over charged on ebay postage. can I please have some good advice?

poet123

soolin wrote: »

No one else is answering me- so can you state categorically then that I can charge what I want for my postage and packaging on ebay and not face any issues with low stars and restriction/suspension?

I keep asking- so all those sellers we have saying they have been restricted due to low stars for p and p are imaging it then are they?

They won't answer because they know you are correct.

I think that they ( those who expound that you can include add ons into P&P) are in danger of really misleading some newer sellers and those newbies will end up restricted or even barred from selling due to taking this bad advice.

soolin

poet123 wrote: »

They won't answer because they know you are correct.

I think that they ( those who expound that you can include add ons into P&P) are in danger of really misleading some newer sellers and those newbies will end up restricted or even barred from selling due to taking this bad advice.

This is what I get frustrated about, we may well be misleading newbies into thinking that charging for all these extras is common place.

I do believe that the ebay wording allows for allr easonable costs, but to me that is not the same as saying that we won't suffer if we risk it- I believe the two points are fundementally opposed. By all means charge what you want on your own website- no one can suspend you from that, but be careful when selling on ebay as buyers are asked to rate us for how the buyer (not random people on an internet forum) sees the post and packing charge. We must all aim for a 5* default, get too many sellers dipping us even a single star and we may well suffer.

I also think it unfair for big sellers who can happily take a lot fo poor stars, to be urging smaller sellers to risk this.

ballisticbrian

I believe that much of the disagreement on this subject is because there are business people here stating the truth about their costs and what it takes to run a business.

This would be like on the forums about utilities, a big boss coming on and stating the truth. Fat chance of that, but it would be something like, "well you see we have to have complex pricing structures in order to confuse people as there is no real legitimate way of competing in the utility market."

So, the business perspective, and the buyers perspective differ. But add to that, many buyers are also trying to sell bits and bobs on eBay and you can't see from the posts whether they are indeed a business person or not. (and as usual I predict someone saying it makes no difference blah blah blah)

Let's go round again!

poet123

ballisticbrian wrote: »

I believe that much of the disagreement on this subject is because there are business people here stating the truth about their costs and what it takes to run a business.

This would be like on the forums about utilities, a big boss coming on and stating the truth. Fat chance of that, but it would be something like, "well you see we have to have complex pricing structures in order to confuse people as there is no real legitimate way of competing in the utility market."

So, the business perspective, and the buyers perspective differ. But add to that, many buyers are also trying to sell bits and bobs on eBay and you can't see from the posts whether they are indeed a business person or not. (and as usual I predict someone saying it makes no difference blah blah blah)

Let's go round again!

You have cited a good example of how a big business alienates customers and then go on to ally that to how business sellers operate on Ebay. The difference is that on Ebay buyers can rate a seller under Ebay's rules not the seller's own rules.

Examples of other big sellers would be Amazon, and other retailers who give free postage or free collection options. Why not take their business model rather than that of a set of companies who have had to be regulated for the very practices you mention?

ballisticbrian

Sorry but you can't pull me into the argument, I'm just stating what's wrong with it.

Actually, on re-reading your post - you completely missed the whole point of that analogy, with these communication problems, there's no wonder this thread will just go on and on.

poet123

ballisticbrian wrote: »

Sorry but you can't pull me into the argument, I'm just stating what's wrong with it.

Up to you whether you participate, but to me seems a bit pointless posting what you did if you don't intend to answer queries on it. I will just say you are wrong then and leave it at that.

ballisticbrian

poet - my response was to whoever it was that said these kinds of dicussions wouldn't go on on the other boards or words to that effect. I am explaining why these arguments occur. Please read before responding.

ballisticbrian

I've just decided you are on a completely different wave length poet. I'm not sure what wave length, just a very strange one.

Strapped

To sum up then:

Buyer enters into a contract with seller to buy a widget at a price plus an amount designated as Postage and Packing.

The definition of postage and packing differs between:

A. the legal definition (which is likely to be the highest amount)
B. the ebay definition (who also have a vested interest in getting the seller to keep the amount as low as possible)
C. the buyer's perception

The buyer's perception is always likely to be lower than A or B and revolves around stamp costs and what other sellers are charging.

To keep buyers happy, it is more important to focus on C. than B. or A.

That doesn't make buyers "correct", just powerful.

Sellers need to play the game, while knowing that this doesn't necessarily give buyers the "true" best deal, but the one which will (probably) make most buyers "feel the best".

And that's my final word on the roundabout thread.

poet123

ballisticbrian wrote: »

Sorry but you can't pull me into the argument, I'm just stating what's wrong with it.

Actually, on re-reading your post - you completely missed the whole point of that analogy, with these communication problems, there's no wonder this thread will just go on and on.

If I missed it, could it be down to how you wrote it?

Looking at what you have just posted I am still none the wiser. Who said it wouldn't happen on other forums? Would it not have been better to quote the post you were responding to?

In essence I took your post to mean that businesses on Ebay handle things one way and smaller sellers another. The implication being that business sellers on Ebay chargge higher costs and private sellers lower costs.

That may be so, but in RL, off Ebay, the reverse is true, small sellers charge as little as they can afford for postage and larger ones often nothing at all.

Strange how those who fail to get their point across blame others for their own shortcomings.