Shipping multiples

[Archive]

Posted By: warshawlaw

90% of the time the seller will give you a flat price for the multiple lot sale if you ask about it. For the few who refuse, you really have to decide whether it makes sense to refuse to pay the extortionate shipping charges and have the attendant bad blood and negative feedbacks. I once refused to pay a seller 50% of the sale price to ship one stinkin' card, we exchanged hostilities, and I told him where to stick it. Not pleasant and I don't think I'd fall into that trap today. One thing to remember is that ebay's loophole of not charging a final sale fee on shipping and handling makes it attractive for sellers to overcharge for shipping to encourage low bids on low priced items. You really have to assess whether a card is worth $x + $6.00 then bid accordingly.

While we're at it, am I the only one bothered that there is there such a disparity between the auction houses on shipping? In two auctions that closed at roughly the same time, I paid $20 in one auction for insured shipping and handling of $250 worth of cards yet in another auction was charged only $12 for insured shipping and handling of nearly $900 worth of cards. There is simply no way that there should be such a disparity unless a profit is involved.