Postage costs

[ferris43]

To certain sellers out there...do you realise that more people will bid on your auctions if your postage costs are reasonable??

I see so many auctions listed where I know that postage could be cheaper...I see items that could easily and safely fit into a cheaper pre paid satchel. To me in the long run you are just doing yourself out of making more money. What money you do gain by buyers paying more for the postage, Im sure would be far less then the amount you could make by more people bidding on your items.

I know for a fact that postage is one of the first things that determines if I will bid on something so Im sure it is the same with other buyers.

And then you get the seller who puts a really low starting bid but then a huge postage price..of course we all know the reasons for this.

I sell and buy on Ebay..When selling I always try and find the cheapest (taking into account the items safety) way to send the item to the buyer.

[rocketcashgosnells]

To certain sellers out there...do you realise that more people will bid on your auctions if your postage costs are reasonable??

.

Please come work in our store packing the items for free and we will lower our postage and handling costs. Stickers, Tape, Boxes, Bubble Wrap, Registered Post are not free nor are workers. Stop making assumptions.

Don't like the total price don't bid.

[rocketcashgosnells]

If a seller quotes me $30 for postage and I see it only cost $10..you dont think I should ask any questions??

No because it's postage and handling, and you knew what you were paying upfront. Too many people make the assumption that they should have paid what was listed on the postage sticker. Would you also complain if they charge you $8 but paid $15? Would you offer to pay the difference? Nah didn't think so. We've underestimated postage in the past and No One NOT ONE has contacted us and offered to pay the difference.

[the3coopers]

I used to refund Buyers when I was able to obtain a postage method that was cheaper.

Typical example (using today's postage costs) is when I quoted a 3KG Prepaid Satchel at (say) $10.30... then find the buyer is within 50km so I can send it for $7.70 as a Local Parcel. So what I'd do was either include $2.50 in coins inside, taped to the invoice or do a Paypal refund. I also sent an email telling them what had happened and to watch out for the refund.

Anyway, I reckon over the past 10 years I did that maybe 50-100 times... and NOT ONE buyer ever thanked me, either by email, eBay Messages or even in Feedback.

I even had one woman abuse the **** out of me for over-charging her. She reckoned that I ripped her off and was only refunding after the fact because I knew that she would neg me if I hadn't !! 😮

Both situations really made me shake my head - and be somewhat circumspect about my attitudes towards buyers. Now days, I just quote fairly, and send by the quoted method... it wasn''t worth the hassle and extra work to "do the right thing".
.

[oreily_85]

Too many people make the assumption that they should have paid what was listed on the postage sticker. Would you also complain if they charge you $8 but paid $15? Would you offer to pay the difference? Nah didn't think so. We've underestimated postage in the past and No One NOT ONE has contacted us and offered to pay the difference.

And now YOU are assuming. I bought a Good Charlotte Box set off an Ebayer last year. It sold for 99c ( I was shocked, I thought Id be outbid )

When it arrived, I felt terrible and put another $10 in the guys Paypal account, so YES people do contact sellers and pay extra!

[ferris43]

I accept that sellers have packaging costs and I accept that as a buyer we have to pay for these costs...

Yes I would know what I was paying upfront for if the buyer DID state on their listing that the postal cost was for postage and handling, as sellers should.

You make your own assumptions of implying that Im one of these so called people that make the assumption that they should have paid what was listed on the postage sticker.
In one of my posts I said that I would not dispute a few dollars difference in what I paid in postage to what showed on the label/sticker when i received the item..(even in the case of it not being listed that postage costs were for postage and handling)
The $30 and the $10 was just an example- but if I did pay $30 and found that the item cost $10 to send and there was no obvious reason for the large difference then yes I would query it...if you do not agree with that then thats fine by me.

My main grevience that I have brought up in posts was with the pre paid satchels, how they are probably used for convenience because the item would definitely fit in one no thought needed.. instead of seeing if it could fit in a smaller one or another form of cheaper packaging.

[jensmanchester-australia]

Putney..do you know what eg means..it means for example maybe I used the wrong example but in saying that -3 second hand barbie dolls in a 10 buck bag is too much postage I think and could be sent cheaper..maybe Australia post need to bring in another bag in the middle.

And to the3coopers I agree that it is totally unfair if a buyer then gives a seller bad feedback because of the postage fee when the postage fee had been stated up front...

Ferris - I think your statement about you thinking that $10.00 would be too much highlights the problem that sellers have with buyers understanding true postage costs.

If Australia post charged $10.00 to send 3 second hand Barbies then how can you expect it be be posted any cheaper as it is Australia Post that determine the cost.

We can all wish for cheaper postage but most eBay sellers postage costs are determined by what Australia Post charge.

[ferris43]

the3scoopers

Some people are just arses and like with that woman that abused you..like I said before 'you just wonder how they think'- its a shame that arses like these people destroy good things for other people

[ferris43]

jensmanchester

No thats not what im getting at..what im trying to say is like I said above- how the more expensive pre paid bags are probably used for convenience because the item would definitely fit in one no thought needed.. instead of seeing if it could fit in a smaller one or another form of cheaper packaging.

I do realise this- If Australia post charged $10.00 to send 3 second hand Barbies then how can you expect it be be posted any cheaper as it is Australia Post that determine the cost.

[jensmanchester-australia]

jensmanchester

No thats not what im getting at..what im trying to say is like I said above- how the more expensive pre paid bags are probably used for convenience because the item would definitely fit in one no thought needed.. instead of seeing if it could fit in a smaller one or another form of cheaper packaging.

I do realise this- If Australia post charged $10.00 to send 3 second hand Barbies then how can you expect it be be posted any cheaper as it is Australia Post that determine the cost.

The reality is that in most cases, particularly for parcels over 500g, the cheapest way to send them is using a pre paid satchel.

Parcels sent within the same city are cheaper if not sent in a prepaid satchel.

Parcels sent within your own state may or may not be cheaper if not sent in a satchel.

Virtually all parcels over 500g sent interstate are cheaper if sent in a prepaid satchel.

Not only are prepaid satchels convenient for sellers but more often than not they are cost effective for the buyer.

[oreily_85]

I think Ferris ( cool name ) means, why put items in a 3kg satchel when they could go in a 500gram bag.

So... why charge the buyer $10 ( or however much they are ) for one satchel, when it could easily go in a cheaper one.