quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:

Oh, nice to see I'm one of the bad guys again.


Ed

There are lots of bad guys on ebay, i do not count you amongst them.

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
Oh, nice to see I'm one of the bad guys again.

Postage outside of US and Canada is just under $14 for the POSTAGE, that does not include the sleeve, topload, team bag, the bubble mailer, and yes even the label. These all cost sellers money.

Now this is for shipping with tracking. Why is that important? Because on eBay (also on PayPal direct and by taking credit cards directly) if you cannot prove an item was delivered then you are left liable if someone wants to claim they didn't receive the item. No questions beyond do you have tracking... If not, you lose the case and lose the money. So in that case I am out the item, the money, and the postage.

So, I cover my tail and ship everything approriately.

Unless you are willing to accept not all mail will make it. Then I guess a Plain White Envelope is good enough for you. But it's not for me. I want you to get the card you wanted, and to insure that I send in a sleeve, topload, team bag, cardboard padding, and a bubble mailer.

For me, it's not about being fair. It's about realizing that people WILL take advantage of you if you don't protect yourself. This isn't about losing a trade card now and then. We're talking real money when you add up what leaves here every week.

I currently have 3 packages sent with tracking that are missing. I'm hoping they are just quarantined because of the virus, but eventually I'll have to deal with them if actually lost. This will be expensive enough, and they were sent the right way. With things going slow and missing right and left right now, I can't imagine being without tracking.

I will say that sometimes I'll get a Best Offer on eBay, and it's not everything I wanted it to be. But I'll see where it's going and figure they offered less because of the shipping, so I'll reconsider the offer.

But, for a seller to not combine shipping is bordering on theft. When it's possible at least.

And don't get me started on the Global Shipping Program. I'm starting to see sellers in the UK using it for shipments heading this way, and I avoid them like the plague. So I understand what it must be like the other direction.

Ed

Ed

We all accept the $14/18 postage - for tracking and I know what its like to be fleeced by a buyer saying they didn't get the item. Trouble is (of course) if you want a $2 promo, $14 postage takes it out of price range. Also the Global shipping is a joke and doesn't even come into play.

In UK it's difficult to even get RA P1's so if somebody is offering the $3 postage for a $2 card I take the chance (I wouldn't report to ebay if it didn't come).

Now that we are shifting topics a little a few things that I have found out along this long journey.

I sell very little on ebay and I do use the GSP. I understand that it is an absolute joke but for a lazy seller like me it is the easiest way to cover myself.

I almost always set my items with free shipping and average it into the cost of the item I am selling. Again now as a lazy seller I don't have to worry about unhappy customers due to excessive shipping charges.

I am also now starting to use different mail services to make sure the lowest price is used.
Had never heard of cubic priority until a few months ago and for packages going cross country it is much cheaper than regular paypal priority shipping. There is another shipping service I use besides paypal that uses this method.

First class is pretty much the same price everywhere online.

I buy quite a bit on eBay and 100% understand and agree with what Ed says. From what I am told his account can lose privileges and benefits if he does not track. And don’t forget he loses 15-20% in fees on each sale. It is a business for most of these sellers and I try to treat it as such. Yes a few sellers overcharge on shipping but the majority stay within the exact cost with a buck or two for expenses which is fine by me.

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
But, for a seller to not combine shipping is bordering on theft. When it's possible at least.

Ed

This was the original topic. I would amend that response slightly, because I don't think a seller has to combine shipping costs if they don't want to and don't say that they will. However he/she can't combine the items in one mailing box and still demand individual shipping fees for each item, which is what happened here. If you are charging S&H for time and materials on 5 deliveries, you must send 5 packages. That's the criminal part and I would absolutely leave negative feedback and never use that seller again.

Now the conversation has morphed back to the same old, same old complaints about eBay shipping charges and international mail. There is no solution besides not using eBay. I am solely a buyer. I fault no seller for protecting their own property and following all of eBay's dictates regarding shipping rules. Those rules are what provide buyer protections. Buyers demand protection, but don't want to pay for it. They think sellers should take the aggravation of small losses so that they can get more sales from good people like them.

I'm a good person too, but I blame no seller in the system for not wanting to take that chance. You can't use the system if the rules of buyer protection are too prohibitive or costly for you. You have to buy direct and offline from trusted sellers and take your chances that a package with a tracking number will arrive. If it gets lost, it's on the buyer because the seller didn't have to accommodate them.

I have bought that way for years and will continue to do so. It's just my opinion, there is a risk to me obviously, but someone has to take the bigger chance or the system will decide for you. Both the buyer and seller are paying for the system. Either quit using it or stopping complaining about it.

quote:

Originally posted by ifish73:
I am also now starting to use different mail services to make sure the lowest price is used.
Had never heard of cubic priority until a few months ago and for packages going cross country it is much cheaper than regular paypal priority shipping. There is another shipping service I use besides paypal that uses this method.

First class is pretty much the same price everywhere online.

Just googled cubic priority -- seems unlikely to be available for most people here: "In order to qualify for Cubic Pricing, customers must ship over 50,000 packages a year."

quote:

Originally posted by webjon:

quote:

Originally posted by ifish73:
I am also now starting to use different mail services to make sure the lowest price is used.
Had never heard of cubic priority until a few months ago and for packages going cross country it is much cheaper than regular paypal priority shipping. There is another shipping service I use besides paypal that uses this method.

First class is pretty much the same price everywhere online.

Just googled cubic priority -- seems unlikely to be available for most people here: "In order to qualify for Cubic Pricing, customers must ship over 50,000 packages a year."

You have to go through a service to get the discount. Same way that paypal gets you a discount over USPS rates. If you look over on Blowout you will find some discussions of the company that some people are using that utilize cubic priority.

i was an ebay seller from day one. there were 99 good customers and one scammer for every 100. tracking was expensive, so i took the scammers debts on the chin and they'd always leave me a neg response to boot
but that meant i was always at 99% good feedback.
now everything has to be tracked.if it's not they scam you.
2 weeks ago i sold my 1st thing in 15 years and screwed up getting the wrong kind of tracking so the money got held by paypal, the guy is clearly trying to drag it out until he gets his money back because all he has to do is click a button to say he's recieved his shoes but he's acting all polite and dumb people can suck.

but on shipping prices........aaaaaH!
i live in australia and spent the day looking for individual $10 cards that almost all have about $17AU shipping. which is probably what they pay,some are $28 (people who's time is "valuable".like too valuable to want to make a sale )
but then i find a pound case of cards with $11 shipping because that's probably what they pay.
if a seller wants to sell their junk they should ideally make it free shipping and then search for the cheapest shipping deals you can get.
also time,packaging, time is the most important thing you own.
because no amount of money will buy a second of time.
but if you look in enough dumpsters and "borrow" the post offices tape then all packaging will cost you is time.some people confuse not having enough time with having too many things they want to do,which does not make their time any more valuable to me

i used to spend an average of 7-8 hours a week to wrap and post 330 items a week.
but i was a teenager who needed to pay for food and rent so 330 in 480 minutes for an average of $10 profit an item was very worthwhile.
but that was when i had 3 scammers a week. 4 years in ,the chinese competition and the need for tracked shipping to stop fraud put me off badly.then two weeks i was in hospital and got a friend to go to the post office with my ebay sales and he didn't send them tracked...
i had almost 50 neg responses when i got out,
then it spiralled as people saw other people were doing it too. i didn't see one person say they got their package and give good feedback before paypal took all their money back and kicked me off ebay. i lost $15'000 of stock and my business all while i recovered from becoming heavily disabled...and paypal still doesn't seem to have a phone number to state your case.
so i'm not holding my breath for change.

So...Is Europe not recieving america's mail or is america not sending mail because i was just about to order a case from america but didn't have enough online to spend. should i not bother hurrying to put money in the bank at 9am?
coz that'd be right. i get back into collecting cards after 24 years and a pandemic gets in the way.

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
Oh, nice to see I'm one of the bad guys again.

Ed

I would definitely NOT consider you to be one of the bad guys, Ed. I hope you didn't see my original post as being about you, as it was about someone else entirely. Always a pleasure doing business with you!


Some follow up to my original post: I was surprised to hear back from the seller yesterday, saying in effect "I told him [I assume that means the post office worker] to put insurance on the package, but I guess he didn't" and "I'm not that kind of person" in response to my message expressing my displeasure. He also asked if I was interested in anything else he had listed, but I think I will pass.

Also, just to keep this in perspective, this was not an international transaction--it was strictly US only (Alaska to Louisiana). No GSP, no customs, just plain old postage. As I noted previously, I am certainly willing to pay a seller something for packing, tape, etc. However, $12.00 additional for this seems like a lot. The seller's comment about the weight and cost of the screwdowns making a reduction for combined shipping impossible just made me mad. In my opinion, if you're going to sell cards on eBay, figure the cost of this kind of thing when you list it. If you sell a $25 card for $15 and then charge $20 to ship it in a mailer that costs you $8, I'm going to notice.

I'm still debating on what to say in feedback. Leaning towards neutral feedback with some details about shipping and probably 1 star for shipping.

Ed is not one of the bad guys unfortunately he dose not have the cards that I want
He hhas helped me with the Promos that he regularly issues and shipping is what I expect .
It is not the larger buisness sellers but the intermediate and below sellers who stick to the rules and use all the loopholes to avoid being scammed that charge these prices , They dont realise that all the precautions that they take do not deter scammers and when they are fronted with a return or refund start shaking looking at feedback etc to try and get an edge so that E Bay or Pay Pal will agree on a he said she said messages and get them off the hook.
We all realise when we are being charged extra for shipping and decide wether we want that card bad enough to pay for it and the shipping
On the combining I buy on auction from GB quiet a bit and the seller charges $2.40 for each item wether it is a nine card set or a single card with a $19 ceiling if I win 4 lots it costs me approx $10 shipping the lots are sent in one parcel could be anything from say 4 cards to 40 cards I am happy with this as that is cheap international shipping for me from the UK so I dont moan about combined shipping to him .
But if shipping got too expensive I would moan about it .
Sometimes it is cheaper to buy a card strait out from him with free international shipping than buy it at auction
G B seems to have the cheaper international shipping from a lot of sellers
But I agree it is a no no to pack all lots in one package then charge individual shipping rip off.
( you have to get all your ducks in a row )

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
Oh, nice to see I'm one of the bad guys again.

Ed

I would definitely NOT consider you to be one of the bad guys, Ed. I hope you didn't see my original post as being about you, as it was about someone else entirely. Always a pleasure doing business with you!


Some follow up to my original post: I was surprised to hear back from the seller yesterday, saying in effect "I told him [I assume that means the post office worker] to put insurance on the package, but I guess he didn't" and "I'm not that kind of person" in response to my message expressing my displeasure. He also asked if I was interested in anything else he had listed, but I think I will pass.

Also, just to keep this in perspective, this was not an international transaction--it was strictly US only (Alaska to Louisiana). No GSP, no customs, just plain old postage. As I noted previously, I am certainly willing to pay a seller something for packing, tape, etc. However, $12.00 additional for this seems like a lot. The seller's comment about the weight and cost of the screwdowns making a reduction for combined shipping impossible just made me mad. In my opinion, if you're going to sell cards on eBay, figure the cost of this kind of thing when you list it. If you sell a $25 card for $15 and then charge $20 to ship it in a mailer that costs you $8, I'm going to notice.

I'm still debating on what to say in feedback. Leaning towards neutral feedback with some details about shipping and probably 1 star for shipping.

If you don't mind sharing how much was the total for all of your items?
Curious if the total would warrant insurance and even if it did that difference would equate to $500-$700 in insurance.

Last question is do you still have the box it came in? The label will tell you if he paid for it through the post office or used paypal shipping. If it is the latter he is just lying to try and save face. This will make a big difference in leaving a neutral or negative feedback. Don't lie if it is easy to check on that lie.

quote:

Originally posted by ifish73:

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Originally posted by Scifi Cards:
Oh, nice to see I'm one of the bad guys again.

Ed

I would definitely NOT consider you to be one of the bad guys, Ed. I hope you didn't see my original post as being about you, as it was about someone else entirely. Always a pleasure doing business with you!


Some follow up to my original post: I was surprised to hear back from the seller yesterday, saying in effect "I told him [I assume that means the post office worker] to put insurance on the package, but I guess he didn't" and "I'm not that kind of person" in response to my message expressing my displeasure. He also asked if I was interested in anything else he had listed, but I think I will pass.

Also, just to keep this in perspective, this was not an international transaction--it was strictly US only (Alaska to Louisiana). No GSP, no customs, just plain old postage. As I noted previously, I am certainly willing to pay a seller something for packing, tape, etc. However, $12.00 additional for this seems like a lot. The seller's comment about the weight and cost of the screwdowns making a reduction for combined shipping impossible just made me mad. In my opinion, if you're going to sell cards on eBay, figure the cost of this kind of thing when you list it. If you sell a $25 card for $15 and then charge $20 to ship it in a mailer that costs you $8, I'm going to notice.

I'm still debating on what to say in feedback. Leaning towards neutral feedback with some details about shipping and probably 1 star for shipping.

If you don't mind sharing how much was the total for all of your items?
Curious if the total would warrant insurance and even if it did that difference would equate to $500-$700 in insurance.

Last question is do you still have the box it came in? The label will tell you if he paid for it through the post office or used paypal shipping. If it is the latter he is just lying to try and save face. This will make a big difference in leaving a neutral or negative feedback. Don't lie if it is easy to check on that lie.

Total cost of the cards before shipping was $98.00. Additional insurance would have been nice, just in case something happened, but the cost of that insurance amount is still not the difference. I don't have the box any longer, but it was shipped in a small Flat Rate Priority Mail box, which is $8.30 online (not sure about through eBay/Paypal). Even if I add $2-$3 for supplies, packing, etc, that is still $9-$10 in additional shipping costs that I was charged, which is double the actual postage cost. I caught the seller in a dubious selling practice, and he has lost a potential future customer, as I won't fall for this with him again.

E Bay Item #303501027178 If this item can be shipped Internationally for $15.25 .
Why cant cards be shipped cheaper.This item if it was a card would probably be shipped at an astronomical cost.

FYI -- I'm not complaining, just pointing out that shipping internationally is expensive -- and it isn't just coming from the US.

I just saw an eBay auction that I wanted to buy for a single card that costs under $10 US.

Shipping from the UK to the US for this card is $27.50.

quote:

Originally posted by webjon:
FYI -- I'm not complaining, just pointing out that shipping internationally is expensive -- and it isn't just coming from the US.

I just saw an eBay auction that I wanted to buy for a single card that costs under $10 US.

Shipping from the UK to the US for this card is $27.50.

It's just a joke. For $15 i could not only buy this card but post it to you also. Let me know if you want me to do so.

quote:

Originally posted by wolfie:

quote:

Originally posted by webjon:
FYI -- I'm not complaining, just pointing out that shipping internationally is expensive -- and it isn't just coming from the US.

I just saw an eBay auction that I wanted to buy for a single card that costs under $10 US.

Shipping from the UK to the US for this card is $27.50.

It's just a joke. For $15 i could not only buy this card but post it to you also. Let me know if you want me to do so.

I have wondered before whether those of us on this board who have been around for a lot of years could band together and do this as a group to save each other postage costs and get the cards we want at better prices.

In the current pandemic with the state of postal services worldwide it's probably not an option but if things get back to something approaching normal it would be worth discussing .

I appreciate the offer, but given the times I'd never ask anyone to do do that. . .

It may make sense to have a postage helper group. I know there are some forwarding services that seem to help with that too.

I buy so little on eBay anymore than this really isn't a big impact for me. . . I certainly don't need the card.

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:
A couple of times I've put 3 or 4 items in the basket from one seller - then tried to ask for combined shipping and the seller doesn't offer it (and you can't contact them either to ask!!). I agree that I don't mind paying $10 for $8 shipping to cover costs but paying $20 for $8 is ripping it.

What's the deal with some sellers not allowing questions about their items? Heck, I thought the whole intention for people listing stuff on Ebay was to sell them. I guess some people are just too lazy to respond to questions from potential buyers OR they may have accidentally checked the "no message" box when setting up a template and now all their auctions reflect that choice.

quote:

Originally posted by promoking:

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:
A couple of times I've put 3 or 4 items in the basket from one seller - then tried to ask for combined shipping and the seller doesn't offer it (and you can't contact them either to ask!!). I agree that I don't mind paying $10 for $8 shipping to cover costs but paying $20 for $8 is ripping it.

What's the deal with some sellers not allowing questions about their items? Heck, I thought the whole intention for people listing stuff on Ebay was to sell them. I guess some people are just too lazy to respond to questions from potential buyers OR they may have accidentally checked the "no message" box when setting up a template and now all their auctions reflect that choice.

It happens quite a lot

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:

quote:

Originally posted by promoking:

quote:

Originally posted by hammer:
A couple of times I've put 3 or 4 items in the basket from one seller - then tried to ask for combined shipping and the seller doesn't offer it (and you can't contact them either to ask!!). I agree that I don't mind paying $10 for $8 shipping to cover costs but paying $20 for $8 is ripping it.

What's the deal with some sellers not allowing questions about their items? Heck, I thought the whole intention for people listing stuff on Ebay was to sell them. I guess some people are just too lazy to respond to questions from potential buyers OR they may have accidentally checked the "no message" box when setting up a template and now all their auctions reflect that choice.

It happens quite a lot

Interesting, I don't think I've ever noticed that. . . Guess I don't buy enough on eBay anymore.