Shipping???

[comics-rock]

Now I remember why I left ebay and why I won't be coming back after I get rid of the last of these comics.

Buyer buys two comics knowing full well it's $15 for the 1st and discounted for the second to the US. He pays me without waiting for an invoice and only gives me $10 for shipping stating thats all hes willing to pay. ????????? I said Im not willing to accept and asked for another $10, which will probably still not cover shipping alone and he refuses. What to do....he can now leave me negative feedback, whilst I can only leave him positive or not leave at all. Paypal fees alone were $7 so I stand to lose either way and what makes it more frustrating is I can't even zap him with a neg and warn other sellers. Advice???

Paul.

(Ps is this the kind of s*** eeryones had to put up with for the past 6 months Ive been off the boards???)

[dipmicro]

Ps is this the kind of s*** eeryones had to put up with

Not really. Why don't you file an unpaid item claim? The item is not paid until not paid in full, regardless what he is willing to pay or not.

Or offer a refund. "Take it or leave it" always works for me.

[recped]

You want $20 to mail two comics to the USA????

It's no wonder you have problems.

[cgcgraded]

Paul, they are slabbed(CGC graded), right?
If so, your shipping is accurate.

Andrew

[recped]

How much do 2 "slabbed" comics weigh?

[cumos55]

Slabbed must mean a protective covering???????

and that is what weighs... not the comic..

Only guessing....

[comics-rock]

almost 3/4 of a kilo for two slabbed comics...the older they are the thicker, means the caseing thicker......recped - im almost always losing on shipping. its the shape as well. tried cheaper ways of sending them, but results in damaged cases/ im finished with it now, but im sure if you know any cheaper ways andrew would be interested in offering cheaper shipping and selling more product.

drew, how much you charging for one cgc shipped to the us and do you lose money on shipping?

unpaid item claim - hes actually paid for the item, just not the shipping??? dunno if unpaid item would fly with ebay???

paul

[comics-rock]

recped - two normal (ungraded comics) i can ship to anywhere in the us for less than $3 including a padded envelope...nature of the beast i suppose....

[lina-mallows]

Last I checked- and whenever I have to deal with it- eBay does not involve itself in the shipping component of the price. Their lofty ideals, and policies about 'excessive shipping charges' are toothless.
The WINNING BID- is the amount that must be satisfied.

There have been times purchasing a LOW price item- and complaining that the shipping was nothing short of extortion- that one of eBay's reps suggested paying for JUST THE ITEM- and forgoing shipping, so the seller could not say that the item had not been paid for.

Here's a REAL situation:
Had I purchased ONE auction the S/H would have been US$7.50 TO SEND ONE ENVELOPE!
Had I purchased TWO auctions the S/H would have bee US$15.00 TO SEND THE SAME ENVELOPE!
Had I purchased THREE auctions the S/H would have been US$22.50 Again, TO SEND THE SAME ENVELOPE!
I PURCHASED THREE AUCTIONS- and was charged US$30.00 AND I still RECEIVED ONE ENVLEOPE !!!!!

eBay did not consider the above shipping US$30.oo FOR ONE envelope- to be excessive- and that envelope was sent by LETTERPOST!

[comics-rock]

yeah thats scandalous...but dosen't apply to this. some of these comics have sold for 0.99 cents and it costs $16 just to grade them. the shipping im charging is the EXACT shipping. as soon as you sell two, the shipping cost for me flies through the roof because it creeps over that 0.5 kilos....now these arn't comics im particularly bothered about and thats why their selling so cheap, because people are knocking off the shipping charges before bidding. fair enough, i hope they get as much enjoyment out of them as ive had. but as soon as i loose on shipping more than 0.99, take out ebay fees and paypal its costing me more to sell than im taking in. im not paying someone to take my comics!!! so if i write $15 for shipping, it's because thats what it cost. ive had another one today thinking it was too much and trying to negotiate. imagine if i walk into shoppers and said, you know i don't feel like paying that much for shipping......"thank you, come again" (Best Apu voice!!!) your situation is disgusting and clearly deceptive. i just bought 30 little plastic star wars figures....0.99 c each.....shipping went from $10 as described to $120!!! when i asked why its because the seller "didn't expect them to sell so cheap" and he paid $5 a piece for them. when they arrived it cost him $5.22 to ship.....thats wrong.

[cgcgraded]

One slabbed book packaged in a 40cm x 30 cm x 6cm box weighs 700gms. An extra book can also fit in the box... add 450gms. Ship expedited with Canada post from Newfoundland to the U.S costs bewtween $14 to $20can. My Packaging material runs about $3 per book.
I charge $15us for one book and ask for $3 for each extra one purchased.
Paul, to answer your question..... Yes I lose money on shipping, but would like to think I make it up in the sale price. Got to stay competitive with the U.S market!

Andrew

[lina-mallows]

buckingham303- "Got to stay competitive with the U.S market!"


There may simply be a point where the playing field is so NOT level, as to make this impossible.
eBay expects us to jump through hoops chasing HIGH DSR's- AND Canada Post frustrates us shipping calculators that clearly don't work in all situations. International borders, and barely five day a week postal service don't help either.

There has to be a time when you through your arms up in the air- and forget about TRYING TO STAY COMPETITIVE !!!!!

Comics, like most other collector's items, are more condition sensitive, and subject to the item's availability. These COLLECTIBLES are not off-shore knock-offs, available in unlimited quantities. So, at the end of the day, each item is in itself unique. And, if the collector wants it, they will pay the price. (to a point)
So, what's there to compete with our US neighbours about?
Shipping is not, in my mind the bigest factor when buying a COLLECTIBLE item. It is A factor, but certainly not the overwhelming deal breaker.

We have constantly charged the same rates for sending virtually ALL our items that fit into an envelope (US$1.00 within Canada and the US + US$1.50 to Europe). Our rate hasn't changed in the past TWO years. Yet OUR DSR has constantly fallen over the past year. Canada Post has raised the cost of postage TWICE in this same period- we haven't.
ALSO NOTE- the US DOLLAR WAS WORTH FAR MORE (vis a vis the C$) TWO YEARS AGO !!!
And what do we have to show for it? Given another week or so, on July 1st.- we will almost DOUBLE our postage rates to US$1.88 within Canada and the US, and US$2.55 to Europe)
The extra money charged for postage will certainly be more than any 5% or 10% in rebates.

[lina-mallows]

comics-rock-"your situation is disgusting and clearly deceptive. i just bought 30 little plastic star wars figures....0.99 c each.....shipping went from $10 as described to $120!!! when i asked why its because the seller "didn't expect them to sell so cheap" and he paid $5 a piece for them. when they arrived it cost him $5.22 to ship.....thats wrong. "

Thank you for appreciating the situation.
Did the seller get the NEGATIVE FEEDBACK, and MULTIPLE ONE's so richly deserved?

I am running into sellers on a regular basis who are not getting what they expected- and they are expressing this frustration.
If you want more, as a seller, then raise your opening bid! Put on a RESERVE PRICE ! JUST DO SOMETHING! Don't come crying to me AFTER the auction that you didn't get what you expected! I have no sympathy for experienced sellers who refuse to use the tools available to them to protect themselves from LOW closing prices! You place an auction- you set the terms. I meet those terms- I expect the seller to follow through.

I now have far MORE problems with sellers who fail to follow through, than buyers who do not pay!

eBay is most certainly a BUYERS MARKET. And the 2K+ VISA bill that just came this morning is evidence of that.

[comics-rock]

drew, how are you boxing your comics? where you getting the boxes from?

[cgcgraded]

Staples. I use all new material. I wish I had a cheaper source. I use self locking boxes. I go twice around the book with 5/16th(large) bubble wrap, tape tight and pack with styrofoam peanuts. Tape box shut.

Any ideas on what I can change?
What do you do?

Andrew

[comics-rock]

for single comics i use the graded mailers.......ill send you an email on where and how to get them cos im not sure on what the ebay policy is on outside websites. ive not had ONE comic damage in these mailers. i can stand on them without them breaking. works out cheaper than what your paying...you can also get multiple mailers, and raw comic mailers. NO issues of damaged CGC comics is a nice thing.....just expensive and an expense you have to pass on to the consumer.