Impossible to please buyers

[shoppingbag*]

Please tell me what I must do to please buyers. DSR ratings, the usual gripe.  Now we can no longer find out who left them.

I struggled very hard in the beginning with ridiculous DSR's. $2 postage for a large letter (actual postage cost), rated as 3 stars, even though I supplied the padded envelope. (Just one example)  I have always, only charged the actual postage, and stupid me buys boxes, tissue paper, bubble wrap, and sticky tape, as well as I drive to the Post Office every day that there is a parcel that can be sent. AND, stupid me, never charges a handling fee of any kind. Only sometimes, I can cut costs a little by recycling a box.  So, after finally getting my 5 star ratings on everything, some kind soul has given me 4 stars for postage costs, (just wondering if only one would suddenly drop me down to 4.9)

So to all you who have hardened up against inconsiderate and ungrateful buyers, please tell me how much handling costs I should charge. I think it is probably about time.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[tazzieterror]

I simply won't purchase from someone gouging on postage like that. Often, I'll message to let them know they've missed out on a sale due to inflated postage costs.

Last year I did this and got a smug reply from the seller that they only did it because eBay doesn't charge a selling fee on the postage component! 😄

[davewil1964]

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@tazzieterror wrote:
I simply won't purchase from someone gouging on postage like that. Often, I'll message to let them know they've missed out on a sale due to inflated postage costs.

Last year I did this and got a smug reply from the seller that they only did it because eBay doesn't charge a selling fee on the postage component! 😄

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eBay have been charging fees on postage for at least 4 years. As a regular habituee of the boards, you would presumably know this. The seller presumably didn't. They either have everything as 'free' post or don't look at their bills.

if I got a similar message from a buyer, I wouldn't do a smug reply. I'd just make sure they wouldn't be disappointed by accidentally buying from me.

[brerrabbit585]

That's hilarious!

I know of a seller who hasn't sold a thing for a few years but they still have their store.  I decided to take pity on them a few weeks ago and sent them a messages asking them were they aware they were still paying for their store.  I think it was about a week later that I got a reply thanking me - but they've still got their store!  

Oh, I wish I had even 1% of the money people waste simply because they never check their credit card bills!

I asked a seller a reasonably smug question today, but a legit one.  I asked why they didn't state the mg's of a crucial vitamin in a particular product that people only buy for that vitamin.  The answer came back that the manufacturer doesn't supply it.  Funny that the manufacturer states it on their own website.  They obviously dropship without having any interest in what they're selling.

[digital*ghost]

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@springyzone wrote:

PS Forgot to add, the guaranteed 2 day delivery (depending on area) was about $119. I nearly had a coronary just reading it.

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If they are custom made to order items (which I'm guessing is a possibility since you mentioned they're from a photo business), the expedited shipping charges isn't actually for shipping, it's to work the order into their schedule without falling behind on their schedule, which can often mean overtime, and if the average order is dozens of ornaments or takes a couple of people a couple of hours to complete, those costs add up quickly.

Obviously if there's no customised, made to order process involved here, and even if there is, I have no idea how complicated or time-consuming the process is, this post this post may or may not be applicable to these items etc, but this is another one of those things a lot of people are just unaware of, or don't think about, they just see a high cost for expedited shipping and automatically think it's a rip-off. 

[tazzieterror]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

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@tazzieterror wrote:
I simply won't purchase from someone gouging on postage like that. Often, I'll message to let them know they've missed out on a sale due to inflated postage costs.

Last year I did this and got a smug reply from the seller that they only did it because eBay doesn't charge a selling fee on the postage component! 😄

---

eBay have been charging fees on postage for at least 4 years. As a regular habituee of the boards, you would presumably know this. The seller presumably didn't. They either have everything as 'free' post or don't look at their bills.

if I got a similar message from a buyer, I wouldn't do a smug reply. I'd just make sure they wouldn't be disappointed by accidentally buying from me.

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I think it was $40 or $50 to ship an item small enough that it only would have cost around $10, so it was quite ridiculous, but they figured they were being clever and reducing their FVF by 60 - 80% I suppose.

I of course helped them out by replying with a link showing eBay's "new" way of calculating fees, and the seller actually wrote back to thank me for updating them. Perhaps they added me to their party list too, but as I've never accidentally purchased from anyone on eBay, I guess I'll never know.

[springyzone]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

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@springyzone wrote:

PS Forgot to add, the guaranteed 2 day delivery (depending on area) was about $119. I nearly had a coronary just reading it.

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If they are custom made to order items (which I'm guessing is a possibility since you mentioned they're from a photo business), the expedited shipping charges isn't actually for shipping, it's to work the order into their schedule without falling behind on their schedule, which can often mean overtime, and if the average order is dozens of ornaments or takes a couple of people a couple of hours to complete, those costs add up quickly.

Obviously if there's no customised, made to order process involved here, and even if there is, I have no idea how complicated or time-consuming the process is, this post this post may or may not be applicable to these items etc, but this is another one of those things a lot of people are just unaware of, or don't think about, they just see a high cost for expedited shipping and automatically think it's a rip-off. 

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They are custom made and yes, the higher postage cost options would be in part to cover the fact that the items went into a different queue. I appreciate the fact there could be higher staff costs involved. That would be especially true of the VIP option (which is same day production if you order before 6am, & 1-2 days express postage).

But the express shipping option was different, it actually did not mean express production. The stated production time of 2-7 days was the same as production time for the standard shipping option. It's only the type of post that is different & the fact it includes tracking.

I noticed that what happens on that site is they just multiply the postage cost per item so 1 ornament might be $4.95 standard post, but 4 is $19.95, for some reason. I wouldn't expect it to stay at $4.95 for 4, but I am certain they could be sent standard post a bit cheaper than $19.95. They could obviously be sent singly for cheaper!

They advertise the ornaments as normally $24.95 each but I bought a voucher that was $19 for 4 and that included delivery. 

I regularly buy from another printer that does customised items and their set price delivery is about $7.95 standard for anything and about $9.99 express (which guarantees a slightly quicker production time too, from memory). I believe they probably undercharge postage costs (maybe they have a big volume of sales) but they do routinely charge postage of everyone.

The site I bought from-I would think most of their sales would be from people with vouchers that include 'free delivery' so i do wonder if the ones who pay full price are subsidising all the others.

I suppose those are only my perceptions but I still feel their postage costs are on the high side.

[digital*ghost]

Yeah, that sounds less like they need to make exceptions to accomodate a rush order, and more like they want to discourage people from buying more than a few items and / or wanting them quickly. 

Either that or it's to encourage those with vouchers to buy more to "save more" (obviously a logical fallacy, but it works with people who will focus on 'saving' $120 or more, rather than what they're spending). 

[the_dutchess_of_dork]

A lot of the postage problem is probably not with ebay per se ... although certainly the emphasis on "free postage" doesn't help.

I think it has more to do with online sites who post squillions of parcels so are in a position to make deals with AP and/or couriers and pass on the savings to their customers.

I recently purchased something from an online site.  I don't recall the exact postage but it was probably around $10.  I saved the box because it was a good size and very sturdy.  Last week someone purchased an item which was light but extremely bulky and exactly right for the box.  The postage from Brisbane to Melbourne?  Over $60 for the exact same parcel.  The cheapest postage I could find was a courier and even that was over $40 before tracking and insurance.

I offered to cancel the sale which the buyer gratefully accepted.  I wouldn't expect anyone to be OK with paying $60 postage.  Ironically, I did pay $50 postage the other week but the overall cost for item and postage was a bargain.  In fact, postage cost more than the $50 I paid.

It really irks me how Australia Post are always crying poor about the fact no one posts letter any more but they never say much about the phenomenal increase in parcels which must compensate for the decrease in letters many times over.  And don't even get me started on the service.  My closest post office generally has two staff on Saturday morning and one spends most of the time on passports.  I always sigh when I see the queue snaking out towards the door.

[jfmgray]

So it seems that some buyers are even unhappy with the "cost" of free postage.  I received feedback today for an item that has free postage and the comments were "Postage was EXCESSIVE to say the least but otherwise OK". 

[davewil1964]

Probably the standard comment they leave