wuzzzer Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 So an audio item that's for sale within an hour's drive of me comes up on eBay. The seller wants $39.99 to ship UPS ground. I could drive there and back for about $10 worth of gas so I thought I'd shoot them an email asking if local pickup was an option. Their reply: "No local pick-up.Sorry" I wondered why I wasn't able to do that, so I asked: "MayI ask why you don't offer local pickup? I am interested in your item andwould much rather drive an hour to get it than pay $39.99 to have itshipped to me. I hope you understand." Their response? : "Justdont bid if you do not want to pay for shipping. I am running this ebayauction out of my home and do not want strangers showing up at myresidence. No offence." Sheesh, talk about paranoid. I understand that I would be a 'stranger' to him/her but maybe consider meeting at a public place then? [*-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Thump Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 If he is overcharging you can turn him into eBay otherwise I do understand his concern. It is sad that it has come to this though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 When I purchased my denon 3805 on ebay the seller was happy that he did not have to ship and double box the denon... He was more then willing to let me in his house in which I suggested a public location which was an au bon pain which we met outside had a 30 minute talk and then went our ways. I find it horrible to charge 40 dollars for an item for shipping.... scammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest srobak Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Has nothing to do with his stated reason. This is a typical tactic used by shadybayers to squeeze every cent possible out of a sale. They might have lowered the reserve or something like that to make it seem more attractive, but then they jack up the shipping to get it back. Had a couple of those over the year who wouldn't let me pick up and told them to get bent. They tried to report me as NPB and when I pursued it with safeharbor, they were usually told by ebay to go home. This is why I prefer to do business with people I know, or at least interact with online like real people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 ebay blows ..................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthfreek Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Whatever...I don't want people showing up at my house either and seeing all of my gear. Especially for a cheap item like that. I agree that it should be stated in the description though. It's my auction and I make the rules so people must abide. What if screen name "babylover69" wins your auction and wants to swing by to pick up a $10 cord he won? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 $39.99, etc. for shipping? That does not sound right. That's about what it cost to ship a Heresy 250 miles... Does that price also include the packing? Check the weight on the object you wanted,and the ground shipping to your location and if it's, say, alot less than $40.... oh well.... you might want to take it further. eBay has been cracking down on the excessive shipping charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 Considering how the person reacted to my previous emails I don't want to have any dealings with them. Too bad for them, I could have made it an easy transaction. I know where ones who said they wouldn't want someone showing up at their house and seeing all their gear are coming from. That's why I said I'd be more than happy to meet them at a shopping mall, library, bank, etc if they didn't want me coming to their house. I would guess that the actual shipping costs for the seller would probably be under $15 due to the short distance and size of the package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shload Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Considering how the person reacted to my previous emails I don't want to have any dealings with them. Too bad for them, I could have made it an easy transaction. I know where ones who said they wouldn't want someone showing up at their house and seeing all their gear are coming from. That's why I said I'd be more than happy to meet them at a shopping mall, library, bank, etc if they didn't want me coming to their house. I would guess that the actual shipping costs for the seller would probably be under $15 due to the short distance and size of the package. You need to understand that many people take the item to a UPS store or other pack & ship, and that is what is charged for shipping. I have done this and it can be over double the regular shipping, since you are charging for postage, box, packing and labor.The beauty of Ebay is if you don't like the way the auction is run, you just don't bid. I sure would not call this a SCAM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blvdre Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 It's best to just let it go. We could speculate as to the "why", but in the end it's the seller's prerogative, reasonable or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 It's best to just let it go. We could speculate as to the "why", but in the end it's the seller's prerogative, reasonable or not. Right. Know these conditions before bidding. Factor in the shipping (think total cost) when you bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest srobak Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Whatever...I don't want people showing up at my house either and seeing all of my gear. Especially for a cheap item like that. I agree that it should be stated in the description though. It's my auction and I make the rules so people must abide. What if screen name "babylover69" wins your auction and wants to swing by to pick up a $10 cord he won? I can understand that, and in such a case - meeting at a public location would be a better option than either at the house, or shipping it for some insane amount. Have done it before in fact. But a flat refusal and way over-charging to ship it to the next zip code - even with a $2.95 box and some bubble wrap is just a bit rich, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkalsi Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 My experience with e-bay is that whenever you state that you will charge only actual shipping cost - you attract more bids - I put in something crazy like a $100 bucks for shipping but in the ad I said - "only actually shipping charges will apply and that the $100 is a place holder" - then I send them a copy of the shipping invoice so there is no dispute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfk Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Ebay sucks...go with craigslist.org any day. I had my ebay account hijacked once, they charge a bloody fortune for commision, along with their co-conspirator pay-me-pal, I got goosed every time I sold something on ebay. Totally not worth it. I have got more stuff I need from here, craigslist and amazon than ebay at a better price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Ask yourself.... Would you welcome yourself into your own house too? hahahahahaha I think the higher priced the item, the less hassle.. I have never had any problems getting speakers... But it is his choice... they might be embarrased where they live, might have personal physical limitations, or might be a mega seller on ebay with stuff everywhere... not that you will steal it, but again (just as a rule) he may not like you poking around.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I agree that the seller has a right to privacy. Especially if it's stated in the terms of the auction, there's really nothing to complain about. Overpriced shipping is another, but that was in the listing as well. I've gotten some good deals on listings like that. People freaked at the high shipping cost and stayed away. Bottom line price is what matters to me when bidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 40 bucks for shipping these days doesn't seem like much to me based on some of the costs I have experienced lately. I admit, I go to the UPS store and lots of times have them ship things for me. But even with me doing the packing it has gotten pretty darn expensive. I too would not like strangers in my home. I do not think this guy is being unreasonable. You didn't say what the item was. If it is a set of interconnects then 40 bucks is a tad high. But if it is anything that requires double boxing it seems reasonable. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 might be a mega seller on ebay with stuff everywhere He could be concerned that his neighbours will notice he's running a business out of his home and it's against the zoning. Some busybody neighbours would take exception to cars coming and going more with than a minimal frequency. There are many possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 While I can understand your perspective and frustration, I can also play devil's advocate and completely understand the seller's concern as well. There are plenty of legitimate reasons for not wanting a stranger to come to your house. And it really doesn't matter if you agree or not. It's their perogative. Besides, if one is concerned about the state of the unit, use www.escrow.com and each eat the $25 charge - and you will have an opportunity to examine and accept of reject the unit and return it prior to monies being released. Both parties are protected. If it is is simply the matter of not wanting to pay shipping...you have the option of discussing that prior to your bidding. You bid and those were the terms! You don't lay on the ground and kick and scream because they will not modify the terms after the deal has closed! How would you react if the seller were, say 500 miles away, and after the deal they said - "ah, gee, packing this stuff is a hassle, come and pick it up." Why do I suspect we would be reading another post saying what a jerk this seller is! The problem isn't the seller. They stated their terms. You had the option to ask questions or to modify terms PRIOR to the close of the deal. And thereupon you have the choice as to bid or not. Simple. Who cares if you disagree with the seller? Bottomline...YOU have a choice! DUH! This topic has quickly become old as many are just pushing their feelings on others. If you feel differently than the seller, great! Don't bid! If you disagree, handle your business as you choose. But they are certainly not oblidged to capitulate to your whims. And as far as the carte blanche "EBay sucks" comments...rather than EBay, I would suggest that most of the problems are created by the PARTICIPANTS! Just as this nonsensical rant demonstrates. And as an aside, here is my grip with EBay in a nutshell: The irony is that EBay could resolve the entire scam issue if they simply either bought www.escrow.com, like they did PayPal, or simply make escrow a fundamental part of the process with say a $3 flat fee per party for items under $100 and a percentage of the selling price above. And wham...fraud is over. And they would not only make money from each party per each transcation (in addition to their commission), they would also make money on the "float". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkp Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I understand that ebay now allows the seller to add in his "packaging costs" in the shipping estimate thereby making the added cost invisible to the buyer. I have no problem with this policy nor with sellers who pad their sales with additional shipping costs as long as those costs are fully disclosed prior to the end of the auction. If you don't like onions on your hamburger, then don't order it that way... -David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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