Found a note I`d like to purchase on eBay, but the shipping fee was really high for International shipping, $16. Banknote value is in the $23-28 area, so paying this much for shipping makes no sense at all. I contacted the seller, hoping to get a better shipping fee, it works out nicely sometimes and then I can afford to bid on an item. Not this time, here are 2 lines from seller reply on my request to consider lower shipping fees in case I win: Basically the seller is saying that if the note sells for lower than he expects, shipping fees are staying high. If the note sells for a hefty premium, shipping costs will be reduced. Is it just me, or is this totally wrong and the seller should always charge his actual shipping fee, and not compensate himself if the buyers gets a bargain?
I'm not sure why the seller would offer a discount, at all, in this situation. eBay rules basically require the seller to send the item in a fashion that ensures it is signed for. That's VERY costly, since the USPS decided to raise its rates on international mail.
How can the seller include a shipping cost when he has no clue as to whom will buy it and in what part of the world the buyer would live in? Is it a set rule that shipping always be included into the buyers price even before the coin is bought? What would happen if the buyer lived in the same town as coin was sold would the seller still get the same shipping that was charged? I forgot Ebay and our goverment are both ran almost a like.
My assumption has always been that eBay links to a calculator provided by USPS/UPS/FedEx as appropriate.
I ran into this a little while back, where the seller justified not combining shipping because the items didn't sell for as much as he would have liked, thus making up for his "lost" profits. I paid $35 for shipping 7 coins - actual cost was $2.11 for the postage, and the coins were wrapped in paper towels (not even bubble wrap) and rubber-banded together - obviously costing nowhere near what I paid. Obviously sellers can charge what they want for the shipping and if they don't want to lower it, then you have to make the decision on whether to include that in your willing bid amount. But I think it's all about the customer service and how you handle it when asked if it can be lowered. It's one thing to say "it really costs me close to $16 between materials, time, and the international shipping/signing fees so I can't lower it". That is reasonable and explained honestly and you really can't argue with that. In this case, it's not close to that and I would just move on to the next one.
It does, in the auctions as well as in your "MyeBay" there's sometimes a "calculate" link when you go to pay for an item you haven't been invoiced for yet. It just depends on the seller. I've contacted sellers after auctions asking for modified shipping methods, including shipping non-priority in cases where they were in the same state / geographical area as I was, and in general it's worked out well and most people are willing to make a deal.
If I was you I would pass. Some sellers are not comfortable selling to overseas addresses, you can't do anything about that. Pass, you don't need to deal with that dude, he's not right. :T$:
I knew the shipping cost, as I have mentioned, it was $16. You`re correct, jloring, I definitely did not bid. Seller failed to reply and inform me of an actual fee he`d like to charge me. His solution was to "work on it" in case I win. Basically he wanted to leave some space for fee manipulation depending on bids outcome. I was glad to see the note went for $1.60 over face value. Considering eBay fees and the fact his US shipping is free, the seller lost more than gained on this lot. I would have bid more than that if I could get a reasonable shipping fee.
Can anyone else remember way back when a $10 gold coin would be listed as 99 cents buy-it-now but the shipping would be $350? Sellers were trying to avoid eBay final value fees. Ridiculous.
Then how come there are sellers that still charge shipping fees of between $1 to $5 for International shipping? As a buyer, I couldn't care less about what eBay requires from sellers, I am only going to buy from sellers with reasonable shipping fees. I understand this is not much of a topic for US members of CT, which are about 99.5%, but buying US coins/banknotes from US sellers is really disappointing since they mostly never ship worldwide. Now with the new USPS rates it is probably going to be much worse.
eBay actually has a policy against what they call "excessive shipping." You can report those items and they may get removed.
Sorry guys, I just don't understand the flap about shipping/handling costs. I've been buying at auctions, on-line and live-in-person, for more than 50 years, and I always stop bidding when the total out-of-pocket cost reaches my limit for the item, whether that cost includes a buyer's premium, S/H, sales tax, or any other add-on you can think of. In short, I have zero interest in how much of my bid the seller will pocket and total interest in the size of the hit to my bank account.
I don't see any problem with offering a discount if someone overpays for the item. As far as not giving a discount on multiple purcahses (combined shipping), that is a crock and the seller deserves a 1-star.
The variable shipping rate is just a way of having a reserve without having a "Reserve". He will alter the shipping to make sure he gets at least a certain amount for the notes.
At least this guy is marginally better than the auction I stumbled upon last week where the seller said he'd provide a shipping invoice upon auction completion since the insurance amount depends on the final value fee. So in the end, the shipping could have been anywhere between $5 and $25 or more. Who knows? Only the seller.
You can make a report under "Avoiding eBay Fees" on the seller, especially if you forward those responses to eBay. It is clear that is what the seller is doing... padding his profit without having to pay the fees. Happens all the time.
That sounds like what I do... I decide the dollar value of the item, then add the shipping into the cost of the item. Once the cost of buying the item, shipping included, surpasses my perception of value, I walk away. I figure if a coin is worth $50, for example, that is all I am going to pay, in full.
