Posted By:
davidcyclebackAssorted notes:
1) It's generally categorized, including on eBay, as 'shipping and handling charge,' rather than shipping charge. In the case of a big auction house, ala Mastro, they may hire someone to do the packaging, so their cost of shipping is much more than just the shipping charge printed on the box.
2) The shipping charge should be stated, and if the shipping charge is stated it's stated. The prudent bidder checks first to see the shipping charge before bidding.
3) The shipping and handling charge should reasonably reflect the shipping and handling cost and effort. I agree that charging $30 to ship a card in a 37 cent stamp envelope is something for the buyer to complain about. Even if the charge was stated, the buyer certainly expected better than a 37 cent stamp envelope.
4) Buyers who complain about being overcharged on shipping almost never bring it up to the seller when they are undercharged. Some would call this transparently hypocritical and self--serving. I just had a buyer add a few bucks to cover shipping cost as he thought my charge was to low-- and he was in London England! Last time an American did that was like 4 years ago.
As a seller, I don't expect or ask sellers to 'make up the difference,' as I know what I'm doing when I pick shipping cost and take responsibility for it. If I offer 'free shipping' I obviously know the USPO charge will be higher than $0. It's just in the context of arguments about sellers overcharging that I find it interesting to think back how many buyers even pointed out that my shipping charge was less than cost.
5) As a buyer, what matters to me is a) Is the charge listed (if the charge is outlandish I will see this before I bid and often will not bid), b) Does the item arrive and securely and c) Was the item packaged properly. Would you believe it that when I receive a package, I often don't even look at the shipping cost on the box?