ebay sellers may want to read this

[jcmint]

Buyers are apparently so ignorant sometimes they think that shipping & HANDLING charges are the same thing as shipping charges and ding your auction accordingly.

And so are sellers who feel the need to tax everything on (at max price and exaggerated of course) in an attempt to make a point and a few cents, in your case dollars. Its quite simple if you cant afford to ship dont sell on ebay and make 55 excuses on why you are making ANY money on shipping.

If you ship 55 packages in one day you made something like $110 dollars IN SHIPPING alone. For something that literally take 10-20 mins at the post office or 5 mins at your house at the computer. But as with most who are nickel and dimming they HATE the ship at home option as they cant charge you for the sandwich on the way to the bank.

If you want to open a shipping business go ahead but you arent you are selling cards on ebay.

Where are you getting these numbers from. The people in the post office have to be the slowest people in the world. it took me over 3 hours to pack up 50 packages at my home with labels. That is real time. No one is getting rich off shipping. Time is money isnt it. My computer is not blazing fast but there is always lag time on paypals shipping processes. I have everyhting right in front of me and I am not a slow person. I think you could take a poll on this and not many will agree with you at all.

 

[ChasHawk]

Buyers are apparently so ignorant sometimes they think that shipping & HANDLING charges are the same thing as shipping charges and ding your auction accordingly.

And so are sellers who feel the need to tax everything on (at max price and exaggerated of course) in an attempt to make a point and a few cents, in your case dollars. Its quite simple if you cant afford to ship dont sell on ebay and make 55 excuses on why you are making ANY money on shipping.

If you ship 55 packages in one day you made something like $110 dollars IN SHIPPING alone. For something that literally take 10-20 mins at the post office or 5 mins at your house at the computer. But as with most who are nickel and dimming they HATE the ship at home option as they cant charge you for the sandwich on the way to the bank.

If you want to open a shipping business go ahead but you arent you are selling cards on ebay.

Where are you getting these numbers from. The people in the post office have to be the slowest people in the world. it took me over 3 hours to pack up 50 packages at my home with labels. That is real time. No one is getting rich off shipping. Time is money isnt it. My computer is not blazing fast but there is always lag time on paypals shipping processes. I have everyhting right in front of me and I am not a slow person. I think you could take a poll on this and not many will agree with you at all.

his estimates of time really don't matter, as your time is one of the things eBay policy says should NOT be a factor in shipping costs.

 

[mgar26]

this was cut & pasted directly from my seller dashboard, under the "view my performance" part. for some reason the 6 green checkmarks are not appearing in the right column when i paste this cutout herebut they are there. and you can see that i am below all of ebays max count as far as percentages go.

Evaluation period: Feb 01, 2010 - Jan 31, 2011Performance criteria forerformance criteria forTop-ratedAbove standard
Criteria Requirements Your performance
Do not exceed the maximum limits of both percent and count
Low detailed seller ratings* Max % Max count Your % Your count
Item as described 1.00% 3 0.09% 1
Communication 2.00% 3 0.18% 2
Shipping time 2.00% 3 0.00% 0
Shipping and handling charges 2.00% 3 1.87% 21
*Low detailed seller ratings are 1s and 2s.


Buyer Protection cases Max % Max count Your % Your count
Opened cases
[See definition]
[Hide definition] 1.00% 3 0.00% 0
[See cases]
% = Opened cases
Transactions x 100 Opened cases: Cases your buyers opened in the eBay or PayPal Resolution Center that pass checks for buyer abuse or fraud. PayPal disputes are not counted until they are escalated from a dispute to a case.

Closed cases without seller resolution
[See definition]
[Hide definition] 0.30% 2 0.00% 0
[See cases]
% = Closed cases without seller resolution
Transactions x 100 Closed cases without seller resolution: Cases closed without the seller's response or resolution. Cases found in the seller's favor or appealed successfully by the seller are not included.

 

[lambert58]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2011-Topps-1-1-Blan ... 2eb30b9266

So are we all to assume this seller is going to get the boot soon with those shipping charges??

 

[Tom Oates]

to answer Tom Oates, i charged $2.99 and .50 for additional. point is, if buyer does not agree or like the shipping charges, they should not bid. and again, i was not left negative for any transactions, just low dsr scores which should not affect anything since it is only someones opinion. i got banned based on the opinions of 21 buyers who left low dsr scores for me as well as positive feedback. that makes sense.

just playing devils' adv. here, but if I bought 5 cards from you and you charged me $4.99 s&h.
if I get the mailer and see it cost you $1.47 to ship, that's when a buyer has every right to give a less than 5 DSR

doesn't make eBay's actions right, but I get tired of all this "you knew the shipping charges" BS

First I realize you are playing devils advocate.

But if you read the auction and knew you were going to pay $4.99 shipping and handling then why? You don't know how the seller arrives at those charges.

Personally I spend quite a bit of time packaging each of my items, large scale operations like 4sc probably has staff that assists in packing and have to pay them a salary. Time is not free, nor are the bubble mailers, nor are the hard plastics, nor are the penny sleeves, nor is the ink to print the label, nor is the paper to print the label, nor is the tape to package the item, I cut up cardboard boxes for additional protection and those aren't free either.

In regards to my time packaging said item, gas to take it to the post office, etc. It's not free, I really don't understand why the buyers feel they have right to question shipping pricing, when stated in the auction. I even go as far to state in my auction how that they will be shipped in bubble mailers. And although I allow for 3 days handling time before I ship, I generally stay up late (even though I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old at home) in order to get peoples packages out next day after payment.

I mean the title is shipping and HANDLING Charges
from dictionary.com "3. a. the process by which a commodity is packaged, transported, etc b. ( as modifier ): handling charges"

Yet despite all that I have been dinged on shipping charges (not low DSR, but still not a 5).


Buyers are apparently so ignorant sometimes they think that shipping & HANDLING charges are the same thing as shipping charges and ding your auction accordingly.

Ebay S&H policy:

What you allowed to charge. Shipping - Actual shipping cost. Handling - this can include the cost of packaging materials and insurance cost, if any.

What you're not allowed to charge
Related fees: Things like gas, mileage, time spent at a carrier, employee wages, or eBay and PayPal fees should not be added.

Buyers have the right because sometimes they are getting charged for things that Ebay's policy specifically prohibits them from being charged for. Not that I agree but when you decide to sell on Ebay you have to play by their rules....even when they make it difficult.

Good Quote. Many people in this thread assume "handling" includes their "time" to handle the packaging process. If you read the definition it does not include your labor at all. Shipping in Handling is actually "Shipping fees and Packaging Materials".

 

[bigpapiMA32]

Interesting Mgar. Now it would be interesting to see if

a) Anyone below 1.87% was also banned or
b) If anyone over 1.87% is NOT banned

I'm guessing there may be a baseline percentage they used as their criteria (say 1.5%) that was the cut line as to who got suspended or not. Of course without further data it's all speculation.

Interesting. Not 1.5%, though:

I was NOT suspended/banned.

 

[KUHawk]

Hmm, so we can assume it is under the 2% which they list as being the criteria since the 1.87% was banned. Perhaps it's 1.8%. Would be nice to hammer down a number if there is such a number so we can know when to switch to free shipping.

 

[jaderock]

Hmm, so we can assume it is under the 2% which they list as being the criteria since the 1.87% was banned. Perhaps it's 1.8%. Would be nice to hammer down a number if there is such a number so we can know when to switch to free shipping.

It's 2% OR 3 incidents whichever is "violated" which crazy. I think it's the exceeding the # of incidents and not the % in these cases.

 

[notjomommasclint]

it seems to me that a majority of people focus on the standard feedback as the main method of viewing the worth of a seller. the dsr only seems to carry weight with ebay itself. when i lost my top seller status because of the 4.7 dsr on shipping cost i was told to quit whining. that i didnt deserve to have top seller because i charged 2.75 per item .25 per additional. which was actually in place hoping it would spur people to buy more of my cards and cost average shipping. so i moved my charges to free! if ebay wants to have the weight of the sale based heavily on the dsr they need to do away with feedback and allow the seller to leave a dsr for buyers. a simple "days for payment" and an option to limit that dsr just like the nonpaying strikes we have now. if not the market will continue to be rife with extortion artist and buyers begging for partial refunds.

that said if ebay warns you and/or you are aware of their policies yet fail to adapt to their model of selling then you do share in the blame for a suspension.

 

[dksportz8]

I know this topic has been addressed several times but I'm not surprised by this topic and it's happened to a TON of my friends that deal with eBay over the last 5-10 years. I just lost my Top-Rated Seller banner recently because 2 bidders out of a 1,000 sales in the last 12 months gave me a poor rating for my shipping charges???

I've always looked at it as the bidders do that just to screw your ratings or get you kicked off and it has worked for a lot of good sellers.

eBay isn't fair anymore and I want to quit eBay but I still do it since there's no other auction sites that bring in traffic like them. The fees jump up every 6 months and it's too expensive!

eBay isn't the greatest site like they used to be.

It's been a disappointing 12 months for a lot of seller I know.

 

[Huffamaniac]

Sorry to hear. I have started selling almost everything with free shipping as i am afraid I will lose my Top rated status also. It is a shame

I know this topic has been addressed several times but I'm not surprised by this topic and it's happened to a TON of my friends that deal with eBay over the last 5-10 years. I just lost my Top-Rated Seller banner recently because 2 bidders out of a 1,000 sales in the last 12 months gave me a poor rating for my shipping charges???

I've always looked at it as the bidders do that just to screw your ratings or get you kicked off and it has worked for a lot of good sellers.

eBay isn't fair anymore and I want to quit eBay but I still do it since there's no other auction sites that bring in traffic like them. The fees jump up every 6 months and it's too expensive!

eBay isn't the greatest site like they used to be.

It's been a disappointing 12 months for a lot of seller I know.

 

[EricInCT]

people always seem to have some kind of problem with ebay, such a shame.

 

[Huffamaniac]

Just today someone gave me positive feedback on a card I sold last week and gave me a 1 or 2 on shipping. I am going to call EBAY on this

 

[200lbhockeyplayer]

Shipping price is a total horsecrap thing for DSR. Absolutely no reasonable reason for it to exist unless the monkeys can't read or do basic math and rational thought.

Delivery time-frame is equally horsecrap when eBay lists the estimated delivery, can track the estimated delivery and then still allows for eBay clowns to rank it.

 

[jbrown]

Delivery time-frame is equally horsecrap when eBay lists the estimated delivery, can track the estimated delivery and then still allows for eBay clowns to rank it.

It is possible to get automatic 5 stars on shipping time. Here is what ebay requires:

"You will automatically receive a 5-star shipping time detailed seller rating if:

-You specify 1-day handling.

-You upload U.S. Postal Service, UPS, or FedEx supported tracking information by the end of the next business day* Pacific Time after the buyer's payment clears.

-Delivery Confirmation or tracking shows confirmed delivery 4 business days from when the payment clears—or—within your estimated delivery time if it's less than 4 days (for example, overnight shipping).

In some instances, there may be a delay in processing your shipping details, and buyers may be able to leave you a detailed seller rating for shipping time. If you have met the automatic 5-star shipping time requirements, your rating will be adjusted to 5 stars.

* A business day is a normal weekday. Saturdays, Sundays, and major holidays are not business days."

 

[Musial Collector]

I have started to do free shipping with all of my auctions and have noticed an increase in sales and ending prices.

Example:
I had 5 Stan Musial inserts SPed either /25, /50 or /100
First time listing them, had them at .99 with $2 shipping, none of them sold
Second time listing, had them at 2.99 with free shipping and they all sold to the same buyer

If the first time around they would have all sold to the same buyer, I would have gotten 4.95 in sales and charged about 3.00 for shipping, a total of 7.95. Shipping costs about 2.00, so a net sale of 5.95 before fees.

With them selling the second time around, they sold for 14.95, shipping is still 2.00, but out of my pocket, so a net sale of 12.95

This is a difference of +7.00
I am more than happy to offer free shipping and build my shipping into each item, IMO, I will see better profits this way for most items.

Just my $.02

 

[bozemanbreaker]

I ship free on everything now just to avoid this nonsense rating system. In most cases I find my auctions end around the same as a similar item with a shipping charge. It's not a huge deal. With that said, ebay sucks nads but it's all we have.

 

[jaderock]

Just today someone gave me positive feedback on a card I sold last week and gave me a 1 or 2 on shipping. I am going to call EBAY on this

Let me know what happens, I had a buyer do the same thing (leave positive feedback) except it was "Free Shipping" item and both s/h and shipping time (delivered by the 3rd day) was an automatic "5", so he gave me 2 on description and 1 on communication?

Is is worth arguing or what?