Ebay??? Why???

[Mommypooh]

okay I have been doing a lot of online buying latly. I mostly have been buying from this one site that does a FFS (Free For Shipping) I have noticed shipping is not that bad there. Well I wanted to buy some things on Ebay and I have noticed that their shipping is astronomical. I can get shipping much cheaper else where. Why is it so expensive for shipping ebay items?

[cheapie]

it all depends on the seller.

[Mommypooh]

well in the area I am looking seems to be across the board.

[mcs328]

are they heavy items or are they small under 5 lb items?

[oblongmelon]

did you ever sign up for FREEYCYCLE.ORG? it's pretty cool..kind of like a swap meet of people in your own area..check it out!

I LOVE EBAY...for the stuff I get on there-I'll gladly pay the five dollar shipping fees if I get an item for FAR less than what I expect!

[MikeD]

did you ever sign up for FREEYCYCLE.ORG? it's pretty cool..kind of like a swap meet of people in your own area..check it out!

I LOVE EBAY...for the stuff I get on there-I'll gladly pay the five dollar shipping fees if I get an item for FAR less than what I expect!

Most definitely, and alot of folks here are fans as well (http://www.gotapex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77018&highlight=freecycle).

:)

[DarkFury]

okay I have been doing a lot of online buying latly. I mostly have been buying from this one site that does a FFS (Free For Shipping) I have noticed shipping is not that bad there. Well I wanted to buy some things on Ebay and I have noticed that their shipping is astronomical. I can get shipping much cheaper else where. Why is it so expensive for shipping ebay items?
Well for one thing... many eBay stores use "shipping" as a way to get the price they want for an item yet not pay the fees for the purchase value to eBay... as they don't charge fees against the shipping of an item.

Pretty much, I've seen alot of stores sell an eBay item at a very discounted price only to recoup that money in the shipping/handling fee... which means more money in their pocket.

[oblongmelon]

Most definitely, and alot of folks here are fans as well (http://www.gotapex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77018&highlight=freecycle).

:)

how'd I miss this post??? ..

[Grimm]

how'd I miss this post??? ..
I think it was made when you were in jail for lying about insider trading. :P

[cheapie]

bwahahahaha! that's awesome!

[oblongmelon]

I think it was made when you were in jail for lying about insider trading. :P

Martha Reference..you made a funny..LOLOLOLOL :)

[WhiskeyPapa]

eBay is full of opportunists who take advantage of naive people who bid before looking at the shipping charges. As DF mentioned, when you sell on eBay, you pay fees based on the final bid, not the shipping charges. So many sellers will sell a $15 item for $1 plus $14 shipping.

IMHO, eBay is great for buying used stuff from an individual seller who sells occasionally. It sucks for buying new stuff from eBay "businesses".

[oblongmelon]

eBay is full of opportunists who take advantage of naive people who bid before looking at the shipping charges. As DF mentioned, when you sell on eBay, you pay fees based on the final bid, not the shipping charges. So many sellers will sell a $15 item for $1 plus $14 shipping.

IMHO, eBay is great for buying used stuff from an individual seller who sells occasionally. It sucks for buying new stuff from eBay "businesses".

Don't forget-individual sellers who don't know the true value of items tend to get far less than they would if they gave items to auction houses in their area..I scored big last year on a vintage European rose cut diamond set in 14kt gold because the seller thought that the GP stamped in the band meant gold plated..(it's GOLD PLUMB)...I only paid 180 dollars on a ring that's worth about 1000.

[Merlin]

IMHO, eBay is great for buying used stuff from an individual seller who sells occasionally. It sucks for buying new stuff from eBay "businesses".
Counterpoint....I've been ripped off by people selling stuff. But every eBay store I've delt with has been a positive experience.

[DarkFury]

IMHO, eBay is great for buying used stuff from an individual seller who sells occasionally. It sucks for buying new stuff from eBay "businesses".
Honestly, there are some good eBay stores out there... You just have to have decent knowledge (i.e. research) of what you are buying to tell the difference.

Some folks open eBay stores instead of trying to fund a separate website to sell their wares. eBay gets far more hits than they'd probably get as a standalone, therefore it just makes good business sense to have those stores to cut some of the "overhead" of doing it yourself.

One thing I do like is when I can "combine shipping" for multiple purchases from the same person/vendor. :thumb:

[smeakim]

Its as everyone says. Lower final bid, less fees, higher shipping, means more in the seller's pocket. The thing with ebay is that some people are really stupid. People get caught up in the bidding and the aspect of winning. I always check ebay last. For example, I wanted a pair of Oakley Juliets (300) in the store 290 was the cheapest online. I followed the prices for a week and say they usually go for about 250 with shipping. That is still 50 cheaper than the store and no tax. I saw a pair go up, brand new, box and paperwork and all for 185 plus 20 shipping. I saved over 100 bucks and the glasses are new. Then you see other people bidding on the same glasses at prices close to what they can buy them for in the store. If you know what something costs and you can get a good deal, great. The only think I buy on e-bay is my habit of sports memorbilla which is way cheaper than field of dreams in the mall. Plus I know what things go for so I don't get caught up in a bidding war. JMHO

[WhiskeyPapa]

Honestly, there are some good eBay stores out there...Ok, "sucks" was an overstatement. I also occasionally buy from eBay businesses (like cell batteries and chargers - $5.99 on eBay vs. $24.99 at Radio Shack!)

I guess it's rare you find an over-the-top, unbelievable deal from eBay stores. But it is a convenient place to find all the crap you'd ever want to buy.

[DarkFury]

Ok, "sucks" was an overstatement. I also occasionally buy from eBay businesses (like cell batteries and chargers - $5.99 on eBay vs. $24.99 at Radio Shack!)

I guess it's rare you find an over-the-top, unbelievable deal from eBay stores. But it is a convenient place to find all the crap you'd ever want to buy.
Yeah.. I buy my cell phone batteries off of eBay too. :thumb:

But honestly, if the person is running a "real store"... depending on what it costs for them to get the product, they are just trying to sell it for a marginal profit above cost + eBay fees. It's when they are really gouging you on the markup + shipping that folks get burned on the "Buy Now".

For most eBay stores... I look for the "Buy Now" price... if it is reasonable plus shipping, I go for it. Otherwise, if they set a "lowball" auction price, then I just play the game and see where the bid will go. :heh:

BEWARE OF THE DARK E-BAY SNIPER... HE SEES YOU LOOKING AND IS WAITING TO STRIKE!!! :fal:

[Markel]

BEWARE OF THE DARK E-BAY SNIPER... HE SEES YOU LOOKING AND IS WAITING TO STRIKE!!! :fal:
Yeah, the rush of a snipe is great. :heh: I've sniped just about everything I've bought off ebay (including a $6000 mini-van and an $800 trombone).

[Sirrich3]

Sellers use the excuse that Ebay charges them a certain fee, so then they add that to the S/H! If all else fails buy an item from someone else whyo has lower fees
















.

[DarkFury]

Sellers use the excuse that Ebay charges them a certain fee, so then they add that to the S/H! If all else fails buy an item from someone else whyo has lower fees.

It's not always that easy... it just depends on the item being sold, the timing of when the auction is ending and the current price that the item is being sold for and how bad you really want the item in question. :D

[Mommypooh]

well what is the deal when you click on the calculate button and it still says 8 dollars for 12 flat cloth diapers (burp rags) and they are already up to 5 or 6 dollars, when I can buy new for 1.50 each and free shipping.

[smeakim]

Thats the point I was trying to make. People do not pay attention or are unqilling to shop around. They think ebay a great deal when in all cases it is not. You have to know what you are buying and what it is worth. Only then can you say whether you got a great deal or not.