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[quote msglee]
Not everyone refunds shipping charges, if you have to return the item you may end up with a $3 refund.
OK, I will agree that is a very valid point. Maybe I've been lucky (goes to check) but I have now had almost 1000 transactions on eBay both buying and selling and as far as I can remember there has only been one case where an item was returned. It was when I was a seller and they were sure a piece was missing. I said return it and I would refund everything, they did and fortunately they were very honest because a couple of days later I got an email saying that they had the part. As I had suggested it was in the wrapping they had initially chucked in the bin but before taking the bin out they had checked again. They refunded all costs and more so and that has been my experience of eBay over the years I've been using it...no problems.
Famous last words!
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[quote msglee][quote voodoopenguin][quote PizzaGod]
I would be very happy to pay $12 shipping on a $3 item if $15 is still a good price.
Not everyone refunds shipping charges, if you have to return the item you may end up with a $3 refund.
Totally agree with that-and when I was active on eBay it would really depend on the circumstances.
I once gave somebody a full refund and the person still took the fact that the item was damaged in shipping as a personal affront, and even after ALL money was refunded still wrote a couple times to talk about how the whole transaction (which was under $50) ruined his life.
If my PITA radar was going off at all, I'd do a full refund and then block the person. If something like shipping charge refund or the amount of shipping was an item to be addressed during the auction I'd advise the potential buyer to look elsewhere, if for no other reason than to find a seller who was more likely to do a bit more "hand-holding" than I was.
I don't disagree with you Peter-but if the sellers policies give you cause to balk, why even bother with it? Life is too short.
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[quote Craig]But the price is not $3. It is $3+shipping. You can customize your search results to display the shipping cost right next to the bid price. You can even sort the search results from lowest to highest total cost (which includes shipping.)
Craig
Yes, of course -- what it was, was that I hadn't logged into ebay first to see what the shipping price would be... consider it as "sticker shock" that, once I did, I saw that the shipping would be $12 and change. Yes, I do usually consider shipping prices in the total price of the item. It's that, in this case, it's a very reasonably priced item for which the shipping turns it into an unreasonably priced item. (That is to say, I would feel the same about any item I was buying online, where the shipping adds too much to the total cost.)
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Just wondering, is there a difference between how eBay auctions look in the US to what they look like here? As we are just a small island there is no variation in shipping due to location so charges are usually right there in the auction details. Even if we ship to Europe it is still a standard charge albeit a little higher of course. I apologise if my stated opinion has been based on a different way of doing things.
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[quote voodoopenguin]
Why stop at getting at eBay sellers? Why not moan about those on Amazon selling (here in the UK and probably similar with you) books for 1 pence but charge heavy for the shipping? I'm sure there are many other areas that very similar practices occur but the only part that need matter the buyer is the end price and that is the item plus shipping.
Shipping charges are determined by Amazon, not the seller, when it come to selling used books (at least here in the US). I am speaking from experience on this. I would like to adjust my shipping charges but I have no control over it. Actually, sometimes the shipping rebate from Amazon is the only way I make any money on the book.
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On eBay you can put a price + shipping column that works for most items.
I just assumed high shipping was the way to go for the following reasons
1) Dumb people will see $3 and click buy before noticing the inflated S&H
2) People may feel better about buying and item for $25 and paying $20 shipping than paying $40 and $5 shipping
3) eBay doesn't charge fees on shipping fees
4) When the dummy returns the item because they didn't like it, you say you only refund the actual cost not the shipping. So the $40/$5 guy has to refund $40, the $25/$20 only has to refund $25
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[quote ADent]On eBay you can put a price + shipping column that works for most items.
I just assumed high shipping was the way to go for the following reasons
1) Dumb people will see $3 and click buy before noticing the inflated S&H
2) People may feel better about buying and item for $25 and paying $20 shipping than paying $40 and $5 shipping
3) eBay doesn't charge fees on shipping fees
4) When the dummy returns the item because they didn't like it, you say you only refund the actual cost not the shipping. So the $40/$5 guy has to refund $40, the $25/$20 only has to refund $25
5) When your feedback rating tanks from treating people like crap, the good buyers will avoid you and your auctions will close at least 33% lower than they did before.
6) When people report you for excessive shipping, eBay will pull your listing unless you're a "power seller".
