Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Positive feedback, but I'm not happy about it

I don't like it when eBay sellers try to make up money by overcharging on shipping.

It makes me conflicted. The card shows up and the condition is fine. But you charged me $3.49 for first class shipping, and sent it in a PWE. And not even a fancy eBay standard envelope PWE with tracking. This was a regular PWE.

When I point this out to the seller, they usually respond something like this: "u got a vintage crd for less than 5 go fuck off dont buy from me agin"

Sellers tend to do this when they think a card will sell for a bit more. In this case, I bought a 1952 Wheaties Phil Rizzuto. I was the only bidder at $.99. Plus $3.49 shipping. I do not like to pay 3x for shipping, but I figured less than $5 all in for a Rizzuto from 1952 was cool.

But the seller had other plans, and needed to recoup some money and not take a bath in this transaction. So my card came in a PWE between two pieces of cardboard. No top loader, either.
Again, the card arrived ok, but not the point, at least to me it's not. But I also didn't want to be too big of a dick, so I emailed the seller via eBay messages over the weekend and gave him a chance to respond.

He didn't.

But I still didn't want to be a dick, so I left positive feedback. I will say that I did one-star his shipping cost, and in the feedback I mentioned that other buyers should be warned about his shipping. He has over 700 positive feedbacks and no negative or neutral, so I'm not going to be a blemish.

Still, don't be a dick and make up some profit by skimping out on shipping.

11 comments:

  1. Ive had a similar experience where the listing says shipping will be by first class package and then u receive a pwe. I wind up having to explain that I paid for tracking and first class package is more than just first class mail, but I think I've received a refund more often than not

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  2. I would have trashed his rep with the NEG. You're a bigger man than me. I'd had given him a 1 on communication too.

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  3. I charge $5 to $10 for shipping on most of the cards I have listed on eBay and lose money every time, because I insure every package. I also describe exactly how I plan to ship each card in my listing... so the buyer knows what he/she is paying for.

    That being said... I'd be so pissed if I paid $3.49 for shipping and received my card in a PWE.

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  4. Amen and 1000%. I have recently been letting sellers know how interested I would otherwise be in their cheap card if only they weren’t charging $3.50 for shipping, I also very helpfully inform them that I can successfully send a card in a top loader and cardboard for a mere $1.10. None have responded to date.

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    Replies
    1. I would buy so many more cards on Ebay if the S&H was $1.10. I'll take the PWE for most of my purchases. $3.50 is not a price I want to pay for shipping unless it's a $10 card of more.

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  5. Everything everyone has already said! But as for the card, awesome deal, great card, and I am glad it wasn't damaged.

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  6. I don't think I've had this happen personally, but have certainly heard about it occurring to others on plenty of occasions. As an outsider looking in, it seems like a good way to lose out on future business, as I don't imagine that those who've gotten shafted are gonna be too keen on buying from the shafter again.

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  7. For me personally, unless the dealer offers combined shipping, I look at the total cost, and it doesn't matter to me how much is shipping and how much is "cost". I'm OK with them cheaping out on shipping *IF* they're willing to bear the cost of anything that goes wrong (or if they've been upfront about it).

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    Replies
    1. Agreed. It's not worth getting upset over. But apparently I'm in the minority.

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  8. No way you're being a dick. You have honest and reasonable expectations based on your lengthy experience. & you have the right to upset when those expectations aren't met. You weren't asking for too much. The seller was a failure and you were kind to give him positive. Neutral would have been satisfactory.

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