OK, Finally My Turn To Complain About Sellers Shipping Fee!!!!

stman

I win an auction for just a touch over $100.00. The auction clearly states and I quote

<< <i>Add $5 for shipping/handling/insurance, >>

. I pay immediately by PayPal from checking account as the seller stated no credit cards accepted because his margins are thin. Soooo, 1 week later I just receive the coin out in my mailbox. UNINSURED, in a padded mailer wrapped in a paper towel Cost of postage is $0.83.

Should I be upset that I paid $5.00 for shipping/handling/INSURANCE???? Now I know the guys are going to say like always their time involved to ship, tape, staples, wear and tear on their tires, having to get up in the morning, and oh yes, the cost of the paper towel.

BTW, I hope the seller IS reading this as it is indeed a board member. I calls them as I sees them. Basically this is trivial, but a matter of principle I don't agree with charging for insurance and not using it. He could have insured it and still made a couple bucks I'm sure.

goose3

If it were me, I'd demand a refund for the cost of 100.00 insurance coverage.

is it possible to be self insured or have insurance for such things through some other entity?

ibzman350

I don't think I'd be pi**ed, but it sure feels good to vent... just one less seller I would deal with.

Herb

2 coins arrived today...Did I say I wouldn't get pi**ed, well I lied, I'm pi**ed. Was charged $9 for shipping & Ins....total cost $.86 postage and Zilch for Ins. I send an email and I'm waiting for a reply....Stay tuned.

Herb

Peaceman

Um... hello... Mr. So-n-so.... yes... I haven't received my coin yet.......

goose3

<< <i>Um... hello... Mr. So-n-so.... yes... I haven't received my coin yet....... >>




LOL. "We need to file a postal claim".

coinguy1

Stman, it all depends upon the quality and eye-appeal of the.....

paper towel - were you satisfied with it?

baccaruda

Tell him you haven't received it yet and need a copy of the insurance receipt.

Mark

stman:

Perhaps the seller is self-insuring? That is, the seller is using the extra $4.17 to help pay for anyone other package that gets lost.

Personally, I don't get too upset about shipping because I hate to go to the Post Office. I figure everyone is like that and so if someone charges me $5 to go to the Post Office, stand in line and then deal with all the red tape, I consider the $5 very fair compensation.

Mark

Cladiator

Yeah that is annoying. The items I sell and ship...I charge 4$ and it costs me $3.85, I figure that's fair.

rkfish

I would NOT be happy......I want what the description says
I'm paying for.........

stman

<< <i>Stman, it all depends upon the quality and eye-appeal of the.....

paper towel - were you satisfied with it? >>



You know me I need to give it the evil-eye when I get some time. Paper towels can be tricky to evaluate.

Peaceman

I just like to make them sweat a little.... tell them it took 2 weeks to get it..... crumple the packing all up and send him a picture of it.... leave him positive feedback but put in a "dig" 4 pkg....

NO... I NEVER done it myself....

coinguy1

<< <i>Tell him you haven't received it yet and need a copy of the insurance receipt. >>

No need (and a bad thing) to lie -Stman will be able to handle himself just fine by being straight forward about things.

baccaruda

That's just a baby white lie.

tlhoy

I have used stamps.com insurance & it doesn't show anything on the package about it being insured. So don't be to hasty, check & see if he used a stamps.com label. I have also been known to self insure a package. You got your coin, what's the problem? $5 for shipping/handling & insurance on a $100 item is good!
BTW, stamps.com no longer insures coins so don't use it anymore!
Glenn

stman

I don't know about the self insured thing. But even so.... why take the risk, and if there was a problem why should I possibly be put through the trouble of this? Boy you all like these threads don't you?

SarasotaFrank

I have a hunch that package came from Florida.

I got one today as well.

coinguy1

<< <i>You know me I need to give it the evil-eye when I get some time. Paper towels can be tricky to evaluate >>

Stman, one more thing - don't even THINK about trying to make your evaluations based solely upon images of the paper towels - you know I how feel about that!

stman

<< <i>You got your coin, what's the problem? >>



Hey good point. Perhaps I should send this guy another 5.00 for receiving the thing?

goose3

<< <i>I don't know about the self insured thing. But even so.... why take the risk, and if there was a problem why should I possibly be put through the trouble of this? Boy you all like these threads don't you? >>




100 replies by 8pm tonite.

I guess if you find out the coin was NOT insured in any way, shape, or form, I would expect a refund for the 2.30 or whatever the insurance portion of that 5.00 would be solely out of principle.

Tlhoy!
would you like it if Dominoes delivered you an ice cold pizza? I mean you got the pizza safe and sound and at 9.99 and a 2.00 tip that's a bargain!

Barry

<< <i>Stman, it all depends upon the quality and eye-appeal of the.....

paper towel - were you satisfied with it? >>


That would have to be the quicker picker-upper

Wisconsin

The $5 fee was stated before the sale and you were ok with that. If the seller takes the risk not to insure than he is taking the risk himself by self insuring. In either case, as long as you received the coin and are happy with it, everything should be good. I know as long as I get what I am suposed to and it is shipped in a timely matter at the advertised price, I can't hope for much more.

Jay

mercurynut

I would ask for a refund on the insurence!

airplanenut

You should just check on private insurance before demanding a refund. All of my packages are privately insured (less registered ones) because the rates are cheaper, and I don't have to go to the PO to ship/insure. My insurer FORBIDS me to mention insurance on the package, so it's just a plain mailer... then again, I write that in my auctions...

Jeremy

tlhoy

Lets turn this around!
You buy a coin from me for $100 + $5 S/H & Ins.
I send you your coin.
You receive your coin in good shape!
Since Insurance was not needed are you going to refund my $2.60 I paid for insurance?
Glenn

relayer

When I buy I cringe at shipping over $5 (but have paid over $5 many times).

As a seller I charge $4.50 (+$1.50 additonal).

My cost is $0.18 for a padded envelope and $0.83 for postage ($1.01) so I'm making $3.49. Except it takes me time to photograph the coin, list the ad, track the auction, pack and ship so over the course of the auction takes about 15 minutes of my time, so that comes out to a whopping $13.96 per hour BEFORE expenses.

Plus on a $100 coin, eBay gets $3.50 and PayPal gets $3.50, so at $4.50 I'm losing $2.50 already and that is before insurance.

I hate betting the post office that they are going to lose the coin, but insurance is a nessecary evil sometimes. I'll go up to $200 without insurance (sometimes)


I had to go out of town when I had some auctions closing so I took the 4 coins with me. 2 were won by the same person and because they were pre-packaged I addressed them both and mailed them seperately.

Then I get this email:
------------------------------------------
HELLO DOUG. I I RECIVED EMPTY PADEEP MAILER. DIDN`T LOOK TAMPERED WITH TE TENNIS CAME THE SAME THIM. I WILL SEND THE EMPTY I YOU DON`T FIND POW REGARDS, DOLLIE

Since I only had the 4 coins with me I knew it was mailed and I'm leary of people who cannot compose a coherent sentence. I assume she recieved it (or the post office stole it - I mailed it from Dallas).

To make a long story short (if that is possible at this point) I just sent her $80 back. Even though I didn't charge her insurance, I am self insuring because if somebody sends me money they either have to get what they paid for, or their money back.

From her email, I'm not sure she is completely sure of what is going on in her world. Of the few coins that didn't get delivered, I think I've been lied to more often then the post office has lost the package.

coinguy1

"Lets turn this around!
You buy a coin from me for $100 + $5 S/H & Ins.
I send you your coin.
You receive your coin in good shape!
Since Insurance was not needed are you going to refund my $2.60 I paid for insurance?"

Glenn, in my opinion that was a bad example - sorry - the BUYER (not the seller) pays for the insurance. Accordingly, he owes nothing to anyone.

CarlWohlforth

Well I self insure. I really set aside some amount for each coin mailed because I can insure for less than the PO. I usually charge $3-$4 shipping, handling and insurance for a $100 item.

Now I just got a bill for a $300 item from a Heritage auction. They just charged me $10.50 S/H/I. That seems excessive....

tlhoy

Thank you coinguy1 you made my point! Stman paid for insurance. Now that Stman got his coin and insurance was not needed, Stman now wants his $2.60 insurance money back!
Now does that sound fair to any of you sellers!
Glenn

coinguy1

Glenn, whether Stman needed insurance or not, he was, in effect, forced to pay for it and did not get it - if the seller wasn't going to insure the item, he might have considered saying so and not charging for it.

I know Stman and he is a very fair guy. I suspect that if the seller had merely stated $5 for shipping, without mentioning the insurance (which he didn't end up providing), this thread wouldn't have been started in the first place.

MacCoin

.83 shipping/handleing don't sound as good as $5.00 that includes $4.17 for gas to get to the post office. I know because seller tell me this all the time

puff

I haven't paid for shipping or insurance on any coins I've bought in I can't remember when, and I have them shipped to me most of the time overnight...... But then again I rarely buy a coin on Ebay!

It could also be that maybe I'm gettin double dipped at the mouse house from the dealers I buy from and I'm payin for the S/H/INS. on the other end!

tlhoy

Look! I'm just trying to think of ways to get this thread count to 100 by 8 o'clock like Goose3 predicted! But alas, I'm not smart enough to play devils advocate. I actually agree with Stman.
I hope no one took this personally, just having some fun. Maybe I've had a little too much
Glenn

Outhaul

Paper towel, hmmm? Well, was it WITH or WITHOUT boogers?

MacCoin

I like this one


<< <i>as long as you received the coin and are happy with it >>


so what you pay for over priced shipping.

these $5.00 shipping with 37 cent stamps and#10 evelopes suck and I don't forget who these cheap SOBs are and won't spend another $100.00 buying from them. I do spend between $100.00 and 500.00 a month on coins.

nankraut

I disagree vigorously with those who suggest that you claim you haven't received the coin. Why be dishonest????

flaminio

I wouldn't be upset. You made the decision that coin is worth $100+$5 to get into your hands. You paid the money. You got the coin. Where's the problem?

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the coin disappeared en route. After an appropriate length of time, both you and the seller declare it lost. The seller sends your $100 back. All is well, right?

As I've stated many times on this board, I consider the s/h/i/t to be irrelevant. I merely factor it into my bid price. If the coin arrives to me as advertised, I consider it a successful transaction. I don't get hung up on the details.

bluice79

what about stating on the auction page shipping and handling plus insurance is 4.75$ and then receiving an email from the seller asking me for 13$ more?
just to let you know : it was only one coin, silver, not graded and it had to be mailed in a simple envelope, the auction price was 8 $?


i'm thinking: does that person live 200 miles away from the nearest post office so he or she has to pay the gasoline with my money?

i'm new to collecting coins, new to buying them on ebay, but i don't have written on my forehead " help the poor ones" or " LOOSER"

i think that shipping/handling must be only the cost of the envelope and the stamp. insurance is something more.

bye

MacCoin

I do care how I get the coin. I did pay the $5.00 shipping atlease put it in a padded enverlope and make it look like you care.

ursabear

Without doubt, any coin of that value (and less, too) should have been in a flip and in a coin mailer or some other better padding inside the bubble mailer.

My thought is to question the packaging, not the cost of shipping...

bulloncoins

It all reflects the quality of the dealer. Just think about it before you do any more business with this person or recommend them to anyone else. Cheap enough lesson for a $100.00 coin. -- Enjoy your coin.

Dog97

<<<Now that Stman got his coin and insurance was not needed, Stman now wants his $2.60 insurance money back!
Now does that sound fair to any of you sellers!>>>
Why hell yeah!!!
I'm sick & tired of wannabe dealers shanking us on shipping & whinning & crying about how valuable their time is and how we should pay for maintaince on their car and their snack they got at the store on the way to the post office.
Did any of catch the part where the coin was wrapped up in a paper towel?
If a wannabe dealer is so unprofessional I seriously doubt he had any kind of insurance at all.
The police pulled me over the other day and asked for my insurance and I said hey I'm self insured and he said right, that's what they all say get in the back of my car.
stman was shanked, how does it feel stman?

stman

<< <i>stman was shanked, how does it feel stman? >>



Well I usually prefer a kiss first. But not mandatory. They don't do that up at the ranch anyway.

The coin was slabbed so to be fair it wasn't like he put a raw coin in the paper towel. Dog I'm surprised you didn't catch the part in my original post that the guy didn't take credit card with PP, because his profit margin was thin. So they then get greedy. For those that want to justify ripping people on shipping because you have to list the item, image it, tape, staples, wear and tear on tires, get up in the morning and have to move,...... don't use the Internet to advertise to the world..... wait for your doorbell to ring and sell that way.

BAJJERFAN

Had the thing gotten lost would the seller have CHEERFULLY refunded the $100? Maybe; then again maybe not. All we can say is that the package apparently was not insured. Sellers should be aware that they are setting themselves up to get stiffed if a dishonest buyer says that he did not receive the package. If you can't prove it was insured you have NO WAY to track it. I doubt that you can purchase any kind of delivery confirmation service for the 83 cents it cost to send the package so as a seller you could be SOL. The numbers on the insurance receipt from the post office can be used to track the package to see if it was delivered. The PO can do it but you can't. I know cuz I used that service a week ago.

Prometheus183

I'd ask if the paper towel was a Bounty, and if he figured it was insurance against humidity dammage.

Was it at least in a bubble mailer, or did he use an internal distribution shotgun envelope?

relayer

eBay buyers are the only people who ran rip a seller for $50 on coin and complain they have to pay an extra dollar or two on shipping.

Dog97

Yes stman, I caught the part about not taking cc because the profits are so slim.
Well, if profits are that slim they need to be in another business is all I can say.
I'm surprised you didn't catch the part where I said wannabe dealer.
I have never charged a buyer for shipping and I always insure the package too. $4 aint gonna make or break me either way.
If I can do it anybody can do it. Lots of eBay sellers & reputable real life dealers do it.
I have no problem paying a seller reasonable shipping charges but I expect to get what I paid for.

Conder101

<< <i>The police pulled me over the other day and asked for my insurance and I said hey I'm self insured and he said right, that's what they all say get in the back of my car. >>


Dog, in Indiana it IS possible to self-insure for the driving requirement.

The seller aked $5 for S/H/I, but did he ever say who he would be insuring with? Postal, private, or self?

If he had use the money to purchase postal insurance and the coin arrived safely, would you gripe about wanting the insurance money back because you didn't have to make a claim on the insurance? No.

If he used the money to self-insure and the coin arrived safely, would you gripe about wanting the insurance money back because you didn't have to make a claim on the self-insurance? Apparently yes.

Sorry, I don't see where you have a legitimate complaint here. If it got lost and he didn't pay then yes, but in this case no.

BAJJERFAN

But you don't know if he self insured or gambled that the package wouldn't get lost. There is nothing on the package to indicate that the seller purchased anything other than postage. I would think that to self insure you have to do a certain volume of business. Would the seller qualify that way? Perhaps we should get a statement to that effect from the seller thru Stman. If Stman says he didn't get it then how can the seller prove otherwise?

As I stated earlier as a seller yu set yourself up to get screwed by a dishonest buyer using this practice. If you are going to self insure then let the buyer know. I would certainly be unhappy if I paid for a service and it looked like I didn't get it. I went thru this once. I xeroxed the package showing no ins paid for and mailed it to the seller. He sent me a refund check.

wayneherndon

I see no problem and assume the seller had separate insurance whether self or some other entity. If he/she stands behind lost/damaged packages, then it shouldn't matter who provided the insurance.

WH

stman

LOL, folks, first I never said I wanted a refund for the insurance. I said the auction said shipping/handling/insurance. So I assume the package would be insured. It only had a USPS meter on it for $0.83. I don't know whether it's self insured or not. I have read these threads on here for almost 2 years (and quite boring as well) so it finally happened to me. I rarely do ebay for reasons just like this. But sorry anybody thinking it's OK for a seller to charge for insurance and it's not insured and sitting across the street in a rural mailbox I disagree. Yeah I know it should be a PO box but this time it wasn't.

And even if it was self insured I'd be at the sellers mercy if he believed me or not that I received the coin. I am an honest person and do business in a professional manner and never would lie and say I didn't receive the coin. I guess what bothered me was this seller states his profit margin is thin, then gets a bit greedy IMO over a couple dollars in insurance. I won't bid on his auctions nor will I bid on anyones auction nor do business with anyone that thinks this is OK practice. Yeah I know you don't care and neither do I.