Someone give me a DOPE slap, please.

[Disney1fan2002]

Usually I am very careful on Ebay, making sure the seller is not over-charging for shipping. This morning, I found a cute little ornament to represent my DH on our tree this year. It is a Gopher golfer. It was only $1.49. Spur of the moment, with only seconds left in the auction, I bid. I won. Now, I have to pay $5.75 for shipping.

I am going to e-mail her and ask to quote me a shipping cost for parcel post. UGH.

 

[MOMTOCUTESTDOGEVER]

I have gotten caught up with ebay bidding before and ended up paying over $100 for a piece of crystal that I later saw selling for around $20. Does this make you feel any better?

 

[pattyT]

hate when that happens god luck

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I have gotten caught up with ebay bidding before and ended up paying over $100 for a piece of crystal that I later saw selling for around $20. Does this make you feel any better?

Oh WOW! I do feel your pain. Years ago, when I was new to this E-bay thing, I had the " I have to have this" competitiveness. I no longer see it as a competition. unless it is the last thing of it's kind on earth. LOL

 

[funhouse8]

No dope slap from me. I've done this too, just be careful next time to check the shiping. It's terrible how much some people charge. This is the way for the seller trick us and it's not very nice.

 

[Stitchfans]

It happens to the best of us.

 

[eek40]

Usually I am very careful on Ebay, making sure the seller is not over-charging for shipping. This morning, I found a cute little ornament to represent my DH on our tree this year. It is a Gopher golfer. It was only $1.49. Spur of the moment, with only seconds left in the auction, I bid. I won. Now, I have to pay $5.75 for shipping.

I am going to e-mail her and ask to quote me a shipping cost for parcel post. UGH.

LOL I just did something similar myself, great item reasonable price, buy it now , didnt read shipping! I know better also, and it was 20 dollars for about 15 doll clothes outfits! It was my own fault so I just paid and reminded myself to check first!
Aimee

 

[the kabuki]

okay I'll slap ya

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

Just kidding! Just love an excuse to use this smilie. Don't feel bad, my DH does this all the time and then gets so mad at himself. I always avoid the auctions that say they'll quote you shipping when you're the winner - those are even worse, I imagine. I bet they quote you really high then because you're already committed to the auction!

 

[superbird]

I just started selling some items on ebay and I don't make money on the shipping, but I use bubble wrap to secure all items stuff the box with newspapers to make sure it does not move all around and always use deliverary confirmation which costs more. Sometimes I go out and buy a box as well that costs between 1-2 dollars. I am not doing this for profit on shipping but I think everyone would be happy they got their item in one piece??? Right

 

[AdventurerKat]

Been there, done that. I always check the shipping before I bid now. I don't have a problem with people charging a reasonable fee for the box they may have to buy and postage, but something like that is obviously easily put in a priority mail box (free) and the postage would be $3.85.

 

[Marseeya]

I just started selling some items on ebay and I don't make money on the shipping, but I use bubble wrap to secure all items stuff the box with newspapers to make sure it does not move all around and always use deliverary confirmation which costs more. Sometimes I go out and buy a box as well that costs between 1-2 dollars. I am not doing this for profit on shipping but I think everyone would be happy they got their item in one piece??? Right

Not everyone takes that kind of care with their shipping, unfortunately.

 

[aprilgail2]

I am going to e-mail her and ask to quote me a shipping cost for parcel post. UGH.

Good luck but don't be surprised if they won't do that. I put my shipping charges right there in the auction and if people bid for the item that means they are aware of the shipping charges and I will not change it. I have an auction up there now where shipping is 40 something dollars...I am not making money on the shipping, the package is oversize and heavy I will not change them if someone wins the auction then wants to reduce the charges that are clearly stated in the auction.

 

[jipsy]

I'm always amazed that people think that shipping charges on ebay are out of line, but think nothing of the shipping charges that places like LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, Victoria's Secret, Sears, Penney's, etc. charge.

Yes, the boxes from the post office are free, but ONLY if you use them for Priority Mail. They won't take them for any other type of mailing. A box of bubble wrap from Staples 12" X 175' is $19.

The Priority Mail rate for a 1 lb box is $3.85. If you want deliver confirmation that's an extra $.45 and if you want signature confirmation that's $1.80. Insurance for anything up to $50 is $1.30.

I am a seller. I do not make money on shipping; most times I lose money because I don't charge enough. I sell large, heavy items and you wouldn't believe the amount of times that people email me because they think my shipping is too HIGH, when in actuality I am losing $5 or $10. I provide a shipping calculator in every auction so that people will know their exact shipping cost to their location before they bid. I have in BIG BOLD LETTERS at the beginning of my auction (before the description and pictures) to please make sure to fully read and understand the terms of my auction before bidding (shipping costs, no zero feedback bidders, no bidders from other countries, etc.) and you would not BELIEVE the amount of people who don't read any of that and then, when they bid, get mad at ME because I won't accept their bid or they feel shipping is too high.

This is a really touchy subject for me. You got an ornament for less than two bucks. The lady doesn't have a shipping department like LL Bean; she's doing this out of her home. I highly doubt she is making a large amount of money on your sale. If anything, maybe she made $1, maybe she LOST money because she paid $10 for the ornament in the first place. Who knows? You learned your lesson; read the auctions before you bid. But don't email her and ask her to lower her shipping just because you didn't read.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

When I first started I also got carried away aand spend way to much for some items. Now I put my very maximum bid and don't look until it's over.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Jipsy- what about the sellers that charge 3 times as much as the postage paid? I've received items that had $1.95 postage yet they charged $6.95?
Plus they are usually wrapped in home-made boxes or reused ones.


Now I stay away from anyone that charges alot.

 

[jipsy]

Muffycat that is the seller's choice to charge a flat rate and it's you're choice to choose to bid on the item knowing what the shipping charge might be. Some sellers say "$5.95 for shipping and HANDLING". The handling is the cost of the packaging and the time to package it up.

So they make a buck or two in shipping charges, they are the one taking the time to find a box, find some packing material, find some tape and package it up. It can take me up to 30 minutes to properly package some of the larger items I sell.

I can guarantee you that ALL retail outlets that ship make money on shipping. I know the company I work for does; we are one of UPS's largest customers and on top of giving us extremely cheap shipping rates($3 or so for a 1 lb package vs. $6 or so they charge to any Joe Smith), they give us a rebate at the end of the year based on the volume we give them.

As I said, many times I lose money in shipping. I am not a large ebayer so UPS doesn't give me very good rates; I pay "retail" rates to ship. The calculator is not always the most accurate, but it's the only tool ebay has to offer me right now.

If you want to bid on an item, and the shipping is $5.95 and you think it should be less, then you should email the seller before you bid and ask them how it will be shipped and does that include insurance and delivery confirmation. Make them justify the $5.95 if it's that big a concern. Ask yourself what it would cost you in time and gas to drive somewhere and find and buy the same or similar item and you'll usually discover that, even if you think the shipping charge is $1 or $2 too much, you're still saving money buying it that way vs. driving somewhere.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Muffycat that is the seller's choice to charge a flat rate and it's you're choice to choose to bid on the item knowing what the shipping charge might be. Some sellers say "$5.95 for shipping and HANDLING". The handling is the cost of the packaging and the time to package it up.

So they make a buck or two in shipping charges, they are the one taking the time to find a box, find some packing material, find some tape and package it up. It can take me up to 30 minutes to properly package some of the larger items I sell.

I can guarantee you that ALL retail outlets that ship make money on shipping. I know the company I work for does; we are one of UPS's largest customers and on top of giving us extremely cheap shipping rates($3 or so for a 1 lb package vs. $6 or so they charge to any Joe Smith), they give us a rebate at the end of the year based on the volume we give them.

As I said, many times I lose money in shipping. I am not a large ebayer so UPS doesn't give me very good rates; I pay "retail" rates to ship. The calculator is not always the most accurate, but it's the only tool ebay has to offer me right now.

If you want to bid on an item, and the shipping is $5.95 and you think it should be less, then you should email the seller before you bid and ask them how it will be shipped and does that include insurance and delivery confirmation. Make them justify the $5.95 if it's that big a concern. Ask yourself what it would cost you in time and gas to drive somewhere and find and buy the same or similar item and you'll usually discover that, even if you think the shipping charge is $1 or $2 too much, you're still saving money buying it that way vs. driving somewhere.

All this is great Jipsy, thank you. But I already know people charge for HANDLING also. My OP asks for a dope slaps, because in my FRENZY of getting my bid in before the 43 seconds was up, I did not LOOK at the shipping, until I had already placed my bid, and it was even too late to retract my bid, because the auction ended.

I am not asking her to lower her shipping charges. I am asking her to NOT send it our priority. She can still charge me her handling charge. I don't need the thing in 2 days.