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I listed a two PS3's (yes, I'm one of those, but more about that later) on eBay yesterday evening and eBay pulled them within minutes of their start time (they didn't even have time to show up in the search results yet).
eBay pulled my auctions because they claimed I was charging "excessive shipping" (this time they explicitly stated it). Now, my auctions had no Buy-It-Now price nor did they have a Reserve price, and they started at 99 cents. My shipping charge was $45. I stated that I'd be using FedEx 3 Day, with insurance and signature (the latter costs something like $9). Now, when I look on eBay for ongoing as well as completed auctions, isn't $45 like the average shipping costs on one of these things? What is eBay doing? Do they have me on some sort of watch list?
Am I being unusual (or unreasonable when compared to other auctions) in charging $45 for shipping this thing? I swear I looked at other auctions and they were charging more or less the same. Many about to be completed auctions were charging (much) more.
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I can see why they pulled your auction. Chinese start with 99 cent items(earrings) that should sell for more and charge 35.00 postage. Trying to escape the listing charges of eBay. That is why yours was triggered. You need to start the auction at a higher price and I don't think you will have a problem with shipping.
They have really cracked down on people listing something on the cheap and getting around fees by making it up with non fee shipping charges.
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So Sam, you think it might just be an automated/triggered response? That might explain it. But surely, if there were some human involved in the process, they'd realize that this item is gonna sell somewhere over $600. I mean, when I list the item, eBay tells me that the average selling price is $1358 (of course, that's probably skewed by the early days of 'crazy' activitiy during launch weekend).
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Interesting... but samintx's logic makes a lot of sense, especially if this is an automated response from eBay. Not particularly business relationship friendly, but I guess that's to be expected from eBay.
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I would consider offering Priority Mail shipping (around $10-12), and offer FedEx 3Day as an OPTION during the payment/checkout.
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No wonder I stay away from ebay, I can get an entire car engine shipped to me for $45 dollars.
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Thanks for the tip Paul, but from my experience, USPS Priority Mail would never get it there before the holidays (my auctions would have ended Sunday). All three or so times I've used it, it took more than 1.5 weeks. I have no faith in them (kinda like how some people have no faith in rebates).
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Well....
Offer USPS Priority as the "default" choice, and make darn sure you specify in the auction that it WILL NOT get there in time UNLESS they go with the second option of FedEx 3-day.
I've had better luck with Priority.... it's not 100%, but it's been far more economical than UPS in most cases, and things USUALLY get there in the stated time (3-5 business days).
I'm very seldom willing to pay out the arse for FedEx.. though the few times I've used them (NOT FedEx GROUND, which sucks beyond all measure of description), they've been great.
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I always used the 99 cents/no reserve strategy to run up prices on big ticket items, but I think that approach may become extinct because of the rampant abuse. I think Sam is probably right and this is an automated screen. It appears $9.99 is the new 99 cents for bigger ticket items.
Paul's suggestion is good too. Just put in the ad you cannot guarantee Christmas delivery with USPS and that faster shipping is an option.
