I'm not getting much feedback these days. Why?

[bofors]

I feel my shipping and handling charges are fair. I charge flat rates which include shipping, handling and packaging. Sometrimes I eat the xtra cost and sometimes it costs a bit less. Compared to other shipping charges out there I'm not sure what the beef is with my rates as they are quite reasonable. My items are described well I think and photos pretty much speak for themselves. Any kind of feedback or communication would be appreciated. I have had many sold items get archived with no feedback left. If you got a chip on your shoulder at least communicate it.

[leb17]

Hi bofors

Food for thought...and alot of sellers are doing it.

They are adding the cost of shipping to the price of the item and offering FREE Shipping.

When you offer the free shipping buyers are unable to leave DSR (Detail Star Ratings) for shipping.

[femmefan1946]

The upside of no feedback is that you don't get unfriendly DSRs either.

Feedback is voluntary and only about 70% of transactions result in feedback. Since most sellers leave feedback that seems to say that less than 70% of buyers leave feedback.

As leb says, if you can see your way clear to offering Free Shipping domestically, you get an automatic 5 Star rating for shipping cost (no matter what the destination of the parcel and even if you do charge your foreign customers).

Is that worth it to you?

[femmefan1946]

By the way, my printer for shipping labels etc is also a scanner. Since you sell flat things, consider using that instead of putting up with the distortion of photographs.

[dmil8030]

Hello 'bofors',

Looking at the listings you have up right this minute, each has a shipping fee of $2.75 US to where I live, -- not far from where you live.  How would you plan to ship any of these cards to me?  It's not Expedited, I know what that costs.  How would you package and send an item that itself is roughly the size and weight of a post-it note?

You see, even with the price of fuel what it is, I could almost drive up to get it for less than what you are charging.  Now that's not a criticism, - it's an inquiry.

I have had items much bigger and heavier, well packaged, come from across the country via 'lettermail' for less than what you are charging.  So I must assume you have moved a substantial amount of your item price over to your shipping fee.  That, in my opinion, is never a great idea.

There are still a few people around who feel that honesty and forthrightness are important, and that 'pretending' to offer an item at a low price but 'dinging' the buyer in shipping is sleazy and underhanded.  If you are simply using the same rate for all, and that your listed cost is the same whether it be to your neighbour, to Halifax, Florida, or Tokyo, that would explain it.  But buyers are prickly about shipping fees and to a Canadian, an item which could ride for the price of a postage stamp but costs nearly $3 out-of-pocket will feel like fibreglass under the collar.

If someone buys one of your items, and if all was well and he likes the item, unless he can justify that shipping fee he may be disinclined to leave feedback.  If he believes he's been overcharged then he's not feeling particularly 'positive', is he.  A lot of what irks honest people is not so much the total cost on the invoice, but the hypocritical pretense.  You've got an unusually low shipping fee DSR.  That tells you something.

So now you tell me something, -- when I have received items like small paintings from across Canada, carefully wrapped, with ribbon sometimes, and with little extras like ACEO prints gratis, personalized notes from the seller, - for less cost than what you charge to ship your little card, - how would you 'package and handle' one of these items to send to me?

Well, . . . . .  you brought it up. 🙂