postage UPDATED

ohblimey

I think if you do postage through paypal you have the option to 'not' show the price on the stamp. I may be wrong.

We use smartstamp which unfortuately does show the postage price, but you could cover up the price if you wanted to, for overseas parcels I do accidently put the little blue airmail sticker over the price as my overseas rates are a tad high and I can't be bothered amending all the listings.

soolin

I think though that the psychology is that they don't add up the value and just assume I am undercharging.

One of my lines goes on a 58p stamp. Whether it is co incidence or not I can maintain near 5* on that line it I use 1x 1st 1 x 10p and 1 x 2p, if I use a single LL 2nd class stamp my ratings on that line drop to 4.9

techspec

It was certainly not a problem until Royal Mail started putting the price on the large stamp labels.

I've been thinking for a while of buying stamps and doing what Soolin does - but kept putting it off. Clearly, it does work though.

I had to offer free p&p for a while to get my stars back from the brink - and it can have advantages. If someone buys several items - they cannot ask for a postage discount - and the savings go in your pocket. Happy Days :beer:

A.Jones

Notmyrealname wrote: »

Here is the reply you would have got from me:

Postage: £1
Jiffy Envelope: £0.50p

Time taken to process order, take to post office, 30 minutes @ £30/hr: £15.
Mileage to post office 2 miles return @ HMRC rate of 45ppm: £0.90

Actual cost to post your item is £17.40. If you would like to pay the true cost of the postage I am happy to send you an invoice for an additional £14.40

To which you would have got a reply back ...

Why do you only say you will charge £1.25 postage per item, and say that you will agree to combine the postage costs together before somone bids, then charge way over the actual postage costs when they bid and win.

I don't expect to pay for your time. I expect you to factor costs like that into your prices. Just like I don't expect to pay a transport fee, warehouse storage fee, shelf stacking fee, cleaners fee, electricity fee, trolley fee, cashiers fee, car park fee, etc if I shop in a supermarket.

A.Jones

vicx wrote: »

Lets say you are selling a book for £12 and offering FREE P&P. You are then paying £1.20 FVF for each book that sells.

Seller 2, offering the same book at £10.50 Plus the actual postage cost of £1.50 (Paying £1.05 FVF)

Seller 3, offering the same book at £8.70 Plus £3.00 postage cost (Paying 87p FVF).

Since seller 3 is offering a higher postage cost he is then able to undercut you and seller 2 by 30p as the money he would be paying to eBay, he can use as a discount on the item price. Now would you be disappointed that this seller is charging excessive p&p and discounting his price with the money he has saved from FVF's? I think you would if it is effecting your sales.


All sellers should charge a reasonable postage and packaging cost instead of adding extra on to P&P to undercut other sellers total price and avoid exra eBay fees.

If total prices were the same - I would probably buy from seller 2 first, if not seller 1 and lastly seller 3. Even if 3 was undercutting I'd probably still go in that order.

I'd go for seller 2 since they seem honest since I often buy multiple items at once so look for an honest seller that charges actual postage. Seller 1 combines postage in the price, so I doubt if I would buy from him, since I pay extra postage on any additional items, even if they do not cost more to send. Seller 3 is dishonest, and even if he says he gives a postage discount, chances are it would be minimal, since he is using postage costs to inflate his prices. So seller 2 would get multiple sales from me, so would actually be better off. By being honest about costs, he gets more sales, so doesn't waste money on fees for relisting againand again.

Notmyrealname

A.Jones wrote: »

I don't expect to pay for your time. I expect you to factor costs like that into your prices.

"Buys cheapest item which doesn't factor in costs because same item which does factor in the cost is more expensive. Complains about cost of postage which factors in the costs not included in the item price."

Of course you do....

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I'd go for seller 2 since they seem honest

The majority are buying on price and either don't know why seller 3 is cheaper, or don't care. My competitors can undercut me by a penny, and despite their feedback being full of claims of non-receipt and lack of comms, still gain sales.

The point to be made here isn't that excessive P&P shouldn't be marked down, it's that a pound typically isn't excessive.

Just like I don't expect to pay a transport fee, warehouse storage fee, shelf stacking fee, cleaners fee, electricity fee, trolley fee, cashiers fee, car park fee, etc if I shop in a supermarket.

You pay for that in the item price but there isn't a third party taking a cut on part of the sale. If the supermarkets had to split their prices in 2 and only pay an overhead on one half do you really think they'd split it the way some expect P&P to split on eBay? Certainly not and they have the brand power and market share not to care if a tiny percentage don't like their actions. The worst companies for truly ripping off the consumer are generally the biggest because they can get away with it and for that reason we should all be supporting small businesses.