Should $4 in postage buy you a padded mailer?

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Posted By: <b>Tim Newcomb</b><p>I won't identify the seller because I don't want to magnify the issue unduly-- but I got an ebay envelope (unpadded) today with two fairly low-value cards inside. It had a 39 cent stamp. Looked back and I paid $4 for postage on the two.<br /><br />I know many opinions have aired here about the seller's time packing, going to the PO, etc. To a moderate extent I agree with them. It does cost money (I charge $2 for a padded mailer.) <br /><br />But shouldn't $4 buy you padded shipment, at least? <br /><br />Opinions welcome--

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Posted By: <b>howard</b><p>I always take the mailing charges into consideration and bid accordingly. If the charges are high I just bid less. As long as the item arrives in good shape I don't mind if it is sent w/o a bubble mailer.

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Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>I think a request for $4 postage implies some insurance too. You can send it in a padded envelope for a buck.

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Posted By: <b>Brad Green</b><p><br /><br />I definitely do not like getting cards in 39 cent envelopes. I prefer that cards be sent in bubble mailers with the card attached to a piece of cardboard to prevent the card from being bent.<br /><br />My guess is that a lot of sellers are charging more for shipping to try to get back their eBay listing fees, eBay final sales fees and any PayPal fees that they might incur during the transaction -- in addition to the cost of postage and the envelope. Of course the guy you bought from didn't pay much for the envelope.<br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Kyle</b><p>If you haven't left feedback, I'd ask for a $2.00 refund first, or atleast clarification where the $4.00 goes towards shipping. I charge $3.00 for insured first class in a bubble envelope with the cards packed between cardboard.<br /><br />You probably paid his listing, partial final value and paypal fees.<br /><br />-Kyle-

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Posted By: <b>John</b><p>I won a neat 8" x 10" picture last week of a minor league team from the 20's. Seller stated in his description that priorty shipping would be used and rate would depend upon location. He is from Pennsylvania and I live in Ohio. I assumed $5/$6 max with insurance. Somehow after the auction concluded he calculated that the cost to send my picture would be $17.55! Needless to say, we have been exchanging emails for the last week. He won't budge on the shipping and I really want the photo. If he would have listed it properly it probably would have gone for $30-$40 more than the end price. I will probably cave but how some of these people look themselves in the mirror is beyond me.

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Posted By: <b>pete</b><p>to pay $4+ for a .60 envelope without delivery confirmation or insurance...one of these days someone will claim they didnt receive their<br />card knowing they paid through paypal and can get their $ back...no, not me!<br />im too honest and see theives come to jail everyday (sheriff dept) but it did happen to me, i charged $2 for shipping and that only covered the weight with about .11 cents left over, i opt out of the delivery confirmation and the guy claimed he never got it, which i obviously didnt belive...paypal tried to take back the $40 because i didnt have proof of delivery...so now i ALWAYS USE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION even if i have to pay more than i charged for the shipping, insurance another issue, buyer's choice but as a seller i will alway spend the .60 cents for the delivery confirmation<br /><br />just my 2 cents<br />pete-

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Posted By: <b>joe brennan</b><p> Today I shipped a graded Michael Jordan rookie sticker. It sold for $175.00. I place all cards between 2 pieces of cardboard in a bubble envelope and add the appropriate insurance. Even though I advertise $2 shipping for graded cards, I Payed $4.22 for shipping + the cost of the envelope. I never, never ship cards in anything but a padded envelope and cardboard. It buys me piece of mind.<br><br>A scared man can't gamble and a jealous man can't work.

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Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>My Ebay feedback profile has one Neg on it, and it was<br />given to me by a "jerk" in the Seattle area. I won 2 cards<br /> from him for about $28 and when he sent me the invoice it<br />totalled $40.<br />No where in his description did he state such a ridiculous<br />shipping fee. I refused to pay him and he reported me to<br />Ebay. Ebay threaten a "non-payer strike" against me. And,<br />he also hit me with a Negative in my Feedback.<br /><br />I appealed to Ebay regarding the "strike" against me and<br />Ebay upheld my Appeal because they agreed with my argu-<br />ment regarding this "jerk's" unethical shipping fee.<br /><br />Then the "jerk" goes thru Ebay again to have me rescind<br />the Negative I hit him with on his Feedback, as he was<br />now willing to reduce the shipping fee to $6. Well, I<br /> refused to rescind, and I "wear" the lousy Red mark he<br /> gave me as a "badge of victory" against this jerk.<br /><br />Incidently, last time I checked his Feedback Profile he<br />had over 40 Negatives against him. And, another 10 - 15<br />Neg. that he "conned" the buyers to rescind.

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Posted By: <b>Dan Koteles</b><p>there are many who charge much more then that. I think <br />I pay 7 $ on the average and never complain. I do like my cards fast though.

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Posted By: <b>barry arnold</b><p>Yes.<br /><br />but ebay mercantilism has little to do with equity and justice,I'm sorry<br />to say.<br />I wish it were different.<br /><br />If the mailing fees look too high for any reason, I tend to pass on it.<br />There are a lot of 'fish in the sea'----to mix metaphors a bit.<br /><br />best<br /><br />barry <br />

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Posted By: <b>Tim Newcomb</b><p>A further (final?) reflection:<br /><br />I think I dislike this type of overcharging more than any other kind, because you can't foresee it and avoid the auction. I too am used to paying $4 and sometimes more for a lot of items, and I factor that into my bidding. If it's well packed and includes insurance, I have no complaints.<br /><br />Here the problem is that the seller stated the shipping charge, but not that it would only buy a 39-cent stamp and a 3-cent envelope. It's hard to avoid that kind of sneaky practice.<br /><br />But once burned, you CAN avoid the seller (who does buy and sell on this board) in the future. That's my plan from here on out-- I don't think I'm the first to conclude this about him.<br /><br />Regards to all--<br /><br />Tim

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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>Tim, you obviously don't understand how much time (= money) sellers use to lick stamps. Plus there's the self insurance charge in case of papercut infection. <br /><br />Just today I was in the middle of packaging when I had to stop to stratch an itch on my right elbow. That was a nickel shot to hell right there. Sneeze, three cents.<br /><br />Reminds me of the old joke about contents of a medical doctor's bill:<br /><br />* March 3rd checkup: $200<br />* Lab test: $150<br />* Blood pressure medication: $200<br />* Crossed the street downtown to say Hello but it turned out not to be you: $30

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Posted By: <b>Josh Adams</b><p>I too get annoyed when there is a high shipping fee, and you get a regular envelope. I think when you send merchandise that can bend or break, a padded envelope should be implied.<br /><br />On another note, why not mention the seller's name? You have already told us the entire story? It may be a benefit to future bidders on this individual's auction, and could save the heartache and trouble of paying $4.00 for a regular envelope. <br /><br /><br /><br />Josh<br><br>Go Go White Sox<br />2005 World Series Champions!

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Posted By: <b>Hal Lewis</b><p>Yes.<br /><br />The envelope should be free...<br /><br />and then the four dollar bills are shredded and used for the padding.<br /><br /><br />Any other method for a $4 padded envelope is a rip off.

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Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>I have to politely disagree on this issue. As long as the seller said what the fees were up front, and did not promise anything he/she didn't do, then $4 is not too much imo....even for just an envelope and a .39 stamp. Just my opinion and I know most disagree with this. My thought is as long as the card(s) got delivered ok then there was no harm. Again, just my belief. Had the cards got damaged then that would be another issue. Sometimes I might charge a fee for guaranteed delivery and it could be a few bucks more than the postage only. As long as the buyer gets what they bought, in good condition, for the quoted price, then I see no issue. Take the shipping into account when you buy, get the product in good condition, and be happy.....or don't be.....like my wife....(that's a joke honey).......

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Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Leon<br /><br />Depending on the purchased item (and in particular valuable cards), I<br />think most of us are flexible in what we are willing to pay to guarantee<br />we recieve the item intact. Whether it's $4 or $20 it's our choice when<br />we bid on Ebay.<br />But, when Ebay sellers (like the jerk in my story) do not specify their<br />shipping fee and they happen to have a card (or whatever) that you really<br />want and then they hit you with an exhorbitant shipping fee.....what is<br />your recourse. Fortunately, there aren't that many sellers out there that<br />are trying to get some extra $$ on your purchase by "padding" the shipping<br />fee; but, sometimes it's hard to avoid these unscrupulous few.

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Posted By: <b>leon</b><p>We are in agreement. The first thing I said in my post is as long as it (the shipping fees) were stated up front then there is no issue, imo. Not stating them then hitting you with high fees is unacceptable.....

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Posted By: <b>Judge Dred (Fred)</b><p>I figure things this way. I calculate the shipping charges into the overall cost of the card. If I pay $4 for S/H and the card comes in a plain envelope with minimal protection and a first class stamp then all I can feel is that the seller is trying to make a few $$ on shippng and that the seller is an a$$ but there's nothing I can do about it. You can always just forego leaving feedback if you feel strongly about it. I wouldn't leave neutral or negative feedback if the S/H charges are clearly stated in the item description.

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Posted By: <b>jay behrens</b><p>Make use of the feedback system. Neutral feedback is the most underutilized feature. This is the perfect place to make a note that even though you got the item as decribed, their shipping policy leaves a lot to be desired. The reason eBay's feedback system is such a joke is that people refuse to use it properly. <br /><br />Jay<br><br>I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: <b>Cobby33</b><p>I agree with Jay, but it seems that these days, sellers wait until the buyer leaves feedback, before they do so. Thus even when neutral/negative feedback is warranted to the seller, they will do the same out of spite, even if you paid on time, etc.

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Posted By: <b>jay behrens</b><p>I've been on ebay since the first year. I've left over 20 negs and have only gotten 2 in ratilaition. The thing to rememeber is that if all you do is buy, sellers almost never check feedback. Even as a seller, we've seen that low feedback as rule doesn't really stop people from bidding. Getting a negative is not the world ender that people make it out to be.<br /><br />Jay<br><br>I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: <b>Steve</b><p>I use 2 ebay accounts, one for buying one for selling.<br /><br />in Ted's case he stated that the seller did not disclose what the shipping would be within the auction? if that was the case I would have asked that question before I bid.<br /><br /><br />because I sell properly I never get negs. because I usually run into a bad seller or 2 while buying I could leave negative feedback w/o fear of a retally.<br /><br />Even though I have had 2 cases that may have warranted a neg I chose not to.<br /><br />to answer the original question of this thread ......................YES 4.00 should at the least get you a padded envelope.<br /><br />Steve<br /><br />Collecting Triple folders soon!<br /><br />edited: I wanted to make sense.

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Posted By: <b>rob</b><p>Which is why I charge more for shipping that what I used to. For small value items, I figure I'm self insuring. I have had a person get a claim for less than $10 on me once. There wasn't anything I could do as I didn't get delivery confirmation. On the other hand, I've charged .25 to .50 more enough times to more than cover that.<br /> <br />As for the original poster, if the listing clearly notes the shipping costs, there shouldn't be a problem, bid accordingly. Ebay does have some rather vague guidelines as to what excessive shipping costs are. Of course, Ebay is all about protecting their commissions, not concern for the buyer, so I don't expect they would act on a $4 shipping on a .40 envelope.<br /><br /> I have found shipping cards in a penny sleeve in a toploader QUITE effective. Padded envelopes simply aren't needed, although in the case of an expensive card, I'll put in in a padded envelope to have the buyer fell better.