Bleeding ebay
Posted: Friday, 09 November 2007 | 4 comments |
Thought I'd make some extra pennies in the run up to Christmas, so started selling a few odds and sods about the place that arent needed/used anymore. Seemed like a good idea. Until the last buyer struck! He's having an argument with me over postal charges. By the time I got the paper to wrap it up (which cost £4.95!!!!!!!!!!!! for brown paper) then the postage which was just under £4, then the sellotape to make sure the package was nice and safe, the total came to just over £10. So I charged £10 actually making a slight loss to myself. No one is more gobsmacked than me at the price the 2 sheets of brown paper cost. In hindsight I should maybe go back to make sure the price was right on the paper. Might do that later though. Anway I have explained all this to him but he's still being quite arrogant. Like I told him I cannot control the prices over here. Even as a goodwill gesture I knocked the packaging costs down to £8 which is a loss to me, and he's still not happy.
I have lost count of the amount of times that I have paid well over the odds to get stuff delivered here. Either that or you pay for postage twice, because the company won't deliver to the islands. So you pay for stuff to get delivered to a mainland address and then you pay for the delivery to get it from there to over here! And most of the time it costs a lot more than £10!
Even on a few occasions the postage has cost more than the worth of the ordered goods themselves! But what can you do? I have tried to be reasonable. So far I have managed to remain polite. It will make me think twice in the future though. Yet again though its all about the cost of living on this beautiful island........
Posted on Island Life at 08:35
Comments
next time price up the delivery costs first and make that cost clear on your sale page, they can't argue then! we've often paid a lot more for delivery on e-bay as well as other places, even sometimes offering sellers extra to send by more secure postage and they still only send it second class after leaving it a week, and it's amazing how everyone uses the same excuse when you contact them to see where your purchase has got to. Hope your puchaser pays up soon and that your brown paper price was a mistake cos even for here thats a little pricey lol
tanith from point
Agree with Tanith - state postage on the sale page, then they know! Anther tip - use all recycled packaging - boxes, padded envelopes, get your pals to pass them on to you, especially if they are getting goods delivered that include air pockets of foam beads and stuff. Good luck with the ebaying - it's good fun sending stuff all over the world and thinking about that person in Bulgaria or Ethopia getting your old things! One man's bruck is another person's treasure!
Stromness Dragon from The Post Office
I believe reasonably priced brown paper - and vinegar - are available from emporioalanjohn, but calum will tell you himself.
Flying Cat from SOS
Island Life, have you thought about having a car boot sale instead? I'm sure they'll have the odd one in Stornoway. Maybe worth checking out the local rag. :-)
Steph from Cockenzie
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