Postage Gouging (with help from e-bay's postage calculator)

[tassietank]

Is it just me, or have other buyers found that ever since

ebay added their ever helpful (NOT) postage calculator for sellers

that we are getting absolutely gouged on postage?

(i'm sure I read somewhere in ebay's own rules that it was frowned upon to charge excessive amounts for postage)

Take for instance- i often buy damaged iphones to strip for parts and repair (hopefully)...

Up until late last year, the most I'd get charged postage for a lone 130gram iphone 3g-3gs in

bubble wrap + postpack would of been 6-7 dollars, with about a week's delivery here to Tassie.

Now all of a sudden with e-bays postage calculator rate for "standard postage",

nearly everyone's charging $13.40 -$13.95, apparently with ebay's blessing.....

(seeing as sellers are letting the postage calculator work out the postage price for them).

well, things aren't turning up any quicker, so it's not as if I'm getting a better quality mail service or anything like that

for twice the cost.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that everyone should only charge the exact amount that the postage costs and that's it,

far from it, fair's fair.  BUT if you didn't put enough profit margin on your item to sell, it's not ok to charge anyone extra for the postage to make up for it either.

Also don't fall for the **bleep** about getting a better price for your item if you auction it over having a buy it now price, that's B.S.

I reckon with all the stuff I have sold on ebay, only ONE item I have sold (recently actually) auctioned for more than the buy it now price!

What do others think?

[digital*ghost]

The postage calculator has been an available option for years, and as far as I know mobile phones has never been a category in which flat rate P&H caps have been in place, so whatever the reason for the marked increase, it's really got nothing to do with eBay and/or the calculator, as a seller could have entered $13+ flat rate, or used the calculator to get exact rates + add in a handling fee at any time.

There has been one recent addition to postage options and that's the new Rate Table, where a seller can enter up to 15 different postage rates based on location, but again they're essentially flat rate quotes, so still in the seller's full control (with some possible exceptions - I have not used the rate table as yet, so am not overly familiar with how it works, but have heard there are some flaws). 

eBay does indeed have a policy regarding excessive postage. A single mobile phone would need to go by  parcel (road only, unless the battery was removed), and I guess travel by ferry to get to Tas?, but when you consider actual postage cost would be between $6.95 to a bit over $8.00 (depending on which parcel service was used), then packaging, and any optional extras the seller may use (signature on delivery, for example, which is $2.95), a $5.00 - $7.00 or so difference between minimum "stamp" price and P&H charge is unlikely to qualify as excessive postage, or profiting from it, even if it seems like it should/would to other people.

[putney32]

all of DG's response is spot on.

should also mention that in recent times Australia Post increased the minimum size of a parcel, the ''up to 250gr'' option was removed and the minimum parcel is now '' up to 500gr''  (at a dearer price of course!!!)

maybe you are remembering postage from when Australia Post had a 250gr parcel rate  ?

[phorum_junkie*]

If the value is over $50 then the seller should be charging for SOG and if it is over $100 they should be paying for extra cover so actual postage cost could be anything up to $12 plus a packaging and handling charge so I don't know what you are complaining about. As a phone should be extremely well packaged to keep it safe even if the actual delivery charge was only seven bucks the cost of the packaging materials and the time taken charged at minimum wage could easily take it to thirteen dollars or more.

As the cost is shown up front you have no cause for complaint, even if they were grossly overcharging to avoid fees ebay are only interested if you report it before you buy, once you have accepted the quoted postage cost ebay are not interested.

[tassietank]

Alas, if only more sellers would "play the game" as far as packaging  and sending items.

I always go out of my way to pack the stuff I sell in as much bubble wrap as I can jam in the box,

& everything posts with at least signature on delivery, and if it's over $100 or scarce like some car radios I have sold,

it goes with an appropriate amount of insurance as well.

While in the main the items I have bought have been well packaged and sent with some form

of tracking (which I thought was a requirement if accepting paypal payments?), I have had some rippers as well-

like a widescreen laptop lcd display only - no frame sent in a flattened out tissue box, wrapped in tape with no padding,

iphones and hard drives sent in standard white envelopes, a laptop in a USED pizza box??! (acer travelmate - pepperoni version....)

It just really **bleep**s me when I pay for something + good money for postage and it arrives eventually, no tracking, wrapped very casually with whatever was in the rubbish bin at the time.