Buyers AND Sellers, I want your opinion.....

[Jedi500]

First of, I usually do not complain or care about the Ebay DSR (or what ever you call it), but I recently lowered my shipping price to $2.50, used to charge $3.95..But I feel $2.50 is VERY resonable to cover the label, packing, both paypal and ebay fees, and all that fun stuff...Anyway, when I used the $3.95 shipping, I had a 4.8-4.9 star rating thing and it always stayed like that. Now, with my new $2.50 shipping, I must not be getting the 5 star I was getting with the $3.95 because I am now down to a 4.5 star rating in only a matter of transactions...

Why am I rambling on like a moron you may ask??!! Well, I want YOUR opinion, is $2.50 TOO much to ship a card in a padded envelope?

Please let me know...

Thanks!

 

[flightposite]

Re: Sellers, I want your opinion.....

The DSR is a joke. I use to charge only $2 shipping... Considering is cost $2.50 at the post office and then add in the price of the bubble mailer, I thought this was a pretty good deal. My DSR suffered. So, in a move to bump it up, I offered Free Shipping for awhile... AND my DSR actually DROPPED!

Now I just charge $3.50 and don't worry about it, though my DSR for shipping cost has dropped to 4.4 and every time I list an item they tell me, if you fall below 4.3 you will not be able to list new items Which by the way is ridiculous. 4/5 is 80% and you can't list new items!? So, everytime someone thinks your service was really good, but not 5/5 worthy, you are jeopordizing your ebay selling livelyhood. Just one more reason ebay sucks (and yes, I know it's still the best thing we have going for cards, but come on, sometimes enough is enough).

 

[Jedi500]

Yea, ive seen some auctions with free shipping and the sellers DSR is like a 4.4. 4/5 is good in my opinion, but not in ebay's....

It is very stupid, but because it is the most used auction site, its is the best thing for cards...though I do like naxcom, just do not like the fact that it takes hella long to get paid and not enough people know about it...

 

[pujolsthomefan33]

I have mine set at $3.00 no matter how many auctions you win...no upcharge for additional items and my DSRs are all 4.8 or higher and always have been. It is just how you market it. $3.95 and $3.50 for single cards with DC# etc. isnt excessive, but it could be with a combination of not the speediest shipping and/or you just ship the card in a bubble mailer for .62 cents when the seller paid you for $3.50. Also, upcharges at .50 cents, etc. when you are already getting $3.50 is excessive in my opinion......


If it really becomes an issue, just do free shipping. What is the big deal, you are not losing anything because in all honesty your auctions are going to go the same as an auction plus shipping.....an item goes for what it goes for.



TK

 

[flightposite]

I have mine set at $3.00 no matter how many auctions you win...no upcharge for additional items and my DSRs are all 4.8 or higher and always have been. It is just how you market it. $3.95 and $3.50 for single cards with DC# etc. isnt excessive, but it could be with a combination of not the speediest shipping and/or you just ship the card in a bubble mailer for .62 cents when the seller paid you for $3.50. Also, upcharges at .50 cents, etc. when you are already getting $3.50 is excessive in my opinion......


If it really becomes an issue, just do free shipping. What is the big deal, you are not losing anything because in all honesty your auctions are going to go the same as an auction plus shipping.....an item goes for what it goes for.

TK

100% disagree.

 

[lisu]

I ship for $2.50 + 0.25 for additional items. I pay for insurance over $100 out of my own pocket. My DSR is 4.9. There have been times where it has been around 4.8, but it's usually one person out there who can never be satisfied.

 

[Philip J. Fry]

I offered free shipping on two items last month, a computer and iPhone. Since I don't sell much, I have an idea of what people leave for the DSR. Suffice to say, my shipping for both items was a 4. Now, that's not a bad thing, but when your DSR is from 14 buyers, it takes a toll. I can't believe I was knocked for that...not to mention, I shipped same day for both and they arrived within 2-3 days.

 

[rsmath]

Why am I rambling on like a moron you may ask??!! Well, I want YOUR opinion, is $2.50 TOO much to ship a card in a padded envelope?

that's 5-star worthy on shipping, imho. that, or anyone who offers free shipping or $2 shipping. $3.00 would be 4 star worthy if a card or two is being shipped.

 

[wolfmanalfredo]

I always charge 2.50, and my DSR is at 4.7 or so. It costs me roughly 2.35 to ship w/DC, so I add the extra .15 for the bubble mailer & having to drive to the P.O. I'm taking a loss, but some people are stupid.

Here is how I personally put DSR ratings as a buyer:


Free shipping to 2.50: 5 stars

2.51-3.00: 4 stars

3.00-3.50: 3 stars

3.51-4.00: 2 stars

Anything over 4.00 gets 1 star

Of course it is very much different if I request insurance. I just get mad when I pay 3.50 and get the package in the mail and there is a 1.00 stamp on it.

What makes me even madder is the fact that I just paid 10.80 for a 15 card lot for my 1957 topps set. That guy is definetly getting 1 star, and a comment of critisicm from myself. I knew it when I bid, but its still outrageous.

 

[flightposite]

Why should the seller have to pay out of pocket to ship to get five stars?

 

[BGSRCGUY]

Ebay is really bad for sellers nowadays. I got a negative and neutrals from buyers who's packages got lost or damaged and money I instantly refunded with no questions asked. One item was overseas and the buyer has private feedback(pretty sure he ripped me but whatever). My DSRS are low for the last 30 days no clue why.

 

[boomo]

good post, I was just logging on this morning to ask about the same thing.
Buyers are basically just going to leave whatever they want at that moment.
I for one care much more about the ship time, as it seems almost everything I get
is shipped 5-10 days after i pay. That is just unreal. I always leave 5 stars as long
as shipping price is around 3.00 and it is sent with the del conf. If I pay 3.00-3.50
and get the ol 62 cent bubble mailer, thats an instant 1. I also just lowered shipping to anywhere
from free to 2.00 hoping to get mine back up. I thought it was 4.1 and you couldnt list, but 4.3?
thats insane, ebay sucks, wish we could get a good alternative that was even 50 % as successful.

 

[BunchOBull]

I do $2.50 for the first, .50 extra for the second, with $3.00 being the max on raw singles, no matter how many auctions are won.

Because I ship everything reinforced between cardboard, my shipping prices are approximately $2.38 for 1 to 3 raw cards. Throw in the bubblemailer (.11-.18 depending on how many I purchased in bulk), penny/toploader/team bag (.13 per card), and shipping tape (that's actually a frequent expense for me)...not to mention a trip to the PO, I think it's reasonable. I rarely get left DSRs though. I haven't shipped an item slower than 24 hours after payment received/cleared in all of my time on eBay, but you still can't please everyone.

edited to add...that is for auction format...I do mostly fixed priced listings with free shipping.

 

[gt2590]

It is under 4.1 you can't sell anymore, but then how can you raise your score back up. Under 4.3 you lose "good standing priority". All it takes is one ******-bag putting all empty stars, even by accident, and you're screwed.

It's amazing how the new "no negative feedback for buyers" has given buyers free license to kill sellers' ratings. A couple of weeks ago, I got a 3 score on shipping when it arrived 5 days after payment. Amazing! No wonder eBay is taking such big hits.

I don't get it, I would think they would try to make things better for sellers since that's where most of their money (fees) comes from.

 

[BunchOBull]

I don't get it, I would think they would try to make things better for sellers since that's where most of their money (fees) comes from.

They collect more fees from the sellers if happy buyers drive up sales prices though. eBay doesn't care because their profit structure is most successful when a sale is actually made.

 

[Pinbreaker]

I charge $3.95 for Insured S&H with Delivery Confirmation..

My EBAY Feedback

Item as described 4.9/5.0
Communication 5.0/5.0
Shipping time 4.9/5.0
Shipping and handling charges 4.8/5.0

It normally cost's me $3.52 to send my items and I charge the same whether you win one card or five...

I lowered my fees as well a few months ago and my DSR's would drop.. I started to add insurance on everything and my DSR's went up..

Good luck with your auctions..

 

[CAROLINA BOSOX]

As a buyer I always factor shipping into my bid. So if you charge $5 or free for shipping and I receive the card(s) in a padded envelope in a toploader in less than 2 weeks after I paid you are a 5 STAR seller across the board. Send it in a PWE or no toploader or 3 weeks later then we have problems.

 

[Billy Packer]

When I leave feedback as a buyer, the only time I factor in shipping cost into that particular DSR rating is if the seller charged for insurance and then didn't ship insured. I'll always mark them way down for that. Otherwise the only things I rate on for shipping are timeliness of delivery and how the item was packaged.

Since I bought the item knowing what the shipping costs would be and factored that into my purchase price, whatever the amount was is irrelevant to my rating of the seller. This may not be the case for everyone and I obviously don't know the particulars of all your transactions. I guess my point is that there may be other factors for you to look at that could be driving the rating down besides the shipping cost itself.

Edit: in looking at a previous post, I am reminded that delivery time and s&h charges are rated separately. Even still, there may be some perceptual spillover between the two categories.

 

[Stryk]

I agree some individuals need low DSR scores on shipping time, but why complain about shipping price if you know about it before hand. I look for cards of my guys still, but the volume of them on ebay is easily cut in half. Where are all the sellers going and why have they left?


I think DSR's suck. I also think ebay is somewhat responsible for the card market suffering as a whole. I used to sell on ebay at least 50-100 items a month. I sold some hotter cards, but mostly 90's inserts and parallels. Now its no longer worth it. I know the economy is to blame, but when you keep raising fees and keep making it harder on sellers, ebay is no longer as attractive of an option. Many of my friends who were big ebay sellers also have slowed down or nearly stopped selling. Sure if your a power seller or you have perfect DSR's you get discounts, but all it takes is one or two knuckleheads to hurt your DSR's for us smaller guys. Sure you can be like Burbank and Shoelessjoejackson and absorb low DSR scores, but others like me can't. The bottom line unfortunately is now I no longer want to deal with ebay. Its not worth it, time or money. This unfortunately translates to the local card shop. I used to spend $500-1000 a month there opening wax. I knew I could always recoup some of that money on ebay. Now I don't believe I have been there in 4 months or more.

 

[ChasHawk]

I charge $2.49 plus .50 per adtl card, and my DSR's are all 4.9 or 5. $2.49 is maybe 2 or 3 cents more than what it actually costs me. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the 10 packs of 000 bubblers at the Wally World by me just went from $2.88 to $4.44. I think they saw how many they're selling, and knew they could jack it a little.

I think maybe the biggest problem (aside from eBay itself obviously) is that people who just buy and don't ever sell on eBay, have no idea how the DSR's work. In any other situation, wouldn't you think giving someone a rating of 4/5 or 8/10 is pretty high praise? Not according to ePay