posted on September 18, 2003 08:07:52 PM new
I am getting really tired of browsing auctions that do not include shipping costs.
How do these people survive on ebay?
Sometimes I dont know what my shipping will be but at least I put my zip and approx. wt, so they can figure out a ballpark figure themselves.
(I am trying to put some money back into this community but they aint maken it easy!)
posted on September 18, 2003 08:43:17 PM new
I agree with you on this. I usually skip an auction if no hint of shipping prices is given, unless it's very rare and I really want or need it.
Yesterday I e-mailed a seller of a wall pocket I was very interested in bidding on, closing last night. (It had only one bid.) Asked if she could give me just an idea of the shipping to zip 92549.
Her reply was (1) she didn't know where the item was (!!!); (2) it wasn't packed yet (!!!), and (3) she had no idea what it would weigh but "probably under $10."
It was a wallpocket weighing no more than 10 ounces, certainly under a pound anyway, and it should have gone for the 1-pound rate via priority. Duhhh. I passed it up. How DO these people stay in business?
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posted on September 18, 2003 08:52:13 PM new
You can email the seller and ask the s/h but that's a big pain. If there is no email address or email link then you have to use the "Ask The Seller A Question" link but ebay has placed a 5 per day limit on those according to a recent thread at OTWA.
I guestimate as many as 20% of all ebay auctions do not have any mention of a s/h price. Truly incredible.
-------------- sig file ----------- President John F. Kennedy said, "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."
posted on September 18, 2003 11:56:44 PM new
I tend to skip these, unless it is something that I really, really want (that is kind of rare though) - I got burned once about 6 years ago, and won't play that game anymore. Unless I have it in writing, I won't bid...
posted on September 19, 2003 12:26:26 AM new
Well, I state in my TOS that shipping charges will be given to th winner of the auction. I bill exact charges plus $2.00 for packing etc.. I never have a problem. I started doing this after the USPS raised the rates on Priority Mail. Now I ship anything over 3 lbs. by FedEx Ground & save the buyer $$$. I don't intend to make a profit on shipping. I think a lot of sellers are gouging their buyers on shipping charges.
posted on September 19, 2003 04:33:50 AM newI am getting really tired of browsing auctions that do not include shipping costs. How do these people survive on ebay?
Even some people on Vendio justify their poor business practices by saying their eBaying is "only a hobby".
Frustration is part of the cost of dealing with such "hobby sellers".
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 19, 2003 05:15:25 AM new
Fluffy, I dont know. From what I can remember of a quick look at the sellers ID, alot of them did not appear to be hobby sellers. (Some were,with FB of 25 to 100, but alot had FB of 500 or over.)
I guess they depend on newbies to bid, or those that dont care about the shipping costs. Obviously with over 500 fb, they are doing okay on EBAY.
But as a buyer I'm no different - I want a deal too!
For all the shopping I do to resell, I could probably just as easily find this item myself. Just thought I'd contribute back-into to the ebay economy. But you're right, it is too frustrating because I don't have the time to browse and email the seller.
I dont feel like getting burnt on shipping charges, from a new seller, a hobby seller OR a powerseller.
posted on September 19, 2003 05:21:34 AM new
How do they survive on eBay?
They start their auctions low... and sell high...
This is the reason I place a shipping cost in my auctions for anything under 5lbs and place my zip code in for anything over...
People want bargins and not seeing shipping cost, they "forget" about it and don't consider that as part of the cost of the item... so they bid and sometimes get a big surprise...
posted on September 19, 2003 06:52:58 AM new
neglus, a buyer can only send up to 5 "ask a seller a question" emails through ebay's system per day. Funny Ace mentioned that, as I did do about 4 on the item before I got tired of it. Wonder if it would have told me something after five??
posted on September 19, 2003 07:36:34 AM new
When they don't list shipping, I just hit the back button. Even if they list a high shipping rate at least I know the total amount I'm paying, they at least stand a chance of getting a bid from me.
posted on September 19, 2003 07:47:34 AM new
Yes, Mah645. If its something I really want or is exceptional I'll pay the higher shipping, too. Just want to know what it is first.
posted on September 19, 2003 07:53:39 AM newFrom what I can remember of a quick look at the sellers ID, alot of them did not appear to be hobby sellers. (Some were,with FB of 25 to 100, but alot had FB of 500 or over.)
One prominent Vendio poster has feedback over 600 and still stoutly proclaims that she is a "hobby seller".
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 19, 2003 08:19:00 AM new
if you buy and sell on ebay long enough,you can have 500 plus feedbacks.
say you list a few items a day and buy a lot of small items on ebay,5 years later,you can have 500 feedbacks
-sig file -------The thrill is gone!!
posted on September 19, 2003 08:33:17 AM new
Neglus, an OTWA poster found out that after 5 uses of the Ask seller a question found in every active auction in a single day they got a message on their sixth use that said that ebay had placed a 24 hour limit of just 5 'Ask seller a question' uses per ebayer.
If the shipping cost isn't there in the auction and the seller had no email address or email address link in their auction then some proflic buyers may not be able to contact them. The problem will get worse in January when the email ebay IDs will be converted to non-email addresses by ebay.
-------------- sig file ----------- President John F. Kennedy said, "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."
posted on September 19, 2003 08:45:31 AM new
"I guestimate as many as 20% of all ebay auctions do not have any mention of a s/h price. Truly incredible. "
Hey Ace, I bet it's higher than that! If I'm looking for a particular thing, and there are, say, 8 of them listed, I can weed out 5 of my choices by them not having a shipping charge listed. I'm too chicken to bid on something that doesn't because I don't know if it's going to be one of those sellers who makes his money on shipping. Paid $10 shipping for a pair of earrings once, and I've been paranoid ever since.
I think it rolls back around to the principle of making sure your auction doesn't have anything in it (or missing from it) that will make the bidder move on to the next one. Someone on here once said "ebay is like a bus. If you miss it, wait a few minutes and there'll be another one along shortly."
Make yourself a rate chart and tape it to the wall by your computer. Build in your handling fee. Slap a box and the item on the scale while you are listing it, look at your list..whamo. Shipping charge. Some will be a little over and some a little under and it all works out in the end. It's just NOT that difficult!
posted on September 19, 2003 08:57:50 AM new
Or better yet..use the eBay shipping rate calculator with your hidden handling charges..or did I dream that something like this existed ??( I dont have to worry because my shipping is fixed)
posted on September 19, 2003 09:07:42 AM new
Neglus - there is a seller in one of the catagories that I watch that uses a shipping calculator. I'm dying to figure out what their settings are. I have seen items that I know weigh less than 3 ounces and fit in a small padded envelope wit a shipping cost of over just over $8 and this is an items with a starting bid price that covers cost x 2. They had a beautiful item that I was very interested in but when shipping came out to nearly $20 on something that would not have cost more than $7-8 I lost interest, the item no longer justifed the cost.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Men Are Like Grapes. If You Stomp on Them and Keep Them in the Dark Long Enough, They Might Turn Into Something That You Would Take to Dinner
posted on September 19, 2003 09:33:00 AM new
'One prominent Vendio poster has feedback over 600 and still stoutly proclaims that she is a "hobby seller".'
Hey, Fluffy, I sure don't want to get into a scratching match with you. But it seems to me we need to define "hobby seller." You may be talking about me, in the quote above. 668 unique feedbacks in nearly 4 years, the first 100 buying.
I divide sellers into (1) those who are either supporting themselves or their whole family (Real or Full-time Sellers) and (2) people like me who sell family stuff, things for friends sometimes, and go to yard sales to see what they can sell and enjoy the game of it and also enjoy bringing in "some" money.
I sell in spurts and am very thankful I don't need the extra income, just enjoy its coming in.
Maybe "hobby seller" isn't the right term, but some of us will continue to use it until a better one comes along.
___________________________________
posted on September 19, 2003 10:16:32 AM newHey, Fluffy, I sure don't want to get into a scratching match with you.
Good, since you yourself have repeatedly referred to your eBay activities as "hobby selling".
But it seems to me we need to define "hobby seller."
Seems to me you're either in business or you're not.
You have claimed that you are not in business, so you don't (for example) have to collect CA sales tax on your eBay sales.
I am certain that the State Board of Equalization would disagree with your assessment. You are buying and selling tangible personal property, not excess items you happen to have lying around. That is the litmus test for being in business, not whether or not you support yourself by such sales.
I obtained a seller's permit and was required to remit collected sales tax years before I went to eBay full-time.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 19, 2003 03:12:09 PM new
I have a feedback of over 800 and I consider myself a hobby seller. I love to go to estate sales and find treasures. Same with rummage sales. My hobby selling pays my medical insurance, prescriptions and doctor Bills and casino bill. This is not a business for me as I have other income.
Frustration is part of the cost of dealing with such "hobby sellers
There is no frustration when dealing with me and I am sure the person you are referring to treats her buyers with respect, mails packages in a timely manor and leaves feedback. Then enjoys her hobby money. I do. A little money now and then can make for an enjoyable vacation.
[ edited by Libra63 on Sep 19, 2003 03:13 PM ]
posted on September 19, 2003 04:41:51 PM new
I don't know what I am, and I'm not sure I could define myself one way or another. I pay taxes on the income, I don't rely on it (I work full-time outside the house), but I have over 8000 feedbacks and list about 400 auctions a week. A part time seller maybe? I think more than a hobby seller....
posted on September 19, 2003 05:07:51 PM new
Ihula,
400 auctions a week? A part-time seller?
That doesnt sound right to me. If you're part-time, I must be an occassional seller or something. But I list every week, am devoting time to this almost everyday. And even with that, at best, I consider myself a part-time seller.
Like several people who have posted here, if S/H isn't in the auction, I hit the back button unless it's something I'm really, truly interested in. Then I'll ask the seller, if there is time before it closes. If I don't hear back or if what I hear isn't what I wanted to hear I don't bid.
As far as how sellers who don't put S/H in their auctions survive on eBay, I'm not sure they do. I've seen a whole lot of sellers, often new ones, who haven't gotten more than an opening bid on anything they have listed, if they have any bids at all.
posted on September 19, 2003 05:25:50 PM new
"I don't know what I am, . . .(I work full-time outside the house), but I have over 8000 feedbacks and list about 400 auctions a week."
Ihula, I know what you are. You're my hero(heroine). I work full time and I usually have less than 20 auctions going at any one time. Hopefully, in time I'll get organized enough to do more.
I consider myself a part-time dealer. I also sell in a B&M mall. And yes, I pay income tax and collect sales tax.
posted on September 19, 2003 05:35:19 PM new
I pay taxes on my sales,as I claim it as an income. But this is just a hobby for me,it helps me move more of my Flea Market inventory faster. I only run around 50 auctions a week.
posted on September 19, 2003 05:42:55 PM new
Anyone that has listed at least one item is a seller on ebay. Ebay estimates that 150,000 sellers work fulltime on ebay so the 'real' sellers number only about 150,000. That makes almost every ebay seller either a 'hobby' or 'part-time' seller. Only 20% of all ebay sellers qualify as Power Sellers yet several news stories estimate that they sell 80% of all ebay goods.
-------------- sig file ----------- President John F. Kennedy said, "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."
