Too Bad - Some People are Wrecking eBay - Shipping and Handling Scams - My Opinion.

Read the entire listing before bidding to avoid extra fees from unethical eBayers.

It's a real shame, eBay doesn't police sellers who are making an extra priofit in my opinion off shipping and handling charges.  Ask a seller about these practices and your likely to get a three paragraph response. My example involves the selling of postcards, but I would say the scams are also going on with other items.

Here's what I'm seeing .

1. $3.25 Handling fee for UPS in addition to shipping charges. $15 because I have to wait in a post office line. 
2. Sending two postcards and only having a priority option or sending media mail at $3. Truth is some people have used first class and thus, pocketed money.  Media mail doesn't cost $3 to send two postcards.

The biggest culprit of these shipping scams is Drop Off centers and want-a-be eBay trading assistants who have just recently begun to sell on eBay, or don't list as frequently. Even when you want to pick things up some charge a handling fee!

Let's Be Reasonable

True, the US post office charges a service fee for using online mailing services.  But it still doesn't cost a seller $3 for sending two postcards. $1.75 I can see and that's being generous.  Let's also consider that shipping and handling is a business write-off. I recently got charged $6 dollars off one seller. Yet, it only cost $2 to send everything.

So, if someone has to send 10 boxes out and you charges $3.25 per order, but yet pay's them $8 an hour and they do 8 orders - something is wrong here? Where's the extra money going and don't tell me it's all gas. Finally, don't tell me all the packing boxes cost $3.25 amongs some peanuts, tape and packing paper when this stuff is bought wholesale off the Internet or from a shipping company.

Personally, I don't care about new boxes or fancy labels. Point is I want my stuff, but at realistic - not inflated rates.

What Can You Do As A Buyer?

Contact your State Attorney Generals Office and Securities and Exchange Commission, along with eBay if you feel someone pulled one over after seeing what the actual postage was. If enough complaints get filed, I'm sure there will be some action.

If you see an inflated amount, ask the seller before paying. Ebay's checkout system adds up every shipping charge and this often creates unrealistic rates. There's nothing wrong with the system, it just uses default calculations.  Ethical sellers will tell you it's less and thus make an adjustment. As a seller, I encourage people to ask for invoices when multiple things are won to avoid this problem.

Read the listings carefully. I know it's easy to get excited about a lot starting at 99 cents. But you may be getting three postcards and then get hit with a $3 shipping charge. Again, something is wrong here! 

Also consider eBay can't do everything, the amount of phishing and spam is at an alarming rate, but also so is shipping and handling scams.

In closing, do some searches of you own and read the entire listings. You will be very suprised at the games being played. there's a lot of ethical sellers on eBay, but a lot of bad apples will erode the reputation of eBay and it's ethical non fly by night sellers!