USA ebay Shipping Charges

[chippy]

Is there a reason why the shipping charges on the USA ebay site are so much higher than other sites . I look on it quite regularly as it has more of the type of kits I'm interested in, but many times I don't even bother to bid as the postage is far too high , I've sent parcels from the UK to the USA and Australia and the cost has been nowhere near what sellers are asking to send kits to the UK
chippy

 

[housecarl]

Gordon, I'm with you. When I've ordered from shops in the US, they generally compare with what it costs to send from here. On EBay I've also noticed that some sellers state CONUS only, if they aren't prepared to ship elsewhere. Then obviously they don't want to sell their items that much.
Carl.

 

[Einion]

Is there a reason why the shipping charges on the USA ebay site are so much higher than other sites .

Yep, gouging.

It's a way for sellers to have auctions that appear to be very good value, then they improve their margin with the profit on the shipping. You'll often hear the fairytale that they're just covering their costs but that's just BS, since the cost of postage is what it is and a small cardboard box doesn't cost seven bucks

eBay were supposed to have clamped down on this recently (last year sometime?) can't remember the details but I'll try to find the info and post back. Not that it makes any difference, like most eBay regs it's flaunted day in and day out and they just turn a blind eye!

Einion

 

[Anders Heintz]

Unfortunately shipping cost has gone up in the US. I remember being able to send stuff to Europe fairly cheap, but it has gone up dramatically the past couple of years. Remember that the postal service is government run, and being that they can't run anything (except in the ground...), we can only expect prices to rise more in the future. ~$15 is probably about right for a small package going first class international (7-10days), but if they ship priority it will be around $24 or more.

 

[Jeff]

Postage has gone up and postage overseas is not even close to being cheap. I just send off a box today to the UK today it cost me $43.00. I have been surprised by some sellers that have refunded money to me on shipping lately. One local seller just did that for me a a few weeks ago. He had a note on the auction that his shipping price was not something he would change. even with the high shipping it was still a good deal. like $20 dollars cheaper then any one else. I had planed to not give good feed back on his shipping rates because it was so high and he was in a city very near me like 20 min. away. I guess he felt bad about gouging a neighbor.

And Anders not every government agency is evil. Try living in South America for a while and you will see that we do not have it so bad here. To hear some talk this is the worst place in the world and it is far from that. Try shipping the same package with UPS and then you will know what expensive is. The package I sent out today would have been at least $ 20.00 more with them, maybe more.

 

[Anders Heintz]

Didn't say they were evil Jeff! Just stating the fact that government cannot run a business.

 

[garyjd]

Didn't say they were evil Jeff! Just stating the fact that government cannot run a business.

So higher prices = inability to run a business? As for higher prices tell me something that has NOT gone up over the past few years? It's just not postal rates. As for auctions on Ebay I avoid any auctions where they load up the postage just to make a few more bucks. ~Gary

 

[chippy]

Thanks everyone for the replies , I've just got some prices for comparison for sending airmail from UK to the USA, a 54mm metal kit $4.50. a 90mm metal kit $14.00. and 120mm resin kit $4.50 Plus $6.00 on all of them if international sign for is required.
So it looks like I'll have to pay the going rate as it seems to be the US postal charges are to blame. I'll just have to be very selective in what I look for ,a pity as there some kits I've never seen avilable here in the UK.
chippy

 

[Major_Goose]

Buying kits on ebay for many years i must confess that the shipping rates from US sellers are pretty much higher than others. And the fact that they charge high is easy to compare, because i have friends sending me stuff from US and i know the actual postage rates for specific sizes of parcels .

for example i have seen Pegaso 54mm kits on ebay for 30 USD and with 25 USD shipping cost which is really high .

So what is left for me to get a kit from US is to see if the combined price of selling and shipping , withthe US - Euro rate is on my advantage , to get it , and then i also have to pay the Greek customs an import tax which can vary from 6-12 euros for small value parcels . Things are getting really up !!!!!

 

[thegoodsgt]

There are many sellers who charge upwards of $6 to ship a single decal sheet. I will not do business with them. Caveat emptor!

 

[AJLaFleche]

Try shipping the same package with UPS and then you will know what expensive is. The package I sent out today would have been at least $ 20.00 more with them, maybe more.

In November, I sold my unbuilt 1/72 AMT XB-70 kit to a guy in New Jersey. I had it nicely wrapped in brown paper and well sealed. I went to the local UPS store. They said I'd have to repack it in a box (which they were willing to sell me) and would pay about $12 to ship it, of course only to a street address. I went to the Post Office, they took the package as it was wrapped, charged me about $8 and got it to the guy in two days. I've shipped a good sized box of about 15 models donated by the club to an APO address for a flat rate of, IIRC, about $6.50 in a USPS box.
Complain as we may about the occasional lost package (SWMBO just had T-shirt mailed to her in state that took over two weeks) they get the job done at a not at all unreasonable price.

 

[Anders Heintz]

So higher prices = inability to run a business?

Yes, something like that. Of course there is a natural increase over time, but how many times has the postage gone up the past few years? Seems like every year really. A 2.8 Billion dollar LOSS for 2008 is, yes, inability to run a business very well. Though the post office is one tax dollar funded project I don't really mind paying for, just needs to be ran better.

http://www.usps.com/financials/_pdf/BOGOpenFY08ReviewFinalPublic.pdf

 

[garyjd]

Yes, something like that. Of course there is a natural increase over time, but how many times has the postage gone up the past few years? Seems like every year really. A 2.8 Billion dollar LOSS for 2008 is, yes, inability to run a business very well. Though the post office is one tax dollar funded project I don't really mind paying for, just needs to be ran better.

I'm going into my 13th year with the USPS and know all too well that things could and SHOULD be better. Until the Government steps in and corrects the problems things will more than likely continue down that path. ~Gary

 

[Einion]

A 2.8 Billion dollar LOSS for 2008 is, yes, inability to run a business very well.

Eek! Point made.

It's worth comparing to the postage rates in parts of Europe and their increases over the last decade or so.

Einion

 

[Jeff]

"for example i have seen Pegaso 54mm kits on ebay for 30 USD and with 25 USD shipping cost which is really high . "

That is highway robbery. Or should I say e- highway robbery.

 

[Anders Heintz]

I'm going into my 13th year with the USPS and know all too well that things could and SHOULD be better. Until the Government steps in and corrects the problems things will more than likely continue down that path. ~Gary

I feel your pain Gary! The worst thing is that the government IS the problem, not the solution. If a public company have a loss, sucks for them and their investors (not including the bailouts...) but when it's a government program that goes bottom up, we have to pay up the difference with tax funds that should be used for other programs that are not, and cannot be, 'money makers' such as education etc.


Jeff,

The ones I like the best are the auctions that are like $0.01 bid, with $24.95 shipping! I bet they are wondering why no one bids lol! Oh well, I think we all have made errors in bidding on something before paying attention to the shipping gouging!

 

[AJLaFleche]

Some background on what the USPS IS ansd IS NOT, what it can do and can't.
USPS

 

[Anders Heintz]

Interesting link Al!

Seems like it's somewhat dated though concidering it's stating it has made an average of $1 Billion profit the past 5 years.

 

[AJLaFleche]

Postal Service $2.8 Billion Year-End Loss FY 2008 SourceThird Quarter [2009] with $2.4 Billion Loss Source

Meanwhile GM loses $9.6 billion net loss in the fourth quarter [2008] source; FORD REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2009 NET LOSS OF $1.4 BILLION+;SOURCE AND a Record $14.6 Billion Loss for 2008 source while During the first three quarters of 2008, Chrysler lost $5 billionsource

 

[garyjd]

Postal Service $2.8 Billion Year-End Loss FY 2008 SourceThird Quarter [2009] with $2.4 Billion Loss Source

Meanwhile GM loses $9.6 billion net loss in the fourth quarter [2008] source; FORD REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2009 NET LOSS OF $1.4 BILLION+;SOURCE AND a Record $14.6 Billion Loss for 2008 source while During the first three quarters of 2008, Chrysler lost $5 billionsource

While the USPS may not be doing well, the private sector is hardly wearing rose colored glasses. ~Gary