Rant: Bogus shipping charges...

[Vcize]

Ok, I've seen shipping charges and whatnot in the sale/trade forums and on ebay for a while now, and today I shipped my first really large package.

I shipping an old Dell Dimension 8100, the package weighed in at a little over 40 pounds packed and ready to go.

To my surprise, shipping on this beast was only 20 bucks. Twenty bucks!!! Insured and everything.

I see 30 lb. monitors on ebay with shipping rates of $60-75!!!

Little tiny 2" laptop cards (NIC's, etc), have up to $10 shipping charges? Are you kidding me, it costs maybe two bucks to ship those things.

Are people just making money off of their "shipping charges" or what? These outrageous shipping charges usually don't even account to overly well-packaged goods, and they're ALWAYS for standard ground shipping, it would be one thing if they were 2-day or next day airing it, but standard ground shipping for 60-75 bones?!?!!?! What a joke, they're not shipping a boat!

 

[Ns1]

they're not "making money" off of it

usually they're trying to cover some of the cost of eBay fees

well some are i suppose

 

[Corporate Thug]

yeah, shipping charges are always higher than they should be. looking for a little extra profit i guess

 

[BruinEd03]

Originally posted by: Vcize
Ok, I've seen shipping charges and whatnot in the sale/trade forums and on ebay for a while now, and today I shipped my first really large package.

I shipping an old Dell Dimension 8100, the package weighed in at a little over 40 pounds packed and ready to go.

To my surprise, shipping on this beast was only 20 bucks. Twenty bucks!!! Insured and everything.

I see 30 lb. monitors on ebay with shipping rates of $60-75!!!

Little tiny 2" laptop cards (NIC's, etc), have up to $10 shipping charges? Are you kidding me, it costs maybe two bucks to ship those things.

Are people just making money off of their "shipping charges" or what? These outrageous shipping charges usually don't even account to overly well-packaged goods, and they're ALWAYS for standard ground shipping, it would be one thing if they were 2-day or next day airing it, but standard ground shipping for 60-75 bones?!?!!?! What a joke, they're not shipping a boat!

Sometimes they make some extra $...othertimes they don't...some may not use UPS or the "cheapest" carrier...they might just use USPS...in addition shipping to different locations sometmies = different costs.


-Ed

 

[Winchester]

It does cost $ for gas and mileage to get to and from the post office, as well as packing materials. But still $10 for small stuff like NICs and DVDs is rediculous. Put them in a padded envelope, $0.50

 

[JonTheBaller]

Best shipping method = FedEx Ground, ask for it at the FedEx next time you are shipping something.

 

[Kango]

on items in the few-hundred dollar range, your eBay final value fee is around $10, and if they pay with Credit Card through Paypal that's another ~$10 fee. I've been shipping tiny (but expensive) packages for $19.95 lately, even though Fedex Ground only costs $4.50

 

[jagr10]

Keep in mind everyone lives in different shipping zones. Depending on your originating zone and destination zone, there will be big rate differences.

 

[MacBaine]

For small stuff, USPS r0x0rs j00. $3.85 for anything under 1 lb to most places in the country.

Ships USPS
|
|
V

 

[Actaeon]

I ordered wiring harness. Shipping from Tampa to Orlando. Cost me $2.99 for the thing, $6 shipping.

Shipping was late, I got it today. On the stamp, guy paid $0.73 to ship it.

What a ripoff

 

[tRaptor]

This has been covered a million times. People DO IT to account for some of the profit. Its not like it even matters anyway. If the limit your going to bid on somthing is 200 and the shipping is $10, then you bid 190, if the shipping was $60 then you bid $140.

Personally i HATE it when shipping is "real cost" I sell/buy things on a mac swap list and if i know the Price with shipping it just makes thing so much easier. Every item i sell is "shipping included"

 

[Wuffsunie]

Originally posted by: Actaeon
I ordered wiring harness. Shipping from Tampa to Orlando. Cost me $2.99 for the thing, $6 shipping.

Shipping was late, I got it today. On the stamp, guy paid $0.73 to ship it.

What a ripoff

I got that beat. Ordered a CD on an auction, said the shipping would be $10. I tend to haggle over shipping if I can (and I damned well was here), argued him down to half that, as low as he would go. Does not arrive for a few weeks. After e-mailing him again, I get a letter from the guy who says he's the one handling the shipping of these things. Fine, whatever. Anyway, it shows the next week... $0.95. Not even an actual jewel case for what I paid for it! So I wrote the guy, saying that I got it, and complained about the outragous shipping it was originally going to be and the fact that I still paid 5X more than its cost, and how that kind of stuff should be listed on the auction, not just a "discuss later." The reply I had from the guy, he reams me a new one, saying it's his job to send them out and he makes the money off the shipping and (unmentioned) handling. I might have suggested he emphasise that in the auctions, if I didn't figure he'd just turf the e-mail once he saw it was from me.

-- Jack

 

[Banana]

As outrageous as the S/H charges are, if they are posted up front, I guess you agree to them when you order. If not, the seller could ask you to take your business elsewhere . . .

My S/H charges are usually low to attract more bidders, but I do lose money after taking into account the time spent to pack and go to the PO.

 

[MacBaine]

I always just charge $1 over actual shipping to account for supplies and time. There is a lot more to shipping and handling than most people know. While I am able to get most boxes/tape free from the USPS (God bless them for it), I have to pay for peanuts, bubble wrap, printer ink (labels), and gas. I always jsut charge $1 more, even though sometimes a package may need significantly more wrapping/padding materials. It evens out in the end most of the time.

 

[SportSC4]

?
i shipped a motherboard back to the manufacturer via ups (with a discount too!) and it cost me 15$ with insurance.
i shipped out a P2 chip a little whiles ago and insurance, delivery confirmation, and shipping cost me 8$ for something 1lb and in a box 6x8x6 or something like that.

 

[slag]

I'm going to ship some jetski parts on ebay that will cost me 20 bucks to ship most anywhere in the continental USA, however, I am going to charge 40 bucks to ship the items..

Why?

Because I need to purchase a large box for the items...about 8 bucks or so
I need to purchase bubble wrap for the items....a roll of of bubble wrap is like 13 bucks
I need to purchase peanuts for the items.....peanuts arent cheap either, about 12 bucks for a bag.

All the above items are not cheap by any means.

Oh, and I am out of packing tape so there goes another couple bucks..

See, its not just shipping charges.. Packaging costs a lot as well.

Then, since I work full time and carpool, I need to go in late to work one day and drive myself so I can drop this item off at the UPS counter....

It all adds up.

 

[MacBaine]

Originally posted by: SportSC4
?
i shipped a motherboard back to the manufacturer via ups (with a discount too!) and it cost me 15$ with insurance.
i shipped out a P2 chip a little whiles ago and insurance, delivery confirmation, and shipping cost me 8$ for something 1lb and in a box 6x8x6 or something like that.

UPS sucks for small, lightweight packages. USPS is far cheaper for those. Once you start shipping out heavier, larger packages though, UPS is a lot cheaper. (most of the time)

 

[MacBaine]

Originally posted by: slag
I'm going to ship some jetski parts on ebay that will cost me 20 bucks to ship most anywhere in the continental USA, however, I am going to charge 40 bucks to ship the items..

Why?

Because I need to purchase a large box for the items...about 8 bucks or so
I need to purchase bubble wrap for the items....a roll of of bubble wrap is like 13 bucks
I need to purchase peanuts for the items.....peanuts arent cheap either, about 12 bucks for a bag.

All the above items are not cheap by any means.

Oh, and I am out of packing tape so there goes another couple bucks..

See, its not just shipping charges.. Packaging costs a lot as well.

Then, since I work full time and carpool, I need to go in late to work one day and drive myself so I can drop this item off at the UPS counter....

It all adds up.

You see, things like that are acceptable. Most people get upset either because the item is very small/cheap to ship (as stated above with the 73 cent example), or because it may be a larger item... but the company shipping it is so large that they shouldn't have to charge as much as you would for all the packing materials. Like I said... I have to buy peanuts and bubble wrap and all, but it's a lot cheaper when you buy in bulk and can use it for 40-50 shipments.

 

[Vcize]

Originally posted by: jagr10
Keep in mind everyone lives in different shipping zones. Depending on your originating zone and destination zone, there will be big rate differences.

Not entirely true, with the package I shipped, standard UPS ground shipping, it was $20 to anywhere in the US..the only difference in location I was shipping to was how long it took to get there.


Here's another one for you:

I was looking at laptops on ebay today, and saw one with a shipping charge of $30, shipped overnight with insurance.

Then looked at another post for the same exact model laptop, with the same accessories, shipping was $65 shipped standard ground with no insurance.

This laptop weighed 7 pounds...that guy had better be having a tank deliver that laptop in a metal case .