Nothing irks me more than getting a card from eBay in a white envelope when I pay $3 or more for shipping. If I pay less than that, it's understandable because I paid for the cost it would take for a stamp and envelope. $2.50 in a white envelope even bothers me a little. It's borderline.
However, yesterday I got a white envelope with three cards in top loaders. It was mailed with a .42 cent stamp and I paid $3.75 for shipping for the lot.
I'm tired of the excuses of "eBay fees are too much. I have to recoup my money somehow." We sell on eBay too. We know about the fees. We know it sucks, but we don't rip people off. Don't try telling me that you lowered the price of the item, so you had to jack up the price of shipping only to send me cards in a white envelope.
So here is the post. Marie and I buy enough on eBay that I'm going to start the white envelope shippers list.
After talking to a seller and they refuse to give a partial refund on shipping (I don't want it all, just what is fair), their eBay name will make it to the list below.
Update: The seller emailed back and refunded some of the shipping without any arguments. He said he refunded because he cares. That was sweet of him. So, he doesn't make the list.
But let this be a warning to you sellers out there. I got this list and I am willing to use it!!!!!!!
1. Mikegrove7
I ship in a bubble mailer for $1.75 for up to 4 cards and I still get complaints that my shipping prices are too high.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand the white envelope sellers either.
I love you then. Lol.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I got two packages.
One was the white envelope for $3.75 and the other was a bubble mailer for $2 shipping.
It should have been the other way around. If it was that way, this wouldn't have even been a post today.
I like this idea. I would love to contribute to this list. I've never sold on eBay but I've sent trades before and don't mind paying a little extra money to ensure the other person gets their cards in good shape.
ReplyDeleteif your going to use a PWE, it should be stated in the ad.
ReplyDeleteI have had very few issues - for $2 and up I would definitely expect a bubble mailer - or comparable packaging. especially for an auto or relic or really any card that is above a common.
I agree - if you pay more than $1.50 shipping it ought to be in something more than a single white envelope... I ALWAYS ship in bubble mailers (or boxes) - and I try to keep my shipping costs at 2.50 max.
ReplyDeleteI just checked the seller's auction and there was no mention of a white envelope.
ReplyDeleteI will note that I bought three cards from him and on one of them, the seller took my offer. I'm just asking, this doesn't deserve leniency, right? I'm such a sucker.
This is all the auction said about shipping:
"All cards will be shipped in PVC hard sleeves to insure shipping without damage."
Creating a black list! I love it!
ReplyDeleteAs a low-grade collector, I posit that sellers should give the bidders an option of low-grade shipping (PWE + top-loader) and high-grade shipping (puffy). For me, the PWEs do save a lot in waste with a small value risk, but in either case the method shouldn't be a mystery for the buyer.
ReplyDeleteYeah, no arguments here. This is a pet peeve of mine as well, and a similar thing happened to me last week. I won a cheap lot of cards, including a couple of jerseys. Not only were they in the dreaded PWE, but the jersey cards weren't even in top loaders, and arrived with dinged corners.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like these sellers don't know what they're doing.
I have been lucky, I have never gotten a PWE in an ebay purchase. Now I have something to look forward to...great.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a big deal as long as the cards get to me safely. Note that there are "handling fees" involved as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's just the way it is.
$2-$2.50, bubble mailer, that's that, end of discussion, unless being ripped off just doesn't bother you. We've wondered about blacklisting bad eBay sellers....now that would be an interesting use of Blog Power.
ReplyDeleteI got a sketch card commissioned last week and the artist sent it to me in a pwe with no sleave or anything protecting it! That was a $25 dollar commission and had that been damaged I would have been ticked!! I always use a bubble mailer at the least
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100% Sooz. Very very annoying. Don't let them get away with this!
ReplyDeleteRemember to go green! Try to re-use your bubble Mailers at all cost. Help save our beautiful mother earth.
ReplyDeleteThe Mojo Hand
I know all too well the problems with PWEs (plain white envelopes).
ReplyDeletehttp://crackinwax.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/a-case-against-plain-white-envelopes/
Somebody put this dude on the black list, please...
ReplyDeletehttp://myworld.ebay.com/jakrejci/
I've not bought a card from the person, but $6 for shipping on a single card? F*!k that! It better be wrapped in a $5 bill for padding.
I've never gotten anything from ebay in a white envelope, but I always check what I paid for shipping against the actual shipping that's stamped on the package.
ReplyDeleteIf it doesn't match, I bitch about it. I once paid $35 to ship a fairly large package (25+ lbs). It seemed legit. Until I got the package and the actual shipping cost was $17. I bitched to the seller, who claimed it was a handling fee. So I went to ebay and showed that there was no handling fee stated in the auction. I got my money.
If it comes in a white envelope with one stamp, your shipping price should be 42 cents. If it's more than that, I'd go straight to ebay with a complaint.
I am not looking for exact shipping, just close to it. If I get something in a white envelope, really it should be about $1.50 because I am considering all the shipping costs involved: stamp, gas, envelope and a small bump.
ReplyDeleteBut more than that is really out of line.
One of these days I expect to open the mailbox and find that an eBay seller has simply slapped a forever stamp on the upper right corner of the card I "won," after writing my name and address directly on top of Steve Finley.
ReplyDeleteI shipped all of the Finest break cards out in recycled bubble mailers. That was another way I kept my costs down on the break. The team bags were recycled too.
ReplyDeletePlus it costs 2.00 at most to ship a bubble mailer. Even my canadian friends were less than 2.
A toploader is .40 for the exquisite thick ones and .20 for a 75 pt, a penny for a penny sleeve. It does take a bit of gas and time.
Anything more than 3.00 for a single card and $5.00 for 4-20 cards is crap.
Oh, one more thing. The sellers know what they are doing, they just do it anyway.
I ebay alot. i start all my auctions at 1 cent and my shipping is 99 cents. if a card goes for a dollar total, the buyer got a great deal and it goes in a PWE. i hate them too, but i cant afford to pay people to take my cards. regardless, the card is in a penny sleeve, top loader and sealed in a "team set" bag. if the total price is 3 dollars or more, they get the manilla envelope with the cards in top loaders, wrapped in bubble wrap.
ReplyDeleteI got a lot of 39 '08 Chrome Refractors, shipping: $3.
ReplyDeleteYu Darvish Refractor, shipping: $3.50.