I don't understand who sellers make money on ebay sometimes. I bought this really solid, welded steel stand for my digital piano and literally paid two cents for it (and it was brand new). It was heavy and the postage cost me $25.00 but it was still one hell of a deal and the best deal I've ever made in my life. How can any seller just give away his product? Sometimes I don't understand how ebay works. I've bought a number or things off ebay and got some great deals but much of the time, I don't have the patience.
most of ebay has a very simple explination...theft!! you steal a shipment of cameras from a truck on the way to best buy and unload them cheap and fast, anything made is 100% profit. i wouldn't have a problem at all selling a $500 camera for $50 if i had 100 of them that i didn't pay a dime for, especially if i could unload them in a matter of days. another way is thru liqudation of businesses. there are a couple stores locally where i live that do that. they'll buy all the stock from a business that is going under for penny's on the dollar and sell them cheap. a $100 item that is sold for $30 is a nice profit when you only paid $3 for it in the first place. the original shop owner is happy cause at least he got something for his stock instead of it being auctioned by the county, the liquidator is happy cause he paid $3 for something he sold fast for $30, and the end customer is happy because he got a $100 item for $30.
well said darthnip my buddy steals regulary off futureshop and best buy and sells for reall cheap he was selling a 500$ digicam for 200$ if i read that i would think its fake but also my other friend sells bootleg luis vutton bags for cheap and after a couple of sells he closes the account.....
Hmmm...it never occured to me that stuff might be hot. Only makes sense though I guess. I've read how they can make money on the postage; my piano stand was kind of heavy but I know it didn't cost $25 or whatever it was to mail.
they are about to start doing away with the inflated shipping costs that some dealers do. i dont see why though, it's up to the buyer to make sure what they are being charged for shipping. thats why they call it "shipping and HANDLING" and not just "here's what it costs to mail it". if i think it's worth $50 for me ot put this trinket in a tiny box and drive it to the post office, thats my business, not ebay's. i only charge actual shipping costs, so no worries. i have read horro stories where people bought small things like coins or cd's and were charged over $50 in shipping within their own state! yeah it sucks, but the buyer should have read the auction completely before they bid on the items. there' alot of truth to the old statement "buyer beware". you cant blame a seller for trying to make money any way they can, no one is forced to purchase from anyone else so if buyer gets duped it's their own fault.
people, myself included, inflate S&H charges and keep the auction price lower because the S&H is all profit, ebay doesnt take any peice of it. they take 6 percent of the final value of the sold item minus the S&H.
yeah like i said, it's up to the buyer to look over the whole auction and make sure everything meets thier expectations. i've seen negative feedback left for people because thier shipping was so high, which i thought was stupid. the buyer should have known what the shipping was before they bid.
I work for Royal Mail, some of the shipping charges for second class delivery (3 to 7 days delivery) that people charge is obscene. If the buyer is dumb enough to pay it, then that is their luck out! The plonkers.
You also have to remember this Duty and custom charges crossing boarders are based off the product price only, not the shipping prices so.... e-bay seller #1 charges $25.00 for a widget and $5.00 shipping total $30.00 going to Canada from USA Add in the $7.00 customes charge on the $25.00 Plus 8 percent tax, you now pay $39.75 total e-bay seller #2 charges 10 cents for a widget and $29.90 shipping total $30.00 ,thats all you pay, no customs or tax on 10 cents. Good deal HUH !! Now the problem with #2 seller, if the widget arrives broke and you ask for a refund, guess what you get yep a dime!!! Take caution with seller # 2's Hope this helps