+tokencollector Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Including an offset for eBay fees in the S&H charge does not appear violate any of the policies highlighted in an above post (eBay still receives its full cut on the market value of the item – eBay doesn’t appear to require payment of fees on its fees). And, not including some of the offset can leave the seller screwed. As a simple example, if postage costs $1 on a $9 item, about 6¢ in PayPal fees could be ascribed to the postage portion of the transaction. If a seller doesn’t charge $1.06, they won’t net enough to cover the postage. EBay takes a pretty good cut on items that sell in geocoins’ price range. Its cut on a $10 item (including PayPal) is ~$1.92 – or more if listing fees on items not sold through are figured into the equation. Unless a seller likes losing money (and I haven’t heard any plans for a government bailout of eBay sellers) the customer will bear that cost – either in higher initial costs for an item or increased S&H fees. Despite the comments in the previous paragraph, I think that charging more than $2-$2.50 for U.S. S&H on a geocoin is ridiculous. After a long hiatus from eBay, I’ve been clearing out some duplicate geocoins and I am charging $1.50 for the first and 50¢ for each additional coin shipped domestically. I think that on average my mailing costs are covered (I’m a hobbyist / not running a business). If I get burned and decide to require delivery conformation, then I’ll have to ship at the package rate and costs will go up by 50¢. Postage costs to Europe are painful and will unfortunately run the costs up some. Quote Link to comment
+Wandering Vikings Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Our shipping rates for US orders cap out at $4.99... reason? A flat rate envelope cost $4.75 to ship (the other .24 cents goes toward things like ink, tape, gas and time!) We have been able to pack flat rate envelopes to fit well over a dozen coins with no shifting and still able to easily seal the envelope. My thought is that is one person wants to order more coins than will fit in a flat rate I will gladly pay any extra postage over $5! There are always exceptions, but for the vast majority of orders- US shipping for coins should be easily accomplished for under $5. Just my two cents.... Quote Link to comment
+maldar Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Our shipping rates for US orders cap out at $4.99... reason? A flat rate envelope cost $4.75 to ship (the other .24 cents goes toward things like ink, tape, gas and time!) We have been able to pack flat rate envelopes to fit well over a dozen coins with no shifting and still able to easily seal the envelope. My thought is that is one person wants to order more coins than will fit in a flat rate I will gladly pay any extra postage over $5! There are always exceptions, but for the vast majority of orders- US shipping for coins should be easily accomplished for under $5. Just my two cents.... I think that I will have to rework my shipping fees. Since I have been selecting package and not envelope options when I calculate prices on postage. This means that the USPS site has been given me higher rates. It has been too long since I took the postal training for my former job. They have also finally got the new Small Fate Rate Boxes I heard a few months ago that they were coming. Before they added this new box, I was getting rates listed close to $10 as that was the next flat rate option. Since just one of my coins with envelope weighs in at 5oz, this is good news. Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Since you can't tell if someone is going to use paypal or not Yeah you can. Ebay is exclusively paypal now. All other payments such as money orders or personal checks are against ebay policy.... along with another 5000 other things that are against ebay policy... Brutal, since on my personal account, I don't accept PayPal when PayPal is going to charge me a fee. Time to set up shop in a non eBay store. Last year I made a whopping 35 bucks or so. eBay made more than me in fee's alone. Somehow that 35 bucks increased my federal tax by more than that. Amazing. Quote Link to comment
+forthferalz Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 "We have been able to pack flat rate envelopes to fit well over a dozen coins with no shifting" wow - what are you using? When i recieve coins from USA in the international flatrate which are not also otehrwise internally packaged they are all bunched up in a lump at the bottom and the packet is on it's last legs - often holed. Quote Link to comment
+Wandering Vikings Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 "We have been able to pack flat rate envelopes to fit well over a dozen coins with no shifting" wow - what are you using? When i recieve coins from USA in the international flatrate which are not also otehrwise internally packaged they are all bunched up in a lump at the bottom and the packet is on it's last legs - often holed. We pack them single layer between two pieces of cardboard then put it in a bag and either vaccum seal it and/or use lots of tape to keep it flat. The cardboard keeps them in a flat layer so they dont shift during shipping and the plastic protects the coins from coming in contact with the tape! Quote Link to comment
acadiahiker Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I was just perusing the e-place and saw listings for the new Oak Island coin. Shipping? a whopping $6.00 from Nova Scotia to the US. I know from trading with NS collectors it is less than $2.00. Quote Link to comment
RedShoesGirl Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I was just perusing the e-place and saw listings for the new Oak Island coin. Shipping? a whopping $6.00 from Nova Scotia to the US. I know from trading with NS collectors it is less than $2.00. i sold and shipped my first group of coin sales last week. each coin, with insurance, cost $3.39 to mail. i recycle some envelopes but others are new. i had my rates set at $4. the balance was for gas and extra shipping things. since reading this thread, i lowered my rate to $3 per coin with extra coins costing nothing or ¢50. i can't remember! but i will no longer include mandatory insurance. sure hope the PO doesn't lose something! rsg Quote Link to comment
+GeoLobo Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 It's only a violation if im claiming it in my description. I don't - so Its not a violation <smile> Part of the $3.00 includes my EBAY listing Fee, Final sale fee, and PayPal fee. That's a violation of seller policy you know. We're not allowed to include those fees in our shipping & handling charges. I do flat rate also, but delivery confirmation as well as all shipping supplies - mailer, tape, bubble wrap, labels & sharpie markers are included. That's in addition to postage, delivery confirmation and gas - all of which we are allowed to charge for. With ethic like that! Remind me to not and buy from you. That would be your choice.... Quote Link to comment
+rsfish1 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I was just perusing the e-place and saw listings for the new Oak Island coin. Shipping? a whopping $6.00 from Nova Scotia to the US. I know from trading with NS collectors it is less than $2.00. i sold and shipped my first group of coin sales last week. each coin, with insurance, cost $3.39 to mail. i recycle some envelopes but others are new. i had my rates set at $4. the balance was for gas and extra shipping things. since reading this thread, i lowered my rate to $3 per coin with extra coins costing nothing or ¢50. i can't remember! but i will no longer include mandatory insurance. sure hope the PO doesn't lose something! rsg Good luck crossing your fingers with the PO. Let me tell you a story that will scare you. Let me correct that. Let me tell you the story of 26 packages that disappeared at the post office since mid-December. After multiple emails and complaints to the inspectors office from myself and others the post office was inspected. 23 of my packages and hundreds of others were found in tubs with empty tubs stacked on top of them. I was trading others to try and get coins I had sold so I could keep customers happy. $700 bucks or so in coins and the post office was not responsible without insurance. Notice I said 23 were found. 2 were still missing and one more disappeared in Rochester NY last week. The post office is the only delivery company I know that can show they have something in their possession, lose it, and not be responsible at all. But back to the topic at hand. And everyone here has many opinions. I have been on both sides. I bought 2 coins on Ebay and was charged $7 shipping. But the price was knocked down to $5. And this was from one state away. I know what my true shipping costs are and won't go any further then saying that. And everyone has discussed the fees from Ebay and the fees on the money again through Paypal. As long as Ebay and Paypal fees are structured the way they are and as high as they are, postage will be the way for many sellers to help cover profits. I have tried to keep my rates reasonable. And I know it is my choice to sell on Ebay. But some nights when I get off work after an 11 hour day, have to drive another 10 miles to a post office open after 6, stand in line for 30 minutes to finally get to a clerk, I know I lose money on those shipping charges. And people do tend to forget there are hidden fees like printers, labels for the printer, return address labels, envelopes, tape, markers, filler, gas to the post office and time. Plus if you ship through Paypal they charge another .18 for signature confirmation on most packages. One last small item. Post offices here in Indy will only meter bubble mailers as packages. I think some places will let them be metered through as envelopes. The post office is very inconsistent across the country on this. So when I read that some get away with mailing coins for around a buck. Congrats! But I have also never felt comfortable sending a geocoin in anything less than a bubble poly mailer or any bubble mailer. Seems the machines can sure tear the heck out of geocoins in paper envelopes! Quote Link to comment
+snoboardz Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I understand the reasoning for businesses to charge shipping, they are selling their coins to make a profit and that makes perfect sense. When the shipping charges exceed the $3.00 - $4.00 range for one coin I think that is a bit ridiculous and I have refused to buy many coins for that reason myself. It reminds me of the guy on television with the infomercial who has the CD's that help you learn how to operate your computer. He's giving the CD's away for "free" but charges you an inflated shipping price. Media mail ships for the cost of a postage stamp. Please don't insult our intelligence dude. Quote Link to comment
+The Lost Geeks Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 (edited) [ I was just perusing the e-place and saw listings for the new Oak Island coin. Shipping? a whopping $6.00 from Nova Scotia to the US. I know from trading with NS collectors it is less than $2.00. Well the shipping for the Oak Island coin is about 4.70 canadian just the shipping costs. not including the packing. So for 5.00 to ship to the US it is not bad at all. The rates were raised again from Canada Post. If what you are shipping is not paper then it has to be shipped as a parcel which is normally 4.70. Edited March 13, 2009 by The Lost Geeks Quote Link to comment
+Sunrayers Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I was just shopping on a European webstore and they wanted $36.70 to ship 4 coins to the U.S. Granted, they are large coins but $9.00 per coin? (and that was non-insured) I emptied the cart--- FAST! Quote Link to comment
acadiahiker Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 [ I was just perusing the e-place and saw listings for the new Oak Island coin. Shipping? a whopping $6.00 from Nova Scotia to the US. I know from trading with NS collectors it is less than $2.00. Well the shipping for the Oak Island coin is about 4.70 canadian just the shipping costs. not including the packing. So for 5.00 to ship to the US it is not bad at all. The rates were raised again from Canada Post. If what you are shipping is not paper then it has to be shipped as a parcel which is normally 4.70. I received a coin trade today from British Columbia, Canada: one regular-sized coin in a bubble mailer. It appears that Canadian postage has gone up a bit. Postage on the mailer was $2.11 CA. Quote Link to comment
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