OT: Two out of Three eBayers ...
 

... will overcharge me on the shipping fees. Almost every week I have to try to get some money back from these m****f***** and it's really annoying! :mad:

I get overcharged by $7, $14 and sometimes $20!

Majority usually just give me back the difference, but then there is a small percentage of f****** that fight back! They say things like:

- I had to pay for the bubble mailer

- Gas money

- Paypal and eBay fees

- My time

- If you are happy with the item(s), then what's the problem?

- I could have charged you individual shipping as per individual listing - but I did not.

The list goes on and on.

Most card dealers I know ship for free or they charge a very small amount. I only charge $5 even though I live in Canada. It usually ends up costing me more, but the rest comes out of my pocket.

How do you guys deal with people like this?

depending on item purchased - sellers will try to recoup some of the ebay/paypal fees with the shipping charges

the shipping charge is already shown prior to bidding.

again - depends on the item bidding on and the total amount of the projected sale.

Am I wrong or are you continuing to deal with the same crappy sellers that keep doing this to you? Or, is it just happening with every 2 out of 3 random sellers that aren't the same ones each time?

It sounds like your continuing to buy from the same douche dealers. Maybe I'm misunderstanding though? :confused:

By overcharge, do you mean difference between price charged by seller and postage cost they paid to ship? Or something else?

I don’t think a seller should lose money on shipping, and paying for shipping supplies and a bit of fees seems reasonable...but charging $7-20 more than the raw postage fee clearly is a significant overcharge.

2 outta 3 is a heck of a %
There's a ton of sellers that offer Free shipping, I do as well

You mean they are somehow charging you more than what's specified in the listing for a shipping charge? No? Then you're not being overcharged.

Canada
 

I see that you are from Canada. Are you complaining about sellers charging you more than the actual cost to ship to Canada?

It costs $12.25 to ship a small package to Canada. This covers up to 8 ounces. That 8 ounces includes the packaging material, so that can easily eat up 3-4 of your 8 ounces. There is a small discount (61 cents) for using eBay/PayPal to print the shipping label, but that is more than offset because eBay and PayPal both collect fees on the shipping costs.

If you have a heavier package, it costs $20.75 to ship up to 32 ounces. Again, there is a discount ($1.04) for using eBay/PayPal labels, but the seller still pays around $2.40 in fees to eBay and PayPal.

For cheap single cards, some sellers use a PWE, including me, but the rules that are in place do not allow for that. All merchandise entering Canada is required to be shipped using the parcel rates, even if it is one card.

There is also a rate for flats/large envelopes, but again, the rules prohibit sending merchandise by this method. So, you can ask the seller to send a photo or a similar item using the flats rate, but, because you cannot purchase tracking for a flat, sellers are reluctant to use this method.

Rick

Just got cards sent in a plain envelope with one 55 cent stamp. Was charged $3.00 as per the listing!

I don't care if they send it to me for $3 but not just one stamp. Overcharged by $2.45

Yes
 

I agree with you on that kind of situation.

A) I’ve always factored the cost of shipping listed into a purchase I’ve made regardless of the item.

B) I’ve always used free shipping and just factored the cost of shipping into my pricing. For auctions (I really don’t run that many) I just add $3.


This is different though and I can honestly say that’s never happened. Well... actually I once received a BVG graded Delong card wrapped in brown paper (imagine an old textbook cover) like a present with my address written on the outside. Just the card and the paper. It said “enjoy!”, however on the paper so I couldn’t even be mad. I’ll even add it packages of my own once in a blue moon.

I do free shipping. Buy from me

+1 agree - this drives me bonkers!

I would have to disagree. There is a cost for the packaging, time to package the item and time to take it to the post office. Those all have value. It is not a 'postage charge', it is shipping and handling fee. Every seller I look at has it in their listings. I take that into account. Additionally, I have never had a seller who did not combine postage on multiple items. If I had an item I was shipping in a #10 business envelope and it cost less than a dollar I would probably not charge $3.00, but I would also not charge 55¢ either. It is fine to say that you do not charge for shipping. Ebay rewards sellers that do that. However, they are not selling an item for $7 that cost them $5. They would lose money all the time. I would suspect that many of them are pricing their items with a fair profit after fees and shipping costs.

In this scenario it's less about the cost of someone's shipping, time, and materials than about their lack of care. I buy hundreds of signed cards at SCN to round out sets and have no problem with PWE's if it's announced up front. I'm not buying the condition, I'm buying the signed card. It's honestly fair however, to expect anything over a $2 shipping charge to include at least a bubble mailer. If it's worth it a seller to charge $5-$6 for a single cheaper card for "their time and materials" sure - if I really want it I'll pay for it and have. But if you charge more than $2 for shipping and then out a PWE that's just cheap and lazy. If you are on eBay you're also going to open yourself up to dishonest people saying they never received the item.

Asa seller I do free shipping and just calculate a modest shipping cost into the BIN or Starting bid price - this is for US Addresses only tho. Normally as a buyer I also tend to look for sellers with Free Shipping. I can see how there would be all kinds of discrepancy for items that need to go to Canada.

I read the terms ahead of time and then pay what they charge me. I don’t try and negotiate after the deal that doesn’t seem fair to me. Simple addition and subtraction was never difficult so it isn’t hard to subtract the shipping cost from what I am willing to pay.

I've been selling off my hockey cards and memorabilia and after three weeks of Canadians not paying, griping about shipping costs, negotiating after auctions on the shipping, etc, I ended shipping to Canada.

I buy a fair amount of cards from Canada and never, ever complain about the shipping because it was agreed upon prior to bidding/purchase. I understand maybe being a little perturbed paying for a particular service (Priority) and it arriving in the mail with a stamp - but that's not the case here as the OP is looking at postage he paid vs postage the seller paid.

OP
 

The OP who is complaining is from Canada. Do you ship to Canada for free?

shipping
 

I charge $4.50 shipping for the first item then additional .50 for all other cards. These are 99% of the time graded cards. The only time I have to refund shipping is when the buyer does not read the full description or wait for the invoice.

I try to keep costs reasonable when selling on the 'bay' but factor in cost of materials etc. These aren't free to the seller of course so those costs need to be passed on. That said, if I see an overly excessive s/h cost when buying, I just move on.

Hi Adam
 

$4.50 is very reasonable for a graded card, especially when you consider that eBay and PayPal are taking 54 cents in fees out of your $4.50. If you are shipping in a box and charging the 8 oz rate and using eBay/PayPal shipping, it is costing you between $3.21 and $3.67 for postage. This doesn't leave much to cover the cost of the box, cushioning, paper, ink, and tape and it doesn't leave anything left over for handling or your time.

I don't worry about my time. If I did, I would be better off working at convenience store for $8 an hour rather than spend countless hours scanning, listing, shipping, etc. But, I enjoy what I am doing, I am making a little money, and I can do it from my home, surrounded by my cards and watching the Brewers on TV.

Rick

To me its the cost of doing business, I feel no need to add a surcharge for packing material, gas to the post office & so on.
Soon sellers might charge extra since they had to scan the card & type the listing in on Ebay

I personally don't mind "any" charge , as long as I know up front. To me it is like the sellers are self insuring, as they are on the hook for any reason the buyer complains about, sometimes even getting back damaged goods or no goods at all.

Free Shipping ? That just means a price has been added to the item being purchased.

For me, the seller can advertise whatever shipping fee they want. It's up to me, the buyer, to decide if I want to pay that on top of the price of the item. It's all clear on eBay page. It's really the buyers choice to buy. The seller is not being dishonest. BTW, it's fun to see how sellers pack....I have had a card bubble wrapped and in a bubble wrap envelope....I have had others only stuffed in a stamped envelope with only a penny sleeve...

If you’re shipping a graded card with eBay discount in a bubble mailer, that costs pretty close to $3 before you buy the mailer. Obviously, if you ship in a PWE that’s different.

Yes

Yes

Yep, and it really is happening to me.

This happens too. Some American sellers would charge me $20 or $25 and then send it by First Class for much less. I always had to get some money back from them.

This just happened to me a few days ago. I bought a hockey card from Vancouver and the guy charged me $5 US and then sent it in a plain envelope with a dollar-something stamp. I had him send me some money back.

No. Sometimes I buy a bunch of things from one seller, and then he will hit me with an invoice with a higher shipping charge. In other words, it's not always clear on the eBay page.

Shipping 1 graded card to Canada costs me between $10.50 to $12.50. In most cases I add insurance which can tack on another $1.00 to $2.00. So, total cost to ship can be from $10.50 to $14.50.

I charge $11.50 to ship to Canada (mentioned in each of my listings). Sometimes, I come out ahead for about a dollar but most times I end up shelling the difference out of my own pocket.

Most buyers do not complain but every so often a buyer comes along and complains that shipping is too high. I simply say that all shipping costs are laid out in my listings. When I explain the breakdown of the costs, they usually stop complaining. It's up to the buyer at this point to decide whether they want to continue bidding.

For buyers who complain about the high costs of shipping, just try selling on ebay for a few months and you will understand the costs of running a business.

My favorite eBay sellers are guys who overcharge by a mile but give free shipping. Love those guys.

I am from Canada, Most of my ebay buying comes from The States with Global shipping witch tends to be very expensive, if I really want the item I pay up with no complaints, if I feel its not worth it I just let it go and not buy, But I'll never complain after the facts and don't understand why anyone would.

Yeah, I really don't get it either. Bitch about outrageous AH shipping costs? Sure. Because you have little or no idea what they are going to charge. Doesn't every eBay listing set forth exactly what the shipping charge is? If you think the shipping is extreme either take it into consideration with how much you will offer or move on and don't bid.

Feels sort of like ordering a $19 hamburger in a fancy restaurant and then complaining that $19 is an outrageous sum to charge for a hamburger.

What I am complaining about is using your analogy I buy a $19 hamburger at a fancy joint and they bring me a hamburger from McDonalds

I paid $3 for postage and they send it for 55 cents

Ok, but did it come in a padded envelope? Did it have bubble wrap? Was it in a holder? Have you ever stood in line at the post office for 30 minutes. Or had to drive to the post office?

Not saying there aren't egregious charges in some cases, but if someone says $3 and you get it safe and sound and timely, and it's well packaged, is it really a huge deal regardless of how much exactly the postage was?

If I paid $17 for priority mail and someone threw it into a 75 cent envelope, sure I'd be pissed off. I guess like most things it's a matter of degree.

my 2 cents
 

1) The op has clarified that the sellers he is buying form are doing the equivalent of what Fred shared - Charging him x$ and then shipping it for .25x-.5x $. That being the case I am mostly with the OP here. I do agree as has been stated that it is reasonable imo to charge a bit more if it is special packaging (a bubble mailer) or takes an unusual amount of time to pack, etc.).

2) VERY IMPORTANT piece of information and SUCKS for everyone but Ebay - Ebay takes almost 10% of the shipping charge from the seller as a fee!!

So, I'm back at your fancy restaurant. I should be happy with my $19 McDonalds hamburger because someone from the fancy restaurant had to be paid to drive to McDonalds, then wait in line, brings it to me safe and sound in a timely manner, neatly wrapped ? Do you think that would be a huge deal if YOU were the one ordering the $19 hamberger?

Well, not to keep flogging a dead horse, but doesn't the shipping charge listed on eBay identified HOW it is going to be shipped. If someone tells me I charge $10 dollars to ship in a small priority mail box, I realize they've added a fee bucks into the mix for their time and effort. If someone charges me $10 for priority mail (which I have no trouble accepting) and then mails first class in an envelope . . . sure in that case I'd be pissed off. But if the person says shipping is $4 and I'm sending by first class mail . .well you have a full disclosure there as to what's going down. Accept the terms of the seller or don't.

Ok, after reading a bit of the thread is it correct to say that most sellers DO provide the shipping cost in the item description, however, since you are in Canada, the sellers end up charging you more because the ship to address changes from a US postal address to a Canadian postal address?

Perhaps you could contact the seller prior to bidding and find out how much they charge to ship it to a Canadian address. Sounds like a pain but it could reduce your 2 out of 3 to much less.

Don't you wish you could pay in Canadian $$ :p

No , 9 times out of the 10 shipping to Canada is indicated, Like in my previous comment that I posted, if I'm buing a 30$ item and the shipping is $20 + Duty + Taxes + exchange I will pass on it, But if I am Buying a $400 item and the shipping is 25$ + Duty + taxes + exchange and I really want the item and chances are that I cannot find one in Canada , I will buy it and be happy to add it to my collection , I will come and show it off on different platforms such as this one and never complain how I got ripped off on shipping because I knew ahead of time.

Canada
 

Here are some other tidbits for mailing to Canada.

For a First Class package, insurance is not available. If you want insurance, you have to upgrade to International Priority, which starts at $34, plus the cost of the insurance. Or, you can Register your package, which starts at around $16, plus the cost of postage, but the "insurance value" is only $41, so if a $100 card is lost or damaged, you can only file a claim for $41, so in essence, you won't be able to insure a card unless you sent it by Express or Priority.

Also, the value of the merchandise in a First Class package cannot exceed $400, so if the value is over $400, you have to upgrade to Priority.

The comment was for the original poster for this thread.

I understand, I was just giving my opinion since most of my purchases are done in the states mostly from Ebay and ocasionally from auction houses. I just can not understand people after agreeing to a price come on here and used foul language and call sellers names after agreeing to terms of the sale, instead of being happy with their purchase they have to find something to complain about, I guess some people always look for the negative in everything, maybe its in their nature.

I was going to say, it costs me around $3.50 to ship (anywhere from $2.80-$3.00) plus the cost of the mailer (52 cents). So I charge $3.50. I don't make anything on it, and I actually lose money with eBay's stupid 10% fee on shipping. But I digress.

Being from Canada certainly makes things more expensive. Last time I shipped something to Canada, it was almost $8. I haven't done it since, and that was probably 4-5 years ago. I only ship to the USA now because you can't track anywhere outside USA.

Definitely true.

If someone has $12 or $17 or $26 listed as the shipping price, and I agree to it, it's because I think that's around the same price he will spend. However, when I receive the parcel and see that he got a much cheaper rate and just profited the rest, then I don't think that's cool.

I just got a parcel in the mail today from the good ol' USA! I paid $13.50 US shipping and the guy paid a dollar less - cool! I am going to leave him a five-star feedback. :)

Now, if he had paid $7 less, then I wouldn't be too happy with that. Is there something wrong with me? I dunno.

Don't we all consider the shipping cost in what we are willing to bid on an item? I mean, if I'm willing to pay $50 for something and shipping is $5, then I'll bid $45. If they charge $10 for shipping, then I bid $40. I don't care how they want to juggle the breakout of the charges between cost of the item vs. the shipping cost. I still paid my $50 either way. I'd be pissed if the item arrived damaged but that's a different issue. Anyway, as long as they state what they are going to charge me for shipping clearly in the listing, then I don't get upset about it.

Just my 2 cents.

shipping
 

He didn't really pay a dollar less. eBay and PayPal took $1.62 in fees out of the $13.50 that you paid the seller.

I agree, as long as I know the shipping charges I just factor that and the darned tax :) into it. I don't get upset but I think I do buy a little less because of recently added costs (especially tax as I am not a reseller with a tax id). I factor in shipping and tax as my landed cost basis.

I try not to complain about shipping especially if the amount is stated beforehand. What bothers me is when a seller states a price like $3.80, which is the minimum retail amount for first class package with tracking, then sends in a PWE for .55 or .71 cents. I feel like its deliberately misleading.

The other side of the coin is, I combined shipping for a buyer. 7 huge, graded mutoscope cards and some other cards. Combine shipping was $8.50. He screamed and moaned. Said it should be $5. I explained to him that I was probably losing money on shipping the items to him, even at the $8.50 (and I did). His items easily weight over a pound, which is the cutoff for getting items into the cheaper "First Class" category. To be honest with you, I always cringe when people win multiple items from me, as shipping is always going to be a sticking point. They don't seem to understand how combined shipping even works.