Coytee Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 I'm selling a camera lens on ebay. I have two of them and just finished one of them, closing bid at $210. Ebay asked how much was the flat shipping rate, BEFORE I knew who I might be sending it to.... so I mulled that over.... and simply stuck in $25.00 I've usually end up losing money on shipping because I'll double box and buy some of that hard foam insulation so I can protect something (foam is $32/sheet) I'll admit that I don't much care to specifically lose on shipping. So... lens 1 is now sold for $210 plus $25 shipping...no big deal. I list the second lens (same brand, same focal, same everything EXCEPT this one is just about pristine and mine was haggared a bit over 20 years of use) Starting price with NO reserve is $1.00 I just now get an email saying "I think your shipping cost of $25 for such a small lens is way too high! Please double check the cost with USPS Priority mail. Thanks... (signed with name) I responded back with And I think my price for the lens ($1.00) is to low! We have the cost of the actual shipping...cost of boxing, cost of packing materials, cost of my time to get it done... so if all that is "actually" $19.00 what's the big deal? If all that is "actually" $35.00 and I eat the difference what's the big deal? Simply put in a bid for an amount that takes into consideration the shipping expense and be done with it. Ebay FORCED me to put in a shipping number and frankly, I do not know what the cost is to send to you in Calif...nor the next guy in New York state.... so I simply picked a number that would be "close" and yet, not be an error to MY detriment. No one is forcing you to bid. I would wonder though...if you won the lens for $1.00 would you still complain about the shipping? I know there are idiots in the world... I'm curious if I'm being one of them here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 lol...kind of funny update. I just noticed this person upped the bid on the lens to $2.25, taking out the original bidder at $1.00. What I find amusing is I think we all know that none of the 'real' bidding happens until the end. My experience has also been that those who do this piddling bidding at the onset are usually trying to bid $15.00 (on a $200 lens) and are usually no where in sight by the time the snipers come around at the end. Doesn't however, mean I'm still not an idiot [*-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 I think your first response was spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Some times I will place a super low bid on something just to hold the place, knowing I will be out bid and if by some fluke I win the bid at the low price, I am really out not much at all. I have seen many auctions list shipping at something in the middle of the ball park and clearly state in the add it's self, the price of shipping to be actual cost, not the listed price. EBay really made it hard for sellers when they did this. They tried to give the buyer some idea of what the total cost would be but all they did was get the sellers to place high $ on shipping in order to cover their back sides. Another thing you could do is list the lowest USPS flat rate box price ($14 I think) and add for handling. $14 for shipping and $10 for packing, materials and handling would look better than $24 shipping. It is all just a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 That prospective buyer thinks that you buy stuff on Ebay and therefore have a stock of foam and bubble wrap. He thinks that you will or should use the USPS Priority Mail flat rate boxes which are free and the free tape you can get with it. He knows that the USPS Priority Mail flat rate boxes start at $10 and end at $13 and some change for up to 70lbs. So in his way of thinking you should be charging $15.00 max for shipping. That's what I think he is thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 JL, I suspect you are absolutely right. He sent me yet another email... so I responded (I was at work and don't have it here) saying essentially... "if you want to buy this and pay $15 for shipping that is fine by me. I will do as you say...go to the USPS buy their box and simply place the glass lens inside of it and GOOD LUCK to you on what ever happens next. If however, you would like me to put it into a probably larger box, CUSTOM fit some foam insulation around it such that the entire lens is cocooned inside this hard foam and could (probably) withstand a freefall from 2 storys up, I'll be happy to do that as well... I'll leave it up to you to decide if a custom fitted box is worth an extra $10 over putting the lens into a USPS box and taking your chances" (that was paraphrased) Interestingly.... I'm now home and see he has retracted his $129.00 bid. Hmm... Let me see if I have this understanding right...I just sold this EXACT lens in 80% condition for $210 and the lens this guy is bidding on is probably in 99.5% condition and he was capping his bidding at $129. Damn. I think I'm going to go spill some milk so I can cry..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 Coytee, Yep. Ebay as usual. I've gotten similar communications from bidders, your response to "bid accordingly" is right on the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 If I know the value of something just start at that value or buy it now. I'd rather list something twice than not get the price I wanted. Recently I put some old crusty klipschorn crossovers on ebay with a BIN of $90. Someone bid on the item with my start price of $80. In the end I got over $220 for something I only felt was worth $90 at the most. Some days you win some days you lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 ok... more to the plot. My mistake, the BODY of the listings did not say that I would not ship internationally. I was asked on these items so it WAS made clear that I would only send to a domestic US address. I have two bozo's from asia who have won an auction each. One of them has ??????2?34?401 ??, ???As part of his name/address. With no disrespect meant to them, should I : 1. Use the 'contact buyer' mode and ask what USA address they'd like me to use? 2. Use "send invoice" and put my question in the note box? 3. Simply delete them and not worry about it. ? My thinking is choice #1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 answer: should have told me you were selling and saved a lot of hassle. even posting on fredmiranda.com would have given you a great deal of visibility and little amounts of hassle. this is why i buy from ebay, but don't sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted November 13, 2009 Moderators Share Posted November 13, 2009 I know where that's at it's right next to ??????2?34?402 ??, ??? right down the block from ??????1?35?301 ??, ??? Thought everyone knew that, just ask for Lee [:S] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 You as the seller, can Block / delete sellers who don't meet your requirements. If they don't want to pay.............L with them. Stick to your guns.............if no bids you can up the Shipping............... DON'T sell overseas..........US /CAN only. # 3 DELETE THEM................relist . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted November 13, 2009 Share Posted November 13, 2009 You as the seller, can Block / delete sellers who don't meet your requirements. If they don't want to pay.............L with them. Stick to your guns.............if no bids you can up the Shipping............... DON'T sell overseas..........US /CAN only. # 3 DELETE THEM................relist . The best money is to be made overseas. I've sold items for many times what I thought I could get. I've sold to Japan many times, China, England, Scotland, France, and Israel. Never had a problem with any of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 The best money is to be made overseas. I've sold items for many times what I thought I could get. I've sold to Japan many times, China, England, Scotland, France, and Israel. Never had a problem with any of them. Seti... I'm the guy who had his Miata on ebay, no reserve with several days to go. Someone said "if I flew there from Baltimore to drive the car back, would you take $300 cash" Guess what? The tires alone were worth more than $300 BUT... I really don't like to mess with things (like dealing internationally) and told him , sure...I'll do it. I closed the listing and several days later I met him at the airport to collect reimbursement for my tires. I could have probably sold it for 8-10 times more than that but I simply wanted the car OUT of my hair and he asked the right question at the right time. My whole point is, I wasn't selling these on ebay with no reserve to maximize my cash on them... I was selling them on ebay with no reserve to simply make it easy for me AND since I stated in most (but unfortunately, not all) of the listings that I would only ship domestically, I now have a situation I have to deal with. Go back up & read the address this dummy has.... I DID do a google on it and probably have the right geographical area but....it's already more work than I wanted to put into it. Heck... my wife has (had) 5 antique perfume bottles that belonged to her great grandmother...she wanted rid of them so put them on ebay as well. Somone called (locally) and asked if I'd sell them for the minimum price I have listed ($5.00 each) I said done deal. I'm meeting her at the office tomorrow to hand them over. One of them, admittedly in a bit nicer condition than these are, has brought about $80 alone. It was a little larger than this bottle and in a little better condition...however, one might infer that this bottle might be worth $10?? 20? I'm simply happy that I don't have to box/ship it and have all that headache.... I can hand them over and be done with them. To Bill: I can't really delete the bidder as these are now offically closed listings and the high bidders were two people from Asia and another person from Venice Italy. Two of the three of them popped up at the very end as snipe bids so I had no way to know. The third person, I DID notice they were in Asia and asked them a couple days ago about a domestic address.... have heard NOTHING back from them at all. Today it's a closed listing (ended dinner time today) and they remain high bidder....so part of me feels obligated and another part feels ZERO obligation. I'm going to let the zero obligation part win out but don't know the best way to terminate the situation (only because I don't want to get needless crap from them, especially when it was them who didn't read or respond) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Your braver than I to sell a car on ebay. For that price it would have been gone in 5 minutes on craigslist LOL... I don't sell big akward items because shipping can be a PITA. If your selling to get rid of things that is much different than trying to maximize profits. There is nothing wrong with maximizing profits. The only reason I sell on ebay is to support my hobby. I've done exceptionally well lately thanks to international sales just don't let yourself get screwed on the shipping. That happened to me on my first I got burned pretty good once but I learned my lesson quickly. Dealing with people can be a pain on ebay at times. Sometimes you get nuts with crazy questions. I hate it when people finish an auction or buy it now and then want to haggle over the terms of the auction. I just say sorry the terms of the auction were set before you bid. They should have read the terms or asked before buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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