WalkinWillie Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Pet peeve with eBay Sellers... As someone who has sold - and bought - on eBay for over 20 years, my biggest pet peeve are sellers that charge domestic shipping on a high priced item - e.g. a graded book over $600. It is an instant turnoff for me and I've decided not to buy from those sellers anymore. They also do themselves an injustice as you get a boost on search results for free shipping - although that might not be as big a deal in collectibles as a commodity category. Anyway, got that off my chest... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro. Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) I'm curious, would you prefer they offered free shipping and then sent your high priced slab media mail? If you're paying $600, does an extra $6 matter that much? What about insurance against potential loss? Or should all that just be folded into the BIN price and you pay it without realizing you're paying it? (ignorance is bliss) Edited April 19, 2017 by Jerkfro jsilverjanet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicquant Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 2 minutes ago, Jerkfro said: I'm curious, would you prefer they offered free shipping and then sent your high priced slab media mail? If you're paying $600, does an extra $6 matter that much? What about insurance against potential loss? Or should all that just be folded into the BIN price and you pay it without realizing you're paying it? (ignorance is bliss) I agree with Jerkfro on this... I'm much more concerned with the book arriving safely and am absolutely fine with paying $25 to have my $600 book arrive safely. Paying for shipping gives you some control over the safety of the book. If a seller offers free shipping I almost always contact them saying I'll send them extra to insure they ship and package properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doktor Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 I prefer having it folded into the BIN price on a high-priced book/slab. At least then, there's slightly less of a "how the sausage is made" feel to it. When I see the breakdown of the price for the book & the price of the shipping & the price of insurance & blah blah blah, I get less interested. I just wanna see the flat rate for purchase. WalkinWillie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro. Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 4 minutes ago, Doktor said: I prefer having it folded into the BIN price on a high-priced book/slab. At least then, there's slightly less of a "how the sausage is made" feel to it. When I see the breakdown of the price for the book & the price of the shipping & the price of insurance & blah blah blah, I get less interested. I just wanna see the flat rate for purchase. I can understand that and you are certainly not the first person on this board to say something like that. However, in the case of high priced items, I want to know the breakdown. Just because someone on ebay is selling a high priced comic doesn't mean they know anything about proper shipping and packaging of said item. Also, when we buy from established comic dealer sites and auction houses (well, the ones I deal with anyway) all this is not just folded into the price. It's all spelled out very clearly and we're all (presumably) fine with that. Why is it different with ebay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkinWillie Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 15 minutes ago, Jerkfro said: I'm curious, would you prefer they offered free shipping and then sent your high priced slab media mail? If you're paying $600, does an extra $6 matter that much? What about insurance against potential loss? Or should all that just be folded into the BIN price and you pay it without realizing you're paying it? (ignorance is bliss) It should be folded in the BIN for high priced items and the item should be sent insured, expedited (e.g. Priority) shipping. Heck the modern slabs that I sell that go under $50.00 I still ship free - although Media Mail but VERY protected with bubble wrap and peanuts. I just get the feeling that it is penny wise and pound foolish when sellers charge shipping on an expensive item. Are their margins THAT slim? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doktor Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Just now, Jerkfro said: I can understand that and you are certainly not the first person on this board to say something like that. However, in the case of high priced items, I want to know the breakdown. Just because someone on ebay is selling a high priced comic doesn't mean they know anything about proper shipping and packaging of said item. Also, when we buy from established comic dealer sites and auction houses (well, the ones I deal with anyway) all this is not just folded into the price. It's all spelled out very clearly and we're all (presumably) fine with that. Why is it different with ebay? I actually avoid most of the auction houses for this reason. I rarely buy from CLink or anything else because of all the fees added on afterwards. It's obviously not penny-auction level fees & charges, but it's pretty damn close. And as for buying a high-priced comic & needing to know if they know anything about proper shipping/packaging? That's what Paypal & ebay buyer protection is for. I don't have any significant risk. Worst case? The seller sucks at packaging & I get my money back. That sounds like a them-problem, not a me-problem. WalkinWillie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro. Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 3 minutes ago, Doktor said: I actually avoid most of the auction houses for this reason. I rarely buy from CLink or anything else because of all the fees added on afterwards. It's obviously not penny-auction level fees & charges, but it's pretty damn close. And as for buying a high-priced comic & needing to know if they know anything about proper shipping/packaging? That's what Paypal & ebay buyer protection is for. I don't have any significant risk. Worst case? The seller sucks at packaging & I get my money back. That sounds like a them-problem, not a me-problem. The difference for me is that If I'm buying a comic, I want the comic. I don't want the hassle of having to return or deal with that. If I have to do it, fine I've done it in the past but If I can minimize it by feeling confident up front that the seller knows what he/she is doing, I prefer that. It's not so much about knowing I'm protected (although that is great), it's more about getting the item I want and not having to return it and/or get PP involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro. Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 8 minutes ago, WalkinWillie said: 27 minutes ago, Jerkfro said: I'm curious, would you prefer they offered free shipping and then sent your high priced slab media mail? If you're paying $600, does an extra $6 matter that much? What about insurance against potential loss? Or should all that just be folded into the BIN price and you pay it without realizing you're paying it? (ignorance is bliss) It should be folded in the BIN for high priced items and the item should be sent insured, expedited (e.g. Priority) shipping. Heck the modern slabs that I sell that go under $50.00 I still ship free - although Media Mail but VERY protected with bubble wrap and peanuts. I just get the feeling that it is penny wise and pound foolish when sellers charge shipping on an expensive item. Are their margins THAT slim? So in that situation you have no problem paying what might be over GPA because the seller folded those costs into the BIN? And I'm not sure it's always about margins. Let's face it. In best case scenarios we all would like to get top dollar for what we sell. (and I'm not talking about gouging on shipping costs. That's a whole separate issue. I'm talking about reasonable/actual costs for shipping and insurance) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizards2 Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 A little off topic, but I am continually amazed at how people who sell high-priced, fragile collectibles, package like carp. Many of these folks are collectors themselves, so must have been on the receiving end of damaged carp at one time or another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkinWillie Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 Just now, Jerkfro said: So in that situation you have no problem paying what might be over GPA because the seller folded those costs into the BIN? And I'm not sure it's always about margins. Let's face it. In best case scenarios we all would like to get top dollar for what we sell. (and I'm not talking about gouging on shipping costs. That's a whole separate issue. I'm talking about reasonable/actual costs for shipping and insurance) I think you are missing the point. If someone is selling an expensive item then why nickel dime the buyer by having separate shipping fees? Also I don't believe the assumption is valid that free shipping equals poor packaging and possible over GPA price just like separate shipping equals a great package and possible lower than GPA prices. I ship slabs for free and my packaging is top flight and I believe it is one reason I have a ton of return customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doktor Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Jerkfro said: The difference for me is that If I'm buying a comic, I want the comic. I don't want the hassle of having to return or deal with that. If I have to do it, fine I've done it in the past but If I can minimize it by feeling confident up front that the seller knows what he/she is doing, I prefer that. It's not so much about knowing I'm protected (although that is great), it's more about getting the item I want and not having to return it and/or get PP involved. Fair enough. I just recognize that any book I might be buying, while I might want it, I also know that it's only one of thousands of them out there. And there's no real scarcity. I'm super patient with books. So if I have to get inconvenienced once in a while because the seller sucks at packing or shipping, while getting the book I want at the price I want and doing the deal in a way that I prefer, then so be it. For instance, I hate negotiating, so anytime I'm at a show & a dealer has a book I want but puts that 20% "negotiating room" bump onto the price so that they can really sell it to me for the real price, I just walk away & go elsewhere. And if I don't buy anything because everyone in the room has that same price bump built in? So be it. I just hate doing that dance to get to the real price. I just want to look at a price and buy or not. It's also why I only buy a car once every 10 years or so & do my own labor. If I could just build my own car, I would. I hate that negotiating dance. I can do it & do it well. I just don't like it so I avoid it when I can. And it's the same for buying a book. I don't want to see how the sausage is made. Have 1 price. That's the price I'm considering. Not a penny more or less. And I'll decide form there if I want to buy it. And after that, it's on the seller to get it to me in good order. If they don't? Then I just get my money back & move on to someone that can keep the deal simple AND hopefully get the book to me in good order. Edited April 19, 2017 by Doktor WalkinWillie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F For Fake Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Shipping costs increase with every passing year. Meanwhile, eBay keeps pushing its sellers to ship for free, which is untenable for those of us who are not full time dealers. I charge what it costs me to ship. My prices with shipping are still generally cheaper than the lowest BIN with free shipping. If buyers can't do the mental math, I don't need their business. rjpb and Timmay 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F For Fake Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Shipping costs increase with every passing year. Meanwhile, eBay keeps pushing its sellers to ship for free, which is untenable for those of us who are not full time dealers. I charge what it costs me to ship. My prices with shipping are still generally cheaper than the lowest BIN with free shipping. If buyers can't do the mental math, I don't need their business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypinkblu Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 35 minutes ago, WalkinWillie said: It should be folded in the BIN for high priced items and the item should be sent insured, expedited (e.g. Priority) shipping. Heck the modern slabs that I sell that go under $50.00 I still ship free - although Media Mail but VERY protected with bubble wrap and peanuts. I just get the feeling that it is penny wise and pound foolish when sellers charge shipping on an expensive item. Are their margins THAT slim? But it's not really protected if you ship media mail. For one thing, the PO specifically mentions comics not qualifying for media mail on their website now, and for another, they don't treat media mail the same way if it's lost, it can be opened (and if you ever got an opened package you know what that looks like;). I just say how I'm mailing in the text. If the books are over a certain amount, I include free shipping, if it's a low amount, I say I'm shipping priority and offer a choice on most of a FR envelope discounted, or a box for a little extra. It takes a little more time to adjust the ads if I'm selling a bunch of stuff, but I haven't gotten complaints which is always my primary aim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro. Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 16 minutes ago, WalkinWillie said: 21 minutes ago, Jerkfro said: So in that situation you have no problem paying what might be over GPA because the seller folded those costs into the BIN? And I'm not sure it's always about margins. Let's face it. In best case scenarios we all would like to get top dollar for what we sell. (and I'm not talking about gouging on shipping costs. That's a whole separate issue. I'm talking about reasonable/actual costs for shipping and insurance) I think you are missing the point. If someone is selling an expensive item then why nickel dime the buyer by having separate shipping fees? Also I don't believe the assumption is valid that free shipping equals poor packaging and possible over GPA price just like separate shipping equals a great package and possible lower than GPA prices. I ship slabs for free and my packaging is top flight and I believe it is one reason I have a ton of return customers. I get what you're saying I just don't see it as nickel and diming a buyer. It's just the costs of doing business. And of course, whether you're charging for shipping and insurance separately or you're just folding those costs into the BIN you're still "nickel and diming" the buyer, it's just not so apparent to the buyer, that's all. Either way, you're paying the same amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypinkblu Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 MY pet peeve is someone who is selling a $2k slab, with a crummy cell phone picture, no back cover picture. When I asked for a real scan , I was told it was not available, when I asked for a back cover picture I was told it was not available, when I asked for the graders notes, it was not available. I was tempted to answer that my money was "not available", but I smacked myself. WalkinWillie and Larryw7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalkinWillie Posted April 19, 2017 Author Share Posted April 19, 2017 Just now, Jerkfro said: I get what you're saying I just don't see it as nickel and diming a buyer. It's just the costs of doing business. And of course, whether you're charging for shipping and insurance separately or you're just folding those costs into the BIN you're still "nickel and diming" the buyer, it's just not so apparent to the buyer, that's all. Either way, you're paying the same amount. And BTW, the modern slabs I sell - as well as some bronze and copper that are going on now - are all auction, started at $0.99 and have free shipping so I don't fold in costs there. When I do put a high priced item up as a BIN, I don't even think about shipping when setting the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffro. Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 (edited) 4 minutes ago, skypinkblu said: MY pet peeve is someone who is selling a $2k slab, with a crummy cell phone picture, no back cover picture. When I asked for a real scan , I was told it was not available, when I asked for a back cover picture I was told it was not available, when I asked for the graders notes, it was not available. I was tempted to answer that my money was "not available", but I smacked myself. That's very frustrating. It's like they don't care about actually wanting someone to, you know, buy their comic Edited April 19, 2017 by Jerkfro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypinkblu Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 2 hours ago, Jerkfro said: That's very frustrating. It's like they don't care about actually wanting someone to, you know, buy their comic Ya think, I blew up the cell phone picture. The label said 4.0, but there were tons of big water stains. I guess there was a method to their madness;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
