<VV> padding the profit--caveat emptor--no Corvair

Sat Apr 8 11:35:28 EDT 2006

Hey Joe and Ned,
Every month I recieve at least one EBay purchase by
priority mail, parcel post,  first class mail or  UPS.
 Whenever the shipping looks askew(and before I buy),
I ask if the seller can adjust it, as I did here. 
This time, instead of giving me the explanation I
asked for, he just refered me to his blanket rule.
We don' need no stinkin' rules. Specially not HIS
rules. And why should I have to go looking for it?
Here's a cross-section of my batting 1.000 with
negotiating shipping costs. 
Last week I bought a large batch of HO scale track and
another batch of about 40 cars from the same seller.
He put "about $35" on the shipping costs and said he
would combine shipping. Someone asked why so high, and
he said he wanted to make sure it was covered with no
surprises, and he would charge what it actually costs.
 I bought both batches, and he ballparked the cost for
both large boxes at $40. I mailed him that I was in no
big hurry to get them right now, can he ship by a
slower and cheaper way. Two days later I got the new
invoice...$27.50, about 1/3 of the original estimate.
Awhile back I bought five brochures for the 1953
Corvette Corvair (yes, it was a real concept car). The
seller was going to send it UPS letter, which costs
something like $4-$5. I told him I didn't need it
tomorrow, and he charged $1.50 to send it first class
mail.
I bought several Johnny Lightning cars in various size
batches. I know you can priority mail two cars for $4
and a case for $8, and routinely negotiate around
that.  One DEALER wanted $7.50 per and $22.50 to ship
three, I dunno, probably thinking I was going to just
suck it up.  An email echange later, and they were
here for $4.50.  
I bought a failrly large box of used Hot Wheels cars
(not sure why) from a lady in Canada. That's how I
learned there is no way around the HUGE Canadian
postal costs--something like $26 to get it here.  I
accepted her explanation of what seemed to be out of
line, because their government charges rates that are
out of line. I guess it is tough to pack a moose.
In the case at hand, the seller's  online store sells
bochures so he should have a really firm idea of what
it costs to mail something.  I'm less than 100% firm,
but so do I.
I don't care what it cost him to ship to someone else,
and absolutely don't care if he lost money on another
deal. I say than with no disrespect to Joe's
experience. Maybe the better approach is to look into
the actual shipping cost or elevate it with a note
that the actual cost may be less, like my HO train
seller above. If you ship a lot, you'll have even a
better feel for when to do this that I would.
As to recouping costs, sorry Ned, the cost of doing
business is in the price.  I buy a steak and the price
tag is what I pay. It goes into the register with the
tax.  If I see a parking lot resurfacing surcharge,
someone dies.
For any seller, charge what it is worth--cost,
overhead, everything--and expect your customer to pay
the agreed-on price. If it cost you $2 more to sell
the item, charge $2 more in an HONESTLY-stated price. 
I'll disagree with you, Ned, because hiding the ebay
fees in an inflated shipping cost is sneaky and
dishonest. The item costs what the item costs, and
there ESPECIALLY should be no surprises in a buy-now
price. If the seller says it is $$$gazillion, then
that is what the buyer can either pay or reject.
That is why I didn't go to my local favorite, the KOOL
105 annual summer concert, two years ago. They bring
6-7 rock artists from the '50s, '60s and '70s for an
all-day concert in an outdoors amphitheater.  Tickets
used to be $10.50 (KOOL 105, get it?)  The year Coors
bought the place and change the name, Ticketmaster
took over. The tickets were now $12 (which I'll gladly
pay to hear Dion together with Paul Revere and the
Raiders) and you paid an endless string of charges
like ticketing fees ($6 per), box office fees (a
different $6 per), parking fees ($4 per and no parking
provided)  etc. and now the $12 seat goes for $46.  I
am not making this up.  Is this honest pricing?  When
there's no place else to buy a ticket, absolutely not.
All I expect is a little respect for the customer.
Probably because every job I've had included a
customer service aspect, I know how to treat others
and what to expect when I'm the customer.  If I ask a
question and am told to read the sign, I'll tell you
where to put the sign (as in this case). I don't care
how many times you answered the question in the last
hour. Just give me an honest answer, charge me an
honest price, and we're all buddies. Do me right, I'll
tell everybody. Do me wrong, I'll tell everybody.

Chuck Kubin

--- Joseph Robbins <robbins at mail.monticello.net>
wrote:

> 
> The high shipping costs serve two purposes, the
> seller covers his rear and
> makes some profit and the big one, eBay doesn't get
> a cut of the shipping
> costs if I understand the rules right. Me being a
> card carrying charter
> member of BBRT where we do things a little
> differently, I sold two things
> last week, I charged $5.00 flat fee and it cost me
> $8.00 to ship and the
> other I charged $7.50 and it cost me $9.00!!
> Normally I guess pretty close,
> this time I didn't. Oh well, the items were sold and
> that's all I cared
> about. 
> 
> 
> Joe Robbins
> #2 at BBRT
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
> [mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf
> Of AeroNed at aol.com
> Sent: Friday, April 07, 2006 11:07 PM
> To: VirtualVairs at corvair.org
> Subject: Re: <VV> padding the profit--caveat emptor
> 
>  
> In a message dated 4/7/2006 8:02:00 P.M. Central
> Daylight Time,  
> dreamwoodck at yahoo.com writes:
> 
> I
> asked the seller  why he is charging $4.50  for
> shipping
> 
> 
> Chuck,
>  
> He's passing on his e-bay costs to you...
>  
> Ned

> 

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