How to profit from other sellers' postage scams.

[trash.talk]

I was after what is already an overpriced item to wit a packet of nibs for my wacom pen. Cost is about $10 and they are really tiny. There are sellers selling these for approx $20, ie $10 plus $10 postage. I bought them in the end from a seller offering 'free' postage, although the price was the same, out of principal. When they arrived in a normal size letter with $1.20 postage cost, I suddenly realised that this seller, has rather cleverly been able to profit from other people's rip off postage costs.

Instead of being seen as a postage pirate, they instead, bump up the cost of their goods to match the cost of the other sellers' goods including postage piracy, and then offer 'free' postage.

Rather clever if you ask me.

[2106greencat]

I really don't know why you are buying these items when you already admit they are over priced.

Sorry, no idea what you are asking or wanting in response??

[trash.talk]

I buy the item because, I need the item. The choice is either 10 plus 10 postage, or 20 plus free postage. I went for the free postage on a matter of principle. If I'm going to be ripped off on postage, I don't like it shoved in my face, I prefer it done more discretely. 

The thread is not asking for a response. The title is not meant to be facetious either. I'm just showing how it is possible to be a postage pirate while offering free postage by profiting from other sellers lack of moral rectitude. 

I think it poses an interesting moral dilemma. Is it wrong to profit from other peoples questionable actions, while technically remaining above board oneself? I'll leave that to the more philosophically inclined. 

[2106greencat]

Oh

[the-kazbar]

You do realise that the only one who profits from the 'free' postage is ebay don't you?

The price is the same to the buyer but ebay get more in fees.

[digital*ghost]

All sellers make their profit on the items they sell, no ifs, buts or two ways about it.

They receive one payment from buyers, and that payment will (hopefully) cover everything that needs to be paid for - packaging, postage, stock and fees being the primary costs associated with a single transaction. From a seller's perspective, they divide the total amount they need to get for a product between A and B (price and postage) - however the payment they work out they need to receive is divided between those two columns and displayed to buyers sure causes a lot of angst and moral outrage if "I paid X for postage and the seller paid x for postage" has some kind of discrepancy seemingly to be in the seller's favour. 😮

I don't advocate, condone or practice postage piracy, and I know there are circumstances where there's exceptions to the above, but sometimes I just don't get the hoop-la around things like this. :8}

[trash.talk]

Yeah, it certainly does make it difficult. It ends up being a choice between paying the postage pirates extra profit, OR eschewing that scenario and instead paying eBay the extra profit.

The 'free postage' scam whereby ebay makes extra profit only works if ebay allows postage pirates. Sometime there is genuine free postage where the cost of postage is absorbed into normal profit. 

While this will not go down as one of the more urgent philosophical problems of the 21st century, it is interesting nonetheless.

[donnashuggy]

eBay encourage sellers to use free postage, they are rewarded for doing so.

If you were to purchase multiple items from the same seller offering free postage you would be paying the postage component multiple times and more often than not it costs the seller the same price to post whether you buy 1 or 5 items from them, so in theory the seller that charges postage and combines for multiple purchases is more ethical - not that we have much choice in the matter.

[gec2002]

"I'm just showing how it is possible to be a postage pirate while offering free postage by profiting from other sellers lack of moral rectitude."

Just curious what is the max % profit you are allowed to make on eBay before you become a free post postage pirate.  I thought market forces decided your max price you can charge for an item, not wishing to break any rules, can you please point me to the eBay policy on the max allowable mark up.  Also I couldn't see in the ad their wholesale price, you obviously have access to it otherwise how would you know they both bought them for the same price.

[trash.talk]

@gec2002, I hear what you are saying and from my pov I do not care what people choose to charge for postage, it's just a matter of if I want an item at the total price. I either do or I don't I don't whinge about it.

I was just pointing out have it's possible to take advantage of other people's excessive postage charges in a way that does not look bad.