ebay selling strategy: low price, huge S&H

[agavilanes]

What do you guys think of this selling strategy?

Thom Browne Rugby shirt. BIN for USD 1

...but USD 199 S/H

http://cgi.ebay.com/THOM-BROWNE-POLO...item3365fb63f5

Good idea or epic fail?

 

[Nataku]

Fail. That guy will be reported by the end of the day and the shipping will be taken down. Plus the fact that you'll get an uber pissed buyer.

 

[agavilanes]

Originally Posted by Nataku

Fail. That guy will be reported by the end of the day and the shipping will be taken down. Plus the fact that you'll get an uber pissed buyer.

Seeing his feedback I saw he has done it before with good results...

BIN USD 1 with 329 S/H
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...253D&viewitem=

 

[TheWGP]

It does work pretty well sometimes... but you get people reporting you, and I've gotta point out that this is why Feebay is soon going to be charging a Final Value Fee on the SHIPPING too. For normal sellers, it's a ripoff - getting charged 9% fees on money you pay to the Post Office, - but it kills the business model dead for these sellers.

Of course, from Feebay's perspective, they get more money from fees either way - so they're happy as clams. Their argument is "it'll help you by making free shipping more attractive!"

What a load of bollocks. I agree with what they're trying to do, but Feebay is looking worse and worse all the time for small-time sellers. I could go on...

 

[JamesX]

Unfortunately this happens way too much. When I contact the sellers they usually go with the line of "Buy it or leave it."

 

[rebel222]

eBay's final value is now calculated on the total including shipping, so this doesn't work.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by rebel222

eBay's final value is now calculated on the total including shipping, so this doesn't work.

I think thats effective April 1.

 

[rebel222]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

I think thats effective April 1.

Yeah. I knew it had some date associated with the change, but I didn't know what it was.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by rebel222

Yeah. I knew it had some date associated with the change, but I didn't know what it was.

Just checked - April 19th. Im changing all my listings to $1900 for shipping!!!

 

[MikeDT]

I see nothing wrong. I just assume the vendor will be delivering them in person, anywhere.

 

[Little Cletus]

Originally Posted by agavilanes

What do you guys think of this selling strategy?

Thom Browne Rugby shirt. BIN for USD 1

...but USD 199 S/H

http://cgi.ebay.com/THOM-BROWNE-POLO...item3365fb63f5

Good idea or epic fail?

It would be a reasoable S/H regardless of the cost of the item. Just having to pack the item in a box and mailing it from the post office takes time. The box may cost $10 and your time, say 1/2 hr is another $300 so the S/H is actually a bargain here unless you're some min. wage ebay dweeb in which case your time is worth nothing

 

[mink31]

Slightly off-topic: how does one "report" a seller without making a transaction?

 

[jobro]

Won't they just receive bad feedback on the detail of "Shipping higher than actual cost" resulting in their fee's rising?

 

[sportin_life]

Won't they just receive bad feedback on the detail of "Shipping higher than actual cost" resulting in their fee's rising?

Actually ebay has a stupid policy that you can't leave neg feedback unless you pay for the item.

I know this b/c I fell for one of these auctions in the past, where the seller sold a $200 brooks giftcard for $25 but had $200 shipping. I didn't catch it b/c he didn't mention it in the description. When I contacted ebay, they told me not to pay him and they would remove the auction. I left him neg feedback, but it was removed b/c he filed a reverse complaint that I didn't pay for the auction, even though that is what ebay told me to do. In the end, the auction was removed but so was my feedback.

 

[jobro]

I'm talking where the person pays for the item and recieves it. Sometimes the $200 shipping still ends up to be a good deal, but can leave them open to negative feedback in the above detailed section.