2 Invoices Received this Morning for Pre-WWII cards ....etc..
 

I just received 2 invoices in emails from different auction companies. Here are the totals. Both are similar sized, small, items. Both companies are well known. I know it's not a lot of money but I just wish we wouldn't get gouged on shipping. sigh....
Invoice 1

Total Bids: $360.00

Buyer Premium: $72.00
Insurance: $4.32
Ship/Pack: $4.25
Total S/H: $8.57
Final Total: $440.57


Invoice 2...

Sub Total: $89.00

Buyer's Premium: $15.58
Shipping, Handling & Insurance: $16.25
Total Amount Due: $120.83


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+100. I bet I know who #2 is!! :D I paid the same amount for shipping on an order for approximately the same amount of $$...

One thing that I love about REA is you get a double boxed, extremely well packaged delivery, and they do it for free (at least for flat items)...

Best,

Steve

I'm also pretty sure I know who #2 is as well since I had similar shipping last month. When you combine the shipping with lack of quality photos, antiquated website, lack of customer service, and blocking dealers from setting up at the show they previously ran, I really don't care to deal with them. I'm also a bit surprised how they continue to get the consignments they do get.

DJ

You're lucky y'all don't live in Canada.

That may have been true, not so sure now...but I cannot discuss why.




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Based on the description, I assume the name of the company rhymes with Runt?

Ironically, I bought an expensive (~$1500) giant framed 24"x36" picture from them a month or two ago, which must've weighed a ton. Packed super well too - I figured I'd be charged a mint for shipping. They charged me $25, and I guarantee them it cost them much more than that to actually ship that.

They must have some hideous program to calculate shipping, which isn't based on what the items actually are. Unfortunate they overcharge some and undercharge others - this is important to get right!

Scott S@r!@n

I think on the second invoice the stated charge should be identified as 'Fondling', as it appears the shipper believes that your package received attention above and beyond normal 'Handling'.

Brian

Its true....
I've spent anywhere between $25 to $40 for single-item shipping, and don't even get me started on the EBay Global Shipping Program, where I've seen shipping for SMALL items over $100... Sometimes even higher.

The 1st looks in-line to me, the 2nd not so much.

Joe

Please HA - Thank You, I'll have another
 

Imagine if I lived in a taxable state:

Sub-Total $1,020.00
Shipping $29.90
Tax $0.00

Total $1,049.90

I simply don't bid on auctions or purchase BIN's that use the GSP.

Not so sure our American (seller) friends appreciate the frustrations Canadians have with that program.

Ok. I am slightly confused. One costs 16.25 and the other one costs 17.14. Are you saying both are very expensive? Or one is way more than the other?

It would seem that since they are both right around the same amount of money, except that the cost of the goods on one is higher, commensurate the shipping charges, both seem some what reasonable.

When looking at the total cost: 16 or 17 bucks, for packaging, packing materials, labeling, system entry possibly, payroll, taxes, employee benefits....per hour, probably offers the person doing the job a some what reasonable salary to handle priceless items without incident, even if that one isn't priceless.

200, 300 a day to the person doing the job?

I don't think you read it quite correctly
The one that is roughly a quarter of the cost, cost roughly twice as much to ship, both items being close to the same dimensions/weight too. It's not a big deal, just a minor rant. :)

Gotcha. Yup. Read it wrong.

The worst auction house for shipping, handling, packaging, insurance, storage, and tax (if applicable) is Christies!!! I think they average another 25 percent ontop of your winning price including the buyers premium which is around 25 percent.

The first one is only $8.57. Leon added a subtotal. $17.14 is actually double what he paid bc you are adding $4.32 plus $4.25 plus the subtotal of $8.57 to come up with $17.14.

You're lucky y'all don't live in Canada
 

probably THE funniest comment I've ever read on net54! :eek:

Overcharging S & H
 

I can't stand this stuff - the AH nickel & dime gouging crap on s/h.

It's not the dollars - paying another $10, $20 isn't going to make or break anyone - it's the principle. As a buyer you're paying up to 23% now (perhaps more?) for some AH's and then get another $30 or $40 tacked on for a card or two in s/h? :mad: - - That "lets see if we can pad the bottom line by ripping buyers off" angle and shaking you for a few extra bucks. What I don't understand is the short-sightedness of fleecing someone for a few extra bucks at the risk of alienating them over rip-off tactics and losing their business altogether? I haven't gone to that length, yet .. but I have noted those who play the rip-you-off-on-shipping game and greatly cut down any bids/purchases and even moreover - won't even consider them for consignment

Curious, has anyone ever posted an informal list of who's who on s/h charges and/or buyers premium? I know you can go into each and see who charges what (the shipping this is almost always a surprise though) - but would be nice to have a reference list. I don't mind naming who IMO has the best/worst out there on s/h charges (those I recall/have dealt with) .. Best: REA (none), Goodwin, Sterling, LOTG. Worst: Mile High, Wheatland, Memory Lane.

Shipping departments are profit centers
 

What, do anything for free?

The last auction item I bought was thru HA on an item consigned by some guy we all know who was liquidating a certain type collection to fund a certain educational endeavor. Loved the cards but not the final tab, which inflated the cost to over 135% of the bid. Situation normal these days? Looks like it.

Tempted to start a pick up service for auction #2. I routinely pick my items there. I could pick up other's items make a small profit AND save them money lol.

#2 I bet I know too!


Insurance: $17.68
Ship/Pack: $15.50

Those Ebay GSP costs are horrendous especially for people in Canada. I have turned away from so many nice cards that I wanted to add to my collection because of that GSP. Sometimes the shipping is more than the card. :mad:

I have vented many times about it. :mad:

I've noticed that some large items from "Runt Auctions" seem to have super-low shipping, also! Leon, you might want to start collecting bulkier items.

Reminds me of my all-time best shipping coup: Mastro. Won a lot of over 500 signed baseballs. Came in 3 boxes, my wife had to help me get each one in the door. My UPS driver wouldn't speak to me for months. Total damage? Under $30 shipping!!!! Someone must've gotten fired for that one.

Bill forgot to shill the shipping :)

Why is everyone saying I know who they are or I know who number 1 is or number 2 is. Call these guys out say who they are with high shipping cost so everybody knows who to avoid when wanting to bid in an auction. Why is it such a big secret. Maybe if they read people's complaints they will take notice.

The reason I didn't say who it is, is because one is an advertiser and one isn't.
I didn't want it to seem I was targeting a company for that reason...

Looks like AH 1 is charging a 20% buyer's premium while AH 2 is charging 17.5%. The second AH is trying to make some of the difference up by charging more for shipping. I would assume this is done so they can advertise that they charge a lower premium. This would probably work out better for the buyer on more expensive cards.

In post #6 Scott hints at who sent invoice #2. Just check out all the AH's for the rhyming word in their business name. Good luck in your hunt.

Brian