Ebay Postage - How Do They Get Away With It

[mancitymark]

I recently asked an ebay seller why the postage was so high on a 1966/67 Stoke v Man City programme as he was asking £2.50 to post it and this was his response !!

Check his user name

Dear 4254markm,

hello,

no worries for the quetion, the sizq of the letter is large so that is the highest price on size it is posted in a cardboard protected envolope so the programme gets to you undamaged and also the item is recorded delivery so that add's 75p straight onto the price.

By all means you can have a lower postage price but if the item arrive damaged or lost there will be on insuance on it.

Its your call thanks. Paul


- nothingisimpossable
_________________
Every Man Needs A Hobby

[Auchinleckian]

With the right sized envelope, and recycled cardboard (I always recycle my hardbacked envelopes that I receive) there's absolutely no reason why tht programme can not go just ordinary first or second class.

[stevecpfc1966]

I have had the same problem Mark.
I won a programme plymouth v palace from 2 seasons ago.
Winning bid was £1.25. When the seller invoiced me he was charging £4 total.

I mailed him to ask why, to which he said, its for a hardbacked envelope and recorded delivery.
I asked him not send it by recorded as there would be nobody at home to sign for it. The seller reduced the postage by all of 25p.
Obviously i didnt want to get a strike against me for non payment, so i paid £3.75 inc postage.
Im still waiting for the programme to arrive, and have since opened a case against the seller.

All i have received from the seller is him/her saying i have a post office receipt to say i have posted it.
Perhaps in hindsight i should of let it be sent by recorded delivery.


But it really does annoy me when these so called sellers overprice on the postage.

[paulo]

There is a Norwich seller that always charges £2.99 to post a programme. I know it can be done for £1.60 as that is what I charge in a quality mailer, plastic sleeve and that still gives me 30p profit to cover my paypal fees.

Ebay dont help themselves though, their fees are so high for selling low value items, people have to try and make a turn elsewhere, ie postage fees.

[foxes1]

I normally charge £1 to post a run of the mill programme, programmes from more recent seasons £1.75 (because of the weight). I also give the buyer the option of having it sent recorded delivery, but that is their choice for an additional cost of 0.75p.
Personally for low value progs I cannot see the point of paying extra for recorded delivery, you can actually get a proof of posting certificate which covers items up to a certain value (Think its £30). I use ordinary brown envelopes with card inserted this again cuts down on costs, but I suppose the answer is if you dont want to pay extortinate postal costs dont bid.

[goonerboy]

As per as a previous thread, you need to consider total cost of an item including quoted p&p costs. The free listing of items for 99p is all very well but then many sellers now add a premium to p&p. Earlier in the thread there was a comment about paypal fees. That sadly is the issue.

If someone lists an item for 99p and then quotes 50p p&p the total fees including paypal is approx 40p. Assuming the p&p does cost 50p then those fees come off the programme price ie its like a 40% tax on it.

The problem with eBay is that you are forced to accept paypal now and on low price items paypal fees are too high. They should have a fixed rate percentage so that lower cost items are not disadvantaged then sellers would not need to include the profit margin to cover fees.