am I permitted to ask person that plans to bid on my items to contact me before they bid on my item?

[spiritofgreywolf]

It has happend too many times in the past few months where someone bid on my items and never paid. Am I permitted to ask anyone that plans to or  bids on my items to first contact me giving me the assurance they will pay? If they do not contact me, have I  the right to cancel their bid? It has become a regular thing that this bid, and not pay has happened. They will not reply when I contact them and I have to open a  NPR case. Can I just cancel the transaction after the four days after no payment and no reply from buyer and to just relist my item without having to pay E-Bay?

Thanks.

[ricarmic]

Hi spirit! In my opinion that will be likely to fail, the ones who would pay are likely to be offended by you asking, I know I wouldn't be pleased if a seller sent me a question like that because I know I plan to pay.

I took a look at your closed items, your shipping costs tend to be high, almost as high as the item cost itself. I'm not saying this is bad, just that often buyers don't pay attention till they see the invoice then they decide the combined cost is too high and they "disappear" on you.... that's the long way of saying that you will probably experience a higher rate of non-payers when the shipping cost is high relative to the item price. Other sellers whom I've seen having the same issue tend to have the same item cost vs shipping cost situation.

Those are my thoughts...

[mr.elmwood]

Spirit is in a remote location. That said, Ric is correct. Seller is showing price and shipping separate "But that is what it cost me". Well, yer not selling the widget for what it cost, are you? Find a different pricing model.

[spiritofgreywolf]

Thanks for that, I found that there were times I listed shipping cost too low and I ended up paying the difference. Now I list shipping charge a little over which I usually offer in my listings that if I get a better deal on shipping, I will pass along the savings as cash included with item. I am an honest person and I don't want to come across as being dishonest. I have been burned many times both by sellers and buyers and it is not nice.

Thanks again.

[ricarmic · Accepted solution]

You may want to try an experiment sometime - I looked at your current vivitar camera. Your starting price and BIN are significantly apart, maybe try listing it at $50 with free shipping (that's you start price plus shipping to Canada) and you can still I believe keep your BIN price as it it still over 30% higher.... it is my belief that free shipping will bring a lot more lookers (because I think it gets placed better) and then you do not have to worry about actual vs expected shipping costs, refunds cash in box etc..... and theoretically your % of buyers who actually pay should increase.... might be worth a try, a large % of what I know/do came from experimenting, the rest came from reading about other people's experiences here....

[rose-dee · Accepted solution]

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@spiritofgreywolf wrote:

Thanks for that, I found that there were times I listed shipping cost too low and I ended up paying the difference. Now I list shipping charge a little over which I usually offer in my listings that if I get a better deal on shipping, I will pass along the savings as cash included with item. 

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I agree with the comments by  'ricarmic' and 'Mr. Elmwood', and I would add that you may want to consider increasing your asking prices and decreasing your shipping, rather than overcharging on shipping (however slightly) and hoping to pick up the difference in shipping deals.  I think 'ricarmic' is right in saying that people can get sticker shock about shipping if they haven't looked at the shipping information carefully before bidding.  

Keep in mind that many of us (including myself) "subsidize" our buyers' shipping costs, at least to some extent. I've personally found that since eBay has begun promoting free shipping (over the past year or so), buyers now dislike paying for shipping more than ever.  It used to be that buyers on eBay just expected to have to pay reasonable shipping costs, but that's changed.  

Also, with Canada Post's charges increasing every year, what was "reasonable" 2 or 3 years ago no longer looks very good at all.  If you're using actual 2015 shipping prices, and then adding something on top to attempt to avoid losing money on shipping, then you will unfortunately end up with non-payers.  Find a way to roll some of that cost into some of your item prices, and/or "subsidize" the rest.  As we always keep saying, which looks more attractive to a buyer: 

- $15 item with $10 shipping;

- $20 item with $5 shipping; or 

- $25 item with free shipping?

This really is something to consider seriously these days on eBay.  Remember that many buyers will be searching by free shipping or lowest shipping.  Experiment with your pricing model.  Try this strategy out on several items and see what kind of activity it generates and whether you can avoid the non-payers by offering lower shipping.  

Incidentally, eBay staffers have told us that over 70% of sellers now use Fixed Price rather than auction format, and that buyers now prefer Fixed Price.  This is another thing to consider, since my experience has been that for some reason auctions tend to attract (or encourage) more non-paying situations. 

My feeling is that I'd rather have 5 paying customers and lose a dollar or two on shipping on each sale, than have 1 or 2 non-paying buyers who will waste my time and generate no income at all.  Mind you, these days, because I list in $US and pay for my shipping labels in $Cdn., I rarely lose anything even with my "subsidized" shipping prices. 

Last but not least, I agree with the others that you should definitely not contact bidders beforehand.  If they don't pay after winning an item, use the Unpaid Item Dispute system, or simply ask after a few days of non-payment if they prefer to cancel the transaction (just make sure you use the cancellation reason "buyer made mistake or changed his mind").   

Best of luck with your selling! 

[rose-dee]

Haha, 'ricarmic', are we on the same page or what?  You beat me to it! 

[ricarmic]

Hi rose! You gotta be fast to beat ricarmic! 🙂 (I'm still procrastinating from doing year-end stuff so I'm spending more time here)

[rose-dee]

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@ricarmic wrote:
(I'm still procrastinating from doing year-end stuff so I'm spending more time here)

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Procrastinate away -- isn't this more fun?  

(I've still not started, so I'm procrastinating too.  Yechh, it's all sitting there on my desk waiting for me.)

[spiritofgreywolf]

Thank you for this info, I will  try this method on future listings. It is good to get some excellent help here sometimes, it sure helps. I hope everyone can offer such great advice. Thanks everyone.

[rose-dee]

To 'ricarmic' -- Actually, I've just finished spending 1-1/2 hours outside with my husband and dog SHOVELING SNOW in a futile effort to keep a path clear as far as the car.  I suppose that's is as good an excuse as any to avoid income tax stuff.  (Well, OK, the dog didn't do much shoveling).

We're getting absolutely buried today with the white stuff, after being hammered 2 days ago with 2 feet of it during another blizzard.  At least we managed to get out yesterday and grab some groceries and treats to alleviate the cabin fever. 

By the way, I thought I had a storage problem: (I like your item 380292621819).  I see we both make use of those multi-purpose, lightweight, modular, cheap-like-borscht Canadian Tire storage racks.  Aren't they wonderful? 

[rose-dee]

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@spiritofgreywolf wrote:

Thank you for this info, I will  try this method on future listings. It is good to get some excellent help here sometimes, it sure helps. I hope everyone can offer such great advice. Thanks everyone.

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You're most welcome -- hope it helps! 

[spiritofgreywolf]

Hey elmwood, just because I'm on an island surrounded by water does not mean I am in a "Remote Location". The advice given here today will help in my future listings. Thanks for your input Mr. elmwood.....

[mr.elmwood]

Over the last couple of years, the CDN $ has dropped over 30%. This has drastically altered the way I am doing business. I was using cost plus shipping model and price pointing. I would, for example, do $16.99 plus $8 shipping, all in US funds, for a $24.99 price point.

Well, I can now do $19.99, free shipping, and end up with more money in my pocket.

Why would I give up $5? Maybe I am not. I am gaining access to a price market I could not compete in before.

Do NOT look at "Postage cost me....". Do you itemize every part of the COGS (cost of goods sold), or just that one? Forget the individual cost, can you compete at a price point, all expenses in?

[ricarmic]

Hey rose! Those are COSTCO shelves - 27 of them at last count. Actually those pictures are from the "clean" days when one could walk easily down the aisle ways.... not enough shelves and the ceilings are only so high, so now generally there are rows of boxes on the floor alongside the shelves too!!! 🙂

PS Our driveway is 150 ft long and off a highway. When we moved here we shoveled one time, the last 15 ft by the highway was awful and project took both of us 2 1/2 hours. That's when I went to my neighbor and asked him who the farmer was with the tractor that did his driveway. Been smiling ever since!

[jt-libra]

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@rose-dee wrote:

Actually, I've just finished spending 1-1/2 hours outside with my husband and dog SHOVELING SNOW in a futile effort to keep a path clear as far as the car.  I suppose that's is as good an excuse as any to avoid income tax stuff.  (Well, OK, the dog didn't do much shoveling).

We're getting absolutely buried today with the white stuff, after being hammered 2 days ago with 2 feet of it during another blizzard.  At least we managed to get out yesterday and grab some groceries and treats to alleviate the cabin fever. 

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I was thinking about you, rose-dee, when the "blizzard of the century" was forecast and was hoping it wouldn't be as bad as they predicted.  Even without blizzards, though, I know you Atlantic Canadians always get a lot of snow.  I feel for you.

I think I prefer the extreme cold in Manitoba to the amount of snow you Easterners get.  It's bitterly cold today with an extreme cold warning from Environment Canada in effect but the days are sunny, with very little snow to date.

[mr.elmwood]

I forgot about that storm hitting Rose. She shoveled, more in one day, than I will all winter here in Dauphin, Capital of the Borscht Belt. All it does here is get cold, sometimes.

We are on a seven day stretch of no clouds, none, not a wisp, 24/7. The sky IS very big out here. I was down east for a year. I could not take the clouds. The closest thing we get to clouds is the occasional aeroplane vapour trail.

The Mrs was complaining about driving yesterday, "Too sunny".

[reallynicestamps]

So on Friday, I sat out on the side porch, with a latte from the corner store a block away, no coat and enjoyed the flowers on our camella bush.

Then I put on sandals and walked to the PO box with a shipment.

Life is good in Victoria-- But I think I am developing some form of winter amnesia. What is this 'snow' you speak of?

[mr.elmwood]

I'm gonna win a couple million bucks and come and join you.

[rose-dee]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

So on Friday, I sat out on the side porch, with a latte from the corner store a block away, no coat and enjoyed the flowers on our camella bush.

Then I put on sandals and walked to the PO box with a shipment.

Life is good in Victoria-- But I think I am developing some form of winter amnesia. What is this 'snow' you speak of?

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OK, so listen, a little re-education is in order here.  

As one who lived on the West Coast for nearly 30 years, let me tell you, this is not the kind of smug little anecdote Easterners appreciate in February.  It took me a couple of years there to learn to stop doing that (I'm originally from Ontario).  I realized my friends and relatives back in Ontario weren't answering my phone calls anymore. 

Still, I wouldn't trade what I have now for the life I had in Victoria.  Where else can you find tranquil acreage by the sea with an historic house and quaint little towns close by for under $200K?  Plus, the people are exceptionally friendly and helpful, and it's a gardener's paradise.  I'll take the few weeks of snow.  

We do have another two huge winter weather bombs coming at us this week, but we're stocked up and we'll just light the fire, make some hot toddy and stay cozy.  In 6 weeks I'll be out planting in the garden again.