So you are seriously suggesting that the for the plates which sold for $9.99 and which Australia Post charged $84 to post to South Africa (heavy dinner plates), I should have added $8 to the starting price, just in case an overseas buyer bought them!! One suspects that this higher auction starting price might have prevented any local buyers wanting free local pick up from bidding in the first place. Or potential bidders from the same state as the seller, for that matter.

The solution is for eBay to instal a % (percentage) function to the "seller charge"  field when issuing an invoice and/or to the P & H field in the listing, rather than requiring an absolute $ amount. I would be perfectly happy with that solution.