Price plus shipping and handling

[carlsbad]

I try to avoid buying and selling that way. Posting price including shipping works better for me.

If a seller says "$100 + SH" on an item I can get for $125 from Brownells I'll probably pass. I don't know if he'll put it in a flat rate box for $6 or walk into a 3rd party shipper and pay $30.

I had a deal like this a few years back. Bought a rifle that was X + shipping. I discussed the shipping and put a limit on it and sent payment. Had to cringe when the seller told me he took a bath on shipping when he used a 3rd party shipper for $70. If I'd just said "I'll take it" I'd have been on the hook for that shipping charge.

Just my thoughts.

--Jerry

 

[bobinpa]

I try to avoid buying and selling that way. Posting price including shipping works better for me.

If a seller says "$100 + SH" on an item I can get for $125 from Brownells I'll probably pass. I don't know if he'll put it in a flat rate box for $6 or walk into a 3rd party shipper and pay $30.

I had a deal like this a few years back. Bought a rifle that was X + shipping. I discussed the shipping and put a limit on it and sent payment. Had to cringe when the seller told me he took a bath on shipping when he used a 3rd party shipper for $70. If I'd just said "I'll take it" I'd have been on the hook for that shipping charge.

Just my thoughts.

--Jerry

I agree 100%. You leave yourself open to "extra" shipping costs. I don't mind if the ad says $50.00 plus $10.00 shipping, but it has to state a total cost or I usually just pass. IMHO, there is no reason for things to be listed that way.

 

[ireload2]

Make the shipper commit to a price for shipping up front.
Otherwise he can charge you $40 and ship something small in a $6.80 flat rate box.
Shipping adds to the total cost of ownership so make the seller know the best way to get lower shipping rates.

 

[Mr.Spradlin]

Almost all the items I sell I have boxed and ready to ship when I post them forsale. It saves me time in the end.
If the item I am selling will fit into a USPS flat rate box I always do shipping included. If the item wont I do say plus shipping. Then I just get online to the three shipping companies with the potential buyers info and get a shipping quote. Most of the time the quote is pretty close.

 

[jdh47]

I have seen things on ebay that were priced cheap until you read the s/h fees. When I sell I try to be as honest as possible on the shipping fee and charge only what it costs to ship. I box and pack it for free.

Once I bought a boring bar on ebay and the guy shipped it in a post office envelope. I received an empty envelope with a hole in the corner. The fee was reasonable though.

Joe

 

[rkittine]

I always pack (without sealing) and weighed what I am selling unless it will fit in a flat rate box, so I can calculate the expected shipping. The problem can come when you end up with it not being able to go flat rate and you find out you are shipping to the other side of the country. I try to expect that I am shipping from New York to California and then state that the shipping will be that much or less, but will charge the actual. I do have a discount shipping account through UPS, but that does not always work for some shipments and you also have to remember that there are added charges for things that require an adult signature or are shipped to a residence (more likely to have to try a few times to deliver) or have excess value. It especially can get tricky with some of the things that we might ship considering what this forum is.

Bob

 

[hogpatrol]

I had a taxidermist in Texas do a pig head for me. When it came time to ship, he took it to a UPS "store" and they quoted him $212 to ship to Delaware. I suggested he take it directly to a UPS depot which he did and their price was $46. I recently sold a barrel and shipped UPS for around $20, USPS was $24, both delivery dates were the same. Some are just ignorant of the different ways to ship and their associated costs.

 

[dickn52]

Everything I have ever sold I split the shipping cost. I tell them I'll pay half the shipping and the shipping is XX.oo. Never had anyone balk at it since the number is right there.