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Got Bit On eBay!


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You will have to agree that over the past ten years eBay deteriorated to a mongtard infested legal minefield 
and the powers there be are apparently rather indifferent about it.

I think it jumped the shark quite a while ago.

I've been mostly buying (but some selling too)  on eBay since 1999 and I agree with all you mentioned.

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I don't know if it's crept into the model car section yet, but the trend in HO scale train stuff seems to be almost insanely low starting-prices on some lots (to get the bidding going) with equally insanely high shipping costs...

Crept?  No, that annoying Bait-and-Switch trend stomped right into the scale model section a long time ago and is just getting worse.  Simply by going to the USPS website, we can get a pretty good idea of what the shipping cost should be in the USA.  So if the seller is one state away from me and trying to charge $19.95 for shipping on a single car kit, I can see exactly what he's doing.  And I'm not buying from him.

On eBay-US, that's also a trend for all kits in general from Asian vendors.  That really baffles me.  The kit has a very low come-on price, then shipping/handling jacks up the total price to way over retail.  I don't know why I would pay that, when I can get the same kit cheaper from an online vendor in the US, sometimes even with free shipping thrown in.  Or if the kit is not available in the U.S., I'll order from an Asian dealer that doesn't play games with shipping.  On eBay I've had good luck with Tokyo-Hobby, off eBay with Lucky-Model and several others.

Edited by Mike999
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If I feel the postage fee is too high, I'll contact the seller for a more realistic cost.  If they refuse, I don't bid.  Very simple and easy.

That recently happened to me.  Wanted to do a "Buy It Now" on a built 1/25 kit.  Shipping showed up as $24.95. Contacted the seller, he said it was wrong and he didn't know where that price came from.  He suspected an eBay glitch, since that was his only listing showing up with outrageous shipping charges.  Told me to check back in a few minutes.  When I did, shipping was $4.95.  I'd usually suspect the seller just goofed, like I have done several times when selling.  But so many people are complaining about this kind of weirdness, I tend to think there really is a glitch and eBay just sometimes goes haywire and enters a random shipping price.

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I sort of see both sides of this as I've bought from sellers that you can tell prepackaged everything, they write what the item is on the box the put the label on top.  So obviously they don't like unpacking an item to combine with another.  Big deal if you're that meticulously organized then eBay must be your thing!  I never was, sure I had bits in boxes but never sealed the box until it was ready to ship, I hate running around for cartons at the last minute.

When I was selling I was pleased when someone bought several items and was always happy to combine the shipping for them.  Wrapping several items at the same time is about the same work as wrapping one item so I was saving on my time and box/packing supplies. I never packed ahead, but I realized I was selling things that fit in a flat photo mailer or the same size boxes.  I found a source on-line that I could buy the photo mailers and boxes for a fraction of what you see them for locally.  I was buying small boxes for 15 cents each. 

Note that if you are buying new items on eBay some of these guys don't have the product, but are drop shipping though a wholesaler.  So if you order two items, they may be coming from different places.  I see that on big sellers on eBay and when I ordered from Rock Auto. If you see 50 different guys selling the same new headlight (as I bought for my '96 Grand Caravan), these are all being shipped from the same wholesale source.. and of course the price and shipping charges are all over the place!

I have been buying more for my stamp collection lately than model cars, and it's pretty darn easy to ship a stamp! Again, shipping ranges from FREE to several dollars.  A few times I had to bite the bullet and pay higher postage for a unique item I wanted.  Sure enough those are the ones that arrive in the kevlar package, one that's near impossible to open without damaging the contents!  One guy even sent one with return signature requested! 

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When I was selling I was pleased when someone bought several items and was always happy to combine the shipping for them.  Wrapping several items at the same time is about the same work as wrapping one item so I was saving on my time and box/packing supplies... 

I really like people who win multiple items.  Fewer boxes to ship!

As mentioned by some others, I do "pre-shipping" where every kit is weighed, measured and put into a shipping box before I even list the items on eBay.  I want to make sure I'm not running around at the last minute trying to find a box.  I don't seal the boxes.  So when somebody wins multiple items, I just move all the kits into a bigger box. 

I think my record so far is 1 bidder winning 8 auctions. And some of those 8 auctions were for multiple-kit lots.  That took a really big box!

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Update, the seller indeed combined the shipping into one used bubble wrap envelope, blacked out previous addressing, used the opposite side to address to me, postage was less than charged for each auction.  Then seller charged for the two auctions shipping per each.  Now I would call that being bit!  Left feedback as per normal with exception of the shipping line, indicated on just one of the two auctions that the seller's shipping charges were too high.  That's OK, they won't be getting any of my business again.

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Left feedback as per normal with exception of the shipping line, indicated on just one of the two auctions that the seller's shipping charges were too high.  That's OK, they won't be getting any of my business again.

You have no right to say that. You agreed to the charges when you bid.

You have no idea who you are dealing with. Is this a guy who was bit by the economy and selling his collection on eBay to save his house? Is this a disabled person trying to earn a few dollars over disability?   Or a small business getting by?

You haven't been bit, you agreed to the terms when you bid on the auction. If the seller didn't mention combined shipping charges, then you assumed something. If the terms changed after the auction ended, then you got bit. Sounds more like you bit yourself.

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Tom, I've delt with this guy before, each time he combined shipping, this time no combine.  I'd call that bit.  I do not have to leave fabulous feedback when it isn't deserved, the wouldn't allow email questions to go through, this is less that poor service, I'm not going to reward someone for it.  Or do I have to give them a "Participation Trophey" too?  I've been on eBay since '98/99 I've worked with a whole lot of buyers and sellers, this one is one of two I'm not trading with again, period.

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Skip, you never mentioned that the same seller combined shipping for you previously.  I would have messaged him (or emailed since Paypal shares email addys) and ask what changed.  THere's also a button on the eBay payment page which allows you to query the seller for combining shipping costs.  Looks like you paid the full charge without question.

I spend a lot more money on my stamp collection lately than on models. A dealer I buy from often charges $1.99 shipping and combines. He mails the stamps out in a hard photo mailer with an eBay Shipping label, which doesn't show the shipping cost.  I recently checked his feedback and nearly all of the negatives/neutrals cited excess shipping charges.  I recently took one of his mailers, readdressed it and sent it out again... took it to the post office and had them weigh it... guess what?  $2 !  Those people were all off base.

I agreed with you earlier, that as a seller I combined shipping because it was cheaper and easier for me.  I've been an eBay user and seller since the very beginning.

Edited by Tom Geiger
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Skip, you never answered my original question:  Was your combined shipping invoice request rejected when you tried that at the checkout time?  Did you contact the seller through "ask seller a question" in one of the listings of the items you won?  Like I said, eBay is doing some funny things and sometimes sellers aren't even aware of that. 

As far as what packing material is used, IMO that should not even be considered as long as it was packaged well and arrived undamaged.

Edited by peteski
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I tried contacting the seller through the "ask seller a question" when I hit send I was greeted with the message in red that said the seller doesn't offer combined shipping.  Figuring that was the case I paid the invoice.  Normally if I win a single auction I pay immediately, multiples I request a combined shipping and pay as soon as the seller replies.  Since seller used eBay to automatically reply I paid the invoice.  A buyer shouldn't have to go searching for email addresses elsewhere to contact the seller.  

I used the packing material for example that the second auctions shipping did not go to shipping materials, I've had sellers send stuff in neatly folded paper shopping bags.  I don't care as long as it arrives in the same condition the seller sent it in as long as they took reasonable care.

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I tried contacting the seller through the "ask seller a question" when I hit send I was greeted with the message in red that said the seller doesn't offer combined shipping.  Figuring that was the case I paid the invoice.  Normally if I win a single auction I pay immediately, multiples I request a combined shipping and pay as soon as the seller replies.  Since seller used eBay to automatically reply I paid the invoice.  A buyer shouldn't have to go searching for email addresses elsewhere to contact the seller.  

 

I think I see what happened. Again, it is eBay interfering with communications (not the seller).  You most likely selected "ask question" then you were presented with a nifty list of various topics. One was probably "combined shipping" which you probably chose and was immediately told "no".  I went through all of this too. I then tried again and chose "other" as the reason for contacting the seller and that allowed me to ask anything. So I simply composed a message which asked the seller about combined shipping and got a prompt response.

Again, it is eBay not the seller messing things up.  I suspect that no-combined-shipping is the default selection whel listing on eBay and seller probably has to find a way to disable that.

I agree that buyer shouldn't have to go through hoops in order to contact the seller but again it is eBay which makes this harder.  I too have been buying and selling on eBay since 1999 and I remember when you could freely and openly view and contact any user on eBay. Or view full eBay history of users who were bidding against you. That ability is long gone.

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