OK...before I say anything..I know I'm at fault here for not reading the fine print and did pay for my mistake.

But...

I'm just curious what y'all think about eBayers who sell used CDs/DVDs for a low price and then rip you off on shipping. Basically I bidded and won a used CD that I've been looking for - the price started out at .99 and I won it for like $4. The person selling it specifically said on the item it was regular media mail. So ok...it will be 3 bucks or so for S&H, right? Well I made the mistake of not looking exactly at the shipping price...turns out the seller is tacking on $6.99 for S&H! So I emailed the seller to ask what it covers and I got a response saying "If I'm going to sell these items at .99 I have to up the S&H to make up for the cost."

Is that the norm with online retail like e-bay? I just find that to be misleading and and unfair.

Shipping and handling is one of the variables that you take into account when deciding on the purchase. That being
said, it is misleading to lure people into believing that they get a bargain when they actually end up paying the
regular amount or even more.

When I come to think of it, this is the way a lot of retailers work as well. So, common selling tactic. Sadly.


[edit] Purwhat?
[Edited 7/29/05 13:20pm]

Thats the norm....Thats why I dont shop on Ebay unless I really want an item.
Some people have 9.99 s&h charges. They just want to make money.

I dont like it. When I sell Its 3.50 or less for shipping unless its a REALLY large package.

ThreadCula said:

...You're not selling Peter the Possum on ebay surely...

Steadwood said:

ThreadCula said:

...How would you package him?....



... ....In a bucket ..

Steadwood said:

This is why you always have to look at the S&H charges listed. If they ain't listed, ask!

ThreadCula said:

same shit happened to me

won a cd for .01 cents. shipping was 5 pounds . cost me $8 from UK

VoicesCarry said:

Exactly.

I try to stay right around what actual shipping would be when I'm selling given that I'm not always on the mark depending on which part of the country items are being shipped to. However, I've seen outrageous shipping charges where it made the item I was looking at unappealing.

On the other hand, I have seen a case where the item was a new video card, starting bid was around a dollar, but shipping was $200. Why? The seller explicitly said in the auction that he was doing it to lower the amount of eBay's final selling fee (which is based on the auction's winning bid and doesn't include the shipping fees) that he ended up paying to eBay. I can't remember their percentages off-hand, but if it was, say, 5%, 5% of $10.00 is a lot more tolerable than 5% of $300.00 (or whatever the item ended up going for).

The moral: always read through the entire auction so you don't get screwed.

origmnd said:

...that's horrible

I'm a seller and buyer on eBay.....and you can pick whatever price you want to have for s/h....just a way to make more money on an item....

almost all the sellers up the s/h price....

Go thru and look...ALL....do that

Lizzy7701 said:

It's like they all went to the Columbia House School of Shipping and Handling.

The big sellers at eBay will give you an actual price for shipping, without 'upping' in. because they get a deal with the post office (or other shipping/delivery companies) that if they send many items through them, they will get a discount. so they make up for the low price of bids with the discount they get from the companies.

Said that, I always check shipping price. If it clearly states a price, and you did not notice, it was purly your fault.
Think about it, the guy is not a store, I presume. so he has to spend money on gas to get to the post office and special protective envelope to send you this CD. it would almost cost him money for you to buy this item.
[Edited 7/29/05 17:59pm]

The reverse happened to me. I got something that was second class only (so it was the cheapest option only). I dont want second class. That takes ages

(i think americans call it economy mail)

Sellers have to make profit somewhere. You got the item cheaply, you paid more in the shipping. Just look at the whole price you paid - that's the cost, are u happy with it? The boundary between item price and shipping is irrelevant. In the end, just read the listings to find out the shipping cost, add on a bid price to make a total you'd be happy paying, and stick to that.