topic Re: Reducing shipping cost in Buying

Reducing shipping cost

michellebartley — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 20:46:32 GMT

I have asked a lot of sellers for a reduced shipping cost but always get the same answer "that is the set cost and I cannot lower it".

Re: Reducing shipping cost

harley_babes_hoard — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 21:05:27 GMT

If you don't like the cost then don't buy. You seem to have a awful lot of problems buying on ebay and with sellers. Are you just very hard to please?

Soon you won't be able to see shipping cost as it will be built into the price

Re: Reducing shipping cost

*crikey*mate* — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 22:56:59 GMT

Hi Michelle,

I too question shipping costs if they seem to be extraordinarily high or unrealistic. I will just send the seller a polite PM asking them if there is a chance that they made a mistake when listing as $15.15 (for example) does seem a bit high to send a 500g satchel. (example only).

If they stick to their guns, then I just have to weigh up if the overall cost of the item (post plus product) is worth the expense of getting and owning the item.

Just like in a real store where you only see the one price without all of the other costs detailed that go into making that product available for you to buy.

As said above, incidence such as these where the postage costs are artificially infalted with the intent to either circumvent eBay fees or make their lower starting price seem more appealing, should decrease from May 7.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

debra9275 — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 22:59:48 GMT

hi Michelle,

the majority of sellers are only charging what the actual cost of postage is, and postage is not cheap, The sellers don't get postage for free or anything like that

Re: Reducing shipping cost

curraone — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 23:15:28 GMT

debra9275: hi Michelle, the majority of sellers are only charging what the actual cost of postage is, and postage is not cheap, The sellers don't get postage for free or anything like that

I agree - most sellers only charge the actual postage. I am not surprised you are getting a short answer - it is a very stressful time for some sellers at the moment with the prospect of new fees coming in. Postage can be quite expensive for Australian sellers. You can always check the prices yourself, if you have some idea of the size and weight, at http://auspost.com.au/apps/postage-calculator.html

And of course you can consider combined postage - if you want to buy multiple items from a seller, email the seller and ask what their combined postage will be and you will be pleasantly suprised. Now is the time, as combined postage discounts look like history after 12 May.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

designerarticles — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 23:24:28 GMT

maybe they are saying that because they are just charging what australia post charges?

Re: Reducing shipping cost

k1ooo-slr-sales — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:20:26 GMT

@michellebartley wrote:
I have asked a lot of sellers for a reduced shipping cost but always get the same answer "that is the set cost and I cannot lower it".

you would get a different reply from me michelle, I would simply reply with "No". Why use more words than necessary?

Re: Reducing shipping cost

davewil1964 — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:54:12 GMT

Some people seem to only attract bad sellers. You would think they would not bother anymore. Or connect the dots.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

imastawka — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:42:43 GMT

Maybe michelle is referring to USA's GSP?

If so,please take a number

Re: Reducing shipping cost

davewil1964 — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:04:36 GMT

I doubt it.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

2106greencat — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 23:43:24 GMT

and sadly Michelle, most buyers only come to notice the real shipping costs when they are required to return an item - then, suddenly, low and behold "the cost of post is outrageous" (join the sellers club - they live with it)

Re: Reducing shipping cost

elisabethau-2013 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 14:58:53 GMT

If you think postage costs are high now, wait for May 6th when Ebay introduces 10% charge on postage costs (to be paid by sellers). I suspect that most Australian sellers will have no option but to add extra 10% on top of postage cost (and then some 3% on top of that to cover PayPal fees), calculate it into either postage cost or the price of the item and pass it onto the buyer.

Yes, it very well may reduce the number of listings with very low price and very high postage but at the end of the day it is really the final price (including delivery), that matters. When I buy stuff I'm not worried at all about the ratio of price/postage or "free postage" or whatever other gimmicks sellers are using, what I look at is the final price of the item landed on my doorsteps.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

*crikey*mate* — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:15:25 GMT

for accounting purposes it has to go into the cost of your item as it is a business expense, niot a postage expense

Re: Reducing shipping cost

k1ooo-slr-sales — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:10:13 GMT

@michellebartley wrote:
I have asked a lot of sellers for a reduced shipping cost but always get the same answer "that is the set cost and I cannot lower it".

michelle, exactly how do you ask?

Your problem may be with the way you ask e.g. if you ask "I bought an item just like yours yesterday and paid much less for postage, any chance of a reduction in postage?"

"I think your postage price is high, can you post for less"

"Hi, my name is Michelle, I buy a lot of things on eBay without any problems, any chance of a reduction in postage 🙂 ? remember, buyers are your bread and butter so I want a reply as many sellers do not reply to my messages and end up without a sale to me, I expect a reply within two hours!"

. . . . . . then I would not be surprised that you are getting the same answer every time, or no answer.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

chezzy — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:25:47 GMT

We don't know the 'manner' in which she has asked, but I tend to think a courteous message rather than a 'demanding' one would go over better eg

"Hi.

I have been admiring/am interested in buying your 'such and such'. Are there any options for

reducing postage costs? Thankyou for your time/consideration. "

Re: Reducing shipping cost

springyzone — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:50:28 GMT

If you don't like the cost then don't buy. You seem to have a awful lot of problems buying on ebay and with sellers. Are you just very hard to please?

Soon you won't be able to see shipping cost as it will be built into the price

--------------------------------------

I agree with most of your post but was just wondering about the bit I have shown in red.

Out of curiosity i had a look at the feedback for the poster and also feedback given and it all seemed to be positive.

But.. I would never ask a seller about lower postage unless I was making a query about combined postage and whether that was available. It seems a bit cheeky to me, a bit like buyers I have heard of who messaged a friend of mine and offered to buy things she had listed-but at substantially lower prices than she had listed them for.

I sometimes watch items and see if the prices do get lowered but if I don't like the prices, I usually just move on. Plenty of other places to buy from these days.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

k1ooo-slr-sales — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:56:14 GMT

@springyzone wrote:
If you don't like the cost then don't buy. You seem to have a awful lot of problems buying on ebay and with sellers. Are you just very hard to please?

Soon you won't be able to see shipping cost as it will be built into the price
--------------------------------------
I agree with most of your post but was just wondering about the bit I have shown in red.
Out of curiosity i had a look at the feedback for the poster and also feedback given and it all seemed to be positive.

Try this, click on the poster's ID to the left of any of their posts. This will bring up their "board" activity. Have a read of the posts posted by the Opening Poster (OP) and you will understand the bit you highlighted in red. Pay particular attention to threads started by the OP and you will understand the "awful lot of problems" comment. It has nothing to do with feedback.

Re: Reducing shipping cost

k1ooo-slr-sales — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 02:24:16 GMT

springyzone wrote:
If you don't like the cost then don't buy. You seem to have a awful lot of problems buying on ebay and with sellers. Are you just very hard to please?

Soon you won't be able to see shipping cost as it will be built into the price
--------------------------------------
I agree with most of your post but was just wondering about the bit I have shown in red.

here . . . . . . .

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Seller-wont-provide-shipping-cost-Says-look-it-up-on-website/m-p/1150187

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/New-buyers-to-ebay/m-p/1093579

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Selling/Blocking-buyer-from-sellers-ebay-site/m-p/1085339

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Sellers-blocking-buyers/m-p/1000457

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/returning-items-by-post/m-p/903013

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Seller-posting-problem/m-p/887231

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Selling-on-eBay/two-sellers-havent-posted-items/qaq-p/883045

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/ebay/m-p/877205

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Getting-refund-long-after-45-day-period/m-p/877107

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying-on-eBay/Seller-wont-post-item/qaq-p/850715

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Very-high-postage-cost/m-p/805185

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Late-arrival-of-items/m-p/788949

http://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/postage-prices-too-high/m-p/657903

. . . . . . and this is just in the last 6 to 7 months!