Ebay Seller Explains Postage

Agree 100%. I liken it to going to a retail store and the sales clerk waiting for you to say thanks before they thank you for the purchase. I will never understand sellers who take this approach, and they automatically lose any of my future business if they do this.

I'm still trying to figure out how the seller is not due 5 stars? Yes, shipping "seems" a little high, but it wasn't a mystery what the shipping cost would be. On top of that, I really don't think it matters if you even liked the coin you received. The price was clearly stated. Don't like it, don't buy it. If it's been something you've been searching for and finally found an example of, then it's your choice to make. Complain about it, sure, it may be a bit high. Give anything other than perfect feedback for it, nope, not fair to the seller. Sorry, I don't want to seem gruff here, but this just doesn't make sense to me. If shipping was calculated at a later time for $9 and you got it in an envelope with a stamp on it, then I would be angry. But it's in the auction. Shipping prices are one of the few things I have on my main ebay search page to always show when browsing items. Sometimes shipping is ridiculous, and it's pretty simple, they don't get my bid.

Regardless, I'm assuming that you have already left feedback by now. I am just giving my opinion as an Ebayer, that if the seller received something "negative" regarding shipping, it was unwarranted. Things like this make me leery to sell on ebay again and ruin my perfect feedback score.

My reasoning is this. Yes I know what the seller is charging for shipping ahead of time. However, until the package arrives I don't know what it cost them. (Don't forget most of my packages come from abroad.)

If a seller charges $9, and the stamps etc are for $6 to $7 then that's fine because it allows for packaging and handling.

If on the other hand my coin arrives loose in a flimsy envelope with $1.24 in stamps on it, and I paid $9. Sorry, no 5 stars!

I personally feel that is being fair on my part. Other buyers need to know you do not get your money's worth on shipping and packaging from that seller.

The thing is in the second scenario (which happens too often) the seller is probably trying to catch the unwitting buyer who does not notice the high costs, to pad their profit. (And of course cheat ebay out of some fees)

I had one large crown sized silver coin sent half way around the world in a very cheap flimsy envelope, without any other packaging or means of restraint. It literally cost a dollar something to send and the postage was $6.50

When I picked it up off my door mat the coin fell out of a hole it had been making for itself in transit.

One more handling along the way and I would have had an empty envelope delivered.

I feel that it's not just about knowing the costs when you commit to buy. It's about getting value for money based on the shipping cost paid.

If $4.80 was the total cost paid by the seller, so there was no insurance etc paid I would feel that $10 was excessive for handling.

I check the shipping and bid accordingly.
As long as the item arrives in good condition well packaged then I have no reason for complaint about a price I knew up front.
If there is a packaging problem then that will require further action. But you cannot accept a shipping price by bidding on an item then complain its too much. There has to be a fault with the shipment to warrant a complaint.

Well so I exagerated, even 50 packages could require an employee. If it takes 10 minutes each to pack, which is extremely realistic, that's an 8 hour day.

Here's my point. You have no idea what the sellers overhead is. None. Every seller is entitled to charge what they want to make what covers their expenses with enough extra profit for themselves. Just like you are freely entitled to pay it.. or not.

In my opinion to agree up front on a total price, then get exactly what you paid for, then complain about it and possibly cost the seller money (yes, DSRs affect the sellers' monthly bill), is extremely unethical any way you look at it.

How many people here have paid a company like Columbia House $6.95 to ship a CD and not bat an eye? I'd bet a lot. It costs 96 cents to ship, but most don't complain because Columbia House is a real business with real overhead. Well, so are a ton of ebay sellers.

This is the coin I purchased which I questioned the S&H. All in all the coin is pretty decent. The shadows are from the NCS holder it came in.

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Looks like you got a fair deal even with the $9 S&H charge.