[Boatanchors] Estate Sale on eBay

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 8/29/05, w8au at sssnet.com <w8au at sssnet.com> wrote:
> At 05:54 AM 8/29/05, Michael Crestohl wrote:
> >    Incidentally, eBay will be 10 years old this coming weekend!
> >    Wonder  why  you/they  are charging so much to ship this stuff.  A key
> > can easily be  sent  for  $3.85  by Priority Post yet the listed charges
> > are over $9.00.
> 
> Mike:
> 
> This is a growing problem... folks wanting to get more than the actual bid
> amount.  Ebay calls it "Reserve Fee Avoidance" and says they view it as a
> serious offence.

Good points on all, including the cost of shipping materials and time
involved. I can certainly understand extra expense on larger items
(I've actually had folks require me to get items packed and shipped
via UPS store - fine by me, less hassle and they paid for it), but on
something like that Navy Flameproof key - why not send it via USPS as
Michael says, for $3.85? They even give you the boxes for free.
Wouldn't be too difficult to wrap and pack properly with something
liked balled up newspaper (don't laugh, it works a lot better than
packing peanuts). I can't imagine that packing it for UPS Ground is
any easier?

The part that always got to me is when the seller wants to sell an
item on the auction site where he is most likely get the highest price
with the largest audience, then wants to 'pad' the final bid price
with a handling fee. Sure, businesses do this, but they sell products
at a fixed price and know their costs. It's as if these sellers are
saying "I want to squeeze every possible cent out of this thing, and
still charge you for the priviledge of buying it". How much is enough?
As Larry says, most folks aren't doing this as a business and some
expenses are incurred that most anyone would consider 'reasonable'.
But yes, I've seen it more and more on there too, either a high
average 'flat rate shipping' fee or the attempts at avoiding the
reserve and other fees (like the percentage they charge on final
sales).

OTOH, I've had dealings with both Larry and Michael as well as many
others on the lists like Al Parker, and with one exception have found
them to be extremely honest in their dealings. The one exception was
the WA6FEC character out in the Carlsbad area, Walter Quitt. After
working a deal for a 75A-4 I had he never got around to paying me the
remaining cash he owed me, to the tune of $500. I found out later that
I wasn't the only one he hosed. It was my choice to trust him,
something I still do but much more carefully.

Live and learn. Buyer beware and so on. Most importantly, if you have
doubts or something doesn't feel right, don't do it. The best part of
it all is that we're free not to take part, a freedom I regularly
exercise. People can only take advantage of you if you let them.

de Todd/'Boomer'  KA1KAQ