More fleaBay shipping ripoffs

[Sharkonwheels]

CHeck this out:

$28.50 to ship an IBM RISC box UPS ground (probably 25lb plus LARGE):
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-IBM-RISC-SYSTEM-6000-43P-140-COMPUTER_W0QQitemZ330228344807QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4 193QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And then $24.50 to ship a 3-4lb NEC PC-8201a UPS Ground:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NEC-COMPUTER_W0QQitemZ330227319717QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4 193QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Oh, and then the same $24.50 to ship a Compaq EVO desktop UPS Ground:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-COMPAQ-EVO-COMPUTER-DESKTOP-P4-2-4GHZ-256MB-RAM-40_W0QQitemZ330228892448QQihZ014QQcategoryZ179QQtc ZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Now I HAVE a few of the NEC's, and I also have 2 of the Compaq EVO's, and i can tell you, they are NOWHERE NEAR similar weights!!!!

Oh, and get this, when I ask the seller why the shipping discrepancy, the seller says "Please do not bid," as if I were BEGGING for them to PLEASE let me get ripped off!

PLEASE, PLEASE oh PLEASE rip me off - the day just WOULDN'T be complete!

T

[bobsstuff]

You apparently do not sell on ebay and do not ship items around the country.

Those prices are both very reasonable for shipping and handling, especially if they know how to pack and protect an item so it arrives safely.

Two identical items shipping in the same size box with vastly different weights can COST the shipper the exact same amount due to dimensional weight. Dimensional Weight? Look it up at FEDEX, USPS or UPS. It can cost a lot.

Before you call a seller a RIPOFF you should understand something about shipping.

If I were to ship a computer to you in Florida, from California, the cost is about $50 to $60 plus packing materials. This guy in the middle of the country is a bargain.

[Sharkonwheels]

I really don't know WHO you are, and you obviously don't know me.
I have been selling on eBay since it first opened in 1996, so i do NOT need you to tell me about shipping, expecially on these two items, which I won both of, and with a UPS calculator so dang handy, and the fact that I have shipped to just about everywhere including Timbuk-freaking-tu...

First off, it's NOT Kalifornia, it Missouri, which isn't that far from Florida, as compared to CA, and UPS uses zones for pricing, not just weight, size, and dimensional rates.

And if you tell me a 22lb desktop computer costs as much to ship as a 4lb computer 1/2 it's size, you are out of your mind, DIMENSIONS factored in. The Evo is 3 times the size, and 5 times the weight of the NEC.

Now, it WOULD make sense if the NEC were made of lead, as it's about 1/3 the volume of the Evo, but it's only 3.3lb compare to 20+ on the Evo, and it is smaller than the evo, so dimensional weight would be out.


T

[Sharkonwheels]

So much for the dimensional weight theory

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l33/Sharkonwheels/NEC%20PC-8201a%204-Bank%20EPROM/IMG_1153.jpg

There's a Compaq EVO, with an NEC PC-8201a next to it.
Now, can you can tell me, with a straight face, that those two should cost the same to ship (keeping in mind the NEC is 4lb, the EVO is about 20lb)?

I have bought and sold enough stuff on eBay and other places to know when shipping is a ripoff, and when it isn't.

I bought 2 of these just a couple months back complete with AC adapters, and they came from Hillsboro, OREGON to Florida, and shipping was $16 UPS Ground!

'nuff said

T

[Sharkonwheels]

Here ya go, straight from eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEC-PC-8201-A-Vintage-Trs-80-Computer-Laptop-Kyocera-85_W0QQitemZ380018177543QQihZ025QQcategoryZ4193QQt cZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

California to ConUS, $15 UPS ground. This includes the extra baggage of all the manuals, the AC adapter, printer cable, vinyl case. This one should weigh a pound or two MORE than the post subject, and is 40% less to ship?

We still think $25 from MO is fair to Florida with the above? I can drag out more....there's plenty on eBay...another was $13 Parcel Post/$18 Priority Mail from Vermont...

T

[VintageComputerman]

They look to be charging a hefty handling fee. When I sell anything, I only add $1.50 to $2.50 tops and that covers the box, bubble wrap or packing peanuts, tape and even the trip to the post office. Gas ain't cheap. Ups is over 15 miles one way. The new rating system will change everything soon. Maybe that seller has an employee to pay and has to recoup their hourly wage.

[Sharkonwheels]

They look to be charging a hefty handling fee. When I sell anything, I only add $1.50 to $2.50 tops and that covers the box, bubble wrap or packing peanuts, tape and even the trip to the post office. Gas ain't cheap. Ups is over 15 miles one way. The new rating system will change everything soon. Maybe that seller has an employee to pay and has to recoup their hourly wage.

Problem is, handling, according to eBay rules, needs to be put under handling, not embedded in the shipping - the shipping, they say, is for the actual carrier charge.

As to labor, well, according to eBay rules, that's the sellers problem - not allowed to charge for it, as they refer to it as "a cost of doing business," same for driving, gas, etc... Only thing you're allowed to charge, is the carrier charge, and packing materials.


T

[Yzzerdd]

Personally, I start my auctions(on whatever site I am doing it on) at the minimum I will take for it + any shipping fees. I don't charge labor, but if I am to deliver it within the county, I charge per mile.

Hey, nice Evo! I've owned 2 of the things. One a cat killed, the other I got rid of as I needed a computer capable of more expansion. Of course, after getting a 19" CRT, it just looked stupid sitting underneath it. Good computer for someone who doesn't game or anything on theirs, like a workplace.

As for the shipping, USPS has gotten out of control with their prices. For something that costs me $9.89 to ship with UPS, USPS wanted a little over $20, about $20.90 I believe. That was for 10lbs worth floppies priority mail. I guess that goes by plane but still. I can believe $25 shipping for an Evo by UPS. Thats about how much it costs me to ship a mid-size desktop computer (or small floor model) packed well. Of course it has been about 6 months since I shipped a computer and gas prices have gone up... Total bull for the prices on the NEC, though, unless it is going to be on my doorstep the next day. As for the IBM, thats about $5 too high.

Although I do get a nice discount with UPS!

--Ryan

[Vlad]

For the post office I stick with the Flat Rate box so its the same regardless of weight and I have a TON of those stupid boxes I'll never rid myself of. Its been advantageous to the seller a few times, it cost less for Flat Rate than it would have otherwise.

[Sharkonwheels]

Personally, I start my auctions(on whatever site I am doing it on) at the minimum I will take for it + any shipping fees. I don't charge labor, but if I am to deliver it within the county, I charge per mile.

Hey, nice Evo! I've owned 2 of the things. One a cat killed, the other I got rid of as I needed a computer capable of more expansion. Of course, after getting a 19" CRT, it just looked stupid sitting underneath it. Good computer for someone who doesn't game or anything on theirs, like a workplace.

As for the shipping, USPS has gotten out of control with their prices. For something that costs me $9.89 to ship with UPS, USPS wanted a little over $20, about $20.90 I believe. That was for 10lbs worth floppies priority mail. I guess that goes by plane but still. I can believe $25 shipping for an Evo by UPS. Thats about how much it costs me to ship a mid-size desktop computer (or small floor model) packed well. Of course it has been about 6 months since I shipped a computer and gas prices have gone up... Total bull for the prices on the NEC, though, unless it is going to be on my doorstep the next day. As for the IBM, thats about $5 too high.

Although I do get a nice discount with UPS!

--Ryan

You couldn't squeeze the floppies into the small, or even large flat-rate box?
Those are $8.95 flat-rate priority mail, up to 70lbs allowed!!! Oh, and they even GIVE you the box, FREE! They'll even SHIP a case of boxes to you free!

USPS HAS gone up, HAS the worst tracking (shows up AFTER the fact), and on top of that, killed off international surface shipping.

Still, after all is said and done, $25 is WAY too much to ship a 4-5lb NEC PC-8201a from Missouri to Florida. I don't even see any argument that would be valid, unless they were overnighting it, in which case it'd actually not be enough. That would be what I would expect to pay to Priority Mail it (2-3 days in ConUS).


T

[VintageComputerman]

...killed off international surface shipping.


You got that right. It pretty much quadrupled the price, imo.

[Sharkonwheels]

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-NEC-COMPUTER_W0QQitemZ330227319717QQihZ014QQcategoryZ4 193QQtcZphotoQQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Hmmm....Item didn't sell......I WONDER why....
$19 usually sells a PC-8201a...

T

[VintageComputerman]

There are at least 5 to 6 statements in that listing which speak nothing but negatives. Everything is written to protect the seller. It's like the buyer is being talked down to. I would stay away from that seller. The shipping is way to high.

[carlsson]

Sometimes though these weird shipping rates can work in the buyer's favor. I was bidding on a loose VIC-20 from the USA last weekend. The seller had quited Int'l Shipping $13, which is remarkably low for a relatively large and heavy item. The same seller had music CD's for which shipping was $11 each, and an Xbox game with $18 international shipping.. some broken Apple iBook with shipping somewhere inbetween.

Generally, all the rates looked like they were drawn out of a hat. I suppose the seller in question charges his or her company most of the actual shipping costs, and pulls in the quoted shipping fees in their own pocket. That's the only explanation I can make how a DVD-sized Xbox game would cost $5 more to ship overseas than a whole (yet loose, without power supply) computer.

[Sharkonwheels]

There are at least 5 to 6 statements in that listing which speak nothing but negatives. Everything is written to protect the seller. It's like the buyer is being talked down to. I would stay away from that seller. The shipping is way to high.

Ya noticed, huh?
There's like 20 pages of disclaimers, and 10 words about the item!


T

[barythrin]

Yeah but in fairness, for me (from that NEC to Texas) is also $25.00 for shipping and $20 for the unit. If it was something cool I'd have no problem paying $45 or something if the device is something I'd want. I'd certainly do it for a poqet PC or something, and I did for something similar to one of the TRS Pocket-PC's.

It's all relative to the buyer. I know I can't find it locally so yeah I've purchased a Pet from Michigan and a loaded Model II expansion bay and other stuff and paid the $65 for shipping and not much for the unit. All in all it's what I expect and what I need from trusted sellers so it's cool to me.

- John

[frozenfire75i]

Ya some sellers are horrible with shipping charges check this out

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-BASIC-Compiler-Version-1-00-w-Manual-Disks-MINT_W0QQitemZ120127470504QQihZ002QQcategoryZ4193Q QrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp163 8Q2em118Q2el1247

http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-PC-AT-5170-System-w-640KB-RAM-2-Floppy-30MB-Disk_W0QQitemZ160228639021QQihZ006QQcategoryZ4193Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Can’t belive it… I love the sellers who charge you for UPS ground and ship it media mail!

[Sharkonwheels]

He's another one....he's been hocking alot of the same stuff for a loooong time.

that AT - Virginia to Florida, $87!

I had an *ENTIRE* and I mean ENTIRE DEC Rainbow 100B *WITH* hard disk, the monitor, and keyboard....

PLUS a COMPLETE entire box of about 14 software packages *ALL* in their hard cases sent for....

$101

and it came from.....

Woodbridge, VA

Oh - and by the way - over $50 of that was packaging fees from PakMail ;)
So you're looking at about $50 for a ton more stuff!

OOPS!


T

[tezza]

It's all relative to the buyer

Yea, this is right. With a lot of the things I've bought, the shipping has been as much if not more than the item! If you want them, and they are far away, you just have to pay it. It hurts, but it's a fact of life.

You just factor it into the total cost you are prepared to pay.

Tez

[Sharkonwheels]

See....here goes another one...
$999 for the Imsai, fine. That's a respectable starting price...


But - $100.85 to SHIP IT?

I haven't seen one with that high of a shipping price in quite a while!

A few months ago, I sent an IBM P/390 to way up in the NorthEast.
Now, those of you that know, well, these are LARGE! It was built out of an IBM PC Server 325, I think - big old 3.5-4' tower server. Fully stacked with RAID drives, it weighed in at 68lbs. When packed, the box was simply immense!

It cost $42 to ship UPS Ground to NY or thereabouts.

'nuff said...


T

[1980s_john]

You couldn't squeeze the floppies into the small, or even large flat-rate box?
Those are $8.95 flat-rate priority mail, up to 70lbs allowed!!! Oh, and they even GIVE you the box, FREE! They'll even SHIP a case of boxes to you free!

USPS HAS gone up, HAS the worst tracking (shows up AFTER the fact), and on top of that, killed off international surface shipping.

So who please is now the cheapest company to ue to send a box via surface mail from the US to the UK? I recently purchased about 1lb of chips and the seller agreed to send them in a USPS flat rate envelope for $11. I think the USPS used to charge this for a box which could hold a fair bit more.

Regards,
John (UK)

[Sharkonwheels]

Unless you get to a freight company who send containers to the UK, air is your only choice. USPS was the last, and they dropped surface international I think last year.

Everyone else is air international (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Airborne, etc...)


T

[1980s_john]

Unless you get to a freight company who send containers to the UK, air is your only choice. USPS was the last, and they dropped surface international I think last year.

Everyone else is air international (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Airborne, etc...)


T

Strange that we in the UK can still send things via Royal Mail surface mail to the US, but you in the US can't send surface mail to the UK.

I guess this also explains the hike in rates from Amazon sellers. I bought a couple of books a few years ago quite cheaply, and was happy to wait 6 weeks for them to arrive.

Did the carriers give a good explanation for the change?

Regards,
John

[carlsson]

Unless I'm mistaken, it was part of the Patriot Act in the war against terrorism that the USA dropped Int'l Surface shipping... or at least someone on this forum claimed so. Apparently from Canada you can still ship surface, but the Canadian Post is a bit expensive as it is.

[1980s_john]

Unless you get to a freight company who send containers to the UK, air is your only choice. USPS was the last, and they dropped surface international I think last year.

Everyone else is air international (UPS, FedEx, DHL, Airborne, etc...)


T

Seems there were / are many complaints about the USPS decision

http://www.petitiononline.com/USPSISM/petition.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/09/news/ecom.php
http://peacecorpsconnect.typepad.com/peacecorpspolyglot/2007/06/petition_restor.html

Seems unlikely to be re-introduced, which is shame.

Regrds,
John

[Sharkonwheels]

Makes no sense...

I'd assume you'd block *INCOMING* surface..

But...I mean...they think a couple dollars will mae a difference?
Priority Mail International Flat-Rate is not THAT expensive, and can send up to like 20lbs for about $21-40 depending on location...

All of a sudden they think that the terrorists will be price shopping to save $20?

Come on....

Our government is so infuriating...
It's simply the fact that they treat us like uneducated idiots, when in fact the average American is probably smarter than 80% of the morons who run our country!


Sad, really....

Of course, what does it say, when year-in, year-out Americans vote in the same morons repeatedly!


T

[Druid6900]

And what does that say about the American voters? LMAO

[Vlad]

Woah there guys, less politics more VC discussions or in this case, wackos on eBay.

[carlsson]

The reason to drop surface shipping might also be that shipping companies like DHL, FedEx, UPS and so on weren't able to price match USPS, so some lobbying took place to prohibit this form of shipping and the claim of increased national security was just made up to protect the real reason (lobbying from private companies).