified mail on cheap items. Or if you are going to do that, at least charge what it will cost you. This business model makes no sense.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Well I bet he expected to get more but he lived up to what he said he would do....you win some and then you don't.

 

Yeah, but he placed you getting them above all else. Stellar guy........

 

Well, he charged the shipping rate with tracking, so using tracking and not certified mail would have been more than adequate. Certified is way overboard.

 

They make their money on volume.

 

He wanted to make sure you got them.

 

BINGO!

 

was his name O

 

BINGO, BINGO, and BINGO was his name, oh.......

 

Did I do that?

 

Yes you did........

 

Maybe he's a dealer. Like most businesses you take a loss a lot of the time, but make up for it elsewhere. That might have been one of 200 coins he sold that day, so a few dollars lost isn't a big deal.

 

Even if there were other options, it's a stand-up move and not one deserving of the above assumption. I know you didn't mean it in a bad way, but give the guy a little credit.

 

Volume is the key ....and that nasty feedback thing...

 

Obviously no one is going to agree with me, but I think it only makes sense to charge what it costs you for shipping. There's nothing wrong with asking people to pay a fair price for it. If you are selling low-value items you just can't afford to take that loss.

 

What the devil do you care if the other guy is losing money? Pay more attention to your own bottom line, which, I've more than a thought, you already attend to........

 

You're right... it does only make sense to do so, but for whatever reason it didn't happen this time. On this I absolutely agree with you, but I just don't think it's fair to assume something negative about the guy for simply living up to his end of the deal.

 

Well if the Bay is your business your feedback is key, I have spend buck with one particular favorite seller. When something is wrong, they know me and know I am honest and usually write any costs above postage off. I do this for a reason and they trust me also.....VOLUME!

..wow thank God for spell check.

 

How the Old Man ships $1.29 3-kopeck coins. Pay attention!

1. Put the coin in a manila 2 x 2.
2. Tape the 2 x 2 to an index card.
3. Tape a second index card on the other side.
4. Insert into ordinary envelope so that the coin is positioned in the bottom half of the envelope,
where the cancelling machine won't whack it. Shipping one coin should be well under one ounce.
5. Postage, 49 cents for the letter + 21 cents for the non-machinable fee = 70 cents total.

Forget about Certifying, forget about tracking, two minutes and you're DONE. At $1.95, the fine upstanding Seller grossly overcharged you for postage. If it's lost in the mail, send the Buyer a check for $1.29 plus your condolences. Move on. Case closed.