If is posible... WHY NOT TO BE HONEST ABOUT THAT!

[Nacho-RT74]

Allong the years I have got stuff from ebay. I'm already used to know when a shipping quote inside USA is "fair" or not. but, now wondering.

Twice I have got some stuff from Hong Kong with a shipping quote of $10 or so ( tWo Sport Tshirt once, and 4 MP3 batts another time )

Now just got a couple of new brass floats from USA with an INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING QUOTE OF $4 

and got it in about 2 and a half weeks ( pretty much amazing being the Venezuelan postal service allmost a piece of $**T service )

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160169514506&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

WHY IS NOT POSIBLE GET SIMILAR QUOTES FROM THE REST OF SELLERS  ? ( including inside USA )

[Nacho-RT74]

ALSO MUST ADD, last426, member of this board sent me once a CDROM with pics of his car, to my home... and paid $0.32 ( true it was maybe 3 years or 4 ago )

Ghoste also sent me from Canada a CDROM... dunno remember how much he paid, but I bet it wasn't too much either.

[bull]

It goes back to honesty IMO. I think people really want to know what to expect to pay, even if it's too much. I know when I see a $10 flat rate shipping charge I feel better about it than some open-ended thing from private sellers. What's to keep someone from really sticking it to you after the auction? Nothing really, unless they list an actual price for it. When I sell I usually try to list a flat rate charge so people won't get scared off.

That's one possibility. Another is that they just want to make more money.

[MoparManJim]

It goes back to honesty IMO. I think people really want to know what to expect to pay, even if it's too much. I know when I see a $10 flat rate shipping charge I feel better about it than some open-ended thing from private sellers. What's to keep someone from really sticking it to you after the auction? Nothing really, unless they list an actual price for it. When I sell I usually try to list a flat rate charge so people won't get scared off.

That's one possibility. Another is that they just want to make more money.

That is why, when I had auctions going, I always put the shipping also in the description area so people could see it.. yet i did have afew that would always email me and ask about the shipping though when it was clear as day in the auction. 

[mauve66]

if you ship alot then you may know how much something costs, i'm not going to completely wrap and box up the item then make 12 trips to the post office and stand in line for 30 mins each time to check the pricing to every single bidders zip code

also buyers don't think that wrapping and boxing and going to the post office cost money, it does, especially if its something you want insurance on or need the expert service of a shipping office

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, but still, $4 INTERNATIONAL... and it was wrapped and blah blah

I bet you'll notice HARD TO FIND an internal shipping like that.

[bull]

It works both ways. Megaparts for example ALWAYS does exact shipping, which I like. It's a bit of a hassle but you make your order, they package it and then assign a shipping charge based on your zip code before they bill you. I think that's a much better practice than what Year One does, which seems to be to charge the buyer three times what the highest guess is just to save time.

[elacruze]

Personally, if I sell something on ebay that is expensive ($50+) I don't figure any handling charge. If I sell something that is inexpensive (<$20) I just charge a flat box fee like $10. Sometimes it depends on how I feel that day and if I know I'm driving past the Post Office.

Obviously, some ebay sellers just stick it to you on shipping because if you take the bait it's free money.
I've never sent anything to South America, no idea on actual shipping charges but FEDEX and UPS probably have accurate calculators on their websites.

[b5blue]

Keep in mind some make up for fees eBay charges in shipping. If I get something at a really good price I don't mind a few bucks over on shipping. I do always check and have bought some things by asking for a better price for item but paid more for shipping to let them still make a fair deal.

[mauve66]

i've sent regular sized packages (twice as big as a dash stereo box) to europe for 50-60 bucks for slow mail and 70-80 for fast priority

[jeryst]

Sometimes you have to buy a box, bubble wrap/peanuts, labels, etc. It takes gas to go out and buy those things, as well as to take items to the post office. Time is involved in wrapping, boxing, shipping. If you ship a lot, sometimes you have to pay someone to do those things. Priority shipping costs extra. There are ebay and Paypal fees to consider.

I think it depends a lot on the seller. If a guy is just cleaning out the garage or attic, and sells something, he's not really going to care if he loses a few bucks on shipping. He's getting a couple of bucks for something he doesnt want, or is going to throw away, so he wins, no matter what.

But if a guy is making a living at it, then it is a different story.  Losing a couple of bucks, even on one transaction, is not a good business practice, especially with todays razor thin profit margins.

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm getting a shipping quote of a blue MP regulator from two diff sellers in around $32, what maybe will multiply by 4 the weight of two floaters, but, fits on same box. WE DO KNOW private shippers and postal service use to have flat rate boxes, and you can send inside what it does fit for the same price.

BTW the floaters box it has the US postage decal with $3.02 price printed

Guys, we do know a MP regulator won't need any special bubbles wrapping or any effort to box it and send

On this case, I'm talking about two shops on similar deals