I'm done with eBay and other auction sites

[Tickled_Pink]

It's been a while coming but I've finally decided to call it a day with eBay. I had been getting fed up with their charges. Considering the low price things go for these days (although a couple of new 6502 processors I recently sold went quickly at the BIN asking price), their charges often amount to 50% or more of the value of items sold in a particular month.

 

What really broke the camel's back for me, though, was the post office's recent revamp of their pricing system. Until midway through last year, they had always priced packages and letters on weight only. But then they introduced the dumbest system imaginable where they would charge extra if a package was over a particular size. This has made it more difficult to set a postage price on eBay that allows you to cover the cost of postage, the packaging and, if you feel like it, a little extra to cover the cost of putting things on eBay in the first place.

 

Until these new charges came into place, I was able to quickly check the postal prices online. I can do that now but only for letters and thin packages. A couple of times recently I've ended up paying more in postage than I had been able to calculate and charge the buyer. Strangely enough, it's now less hassle to sell to non-UK buyers because there's none of this size stupidity - prices are still based on weight alone. It's become just too ridiculous and awkward to sell to UK buyers.

 

So I'll only sell locally now using the classified ads sites, many of which are free.

Edited January 4, 2008 by Tickled_Pink

[Albert]

Interesting, as the USPS did the same thing recently in the US for Priority Mail. Previously it was a fixed price depending on the weight, but now they've added "dimensional weights" for packages. If the package exceeds a certain total dimensional size, then they charge even more for the package (and Priority Mail is already overpriced). I'm not sure where the extra costs kick in, as I have yet to ship a package that has cost me extra due to this scheme. Most everything I ship on a routine basis is fairly small (Atari 2600 carts!), but I imagine there are people who routinely ship large items that are being stung by this.

 

..Al

[Tickled_Pink]

It's a maddenning system. I doubt that even a properly packaged 2600 cart will qualify for the cheaper price. One item I sent contained just an Acorn Electron Star Drifter cassette in its original case. The case itself was only a little bigger than a normal cassette jewel case as it was slightly padded, so I didn't bother putting it into a padded envelope. It still ended up being too big and I ended up paying 30% more than I'd charged the buyer for postage.

[pangasinan]

It's been a while coming but I've finally decided to call it a day with eBay. I had been getting fed up with their charges.

Geez dont start me on Ebay charges,they are a pack of thieves

[TrickmanTerry]

There's one site I know of (because I help run it) called Video Game Evolution www.vgevo.com that has it's own Classifieds/Auction/For Sale/Trade section that works close to the way eBay works, but without the horrible "take a cut off the profits" fees. You can use online credits to list items, and the community has been good about getting items to people, making it a seemless, "nearly" painless process.

 

It's small, but it's growing. I wanted to help start it for gamers b/c of all the jerky BS of eBay. Wish me luck!

[A.J. Franzman]

As I understand it, the new USPS dimensional weight system is designed only to compensate for lightweight items in large boxes (over 1 cubic foot). Most of the time, if your package weighs about "average" or more for a box of its size, there will not be any additional cost due to dimensional weight.

 

The rule is: For packages exceeding 1,728 cubic inches (length times width times height, all figures in inches; 1728 cubic inches is one cubic foot), divide cubic inches by 194 to determine the dimensional weight in pounds. Round up any fraction of a pound to the next whole pound. The applicable postage is based on the scale weight or the dimensional weight, whichever is greater, and the appropriate delivery zone.

 

This breaks down to about 8.9 pounds per cubic foot -- if your Priority Mail package's density is less than 8.9 pounds per cubic foot, you will be charged as if it is 8.9 lb./cu. ft. So, the lighter the package, the greater the penalty. But unless you're shipping inflated beach balls, or something similar, the penalty isn't going to be very significant.

 

Also, dimensional weight does not apply to ANY USPS-provided preprinted Priority Mail packaging, regardless of size.

Edited January 5, 2008 by A.J. Franzman

[pangasinan]

There's one site I know of (because I help run it) called Video Game Evolution www.vgevo.com that has it's own Classifieds/Auction/For Sale/Trade section that works close to the way eBay works, but without the horrible "take a cut off the profits" fees. You can use online credits to list items, and the community has been good about getting items to people, making it a seemless, "nearly" painless process.

 

It's small, but it's growing. I wanted to help start it for gamers b/c of all the jerky BS of eBay. Wish me luck!

mmm your name doesnt fill me with confidence.

[TrickmanTerry]

There's one site I know of (because I help run it) called Video Game Evolution www.vgevo.com that has it's own Classifieds/Auction/For Sale/Trade section that works close to the way eBay works, but without the horrible "take a cut off the profits" fees. You can use online credits to list items, and the community has been good about getting items to people, making it a seemless, "nearly" painless process.

 

It's small, but it's growing. I wanted to help start it for gamers b/c of all the jerky BS of eBay. Wish me luck!

mmm your name doesnt fill me with confidence.

 

Hehe, how about now?

Who am I?

[Shawn]

There's one site I know of (because I help run it) called Video Game Evolution www.vgevo.com that has it's own Classifieds/Auction/For Sale/Trade section that works close to the way eBay works, but without the horrible "take a cut off the profits" fees. You can use online credits to list items, and the community has been good about getting items to people, making it a seemless, "nearly" painless process.

 

It's small, but it's growing. I wanted to help start it for gamers b/c of all the jerky BS of eBay. Wish me luck!

mmm your name doesnt fill me with confidence.

 

I take it you never read EGM in the 90's??