postage not known problem

[iwiw60]

Yikes! I'm a USA seller, and most of my listings are "unknown" to overseas buyers!!

It was mentioned some weeks ago that Gazza was getting ready to implement a Shipping Calculator....how about it, Gazza?? Now that this site is getting to be one of the "big boys" we need that shipping calculator...please?!?!?

In the meantime, yes, I totally agree...we need a quick-fix that will not allow a buyer to pay for an item that has been marked "unknown" until they are invoiced by us...

Please, Gazza, we need a fix for this!

[johnwash1]

A shipping calculator would be nice, though I imagine it would be quite complex. Presumably I would have to enter the expected shipping weight as well as method of dispatch.

Shipping weight is a minefield. I just listed a jigsaw a few minutes ago -- I weighed it, it was a little over 400 grams. I have a life, so I'm not about to do a pretend-package and find out how much extra the weight of the wrapping will be, I just say "Next step in UK rates is 500g, bit close to the wire, and I'm only listing this for 99p, so it would really hurt to lose on postage, OK, so the next UK rate is 750g, that costs 1.92, job done!".

But in the unlikely event that someone from France or Australia bids for it, the rate bands are much finer, I'd have to look at small packet rate airmail and give an accurate quote. I'm certainly not going to do that extra work unless I actually get an enquiry!

So how would that fit with having a shipping calculator?

The other thing I simply can't understand is why there are bidders who'll bid for things without knowing what the postage+packing will be. Are these people mad? Or are they outrageously rich? Or what? It's like handing the seller a blank cheque.

[stitchysyl]

Maybe it would help if we include in our auction listings something like "Overseas bidders please contact me before bidding to check postage"?

All my auction listings say that...as well as it being highlighted on my all about me page...yet I still get buyers bidding and making payment before I have a chance to contact them with the postage costs.

As its been said already, I think they believe we will just send the item when they pay, despite having missed the postage off, and they wil get a bargain.

[scanjet1954]

Maybe it would help if we include in our auction listings something like "Overseas bidders please contact me before bidding to check postage"?

Yes, I have it mentioned in my auctions, notice and my about me page but doesnt seem to make any difference.

[johnwash1]

Hard to see what more you can do if they have cotton wool between their ears. We need a Firefox plug-in that reaches out of their screen and gives them a good shaking by the scruff of the neck! :/

[scanjet1954]

Hard to see what more you can do if they have cotton wool between their ears. We need a Firefox plug-in that reaches out of their screen and gives them a good shaking by the scruff of the neck! :/

Oh, yes please that would be useful for many things

[iwiw60]

For the time being, I have devised a USPS Shipping Chart that is on every one of my listings to help avoid this dreaded prob...click here for a sample:

http://us.nine.ebid.net/perl/auction...8-1&mo=auction

scroll down and you'll see it..........you might want to come up with something similar to help you out...Happy Selling!

[Dottiedaisy]

Hello its 2009, and still I have this problem PLEASE PLEASE SOMEHELP. It's a pain,having to refund the PayPal payments, then having to explain and send the PayPal request. I'm a Silver surfer but I have been assured that it's nothing I'm doing wrong. SO Gazza please sort this for me Dottiedaisy

[bykimbo]

Hello its 2009, and still I have this problem PLEASE PLEASE SOMEHELP. It's a pain,having to refund the PayPal payments, then having to explain and send the PayPal request. I'm a Silver surfer but I have been assured that it's nothing I'm doing wrong. SO Gazza please sort this for me Dottiedaisy

Assured by whom?

Have you read all the other discussion about paypal not including postage? Is that what's happening to you (sorry, the threads a year old and I'm not digging that far!) Have you checked your paypal settings to make sure you're not over-riding the postage price there? There was another discussion about this just this week.

If none of that applies, have you reported your problem to support? Got a ticket number? What did they say?

[cherokee47]

On 'the other site'. I always listed postage costs to UK, Europe, and ROW together with 'please wait for invoice before paying'