I too have been bitten by the eBay sellers that are making money on
shipping. I have bought and sold a fair amount over the last year, and sold
a bunch of stuff recently. I used to take the boxed items to UPS with the
addresses and get the rates. I was amazed that the prices were different
when I went back to ship, and tired of all the driving. I now have a scale
at home, weigh them and figure UPS and USPS shipping costs over the web, and
charge the higher of the 2. I'm quite a ways from a post office and farther
from UPS, so I ship from either depending on where I am that day, and I
don't worry about the cost. If one is much higher than the other, which does
happen, I quote the lower and I'll hold that package until I can get it to
that shipper. If an item requires special packaging, like the purchase of
bubble wrap, I consider that a legit shipping cost and include that in the
shipping cost. I scrounge all my boxes from work. This is as fair as I can
get it without it being a total inconvenience.
Bob Kramer
rgk@flash.net
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Patrick Bitton" <pbitton@axess.com>
> To: "Triumph" <triumphs@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 6:45 PM
> Subject: RE: international shipping
>
>
> > I disagree. If someone is selling something on Ebay, then he should post
> the
> > shipping price regardless of the actual cost. If he is a vendor, I hope
he
> > has more than one client a day. Otherwise he should close up shop. In my
> > case...I sell on Ebay regularly and when a person wins an auction. I get
> > his/her address, pack the item, go to the post office and get the
shipping
> > cost and email it to the person. Once the payment is recieved(or
sometimes
> I
> > just send the part first), I then return to the post office and ship the
> > part. That's 2 trips. Why? Because the post office will give you
different
> > prices everytime. Has it come to the point that people are using 9-11 as
> an
> > excuse to rip people off? I for one is very pleased when I sell
something
> on
> > Ebay to a person that obviously owns an LCB. Bob French send me kidney
> pads
> > for my TR-6 at NO CHARGE!!! And to boot!!! I'm in Canada. International.
> Now
> > that is a gentlemen. The guy that send Dixie the part at $27.00 shipping
> is
> > a crock. Sorry. And if distance is a problem...then gather a few
packages
> at
> > a time and go to the postal outlet. Famous proverb, "Killing 2 birds
with
> > one stone." Imagine if the guy HAD 10 packages to ship. That is
$270.00!!!
> > for $20.00 worth of parts.
> >
> > I always believed that the US has the best customer service I have ever
> > seen. It is too bad that one rotten apple condemns the whole basket. I
am
> > sure that this is an isolated case and there are more honest people then
> > crocked ones.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Patrick
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-triumphs@autox.team.net
> > [mailto:owner-triumphs@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of CARIBOULH@aol.com
> > Sent: March 20, 2002 4:40 PM
> > To: triumphs-digest@autox.team.net
> > Subject: international shipping
> >
> >
> > Dixie from the UK had written about shipping charges:
> > <<On eBay I won an auction for a number of items for $2.00, yes two
> Dollars,
> > I
> > was shocked to learn that the vendor wanted $27.00 for shipping to UK.
As
> I
> > had the very same items to hand(in a dilapidated condition) I was able
to
> > weigh them and calculate the shipping by using the USPS web site at
$6.00!
> > The items had to be packed in a 'Bubble envelope' to achieve this rate.
> > Suprise, suprise the vendor refused to ship in this form and demanded
> > $27.00.
> >
> > So my point is, check out the postal service web sites, they are there
to
> be
> > seen by anyone, before you decide if shipping is too expensive. It may
> > afterall be the vendor boosting his profits.>>
> >
> > In this case the vendor may not be trying to boost his profits at all,
but
> > simply recover costs involved! Right now, here in the US due to
> "heightened
> > security concerns" (as the Postal Service phrases it) an individual or
> > business CANNOT place mail that is internationally bound in a letter box
> for
> > pickup, nor can you just give it to a letter carrier. You MUST take it
> > personally to a Post Office (PO) and hand it over at the counter to a
> Postal
> > clerk!
> >
> > I don't know about you, but for me this would mean a 20 plus minute trip
> to
> > drive to the PO, going in and taking a "number check" (you know... you
> pick
> > #87 out of the machine and right now they are only up to #49!) then
> waiting
> > 25 minutes before you get to the counter and finally another 20 minute
> drive
> > back to work or home. Total of a frustrating hour "wasted" out of my
life.
> > So
> > how much is an hour of your time worth?
> >
> > Also consider that if this is a vendor, he cannot tend to any business
> while
> > he's on the road, so the possibility of lost business arises while he's
> > mailing the parcel must be taken into account. In addition,
international
> > shipments require US Postal customs forms to be filled out and attached
to
> > the package, another time consuming effort. Looking back, I can see how
it
> > wouldn't be worth the effort required for a $2.00 sale.
> >
> > So, to do this may not seem as simple as it appears, and as the famous
> > phrase
> > says... "time is money".
> >
> > Best Wishes,
> >
> > Ed at Caribou Imports/Caribou Canvas
> > www.caribou.cc> >
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