Author Topic: e-bay related shipping costs (Read 2924 times)

cbjunkie · « **on:** November 07, 2005, 03:49:06 PM »

holy crap. i just "won" an auction for some headlight bucket ears - price: 11 bux and change.

cost to ship to me from canada: 32 dollars. UPS...

what is this madness?

Gordon · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2005, 04:14:34 PM »

That's why I only bid on auctions that list the shipping cost or use the shipping calculator.

clarkjh · « **Reply #2 on:** November 07, 2005, 04:59:23 PM »

that the sh?ts. things are small enough to ship by post if their packed right. One of the reasons I try not to bid on out of country stuff, plus the idea of spending $1.30 for every greenback, is that some people charge high shipping.

James

Uncle Ernie · « **Reply #3 on:** November 07, 2005, 06:32:34 PM »

I have mixed feelings... if I sold on ebay a lot, I'd want to charge a bit more for shipping because you spend a lot of time looking for free boxes and packing material. Those headlight ears seem a tad high, though. I oftentimes tell people that I'd rather just pay more for the product rather than feel like I'm holding my ankles.

Bodi · « **Reply #4 on:** November 07, 2005, 06:44:59 PM »

I've resorted to requiring fedex or ups shipping because buyers were saying stuff didn't arrive. With couriers you get a signature, with the post office you get nothing. Registered mail (requiring a signature) ends up costing close to fedex plus I have to go to the post office; couriers pick up.

Raul CB750K1 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2005, 02:07:41 AM »

I'm used to pay more for shipping than the actual article price. I always keep a record of what I pay for shipping, and don't mind if the seller charges 2-4 bucks, as I've been a seller and understand that boxes, packing time, gas and time to the Post office cost money. Many times, it's simply that seller's have never sold outside US and doesn't now how to get the right quote. When i feel they are charging more than actual postage I politely ask wether they can double check, or suggest the right shipping option. Sometimes I ask for a refund if find that the seller charged a lot. For example, I paid a seller for airmail and he sent the goods surface mail. He saved 25 bucks, so I asked for a refund and he gave me. The other day I received my worst eBay purchase ever, a set of CB350 carbs, whose seller said "chrome looks good". I bid 55 bucks and she said postage was 50. I told her if that was the case I didn't want it so she can leave me negative feedback on the spot. She told me she would double check, and also suggested that the chrome was "not that good". Finally I paid 30 bucks for shipping. She didn't fill out the custom form, so I had to go to the custom office in the airport and pay duties, to discover a piece of crap, with pitted chrome covers, float out of the assembly, with dings and bends, rusted float needle, broken diaphragm... I told her, and she got pissed off and told me I was to blame for bidding on item when she was not willing to sell abroad!!!! WTF!!! If I win the auction and you agree to sell, I deserve the same right than anybody else!! You simply lied on the item description!!!

I never ask for shipping beforehand because I have discovered that many times they give you a quote, and if you win, you are agreeing to pay that, so if they charge you 10 bucks more you can't complain. On the contrary, if you complain when you receive the article, many honest sellers will send you a refund. It's important to know more or less how much shipping can be.

Raul

lifeofthe88@yahoo. · « **Reply #6 on:** November 08, 2005, 03:58:28 AM »

i spent nearly an hour looking for a box to ship some handlebars and coulnt find one.then i went to pay little at ups and they didnt carry boxes.they suggested i drove all the way across town to the other store. f that post office is better and cheaper.im still lookin fer a box fer them bars.any suggestions?

mick750F · « **Reply #7 on:** November 08, 2005, 04:52:54 AM »

Quote from: lifeofthe88@yahoo. on November 08, 2005, 03:58:28 AM

i spent nearly an hour looking for a box to ship some handlebars and coulnt find one.then i went to pay little at ups and they didnt carry boxes.they suggested i drove all the way across town to the other store. f that post office is better and cheaper.im still lookin fer a box fer them bars.any suggestions?

I've had stuff shipped to me in boxes that were made out of two different boxes. Also boxes made out of a sheet of corrugated cardboard. Places like U-Haul sell boxes but they aren't cheap. For something like handlebars maybe you could just wrap them really well,and I mean really well, with bubble-wrap and tape and ship it that way.

Mike

Bob Wessner · « **Reply #8 on:** November 08, 2005, 05:00:56 AM »

Quote

For something like handlebars maybe you could just wrap them really well,and I mean really well, with bubble-wrap and tape and ship it that way.

You may encounter problems with this because of the many automated systems using conveyors, etc. I tried once and was told that was the reason for boxes only.

mick750F · « **Reply #9 on:** November 08, 2005, 05:08:21 AM »

Quote from: Bob Wessner on November 08, 2005, 05:00:56 AM

Quote
For something like handlebars maybe you could just wrap them really well,and I mean really well, with bubble-wrap and tape and ship it that way.

You may encounter problems with this because of the many automated systems using conveyors, etc. I tried once and was told that was the reason for boxes only.

Could be the case now. I guess you'd have to ask. A couple of years ago my tires arrived by UPS just taped together. Also, over the years an artist friend of mine has sent a number of irregular shaped things through the USPS.

Mike

cbjunkie · « **Reply #10 on:** November 08, 2005, 10:15:37 AM »

turns out this seller was a good guy, not to mention a newbie. he was asking for all kinds of advice on how to ship me the items - after he got the quote for the shipping and sent it to me (remember it was 33bux on an 11 dollar item) i expressed shock and awe and told him i didn't want the stuff.
i offered to paypal him the dough for the items and told him just to keep them - he was more than cool and just agreed to cancel the whole thing.
so, this one worked out okay - next time i will definitely use some of you guys suggestions. one thing about it was during the bidding there was no shipping calculator or fixed price given - i could've independently checked on the ups site, i guess...but it didn't cross my mind that it would be soooo expensive.

by the way - i'm looking for some headlight ears - anybody got a set lyin around? figuring on painting them, so not perf. is a-ok...

j'lo...

dusterdude · « **Reply #11 on:** November 08, 2005, 11:46:07 AM »

junkie,what are you putting them on?

cbjunkie · « **Reply #12 on:** November 08, 2005, 01:32:14 PM »

a K1.

how much diff. does it make? i was hoping that some shiny SS ears might work.

j'lo...

dusterdude · « **Reply #13 on:** November 08, 2005, 01:38:37 PM »

well shoot,cant help ya there but i do have a set for a 77 or so gw front end.hint hint.

gregk · « **Reply #14 on:** November 08, 2005, 02:34:09 PM »

UPS?

I am in the process of buying some parts from a fellow SOHC member in NJ. He suggested that he would get a price from UPS to ship to Canada (BC). I asked him instead to try the USPS as my experience has been good with them and they are much cheaper. The trouble with UPS comming into Canada is you need a customs broker at the Canadian end to clear the package. And that costs more money. The USPS does their own brokering.
The package from NJ would have cost 125.00 using UPS. The USPS would charge 15.00.
You do the math.

Greg

cbjunkie · « **Reply #15 on:** November 08, 2005, 02:44:09 PM »

so, the united states postal service works in canada, too?
news to me...

gregk · « **Reply #16 on:** November 09, 2005, 07:14:06 AM »

Wait, I'm not finished!

I recently mailed a hand held calculator to a person in NJ via Canada Post ( express post). It cost me $ 22.00 and you can check on their web site to see when the package was mailed as well as delivered. The whole process took four days ( Canada Post said the package would be delivered within 6 working days.) I'm sure that there is a similiar service available through the USPS.
And no, USPS does not operate within Canada, the same as Canada Post does not operate in the States.

UPS can KMA.

greg

dusterdude · « **Reply #17 on:** November 09, 2005, 07:17:11 AM »

wow,thats interesting

Raul CB750K1 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 09, 2005, 08:04:56 AM »

Generally, there are agreements betwen post companies. When I buy from the States, small packets arrive to my door via the state-owned Correos, and big ones via a private company called Extand. Surprisingly, is much cheaper to send from US to Spain than the other way round. That, along with the strenght of the Euro, forces me to eat all the stuff I don't need. I can't sell it on eBay, because the high shipping price and the euro makes them too expensive for potential US buyers. Airmail from US arrive in about 7-9 days. Surface mail takes a couple of months. I've chosen surface sometimes, only when I'm not in a hurry for the parts, but still the difference is not worth the peace of mind you have when you know there are not 4 or 5 of your purchases God knows where...

I hope this last sentence is understandable....I've re-read it and it seems a little complex!!!

Raul

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Author Topic: e-bay related shipping costs (Read 2924 times)

lifeofthe88@yahoo.