For a couple of weeks now, Ebay shipping for the padded flat rate envelope has been charged at $4.90.
However, the USPS price went up in mid January to $5.10.
It's now apparently fixed, but while it was wrong, seller faced a less than obvious choice. Choose between:
a. print a "padded flat rate envelope", pay the $4.90, and just ship the stuff, using stealth shipping not for buyer, but for some eagle eyed USPS employee.
b. print a "small flat rate box", pay $5.15, an extra $0.05, but have the label be obviously wrong in a different way
I suspect I'm like most people. I chose option (a), and tried to convince myself that Ebay really knew what it was doing. With the price now back at $5.10, it's pretty clear that this was an Ebay error.
The USPS could of course detect the discrepancy and treat the package as postage due. So far, no such result, and I don't expect one, given that the label says the right thing even while insufficient postage was paid.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Shipping gougers vs cranks
Ebay's defense against shipping gougers is broken on two fronts.
1. real gouges go unreported for fear of being blocked
2. cranky buyers get all the power.
These two mesh perfectly.
Here's the anatomy of a shipping charge ding.
Summary: buyer paid $10.99 for item, $19.05 for parcel post shipping.
Parcel post shipping postage was $18.37, purchased through ebay. Box and packaging materials included with the $19.05, or 67c over actual postage.
Buyer posts DSR ding, apparently feeling that a $10.99 item shouldn't have $19 shipping.
Real shipping gougers get no attention, mostly shipping by UPS.
67 cents gets downrated.
Solution: stop selling larger $10.99 items. If it's not working out, change is required. Minimum price on parcel post package now $25. Good for ebay? Not.
Economy Shipping : US $19.05
USPS Parcel Post®
Estimated delivery: February 21 - February 28
Package 1 of 1
Shipment details: 91027850914015328xxxxx
Shipping label printed on Feb-16-12
Shipping cost: $18.37
US $10.99
Subtotal:
US $10.99
Shipping & handling:
US $19.05
Total:
US $30.04
1. real gouges go unreported for fear of being blocked
2. cranky buyers get all the power.
These two mesh perfectly.
Here's the anatomy of a shipping charge ding.
Summary: buyer paid $10.99 for item, $19.05 for parcel post shipping.
Parcel post shipping postage was $18.37, purchased through ebay. Box and packaging materials included with the $19.05, or 67c over actual postage.
Buyer posts DSR ding, apparently feeling that a $10.99 item shouldn't have $19 shipping.
Real shipping gougers get no attention, mostly shipping by UPS.
67 cents gets downrated.
Solution: stop selling larger $10.99 items. If it's not working out, change is required. Minimum price on parcel post package now $25. Good for ebay? Not.
Economy Shipping : US $19.05
USPS Parcel Post®
Estimated delivery: February 21 - February 28
Package 1 of 1
Shipment details: 91027850914015328xxxxx
Shipping label printed on Feb-16-12
Shipping cost: $18.37
US $10.99
Subtotal:
US $10.99
Shipping & handling:
US $19.05
Total:
US $30.04
Feedback cranks
Feedback cranks come in two flavors.
Buyer, and seller.
They're both anti-social sorts, living in the past.
A bit of history. Until 2008, sellers could leave negative feedback for buyers. For powerful (if hard to anticipate in advance) reasons, this resulted in a huge advantage for sellers who withheld feedback until after buyer had posted feedback.
If buyer negged seller, seller negged buyer. Buyer freaked out, never did that again. Some buyers became cranky, and refused to post 1st feedback. If they had all done that, it would have helped, but most buyers docily posted 1st fb, and sellers posted last fb.
However, for four years now, no negs for buyers. DSRs have come to be the dominant measure of an ebay seller. Public feedback is almost useless in all regards.
But cranks remain on both sides. Buyers who demand 1st fb. Sellers who demand 1st fb. Buyers who demand quick fb. Sellers who refuse to post timely feedback.
Feedback is a major stress point on ebay, and it's mostly all pain no gain.
Buyer, and seller.
They're both anti-social sorts, living in the past.
A bit of history. Until 2008, sellers could leave negative feedback for buyers. For powerful (if hard to anticipate in advance) reasons, this resulted in a huge advantage for sellers who withheld feedback until after buyer had posted feedback.
If buyer negged seller, seller negged buyer. Buyer freaked out, never did that again. Some buyers became cranky, and refused to post 1st feedback. If they had all done that, it would have helped, but most buyers docily posted 1st fb, and sellers posted last fb.
However, for four years now, no negs for buyers. DSRs have come to be the dominant measure of an ebay seller. Public feedback is almost useless in all regards.
But cranks remain on both sides. Buyers who demand 1st fb. Sellers who demand 1st fb. Buyers who demand quick fb. Sellers who refuse to post timely feedback.
Feedback is a major stress point on ebay, and it's mostly all pain no gain.
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