Hi everyone,

I've been noticing more in the past 6 months overseas sellers (HK, Japan, China, Singapore) listing $30 shipping fees, along with a very low starting bid.

I always understood that as a very obvious dodge on eBay's seller fees, or am I mistaken? I actually lost an appeal against a seller who did that (I claimed the difference in the jacked up shipping), and I'm wondering if eBay's just done away with that clause.

Has anyone else experienced this with their TF purchases?

 

I am not a big ebayer, but didn't they change all fees to be applied to the total with shipping a couple months ago, so there is no real reason to overcharge.

That being said, if you don't like the shipping cost, don't bid on the item.

 

Why would you buy something for a price that's in front of your face, and then appeal it because of the price that was in front of your face? Come on now bro...

Anyways, with the ebay fees, I'm not sure: I know that used to be a way to avoid fees, but I thought they changed it sometime this year to tax/fee on shipping too?

 

They did TJD. It's not a fee on the final value the item was sold for including shipping.

 

This isn't new though. Shipping prices have been jacked up for some time now. I haven't bought or sold anything on ebay in over a year now because it has been a site that is very buyer and seller unfriendly with all the fees and sellers trying to find ways to still make their expected profits by increasing shipping costs. Even the ones who offer "free" shipping only jack up the asking price for their BIN's and starting bids. It is not worth it anymore.

 

this^^^

buyers need to look at the cost of the item and the cost of shipping and decide if they want the item for that total price.

 

the problem to watch for is say a seller is selling an item that is worth $100. Has a bin of $1 and $99 for shipping so you buy it.

Comes damaged and your pissed. if it was insured the seller could only do it for the lowest amount and you could get screwed cause you only paid a buck for it technically.

 

This isn't anything new if its what I think it is. People tend to jack up the shipping rates to avoid fees etc etc. Or maybe they just want to make extra money....who knows.

 

In case you missed it above : Jacked up shipping rates don't avoid fees. They charge a fee for the total amount + shipping.

I think people do it to make bidders think they are getting a great deal and trying to slip the jacked up shipping by them.

 

I know it doesn't avoid fees, but its not to say that people don't do it to try (since they may not know any better)

 

For international shipping, most sellers (when shipping to me over here in Korea) they say they need to charge a flat fee, then will refund the difference. That's code for "too lazy to visit the post office to get an accurate shipping quote". In this case, I was screwed out of 17 GBP because the seller just pretended not to have promised that. Buyer beware.  

 

From my experience, jacked up shipping costs are more for profit. Everybody to an extent does this. I used to do this but it was more for labor and gas charge. I would charge only an extra $2, but nothing like jacking it $10 or more.

 

See, I didn't even know anyone ever refunded the difference. I just treated as part of the final cost with no exception.

However, I know that if a seller needs to make an adjustment on the final shipping, they can do that after the bid is won and send the winner and invoice, then there are no refunds or silliness needed.

 

I like how people keep using the blanket statements.

Sorry, some of us actually charge exactly the cost of the shipping. Or at least close to; I often round up/down depending on how close the cost is to the next $0.50; then again, I'm fortunate enough to have a scale, so I can accurately quote.

 

I don't feel that this was a blanket statement, since anyone who's used Ebay once even knows that not everyone does this.

Not trying to "butt in", but I don't think sellers like you were referred to in any way, shape, or form with this one.

 

I charge cost Plus the paypal fee's 'more or less' on most stuff and provide discounts on multiple purchases. sometimes more but I don't charge triple the actual cost like some do.

I will sometime make the international charge higher if I want it sent signed for.

I think there's plenty of good deals on Ebay I often will ask for multiple purchase discounts on the shipping if they don't give it I don't buy.

For example I asked a seller if they'd send a Perfect Effect toy for no shipping cost if I bought one of there other toys that was expensive and they said yes.

Or you can ask if I buy 3 of something can I have 1/3rd knocked of the shipping etc..

I hate it when some of the asian sellers sell things for more than retail and will only offer 5% DISCOUNT on extra buys I figures out once that if I bought all I wanted they'd be over charging me on the shipping by $70.00.

So I stick with the sellers I trust now - it's not always the ones with the most stuff listed though.

Take something with poor bang for buck value like Acelerators - I'd not want to overpay on them they are not worth it. and if I had to pay full individual non-combined shipping id be stupid as there's plenty of them listed so lots of people to ask.

 

Leader Blackout.
now this topic belongs in TF Toy Discussion.

 

I once bought something from China for a total of $40. The actual price of the item was $8, the rest shipping. On the packaging there was a sticker and on it was a field asking "Value of item," in which the guy put in "$8."

I'm pretty sure he was trying to avoid taxes, because he had several older auctions of the same thing where the BIN price and shipping were different, but totaled $40 USD. It was clear he was trying to sell for $40, but got an idea halfway through the stock.

 

folks are charged exporting taxes on declared items they send out? that's news to me. I'm thankful there are no such things in the US whether sending or receiving.

 

To be honest, your expectations are a little unreasonable.

You really expect a seller to take a special trip to the Post Office, just to weigh & get an exact shipping quote so you can save a few bucks up front instead of refunding it after? I live a mile from the PO and that still take me a half hour to an hour to get done. Plus gas, plus wear and tear on my car. The cost to me is FAR more than whatever the savings is. And that's all wasted effort if the bidder turns out to be a deadbeat anyway.

The times I sell on Ebay (which is only a few times a year anymore), I weigh the package ahead of time, use the online rates, and list it in the auction. That's it, no discussion. I think that if someone is going to be that much of a stickler on S&H, there is too high a chance they are going to make trouble on other things, too.