On 16-09-19 07:03 PM, alb.001 alb.001 wrote:
> I sold some cables recently and it clearly stated shipping to USA lower
> 48 states was $20. The buyer showed me the invoice he got from eBay and
> it indicated "shipping free".
E-bay has wonted to become more like a store and less like an auction
site. The one that gets me is the "Global Shipping program." a US
seller lists an item and if the software recognizes it, it shows up on
e-bay canada with global shipping. this starts at about 20 dollars. if
I win, ebay tells the seller to ship to Pitney Bowes in Kentucky. (I
get to pay them for US shipping for that) There they cut open the
package to verify that it looks like the listing (hopefully not damaging
the item too badly) and forward it on, with the opening taped up and a
big E-bay Sticker added... Small Items under 20 dollars are just put
back in the USPS mail, (but of course I have already paid twice once to
get it to KY and again to mail it to Canada, so I have paid more than if
the seller just shipped it direct)
If over 20 bucks they ship it to Toronto where they mail it, but I get
to pay the retail sales tax at 13% just like I got it from the local
store. rest assured that Pitney gets a good cut. there are some items
where they can save me money, but on small items it just adds expense.
and latly I get Brethless e-mails with important news when the item
arrived in KY, is shipped and when the post office delivers it. All
Don’t have the name of the item in the subject so I have to read them
though to find out what they are about and can't search them alter if I
am missing an item.
> I hate their shipping calculator. The system should just
> wait for an invoice from seller who can properly figure postage to
> wherever the buyer is.
As I buyer, I have had situations in the old days where I thought I had
a good idea of what it would cost to ship somthing and had sticker shock
when the seller used a gigantic oversize carton, or sent with the most
expensive service because it was crossing big water (lake Ontario)..
(also got stung a few times where they declared a high value "in case it
got damaged in shipping so I could make a good claim" (unless perfectly
packed as long as the box and or its contents get to you their is no
claim, and did I metion the 13% sales tax --- On the declared value)
I would love to have a choice in shipping.
The other thing is that the seller now has to used "tracked" shipping to
avoid a claim of Non delivery. so many things that should be Small
packet are instead sent Priority at 4 times the cost. I don't know how
many items I have "watched" for a week, and decided not to bid as the
bid plus shipping would be more than the item was worth (to me) even
though the bid itself was reasonable.
>
> Also postage in Canada and USA is wayyyy too expensive compared to
> overseas - shipping from China costs seller practically nothing
> (price + shipping = $0.99 - how do they do that? simple, the buyers
> country subsidized the shipping.
You have to wonder why the China Post can get away with such low prices,
I just wish USPS and Canada post had simalar ones, then I could bid on
more ebay items. Mind you the China Post service really does seem like
a slowboat from China as 30 days is typical.
--
Charles MacDonald Stittsville Ontario
cm...@zeusprune.ca Just Beyond the Fringe
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