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Subject: 
Re: Where is everything going?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.market.services
Date: 
Tue, 11 Jun 2002 23:39:17 GMT
Viewed: 
5412 times
  
In lugnet.general, Tom Stangl writes:
> James Brown wrote:
> 
> > In lugnet.general, Thomas Stangl writes:
> > > TWS Garrison wrote:
> > > 
> > > > My major irritant at Ebay is sellers who won't tell you upfront how much
> > > > shipping will be, what forms of payment they accept, or even what they're
> > > > selling. . .
> > > 
> > > How can you expect someone to tell you the shipping costs up front, unless
> > > they give a flat fee that will most likely overcharge you?  Especially with
> > > the new USPS rates hitting July 1.
> > 
> > Anyone who's done a significant number of sales can fairly accurately
> > estimate their shipping costs.  It's becoming more complicated for domestic
> > US because of the rate change, but it's still quite do-able.
> 
> Sure, assuming you take the time to box up lots ahead of time.  But how many
> people have the room to do so?  I certainly don't, so simply list an estimate.

<blink>  Did I not say "estimate"?  You sound like you're disagreeing with
me, but then you go ahead and say that you estimate shipping.  I'm confused.

> > Or say "Shipping will be via (blah service), and I charge $1 above my
> > straight shipping cost to cover shipping material."  Tell people how you
> > ship, and they can go check for themselves how much it costs.  If you don't
> > want to do the legwork, make them do it.
> 
> That's fine, and works OK, as long as you know the shipping weight, i.e. you
> already have the box you will ship in.  Often I don't, as I try to find the
> smallest box possible (with adequate packing protection), but I simply don't
> have the storage space for more boxes (I already have a 2x4 ft floorspace
> area used up by shipping boxes).

I think you misunderstood me.  If you say "I charge exact shipping + $1.00",
why do you need to have the box or know the weight ahead of time?


> > I know I avoid places that don't state at least some shipping standard up
> > front, because experience has taught me they often overcharge shipping.
> 
> I find the reverse - ones that state a flat rate often make a lot off of
> shipping, as when I get the packages, the shipping costs are almost always
> less than stated, and sometimes FAR less.

We must shop different places.  I'll take "$10 flat shipping" over "" any
day.  If I know ahead of time that the shipping is $10, I know that I need
to factor that into my eventual cost (bid price, order size, whatever).  If
I don't know the shipping (or a rough estimate) ahead of time, then I've got
a question mark that might push my order from "a good deal" to "I got hosed."

$0.02

James

(trimmed lugnet.general)



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Where is everything going?
 
(...) Sure, assuming you take the time to box up lots ahead of time. But how many people have the room to do so? I certainly don't, so simply list an estimate. Box weight can often push the shipping costs up a bracket or more, so unless you pre-box (...) (24 years ago, 11-Jun-02, to lugnet.general, lugnet.market.services)

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