eBay

harpgal · ‎01-09-2012

Hey everyone - I've been selling for over 10 years - only posted once I think - but I can't let this beef go about S&H DSRs.

Ok, so all of us Canadian sellers know how rediculously high our shipping charges are. I am bombarded with messages from people who think I am ripping them off in the shipping charges - even though I take GREAT pains to explain the cost in all of my listings so far as to tell them I will give them the size and weight of the package and they can go verify themselves at canadapost what the shipping price is.

It does not matter WHAT you do (ship same day, charge no handling fee etc) you can not prevent someone from giving you a low DSR on S&H because they think you ripped them off on postage or that the ARRIVAL of the package was slow.

So I don't understand then if someone agrees to buy your product - the shipping charges are clearly stated and so is the delivery time (2 business days) AND the $2 handling fee I have.... how are they able to leave a DSR on this if they have agreed to those terms by buying?

I am sooooooo tired of sending people explanatory emails about Canadian shipping charges, arrival times and the MINIMAL $2 handling fee that DOES NOT even cover my shipping expenses and I'm getting dinged right left and center with 1's and 2's for S&H DSR's.

I really don't understand how this can keep happening. Someone give me a ray of sunshine today and help me understand 😞

Cheers

gillian1023 · ‎01-09-2012

I don't know if this will work for you, but I incorpoate my s/h into the price and give free shipping within Canada and a nominal fee to US and International. This way, Canadians can't give you a DSR for shipping costs and US and Int see their shipping cost as less than the actual post office stamp, so can't really complain. It works for me anyway. 🙂

gillian1023 · ‎01-09-2012

I should have mentioned, that for larger items like LP's and hardcover books, I usually put a $2 s/h fee for within Canada. It helps to offset the higher price. I just adjust the selling price so it all evens out anyway. People can't really complain about $2 s/h. Ok...well I guess some buyers can, lol. Anyway...this might work for you as well.

harpgal · ‎01-10-2012

Unfortunately I sell a very very wide variety of items - the weight and size differs for everything and changes for all over Canada - even within Ontario, so it wouldn't fly for me, but thanks for your help.... again, we shouldn't have to do things to avoid a low DSR if we are doing nothing wrong. Paypal fees eat the $2 handling fee anyway, so of course we are spending more out of our own pockets to ship things and buyers really have no clue what it costs - they just want the cheapest item with the lowest shipping without tracking and then say it didn't arrive and get a refund.....

I don't get it, if you don't agree with the shipping cost, handling time or handling fee, (and they are all completely fair) why are you allowed to buy the item and then leave poor DSR for S&H.... I just don't get it

Sigh, but I plow on. One day the eBay Gods will have some sense knocked into them....night eBay world - more selling tomorrow!

bighillbargains1 · ‎01-10-2012

I completely agree with you! I just lost my top seller status and the nice 20% discount that goes along with it due to the Shipping and Handling DSR!

I tried free shipping and it didn't work for me. I don't overcharge on shipping, I usually ship the next day and if possible, I offer multiple shipping choices...

It doesn't help, because we can not compete with the USPS rates!

When I had TSR my sales within Canada went up like overnight and when I lost it they went right back down again.

Very frustrating!

femmefan1946 · ‎01-10-2012

and if possible, I offer multiple shipping choices...

I think this is a mistake.

When the seller offers multiple choice, he gives the impression that he lacks confidence in his own decisions and can be manipulated.

And the buyer may choose the lower cost, but he will remember and expect the higher level of service.

Further, the less expensive choice will be chosen by the sketchey customer, the one who realizes that you have given him the possibility of claiming non-arrival by choosing a non-DC service.

I agree that the DSRs are poorly explained and worse used.

I like the suggestion of Free (Canadian) shipping and reduced foreign shipping. Interesting.

brandeentertainment · ‎01-12-2012

Here is how I do and it can work for all your different sized packages... Take the Canadian Shipping prices put it into your buy now price and now for all your international sales Minus that amount that you put into the buy now price of their shipping price making it cheaper ...

For me This is exactly how it works... 90% of the Time Shipping to Canada for me is $2.26 and shipping to the USA is $5.56 So I Give Canadians Free shipping and put that into my buy now price and then Give US buyers Shipping for $3.56 instead of $5.56 ...

Works great for me even though I have still got about 6 Low DSR Ratings but less then if I didn't do it this way

harpgal · ‎01-12-2012

Hmm, I am confused as to how simple it seems when it is not that way for me. 100% of the time shipping prices to different parts of my province and every other province in Canada are COMPLETELY different. It is impossible to offer free shipping as the prices vary SO much. Prices to the US are more stable, but can vary slightly. International prices vary depending on the country - so I have no idea how you are able to send various shaped packages and weights and stabilize this kind of free shipping method without paying severely out of your pocket when the prices differ. I can't offer
"free shipping" to canada when the package costs $18 to send to BC and $11 to send to Toronto or if it costs $27 to send to Greece and only $22 to send to England...... I'm not sure how this would ever work without researching the highest shipping rate in each province and then in each country in the world? Seems very very insanely complicated to do that. Am I missing something here?

gillian1023 · ‎01-12-2012

The way to do it is to take the most expensive shipping cost within Canada ...for example, the $18 you quoted. Add $10 of that to the selling price and charge $8 for shipping Canada wide. If you end up selling that item to someone in Toronto and the shipping cost to you is $11, then you make more money, and the buyer is still happy as he only paid $8 s/h but the stamp will show $11. You will adjust the international and US shipping accordingly. Your buyers will be happy with the shipping cost as they will see that the stamp on the envelope is more than they paid. So they cannot then ding your DSR's for s/h costs. It will and does work. 🙂

harpgal · ‎01-12-2012

Ah, I see how it works now.... a little work, but may be worth the effort. However, I print my labels on the Canada post website and it never shows how much I paid anyway....but it would still help the cost of those seeing it as a higher shipping. I'll have to think about it! Thanks so much!!!

harpgal · ‎01-12-2012

But like I had mentioned before.... why on earth do the sellers have to go about doing this... it's crazy - shipping cost is shipping cost - we have to fool our buyers into thinking they spend less on shipping to avoid neg feedback and low DSR's - this is what eBay has turned us into?? wow....

pierrelebel · ‎01-12-2012

" shipping cost is shipping cost"

If I may be candid, your insertion of charging an extra "negligible" $2.00 "handling" in your listings does not help.

Suggesting 'Canadian shipping prices are VERY HIGH." will not attract buyers.

Take a look at any of your listings. Very few words to "sell your products" but paragraphs after paragraphs of terms and condition, with much of it suggesting negativity ("will result in a non paying bidder alert" or "BEFORE posting ANY feedback. This includes NEUTRAL").

Look at that same listing again from a buyer's perspective.

KISS

Sell your product, your service, your guarantee of satisfaction and forget the rest. As suggested earlier, incorporate some of your shipping and handling fees in your selling price.

Make your listings sell your product.

bighillbargains1 · ‎01-13-2012

Ah, I see how it works now.... a little work, but may be worth the effort. However, I print my labels on the Canada post website and it never shows how much I paid anyway....but it would still help the cost of those seeing it as a higher shipping. I'll have to think about it! Thanks so much!!!

Why don't you print your labels on paypal? You'll get 25% off for expedited parcels. I also think it's much easier than on the Canada Post website.

harpgal · ‎01-13-2012

Well said,

It didn't work the other way - (with not saying anything at all) so I thought I'd spell it out............. best to go back to the original. Still screwed in the end... but I see your viewpoint about the negativity. Better to be positive or nothing at all.

Thanks for giving me some positive energy:)

cumos55 · ‎01-13-2012

For books weighing more than one kilogram...

The cost of shipping is dropped by $3,,, and the price of the book is raise $3 to $5... These books do sell well

For books weighing less than one kilogram... the shipping to Canadian buyers is a barest minimum due to FVF on shipping and no refunds made.... while to the US there is a handling fee added.....

No problem with DSR ... with these strategies....

That extra $3.00 with the heavier book did result in low DSR for Shipping and handling... but adjustment was made and all appears to work so far.

At the end of 2011 the total charged for Shipping for all sold items was $400 more than the amount paid to Canada Post.....

Nothing was lost in shipping not charged to buyers.... and any other costs were paid with a higher cost of item sold...

May times it is the perception of cost and not the reality that results in a low rating....

I live in Winnipeg... and even though I have the same rate for shipping a specific weight of item sold to all Canadian buyers... The extra cost for shipping a few books to Nunavut or Nova Scotia or Newfoundland was carried by the shipping paid by all other buyers....

And when they buy more than one book... the price can be adjusted upwards to cover the actual cost of shipping..... and still allow for buyer satisfaction.

Many times with ratings it is the small things, the small adjustments that get the biggest results and in the end it is the sum of everything that will result in good ratings.

Perhaps the most important aspect of ratings is the first thing a buyer sees... The parcel... Make it look perfect and the buyer is happy as soon as the parcel arrives...

cumos55 · ‎01-13-2012

In order to counteract a perception of high postage rates, eBay rules and all other aspect of selling experienced by Canada Sellers... It means that Canadian sellers have to be very creative.

But most importantly keep the negatively out of the listing.

Another thing... Make the listing easily readable...

fancy light difficult to read colors... writing not easily read or small print... does not look good..

One should not give the impression of unhappiness... or something to hide... on the part of a seller.

Buyer wants a quick read.....

Take a look at one of my listings... My description for an item is long... as it relates to the item being sold...

but minimal otherwise as it relates to the selling of that item...

No negativity... no light colored print.... and buyers have commented about finding my listings easy to read.

I do use some color ... dark colors only highlighting but when I do so I also make those words ... BOLD... helps bring out the word that is colored... and easy to read relative to the other information in the listing.

As already said... KIS... Keep It Simple... and no controversial statements .. and with no negativity.....the better.

Sell your item... and sell yourself ...in the listing

mmarway · ‎01-17-2012

bighillbargains1, I only use Paypal shipping for our US/International labels, and Canada Post for the Canada ones. The reason, you can not print off a detailed receipt with paypal, showing the taxes collected for the Canadian sales.

Jaime

pjcdn2005 · ‎01-17-2012

bighillbargains1, I only use Paypal shipping for our US/International labels, and Canada Post for the Canada ones. The reason, you can not print off a detailed receipt with paypal, showing the taxes collected for the Canadian sales.

Jaime

Many sellers who are registered with government to collect/submit gst use paypal for Canadian shipments...they just have to figure out a way to set up the bookeeping for it. The 20% or so discount for expedted in Canada is a huge bonus..why not take advantage of it.