Some good sellers on E-Bay

[Buckshot]

.............There were a couple auctions working for some nifty stuff. Two were by a seller called "luvmymaltese" and another by "workn4$". Both auctions were ending within minutes of each other. One had 2 auctions for four 1/2" 4 flute M-42 colbalt endmills. One for roughers, the other regular. The other seller had 3 carbide 1/2" 4 flute rougher endmills.

I ended up being high bidder on all three auctions (pretty good for being on 56K dialup eh? :-) ). I paid immediately on the single auction which showed a $5 flat rate shipping amount. I e-mailed the other seller that had 2 auctions for a combined shipping total.

Now first of all, one thing that just really burns my butt is some of the shipping charges these E-Bay sellers have. It's obvious to me where a good portion of their profit comes from. I know that there may be some attendant charges like bubble wrap or whatnot, but to charge $19.95 flat for shipping a #0-80 drill bit set is robbery.

I was happy to pay the $5 shipping on the single auction. Well I get an e-mail and it turns out these 2 sellers are husband and wife. The husband is having his wife sell some of his stuff to build up her feedback score. He says that if I had paid for the 2 auctions seperately, I'd been high bidder on from his wife, he would toss in another endmill. As all 3 were going to be coming from the same place so shipping would be much less then paying individually.

I replied that I had only paid the one auction (workn4$) and had been waiting for a combined shipping total for the 2 sales from "luvmymaltese". He said to just pay $2 shipping on that and things would be square.

You'd have no way of knowing that both these sellers were husband and wife and the 3 items were coming from the same place. He (or they) could have made several more dollars on shipping by just keeping quiet about the whole thing. His shipping in the first place was reasonable, but to admit they were both the same, and to reduce it even further was a pretty neat thing to do, I thought!

................Buckshot

[anachronism]

My experiences haven't been so positive...I was high bidder on a used Rowell ladle, for the beginning bid of $9.95, plus shipping. So when I requested my total, for a money order, the guy tried to stick me with $19.95 shipping. I complained, and asked him to recheck his figures. He came back with "yup, $19.95 is what UPS wants to deliver to me". I wasn't in the mood for this ****, and e-mailed him back that I'm sorry he didn't get the dollar amount he wanted for the item, but he had listed it with no reserve, and I was the auction winner, and I felt he was trying to hit me with a predatory handling charge that I was not going to pay. Please refigure your shipping, with a REASONABLE handling charge, if any at all, and I'll send him a money order. He threatened to re-list the item, and hit me with bad feedback, and I told him to go ahead and have at it. The next day, on my feedback report, he wrote me positive, glowing feedback, I left him neutral feedback, and that was the end of it. I didn't get the ladle, and he didn't get the money and relisted the item, which didn't sell...twice, as I recall...

[Willbird]

I always state shipping up front, or let ebay calculate it.

I used to state a flat rate, lost some won some, I don't agree with huge shipping/handling prices.

BUT some beeatches have shrieked at my wife because she ended up with an extra $1.73 in the deal (NO ****....) and that was on a brand new 40.00 home interiors item they bought for 3 bucks.


Bill

[X-man]

I've generally had positive experiences on eBay, with one big exception. I purchased a progressive reloading press from a guy in NV. I spent $300.00 US on the press and another $50.00 on shipping and insurance. Long story short, he did a crappy packing job, not bothering to wrap any of the major parts or sharp corners, etc... Everything was banging together enroute and finally somewhere along the way, major parts, like the press handle, etc...punched through the cardboard carton and was lost. Thank God I bought insurance I thought! Contacted the shipper and he was apologetic. Faxed me the insurance claim documents, etc...from USPS. I wrote letters explaining what had happened, had my local Canada Post post mistress sign a letter attesting to the damaged condition of the package and contents and took a number of digital pictures that I sent via email. Knowing how bureaucracies work, I waited patiently for weeks, nothing happened. Tried contacting the seller, not answering his phone, email address was changed and I couldn't contact him. By this time over three months had passed since I won the auction and I couldn't even get the satisfaction of leaving negative feedback!

That said, I strongly urge everyone to stay away from any auctions being run by this individual: martin6fan660 His real name is Mark Pouard and he lives at 2367 Baker Dr. Carson City, NV 89701 His Fax number is (775) 841-7602

[Buckshot]

...........As I mentioned in my post, I hate gratuitous shipping rip offs. We're all adults and any with half a brain realizes the USPS has their various flat rate boxes (which they gladly supply for free, AND labels!). The priority shipping boxes they also provide FREE! In addition they will schedual a pickup via calling a FREE 800 number. You do NOT have to go stand in line at a PO to mail anything, and the flat rate boxes may be handed to any postman along with the money for postage. No guesswork involved, it's a FLAT RATE.

UPS sucks vacumn for small items, and is also more expensive then the post office for moderately sized stuff too.

So anyway I'm high bidder on this item and the auction just says freight charges determined by the winning bidders zip code. Okay. Well I get the notification that shipping is like $12 (actually 11 and change). I e-mail back and tell him that's too much, ship it USPS flat rate. I get informed he doesn't use the post office and prefers UPS.

Well I prefer the PO and the auction didn't say anything about the carrier being a dog sled, boomerang, or homing pigeon, but this boy ain't paying no eleven bucks and change. Not happening.

He says UPS charges the $11 and that's what it is. I e-mail back that the USPS has a $7.70 flat rate box, ship it that way. He says again no USPS, but UPS. I'm an agreeable guy so I e-mail back fine, ship it UPS but I'm paying $7.70. No responce.

Several days of no responce so I e-mail wondering what's happening. I'm told I have 3 days to pay or I'm getting a nasty ole negative feedback as a deadbeat, and etc. I reply that his auction says nothing about shipping methods, just that the freight would be determined by my zip code. Now if he would like to go to E-Bone's Square Trade deal and discuss the discrepancy between his $11 and something demand, vs my $7.70 USPS flat rate suggestion, we can do it.

I get an e-mail suggesting if we just forget the whole thing and neither enter feedback, that would be fine with him. Fine by me too, and that was the deal. So watch the shipping and read the fine print for handleing charges or special packaging charges, etc.

..............Buckshot

[Willbird]

I guess the lesson learned is if shipping is not clearly stated (as I said I do flat rate or actual) then ask if it is an item you are still interested in.

I do not in any way agree with making tons of cash on shipping. I like USPS for lots of stuff, I just sold a Phelps progressive press tho and it turns out for 25lbs that UPS is cheaper than priority, but parcel post is about dead even.

What annoys me is people that even when shipping is clearly stated in the ad (not YOU buckshot) they bid and then pitch a bitch about the clearly stated terms. My Wife likes to make a buck to 2 bucks on items for handling....she and I don't agree on that but her terms are clearly stated. Usually it is 6 bucks for a 1 lb item priority mail with delivery confirmation...doing the math that aint making diddly but people will still whine like a plywood blade on a circ. saw backwards....even when the terms were clearly stated.

Bill