topic Re: What is acceptable postage cost? in Selling

What is acceptable postage cost?

sukuki-6 — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 08:04:02 GMT

I recently sold an item to user with ID REMOVED . Feed this person left me was positive yet, comment was rather interesting. Comment was; "Good seller, accurate description, only have issue with the shipping prices..."

I replied "Postage was $7.95+ 87cents ebay fee, I charged you $7.95, should've been $8.82." which is totally true. He messaged me and said that posting Hotwheels used to be dirt cheap and paying more for postage than cost of actual item was slightly unfair. Why didn't this idiot check things before bidding? and Item he got was 3 hotwheels Lamborghini which retail cost was $10 Australian dollars as 2 of them was short cards costing $3 each and third item was Batman Lamborghini which retailed at $4.

Majority of buyers haven't had issues about postage cost as I only charge what Australia Post charges me and I don't add eBay fee on postage cost.

I thought I'd share this with others as I am rather intrigued by people's ignorance. Have nice day.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

twyngwyn — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:09:09 GMT

It says more about them than you......if they didn't like the shipping cost - why on earth did they buy???

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

gutterpunkz05 — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:28:43 GMT

Your postage rate is more than acceptable. I usually charge $10 for 500g, $15.00 for 3kg, $20.00 for 5kg and $30 for 10kg.

Have to cover your costs, Postage, ebay fees + additional packaging.

I have had people refuse to pay eg. $15 telling me cost should be $13, quess what, I dont care, I dont have to subsidise their

purchases by offering postage at a loss. I subsidise it enough by not charging for time and transport to PO.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

countessalmirena — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 07:20:28 GMT

sukuki-6, I'm with you on this!

Just because an item itself costs - let's say, $1 - that doesn't mean it can be posted for $1. Postage costs are set by Australia Post (or courier/deliverer). It's also reasonable to add your additional costs involved in posting the item (packaging, signature on delivery, etc.) The buyer is looking at the situation through a pair of "should be" glasses, where one's mind creates a special internal logic that is based on what one feels things should be.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

imastawka — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 07:28:51 GMT

Tell them if it's a change of mind then you'll refund them when they post it back - at their cost.

Hahahahahahahaha

Just kidding.......................seriously some people just haven't got a clue!

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

shoppingbag* — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 07:30:00 GMT

Well you may be starting to realize how many idiots there are. When I started selling PC games $2 postage for a large lettler (I supplied the padded envelope) I got dinged 3 stars for postage costs. Also dinged three stars for postage time for one that was posted within the hour, but had to travel across the country. Some of them are living in the dark ages and don't realize that costs have gone up, and still expect to pay what they paid ten or twenty years ago. Tell them to go whinge to Australia Post, or tell them you do not own Australia Post, so you have no say over the matter.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

kopenhagen5 — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 08:56:05 GMT

He messaged me and said that posting Hotwheels used to be dirt cheap.

Years ago many sellers would pop those kinds of items in a large envelope but AP don't allow it anymore.

There are some people you cannot please. They will probably always be noobs. Just forget it.

Yoi sabisu o teikyo shi tsudzukeru.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

sukuki-6 — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 10:21:48 GMT

Thank you everyone. My response was yes, they would've been cheap if we are still living in 1980's and if you want item arrive in **bleep**py condition. I bubble wrap everything and post them in a box. Bubble wrap and packing tapes all cost money!

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

**stickman** — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 06:31:50 GMT

Your postage cost is perfect for what you are posting. To post Hotwheels cars in a box (which I assume you did) is not cheap and $7.95 would be the minimum that you could send it for. Personally I would up the price of the cars and drop the postage. Total would be the same but then the buyer wouldn't be complaining about postage costs as this one did.

I box mine then place the box in a prepaid satchel so charge either $8.50 (500g & under) or $13.80 for an up to 3 kg satchel.

Most hotwheels I sell are sold in lots of 8 or 10 cars etc and charge $13.80 postage. The box and bubble wrap costs me about $2 total but don't add that to the postage but factor that cost into the price of the cars.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

digital*ghost — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 06:50:48 GMT

I was once told by a buyer who had requested I lower my postage charge that it was "the principle of the matter", because the item was $3.50 and the postage was $4.00 (international postage, buyer was in the US).

I wanted to suggest that I could hike the item price so that it was higher than postage, but in the end I replied that if I were the CEO of Australia Post, I'd be happy to see what I could do to lower postage costs for delivery to the other side of the world.

Never heard back, though they did buy.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

porcelain_dolls_by_me — Sat, 18 Aug 2018 07:18:51 GMT

That's where the blocked buyer facility comes in handy!

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

springyzone — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 00:09:01 GMT

@sukuki-6 wrote:
I recently sold an item to user with ID  REMOVED . Feed this person left me was positive yet, comment was rather interesting. Comment was; "Good seller, accurate description, only have issue with the shipping prices..."

I replied "Postage was $7.95+ 87cents ebay fee, I charged you $7.95, should've been $8.82." which is totally true. He messaged me and said that posting Hotwheels used to be dirt cheap and paying more for postage than cost of actual item was slightly unfair. Why didn't this idiot check things before bidding? and Item he got was 3 hotwheels Lamborghini which retail cost was $10 Australian dollars as 2 of them was short cards costing $3 each and third item was Batman Lamborghini which retailed at $4.

Majority of buyers haven't had issues about postage cost as I only charge what Australia Post charges me and I don't add eBay fee on postage cost.

I thought I'd share this with others as I am rather intrigued by people's ignorance. Have nice day.

Your postage cost was more than fair, especially since you had not even added the ebay fee onto them.

You're striking one of those buyers who probably doesn't post off many things himself & only has a vague (and outdated) knowledge of costs. I can remember striking a few of those sorts in the past. There's no guarantee that buyer opinion or feedback is always going to be logical and sometimes it isn't.

I think your answer to him was perfect.

But having said that, I think what you have struck is a common buyer perception and that is, the closer the cost of postage is to the actual item itself, the more it might give the buyer pause, as in, it is only worth x amount, is it worth spending that amount again just to get it to me? Of course if they decide yes, then they shouldn't really be complaining, but the reality is sometimes they do.

You'll never please everyone but you can overcome the problem to a certain extent by charging a bit more for your items, if only to cover those ebay fees you didn't add on to the postage. Plus I think paying more for the items will make some buyers value them more and it will make the item cost/postage cost ratio look more in balance. But mainly, I don't see why you should absorb the ebay postage fees yourself. As you've seen, you won't necessarily get any thanks for it anyway, so add a bit more profit into the item cost.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

djavusydney — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 00:09:24 GMT

Someone said this before: generally buyer dislike there is postage cost in their purchase, but in the case of change of mind return don't mind the non refundable postage but dislike the restocking fee.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

lane-ends — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 07:59:59 GMT

Ah the days when you could get 250gm parcel post for $2.45. Thats when i did well with small collectables. These days minimum parcel post cost simply monster small cheap item sales. Even if a buyer understands the cost they are starting from a position of feeling like they are paying too much. So starting from that attitude base doesn't take too much to turnn it into a gripe. Just not worth selling cheap items that require parcel post.

At that price bracket they are also more likely to just leave bad feedback and move on rather than go through the hassle of resolving disputes etc.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

davewil1964 — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 10:55:19 GMT

Depends what you are selling, I suppose.

Probably half my sales go as parcels, and in at least 80% of cases the item cost is less than the postage. I'm running 4.9 on postage, so some are obviously not particularly happy about it, but I've never had a neg and my neutrals didn't relate to postage cost.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

heihachi_73 — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 18:27:45 GMT

Mister Eye Dee Removed seems to have Australia Post mixed up with a reputable (overseas) postal service. When was posting small (2-5cm) items dirt cheap in Australia? Certainly not since I started selling on here. Never mind Hot Wheels cars, you would be lucky to fit a Micro Machine in the tiny letter gauge specified by Australia Post! According to them Micro Machines weigh exactly five hundred grams and are the size of a microwave therefore they have to carry a parcel surcharge for being so bulky.

Re: What is acceptable postage cost?

everard6920 — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 22:57:47 GMT

Your buyer sounds like a baka.

I direct anyone who has any complaints about postage to the AP site, where they can enter the relevant postcodes and see for themselves what it costs. Sometimes I enter the postcodes myself and send them a screenshot. I usually don't hear another word about it (and they usually go ahead and buy).