We have been selling on
ebay for over 11 years. The better half has been a silver level power seller for over half that time as well. We have over 6000 feedback and have a 4.9 to 5.0 on ALL our stars. We always qualify for best seller status due to happy customers.
That being said.,.so no one can come in and tell me we must be lousy sellers to work with....
If people are just now complaining about shipping, they have no idea how shipping really works and has worked on
ebay for the duration.
Ebay has cracked down TREMENDOUSLY on what people can ask for shipping, going so far to HIDE your listings unless you offer FREE shipping & take a loss as a seller. WHY? Because buyers won't pay what it REALLY costs to send that giant item clear across country. We often take hits of $20 or MORE on shipping costs becuase if we try to charge what it REALLY costs..we wouldn't be able to sell what we are offering..
What used to cost us $5 to send across country, now costs us $13. What used to cost us $15 to ship across country, now costs us close to $30.
We sell vintage, antiques, etc..the better half can take 2 HOURS to properly pack a buyer's box..and he isn't able to charge for that time to get the buyer their rare widget or super bargain widget to them safely anymore, allowing said buyer to order from their house with ease.......which is really not how business should work.
What we used to be able to offer people compared to now, has completely changed. Many items are not even
ebay viable anymore..
ebay is a shell of its former self...partly due to crazy shipping charges, people being cheap due to the economy, & the owed mentality. Well, guess what? People sell on
ebay to make money! If you are happy with the total price...YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE TOTAL PRICE..if you aren't MOVE ON!
The PO system, Fedex and UPS have raised their rates terribly and this doesn't even take into account the supplies.
Now, I don't want to hear..oh, throw it in a free box. Yea? And when your package arrives broken or slammed around in that "free" used box, the buyer is the first one to cry fowl and throw a very fit and get all their money back from paypal.
I want you to show me ANY STORE that does not charge the customer MORE than EXACT shipping to cover the labor and supplies involved when shipping items. Most businesses have flat rate price ranges or by weight..and almost always, you will be paying for someone's time and supplies..why should
ebay be any different?
While there are people who charge more for shipping than they "should"..but "should" is in the eye of the beholder, ..um...if you were happy with the TOTAL price before you knew how much someone charged you past the actual PO price, why would you be happier that the postal system got the money instead of the seller? That makes absolutely no sense.
If you can get a better deal locally, take a shower, get dressed, go get in your car and use your time, energy and gas to find it..... If you are buying something online becuase you know you are getting a better deal, can't find it local, etc...does it REALLY matter where the money goes if in fact you are still getting what you wanted at a price you were fine with delivered to you in your pajamas with no more than a few clicks of effort from you?
This argument has been going on for years and for years people just keep wanting more and more at the cost of seller's time and money while they sit in their chairs.
If you are happy with the price..you are happy with the price!
I used to buy..easily 25- 100 things on any given month, from tiny items to gifts and such for friends and family..I maybe buy 5 things a year now..why? Because so many sellers left and are no longer offering things becuase they simply cannot make any money at it.
Bottom line....time is worth something..if you value your time, you need to value others' time. If you were going to buy a dress at $79.99 at the mall but could get it delivered to you, saving you gas and time for $50, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW THE MONEY GETS DIVIDED..YOU STILL GOT A GREAT DEAL!
There are two sides to every coin!
