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[OM] Re: [OT] Paypal charges

Subject: [OM] Re: [OT] Paypal charges
From: Gary Teller <gmteller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 08 Nov 2004 23:35:44 -0500
Andrew F wrote:

<snip>The only way that one can do this legally now is to bury the Paypal
premium in a 'handling' charge.<snip>

That's exactly what I do.  So far I haven't received any complaints because 
the clearly stated shipping and handling charge (not two line items, mind 
you) in my auctions is not out of line with what other sellers ask for and 
get.  I nearly always am able to cover my PayPal fees as well as some or 
all of the eBay fees depending on closing value.  I simply add 29% to the 
postage.  It's all stated up front so if someone thinks it's too high for 
the item in consideration said someone has the option to abstain from 
bidding.  Seller's reputation, terms of sale, etc., etc. go a long way 
towards making shipping charges palatable.  We think nothing of paying the 
same charges to our favorite catalog retailer even when we know their 
actual cost will be less.  Hey, they're probably covering their credit card 
merchant fees.

Now before y'all start howling about 29%, consider this.  For domestic U.S. 
Priority Mail shipments of 1 pound or less the cost is $3.85 anywhere in 
the U.S.  Multiply that by 1.29 and you get a rounded up shipping charge of 
$5.00 which is a not unreasonable charge for a body, lens, etc.  A 2 pound 
package costs $5.75 to the furthest zone from my postal code.  Add 29% and 
the result, again slightly rounded is $7.50.  Still not unreasonable for 
the kind of stuff I'm selling.  Every now and then I sell something that 
has a poor weight to value ratio such as the 8 pound short wave radio that 
I knew would only fetch between $15 and $25.  Using my method would have 
meant posting a $20.50 shipping and handling charge.  In auctions like this 
I use the eBay option that lets me add a fixed dollar amount to the actual 
postage.  So, regardless of which zone the buyer lives in, he/she will pay 
the actual postage plus whatever amount, usually $2 or $3, I've added.

Truth be known, I've had only 1 complaint about shipping charges.  It was 
from a lady who griped that I charged her $10 for the 3 Christmas ornaments 
she purchased under separate auctions.  She felt she should only have had 
to pay the actual charge of $6 and change that she saw on the postage 
label.  My polite reply was that each ornament had a clearly stated 
shipping charge of $5 and that my terms and conditions indicate that I will 
combine shipping whenever possible.  Since combining is my option I 
suggested that it was conceivable that she still owed me $5.  End of 
discussion.

Just my 2 cents (or is it 2.6 cents) worth.

Gary

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