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Re: [Tigers] Shipping and Handling

To: Thomas Witt <atwittsend@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Tigers] Shipping and Handling
From: drmayf <drmayf@mayfco.com>
Date: Sun, 10 May 2009 13:41:38 -0700
No dog in this fight lol. But, it does seem occasionally that the 
shipping costs are way out of bounds. Usually when the price of the item 
is relatively cheap. My opinion is that the sellers use a cheap price to 
evade paying Ebay what the true fee is. Ie if you sel it cheap then you 
only owe a small fee to ebay. I don't think ebay places the fee on the 
shipping costs but rather sales price.   I could however be wrong..

mayf


Thomas Witt wrote:

> Tony,
>  I understand your point - up to a point.  First let me say whenever I 
> sell something on Ebay I always state "the cost will be the actual 
> shipping cost only." I do this because, yes, I hate paying those fees 
> too.  However, there is another side.
>
>  There was a case where I sold an aftermarket intake manifold for a 
> Vega. Checking the completed items I saw most sold in the $100 range.  
> For whatever reason mine only sold for the $9.99 starting price.  Kind 
> of a disappointment to say the least.
>
>  I think most sellers justify their fees for the following reasons:
>
> 1. It has been my experience that it takes about an hour to drag out 
> the item, photograph it and get it listed on Ebay.
>
> 2. It takes about a half hour to answer questions from perspective 
> buyers and complete the on line transaction.
>
> 3. It take about a half hour to fine a suitable (free) box and get the 
> package ready to ship.
>
> 4. In my case it takes about 45 minutes to drive to the shipper, stand 
> in line and return home.
>
> So, to sell ONE item (the manifold in this case) it took 2 hours and 
> 45 minutes of my time.  I  spent about $1.50 to sell the item on ebay, 
> about $.50 to package it (tape) and about $1.50 for gas.  In the end 
> my gross profit was $6.50. I bought the item in a thrift store about 
> 20 years ago for $6.00. So, now my net profit is all of fifty cents!
>
> I'm not trying to justify those fees but am just state why I think 
> they (sellers) do what they do. Their time and materials do cost.
>
>  There is yet another side to this.  I have seen items with a listed 
> inflated shipping cost.  Often buyers will stay away because of that.  
> There have been cases where I have bought something below the historic 
> average TOTAL price because in spite of high shipping, I got the item 
> cheap. Cheap enough that when the high shipping was included I still 
> paid less than normal.  In essence I beat the seller at his own game.
>
> There my be tax issues too.  If the seller doesn't have to claim 
> shipping and handling as income (I don't know) they will profit from 
> that.
>
> Yes, like you, I don't like it, but I do understand it.  And at times 
> I actually come out ahead when buyers are turned away by high shipping 
> therefore keeping the actual cost down.
> Tom. _______________________________________________
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