Robbers!

[lugerholsterrepair]

I look over the offerings on eBay on a pretty consistant basis and I have noticed recently people demanding $15-$20.00 for shipping a Luger holster if you are stupid enough to agree to their terms. One guy tells me it's because gas is so high, he has to drive to the PO.
Another is whoever has a gob of small Luger parts for sale, $5.95 to mail an extractor or a fireing pin? Should be .62 cents max. Is this my pet peeve or do others think this is robbery? I simply will not bid on items that are using postage as a profit center.
I ordered some M1 carbine parts the other day, guy charged me $3.00 postage and when they came the postage was .62 cents. Grrrrrr.
I mail out many packages every year and I cannot believe others do not see this as a cost of doing business and give their customers a square deal...Jerry Burney

[SteveM]

Jerry,

This is the reason I bought a set of digital scales.(off ebay) The cost was app. $20-25. I ship everything 1st class mail, which is usually cheaper than priority, and gets to the destination in about the same amount of time. I don't try to make anything off of the so called "S&H" that so many people do. Only actual shipping & insurance is what the buyer pays for on anything that I sell.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Steve, I bought a set of didgital scales myself for the same reason. I ship a lot of holsters and to ship a holster is $4.30 with delivery confirmation. 15 or 20 bucks? What's wrong with these people? Jerry Burney

[lew1]

If there are more than one holster or a number of items, the post office has a "flat" rate priority box (whatever you can squeeze in) which is $7.70 I think. There are three sizes of this type box as I recall.

I do not need scales, but I am right across the street from the post office so it is easy to use their scales.


A lot of people plan to make money off of shipping. A year or so ago, my daughter bought an item off of Ebay for $1.99. The shipping was $20 and was not advertised. A big argument ensued, but my daughter won but I understand it was not a pleasant transaction.

[John Sabato]

The $7.70 size Priority Mail flat rate box comes in one configuration that is large enough to ship at least TWO luger holsters, and maybe even three... If you buy the postage online at USPS.com, the delivery tracking confirmation is FREE...

I agree with Jerry... some folks are just greedy when it comes to the shipping charge.

[Lugerdoc]

Jerry et al, I can sympathize with the gun charging $5 to $6 for priority S&H with tracking or insurance. Sometimes the weight of the package puts me out of the $4.30 range and don't forget that packing materials, tape, labels, invoices, etc. are not free to the shipper. Also, not every buy wants to bear the responsibily that the PO will actually deliver the package, so I alway offer the option of insurance. Recently I've had snail mail letters & packages take 7 to 10 days to get from St.Louis to Boston, so now I'm requiring priority with tracking @$5 on all my shipments plus insurance, if desired. Yesterday, I had a call from a gunsmith for 2 PO8 trigger levers ASAP. So for a $50 order, he also paid $20 for overnight Fed Ex COD. To keep your cost down, don't be in a hurry. Tom

[tudorbug]

Ebay is populated with trash that believes in making up on their sale price by charging exorbitant rates for shipping.

I once bought a pair of antique clock hands for a clock I was repairing and was told when the auction was ended that the shipping would be $5.00. I said "NO!" and the hands were shipped to me taped to a stiff carboard in an evenlope for $.83.

I always check the shipping cost before bidding. If an item is listed to be shipped for an excessive cost, I go on to the next seller.

David

[Edward Tinker]

I don't like paying high prices either, but have sold a couple of hundred items on e-bay... what is irritating is when I screw up, quote $5.50 and it costs me $6.50 plus tracking...

And as Tom said, add up the costs of packing tape, boxes you have to look for, bubble wrap is about $20.00 for a big roll, plus time to go ship... it really adds up and can be a pain in the rear for shipping.

On the other hand, I see guys charge $10.00 for a magazine (luger one-each) and they still have 300+ positives, so folks are willing to pay that! It is amazing how fast some things add up in weight, so a scale is really needed.

On the other hand, if it states in their "ad' $11.75 for shipping a loading tool, either bid on it or don't.

But I sure get my chaps chapped when I pay $4.75 for shipping (which is fine as that is what priority costs for a box and it'd be "safe and protected") and the son of a gun ships it in a flat envelope for .85 cents and it isn't safe!

Ed

[reich1900]

I haven't sold to many items on ebay, mostly buy, but I package the item, take it to the post office and have them give me a price. Thats the price I charge rounded off. I agree some of these sellers try and squeeeeeeze every cent out of the buyer.
Bernie

[Jack Lawman]

If you don't mind me playing devil's advocate....

There are a lot of jerks out there buying stuff. Sellers are not the only problem. High shipping charges discourage returns, a good way to make sure buyers are actually making a final decision without stating "No Returns".

I personally don't have a problem with it as long as the seller is up front about the charges.

Jack

[lugerholsterrepair]

Jack, Let me see if I read this right...You advocate subtly forcing a buyer to keep an item he is unhappy with by using ursery shipping charges as blackmail instead of openly stating no returns. You really do seem to be a devil's advocate!
I sold as much or more on eBay than probably any member of this board this Summer. $25,000 by my last count. I agree you end up with some jerks and some non paying bidders but I found the ratio to be pleasantly small. Out of hundreds of buyers I had only a handfull.
In every case I offered their money back in full. No questions and in one case I let the buyer keep the item and sent his money back.
I feel in buying over the internet you must have faith and confidence in the seller and the way to get that is to treat others as you would want to be treated.
Holding your buyer hostage with shipping fees is short sighted to say the least.
This occours frequently with the purchase of guns as the shipping is higher and a deeper consideration. I have heard it here on the Forum many times.
I buy a lot of things on eBay and take a close look at the terms and conditions. If the seller is a hard core expensive jerk up front, you can bet he will be difficult to deal with when you are dissatisfied with what he sends you. Jerry Burney

[k1mri]

With over 1400 + feedbacks on ebay and only 2 negs., I'd like to throw my .02 cents worth in if I may.

A few weeks ago I bought a booklet (12 pages) on the Japanese Nambu pistol. The price was $6.95, plus $3.75 shipping and .69 insurance (how the guy came up with that I don't know). The auction stated he's shipping it Book Rate mail. I emailed him and asked that since he's charging $4.44 please send it 1st Class Mail. Anyway, he did send it 1st class mail, but with no insuance, his cost was .62 cents. I wanted the booklet so I paid it.

Now on my auction items I sell, I have been adding in the Paypal and ebay fees, bubble wrap, tape and box costs and a small amout for my time which I think is fair. I clearly state that if you don't want to pay the s/h/i fees PLEASE DON'T BID

[lugerholsterrepair]

Good advice, in this case if the normal costs of business is added into the shipping instead of the purchase price, I would not bid.
Priority mail boxes are free, newspaper is free, tape costs 2 cents a box and I spend a lot of time boxing and shipping but I think all of this should be borne as a cost of doing business and come out of the gross.
It has become customary for the buyer to absorb all of these costs but it has always been my idea to give a little, get a lot. If people do not bid on my item for sale because of some percieved unfairness in my offering, I lose money. I would rather absorb a few cents or even a dollar or two and have my item bid up another ten dollars. I also look to have repeat business and I won't get it by short sighted business practices that make my customer base feel I am cheating them out of a dollar. Jerry Burney

[Edward Tinker]

I think the trick to making buyers happy is being up-front with them... these REALLY long auctions with 2 million what-ifs and exceptions and costs "hidden" irritates folks. But a nice clean auction with costs up-front, folks will pay the $10 for a magazine being shipping if it is in black and white and obvious and not complain....

[Jack Lawman]

Originally posted by lugerholsterrepair
Jack, Let me see if I read this right... You advocate subtly forcing a buyer to keep an item he is unhappy with by using ursery shipping charges as blackmail instead of openly stating no returns. You really do seem to be a devil's advocate!

LugerHR,
You did not read this right...
I thought I pretty clearly stated:

Posted by: Jack Lawman:
"as long as the seller is up front about the charges."

I don't think there's anything subtle about it. You know what the shipping charges are, and you make your bid.

I don't have 50 bazillion feedbacks, but if you look up "Jacklawman" on AuctionArms or E-bay, you'll find I hold my own.

We live in a free country, unfortunately, shipping isn't.

Jack

[policeluger]

Your right Jack, shipping isn't free, I have no problem here on this post, but if your going to blast someone's shipping fees, what about place like Brownells/Jack First/GPS and other large gun parts dealer, what they will charge you for SHI on a small part, make eBay look like its almost free shipping....last time I shipped a small part to someone for $.62, the padded envelope cost me about half that. For all that are offended by what I clearly state in my ads for SHI...just do not buy from me...no problem.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Howard, Jack...There is a thing called customer service and satisfaction. These basic sales principles are used to gain further and repeat business. By saying like it or don't buy from me you are placing yourself in an awkward position. Most likely finiky customers will choose the latter and buy somewhere else. You or I are not the only sellers in this big World.
As far as blaming others for high unexplained shipping charges like Brownells/Jack First/GPS and other large gun parts dealers, I find that to be a specious argument. You don't seem to like it yourself so why would anyone else like it? How does two wrongs make it right?
I guess I am just saying that a REASONABLE shipping charge is acceptable to many if not most people. A person who charges what is percieved to be too much will ultimately pay for this business mistake in less bidders and lower prices. Just my opinion as a small businessman. Jerry Burney

[policeluger]

You missed it, I said "I have no problem here on this post" I don't. I was saying why beat up ebay seller, because you do not like his HIS pricing?. But, you seem to give no concern to bigger dealers, and their high HIS cost......while we are not selling/buying between ourselves here, we will never come to an understanding/agrement of a $.62 cent postage vs the true overall cost of shipping, that you perfer to incumber your business or pass on to those who may have consigned with you, is your business....also my opinion as a small businessman, with 30 years of customer satisfaction, military contracts....and just plain good service....I have a friend who may not make it through the weekend, make all of this really unimportant huh??

[lew1]

When I bid on things at Rock Island, I figure what I would be willing to pay, and then compute my bid so that I will not pay more than I am willing to pay - after the buyers preminium is added to the hammer price.

I do shipping the same way.

[lugerholsterrepair]

Howard, Your right...Who gives a crap. There are more important things in life. I hope your Friend makes it and is doing well....Friends and Family are what's important. Good luck, Jerry