Is This Too Much To Charge For Shipping?

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the shipping is a rip-off, no questions about that. Its under 2 bucks for media mail for a cart and a non padded envelope is probably about 50 cents at the most.
 
Any time S&H w/ Media Mail is over $3.00 you're getting taken. Most sellers won't charge more than $5 for Priority Mail(and they shouldn't).
 
umm 70 cents for the envlope
ebay final vaule 2.46
ebay listing .60 cents
paypal 2.01
insurance 2.15 (DC with insurance)
transportion to post 1 buck at least

right there is 8.92 and that dont even include postage or say buck for postage and forget the gas charge


remember shipping includes all handling expenese
 
[quote name='slidecage']umm 70 cents for the envlope
ebay final vaule 2.46
ebay listing .60 cents
paypal 2.01
insurance 2.15 (DC with insurance)
transportion to post 1 buck at least

right there is 8.92 and that dont even include postage or say buck for postage and forget the gas charge


remember shipping includes all handling expenese[/QUOTE]

That's stretching it, I ship media mail for $4-$5 and it covers most of the shipping, transportation, packagings, and most of the paypal fees.

I don't like to pay for high shipping costs, so I don't charge high shipping costs.
 
Definitely on the high side, but at least the seller puts the costs in the official shipping section so they'll appear in search results and you can avoid their auctions :twisted:

Media Mail for a cart only SNES game would be a bit MORE EXPENSIVE than 1st class mail, plus much slower. Dumb ass seller IMO. I'm not even sure if the PO would honor an insurance claim for a game mailed in a non-protected mailer...

I think that may be a CAGer's eBay id - I'm actually pretty sure I know whose. Seems familiar from auctions I've looked at from here. But I could be wrong.

I got a kick out of this remark in one of his completed auctions:

"PLAYED IT AROUND 10 HOURS OR SO AND GOT DONE WITH IT (BORED/NO TIME) GREAT GAME"
 
[quote name='wubb']Definitely on the high side, but at least the seller puts the costs in the official shipping section so they'll appear in search results and you can avoid their auctions :twisted:

Media Mail for a cart only SNES game would be a bit MORE EXPENSIVE than 1st class mail, plus much slower. Dumb ass seller IMO. I'm not even sure if the PO would honor an insurance claim for a game mailed in a non-protected mailer...

I think that may be a CAGer's eBay id. (Seems familiar from auctions I've looked at from here.) But I could be wrong.[/QUOTE]


i forgot to add

the auction was mine (at least im big enough to admit it) there was a few mistakes in the listing and i would of told the buyer) i listed this on the 10Cent tueday (the items that did sell 5.77 shipping) everyone who picked media mail was up to First class those who picked first class was refunded the difference. I listed 60 items that night and didnt change a lot of the stuff that is saved in their by ebay,

I charge 7.77 since i was going to be shipping it Prioty mail cause i though a super nintendo cart would be damaged in a bubble envlope. if someone put a bid on it i would of told them that....... I will lower the shipping next time if people feel that Game wont get damaged in the bubble envlope. BUt i didnt want a very rare game to get damaged in the maill

Flame me all you want but At least i was big enough to say its mine unlike some people on this site
 
[quote name='slidecage']i forgot to add

the auction was mine (at least im big enough to admit it) there was a few mistakes in the listing and i would of told the buyer) i listed this on the 10Cent tueday (the items that did sell 5.77 shipping) everyone who picked media mail was up to First class those who picked first class was refunded the difference. I listed 60 items that night and didnt change a lot of the stuff that is saved in their by ebay,

I charge 7.77 since i was going to be shipping it Prioty mail cause i though a super nintendo cart would be damaged in a bubble envlope. if someone put a bid on it i would of told them that....... I will lower the shipping next time if people feel that Game wont get damaged in the bubble envlope. BUt i didnt want a very rare game to get damaged in the maill

Flame me all you want but At least i was big enough to say its mine unlike some people on this site[/QUOTE]

I thought I remembered your ID. :)

Personally, I think a seller can charge what they want, but that much for Media Mail is high and would keep most CAGers away. It's not so outrageous that I'd call it fee avoidance though.

I ship cart only stuff in bubble mailers and haven't had a problem *knock on wood*. A plastic cart is a lot stronger than a DVD case and they rarely get damaged in a bubble mailer.

Do some playing around with the calculator on usps.com. Media Mail is only cheaper when you get to 6 or 7 ounces in weight and a cart only game in a bubble mailer is only going to be 4-5 ounces generally. I'd suggest you forget media mail for any single game stuff you list. Causes more hassles with buyers upset about long mailing times than it is worth.

Going forward, I'd just list it out as Priority mail if that's what you're going to use to mail it. But that's probably your plan anyway.
 
[quote name='slidecage']umm 70 cents for the envlope
ebay final vaule 2.46 - Not A Shipping Cost
ebay listing .60 cents - Not A Shipping Cost
paypal 2.01 - Not A Shipping Cost
insurance 2.15 (DC with insurance)
transportion to post 1 buck at least

right there is 8.92 and that dont even include postage or say buck for postage and forget the gas charge


remember shipping includes all handling expenese[/QUOTE]

You have $3.85 there poncho. And this concept of using asinine shipping charges to cover fees (which in turn makes the auction illegal according to Ebay's rules).. is why I don't purchase from Ebay anymore.
 
Whenever I'm worried about a bubble mailer not being enough protection I double-bubble it: I wrap the game in a bit of bubble wrap before I put it in the bubble mailer, or sometimes I put the game in a small bubble mailer, then put that small mailer inside a bigger one.

Then I usually ship it 1st class since buyers usually opt to save a buck or two. If it's not going far, first class sometimes arrives even faster than Priority Mail does, according to the people I talked to at the Post Office. Some of them actually talked me out of Priority Mail at Christmas time, saying that 1st class would probably get there faster when I was just shipping to a state or two away. Go figure...

I admire slidecage for having the guts to admit that auction was his. And you know what? He can charge whatever he wants for shipping, mistake or not. You don't have to bid on his auction if you don't like it. At least he takes the time to state it clearly in the auction. I charge handling fees too. Maybe I drive away bidders who want cheaper shipping rates, but my choice, as a seller.


Cornfedwb, charging shipping and handling (even if it is to cover your PayPal & eBay fees) is NOT against eBay's rules. As long as it's not fee avoidance (like the guy selling a couch for a $1, then charging $800 shipping), it's completely legal, and I don't think it's outrageous at all. Try to find ANY mail order or on-line retailer who charges you actual postage.

Has anyone noticed how high these NON-eBay retailers' shipping rates are? On-line companies these days aren't even TRYING to pass on low shipping rates to their customers. I bought a bumper sticker and was charged $7 shipping for it cuz the company was too lazy to use USPS and stick it in an envelope (would have cost 75 cents WITH the envelope). They shipped the sticker in a big box via UPS! A couple weeks later, I bought two pairs of gloves from Puma, in two different colors and they charged me $10 shipping because they shipped each different color in a HUGE box of its own!..Yep, 2 huge boxes for two tiny pairs of gloves (we all know it could have cost about $2.50 to ship both pair in a padded envelope).

So...Even though some eBay sellers are marking up their shipping rates by several dollars, it's still cheaper than you'll find at most on-line retailers. And again, it's a sellers choice. As long as they're not springing the shipping cost on you AFTER the auction ends and they're being up front with it, there's nothing shady going on here. You don't like it, don't buy it!
 
[quote name='seamonkeygirl']

Cornfedwb, charging shipping and handling (even if it is to cover your PayPal & eBay fees) is NOT against eBay's rules. As long as it's not fee avoidance (like the guy selling a couch for a $1, then charging $800 shipping), it's completely legal, and I don't think it's outrageous at all. Try to find ANY mail order or on-line retailer who charges you actual postage.[/QUOTE]

Amazon
EBGames
GameStop
Staples
Office Depot
OfficeMax
Dell
ZipZoomFly

Guess I'll stop there.
 
[quote name='Cornfedwb']You have $3.85 there poncho. And this concept of using asinine shipping charges to cover fees (which in turn makes the auction illegal according to Ebay's rules).. is why I don't purchase from Ebay anymore.[/QUOTE]


ebay changed the rules i belive that your allow to add ebay and paypal fees into the shipping charges. I think they did this last year cause you are right that it used to be illegal but i belive ebay changed the rules. Unless i didnt read it right.

also I take ebay different from others. I usually dont sell just to sell. I put items up at the prices i would love to get from them. If they dont sell they dont sell and they go back into my personal collection. the auction ended like May 24 if im not mistaking and i will probally not list it again until sometime in june. I dont do this to make a quick buck and hog games. I just say to myself I wonder if this game would grab this price. if they do great if not i keep it.

also you got to be able to charge fees there are tons of stores at ebay that charges 9.99 per game (only list the games at penny) and they dont allow combine shipping. so if you buy 3 Psgames

3 cents for the games but 30 bucks to ship.
 
fwacce, I guess you've got me on some of those (of course there are always exceptions out there), but are you honestly going to tell me that charging "postage only" is the norm in the on-line/mail order world?
 
[quote name='seamonkeygirl']fwacce, I guess you've got me on some of those (of course there are always exceptions out there), but are you honestly going to tell me that charging "postage only" is the norm in the on-line/mail order world?[/QUOTE]

As a general rule, most likely not, though a number of the sites above probably do.
 
[quote name='slidecage']ebay changed the rules i belive that your allow to add ebay and paypal fees into the shipping charges. I think they did this last year cause you are right that it used to be illegal but i belive ebay changed the rules. Unless i didnt read it right.
[/QUOTE]


You are allowed to put the fees in the shipping charges but you just aren't allowed to mention it in the auction. It just becomes a part of the handling fee.
 
With the exception of an auction where I can get an incredible deal I always avoid sellers that charge too much for shipping. I usually don't even bother looking at their auctions. They may be avoiding fees but in the long run they will likely be making less than if they were charging a more realistic S&H fee.

The best way to ship most types of games is 1st Class in a bubble mailer. It's cheap, pretty fast, and the mailers seem to be very safe. I've never had a single problem sending dvd case, cart, or jewel case games. Using a bubble mailer for PS1 games may be a slight risk, but packages are generally taken better care of when shipping 1st Class than if you were to use Media Mail.
 
[quote name='onikage']With the exception of an auction where I can get an incredible deal I always avoid sellers that charge too much for shipping. I usually don't even bother looking at their auctions. They may be avoiding fees but in the long run they will likely be making less than if they were charging a more realistic S&H fee.

The best way to ship most types of games is 1st Class in a bubble mailer. It's cheap, pretty fast, and the mailers seem to be very safe. I've never had a single problem sending dvd case, cart, or jewel case games. Using a bubble mailer for PS1 games may be a slight risk, but packages are generally taken better care of when shipping 1st Class than if you were to use Media Mail.[/QUOTE]

First Class shipping whenever possible, I'm in complete agreement there. I'm of the opposite opinion of bubble mailers.

Most of the issues or near-issues I've had have been with a bubble mailer not providing enough protection for an item in transit. Had this issue with something yesterday, and since I had an issue a very long time ago with one, I've reverted to boxes for my shipping, with packing peanuts all around. Had them make the difference between damaged item and intact item more than once.
 
this is a game cart so i would think they could be damage a lot more easier then cds. i can step on a cd case and game might not break BUT if i step on a nintendo 64 game good chance it wont work again.
 
I use bubble mailers for everything except for valueable GBA and PS1 games (and the occasional valueable N64 game). For non valueable GBA and PS1 games, I just wrap them in bubble wrap before putting them in the bubble mailer. I have never gotten any complaints about packaging so I guess it works.
 
Last summer I sold my copy of Samurai Shodown Warrior's Rage. I shipped it in a medium-size (bigger than the ones made for DVDs) bubble mailer with extra bubble wrap protecting it from harm. The person who bought it was quite pleased.
Bubble mailers are a bit hard to come by in my area, as the stores I go to to get them never seem to get enough in. *sigh*
I charge $3.00 for shipping a DVD or PS2/Gamecube/Xbox game. I hope that's fair, considering how much others ask for shipping. If there are any complaints, down it shall go.
 
You can get bubble mailers pretty cheap on the net, but you have to buy them in lots of 50 or 100 for the really good prices. I think I paid less than $0.20 each (shipped) for the ones I have that fit a single game perfectly.

There are sellers on eBay that just sell shipping stuff. Many of them have sites outside of eBay that sell the same stuff for a little less.
 
[quote name='slidecage']this is a game cart so i would think they could be damage a lot more easier then cds. i can step on a cd case and game might not break BUT if i step on a nintendo 64 game good chance it wont work again.[/QUOTE]

I think that it would be much easier to crack a CD than to break the plastic protecting the insides and connector pins of a cartridge. A jewel case doesn't offer much protection.
 
any time someone is selling a small item like a game, dvd, or cd and charges more than $4 for shipping they won't get my business unless the item is rare or a great deal. whenever i sell something i usually charge $4 for priority mail (actual cost is $3.85, i just round to $4). people that intentionally inflate shipping charges disgust me. sure, i've done it accidentally before, but asking for something like $8 for a small item is just lame. the paypal and ebay fees are hardly anything at all when selling something like a used game for $20 or so.

for the average used videogame, cd, dvd selling for $5 - $25:
priority mail box = free
packing = free
actual shipping = $3.85
my time = free
ebay and paypal fees = maybe a $1 or so for the higher end of that range
travel to the post office = free

the thing that a lot of those ebay shipping inflaters don't get is that you can frequently make more money total by offering lower shipping. it's a pyschological thing. some people will see 2 auctions for the same item...like $15 for one with $2 shipping and $8 for one with $6 shipping and they will pay closer attention to the one with lower shipping even though the overall cost will be more.
 
[quote name='electrictroy']First off, it's not just shipping. It's shipping AND HANDLING fees. So add it up:

2.00 actual shipping
0.50 envelope
0.30 cents listing fee
1.00 final value fee
1.00 paypal fee
0.50 miscellaneous (tape, packing peanuts, gas)
============
$5.30 total shipping + handling



So I agree that $7.77 is excessive, but I think $5 is fair.

Think about it: If you sell a game for 0.01 (1 penny), and you only charge $2-3 ship, you are actually *losing money*. You'd be better off to just throw the game in the trash.

Troy[/QUOTE]

how do you figure
30 cent listing fee when starting bid was 47 bucks
1.00 final vaule fee when 47 bucks its 5% = more the buck
1.00 paypal fee its 3% + 30 cents on 50+

so its way more then 1.00 final vaule and paypal takes more then 1 buck
 
Calm down. I was using the fees based upon my own sales - 0.99 starting bid & typically $30 final price.


[quote name='fwacce']Amazon..... EBGames..... GameStop[/QUOTE] Bzzzz. All of these places charge me ~$5.00 to ship a single book or game via media mail. Obviously they are including their handling costs in the ship fee.

troy
 
[quote name='electrictroy']First off, it's not just shipping. It's shipping AND HANDLING fees. So add it up:

2.00 actual shipping
0.50 envelope
0.30 cents listing fee
1.00 final value fee
1.00 paypal fee
0.50 miscellaneous (tape, packing peanuts, gas)
============
$5.30 total shipping + handling



So I agree that $7.77 is excessive, but I think $5 is fair. [/QUOTE]

yeah, if youre a dumbass gamer

shipping (a game, media) $1.42
envelope (dvd of cd sized) $0.05
tape (97 cents for a roll so..) $0.01

your fees should be figured in to your starting price, not your shipping, its shit like that that makes me not buy on ebay.
 
Ebay clearly states that you may include handling fees in the shipping. Besides, as long as amazon/ebgames keep charging ~$5 to ship a single game (i.e. ship + handling fees), so will I.



Also where the hell did you get an evnelope for 5 cents????? My local post office charges a dollar..... and even in bulk from shippingsupply.com, it's still 50 cents. So where the hell did you get an envelope for 5 cents??????????

I think you made that up. Pure Fiction. Let's not resort to lying to win an argument.

troy
 
If you put the ebay and paypal fees into your starting price you will lose sales, as everyone else puts it into their shipping and handling and you are at a major disadvantage. Seriously though, when you buy from anyplace you pay their rent, employee salaries etc., buying off ebay is the same.

Though in this case it seems to be a mistake. I just shipped to canada and it normally costs 3.50-4.50 to ship, but for some reason it only costs 1.85 this time. I'm just hoping I didn't get a neg happy person since I charged him $7 to ship (I've seen people do that to others, even when the shipping is clearly stated in the auction, as mine was). I always lose money on shipping and handling int he u.s. though, with so many not shipping international, and those that do being expensive, I don't feel bad about tipping the scale the other way, though I still usually break even at best with international.
 
[quote name='electrictroy'] Ebay clearly states that you may include handling fees in the shipping. Besides, as long as amazon/ebgames keep charging ~$5 to ship a single game (i.e. ship + handling fees), so will I.
[/QUOTE]

Are you saying EBgames.com is charging $5 for shipping? Since when? Saver shipping is $1.99 or free w/ a preowned purchase.
 
[quote name='electrictroy'] Ebay clearly states that you may include handling fees in the shipping. Besides, as long as amazon/ebgames keep charging ~$5 to ship a single game (i.e. ship + handling fees), so will I.



Also where the hell did you get an evnelope for 5 cents????? My local post office charges a dollar..... and even in bulk from shippingsupply.com, it's still 50 cents. So where the hell did you get an envelope for 5 cents??????????

I think you made that up. Pure Fiction. Let's not resort to lying to win an argument.

troy[/QUOTE]

excuse me, but you can publically apologize for that right now. not only did you ask if i was lying, you decided i was.

i do get envelopes 20 for $1.00 from a local store.

i attached an image of one. (the larger envelopes are 10 for $1)

just becuse youre paying too much is no reason to accuse others of anything. sometimes i even pay NOTHING for shipping supplies, its all about how resourceful you are.

im waiting for that apology.
 
[quote name='onikage']Are you saying EBgames.com is charging $5 for shipping? Since when? Saver shipping is $1.99 or free w/ a preowned purchase.[/QUOTE]

makes you wonder how ebgames does that. I got hey you something (pokemon game) was 1.42 and that included shipping. they had to take a lost for that

im too lazy to look for bubble envlopes on ebay can someone post a link Thanks
 
[quote name='seamonkeygirl']fwacce, I guess you've got me on some of those (of course there are always exceptions out there), but are you honestly going to tell me that charging "postage only" is the norm in the on-line/mail order world?[/QUOTE]

Not when it's up to individuals to decide how much profit they need to be making.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']First Class shipping whenever possible, I'm in complete agreement there. I'm of the opposite opinion of bubble mailers.

Most of the issues or near-issues I've had have been with a bubble mailer not providing enough protection for an item in transit. Had this issue with something yesterday, and since I had an issue a very long time ago with one, I've reverted to boxes for my shipping, with packing peanuts all around. Had them make the difference between damaged item and intact item more than once.[/QUOTE]

hahaha i once sent shrike a game in a the envelopes pictured and he almost had a heart attack :lol:
 
[quote name='punqsux']i do get envelopes 20 for $1.00 from a local store. I attached an image of one. (the larger envelopes are 10 for $1). I'm waiting for that apology.[/QUOTE]
Looks to me like you owe your Buyers an apology, for shipping their games in those flimsy, non-protective envelopes. Half their games must be smashed to pieces by the time they get them.

I spend 50 cents, more than your 10 true, but at least my games are protected by bubble wrap.



Also, to repeat, Ebay DOES allow sellers to include handling fees in the Shipping.

troy
 
[quote name='electrictroy']Looks to me like you owe your Buyers an apology, for shipping their games in those flimsy, non-protective envelopes. Half their games must be smashed to pieces by the time they get them.

I spend 50 cents, more than your 10 true, but at least my games are protected by bubble wrap.



Also, to repeat, Ebay DOES allow sellers to include handling fees in the Shipping.

troy[/QUOTE]

ive never had a complaint in my shipping (ask shrike, while he DID have a heart attack, the game was perfectly fine)

handling defined would be cost to ship an item (as you stated, the bublewrap, tape, envelope, time and gas spent going to the post office) it has nothing to do with fee's incured for using an auction or payment service.

nice attempt of trying to turn the argument around, but i still win.

^^
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']If you put the ebay and paypal fees into your starting price you will lose sales, as everyone else puts it into their shipping and handling and you are at a major disadvantage. .[/QUOTE]Absolutely correct. I've got many many games/books where this scenario occured:

- Did Not Sell = $0.99 starting price + $3 ship
- Relisted & Sold = $0.01 starting price + $4 ship

Simply by lowering the price to 1 penny, I was able to sell a game/book that did not sell at 99 cents.




I guess the people here who only charge $2-3 ship don't sell 1 penny items? If they do, they're actually losing money.

troy
 
[quote name='guy#1']makes you wonder how ebgames does that. I got hey you something (pokemon game) was 1.42 and that included shipping. they had to take a lost for that[/quote] Obviously. Those types of sales are called "loss leaders" in the hope that the cheap $1.42 game will bring you to the store, and entice you to buy an insanely overpriced $50 game.
[quote name='someone']nice attempt of trying to turn the argument around, but i still win.[/quote] Which one of us made $500 *profit* on ebay last year? That would be me, because I know how to pass my expenses to my customers (via shipping), just like any good business does.




I think this shipping debate is revealing the difference between GOOD businessmen vs. bad businessmen:

- Good = Someone who can make a profit, even with a 1 penny item, by making sure ALL expenses are paid by the customer (including the cost of advertising/commissions/et cetera). He stays in business.

- Bad = someone who sells goods at a loss, by spending more money ($5 in fees) than he collects (only $3 ship). His business eventually falls into banktupcy.

troy
 
[quote name='electrictroy']Bad = someone who sells goods at a loss, by spending more money ($5 in fees) than he collects (only $3 ship). His business eventually falls into banktupcy.
[/QUOTE]

you can call me bad all you want, as long as bad by your definition mean honest, i wouldnt have it any other way =o)
 
(1) If your selling your games at a loss, then yes, you're a bad businessman. Don't take it personally. Take it as a lesson learned - Don't sell games at $1 + $2 ship = $3.00 total, when it costs you $5 in selling expenses. That's negative 2 dollars, and not too wise.



(2) I'm not dishonest. My shipping charge is clearly visible, directly under the auction price. Customers are free to bid or not.

troy
 
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