How to deal with eBay and spiteful buyers?

[redrumloa]

Just paid my most recent eBay invoice and my Power Seller discount has dropped from 15% to 5% due to eBay's new anonymous rating system. The killer is "shipping costs" has supposedly dropped fom 4.8(out of 5) to 4.7 for the last 30 days. The star ratings are anonymous.

I hate eBay, but being pissed at them won't change anything. I state upfront what shipping costs are. Shipping costs are actual postage + anywhere from $1 to $5 handling fee depending on the item. If people don't like the postage fees, why even buy? I don't get it, some people must just be spiteful and venting in the anonymous rating system. I'm stuck with eBay for now, I guess I will simply have to start banning eBay users using best guess who is doing it.

/end venting

[redrumloa]

As much activity as I had last month, the discount drop from 15% to 5% was a significant amount of money lost. Burns me up.

My problem is not the rating system, but the anonymous nature of it.

[redrumloa]

weirdami wrote:
So you became ineligible for the higher discount because your rating for shipping went down by 0.1? That's 2%. Were you on the edge of the 15% zone or something already?

It is based on the last 30 days, I had 75 feedback in the last 30 days. My 12 month average is supposedly 4.8. How close it was, I wouldn't know since the star system is anonymous. There could be a couple buyers clicking 1 star just to be a dick, I'll never know since it is anonymous.

[redrumloa]

@arnljot

There is a shipping calculator on the bottom of ever auction / store listing page. There should be no surprises.

Most retro buyers are great, really! The problem really must be a couple select individuals. Also I wouldn't care as much except eBay fees are so darn high, any Power Seller discount I get I factor into store prices. When my next Individual Computers shipment comes in next week, I will have to bump the eBay store prices a bit.

I'm ranting again. :lol:

[redrumloa]

Ideal wrote:
Also Redrumloa knows how to get paid, and seems to be raking in the dosh, so I don't see why he has to charge a handling fee.  

Unlike most of the knuckleheads trading out there, I ship properly. Most items ship in a new box with proper packing material (packing peanuts, bubble wrap, antistatic bags etc). I don't throw things in a crushed, dirty used box with no packing material and then tell the buyer to F themselves when it shows up in a thousand pieces.

I don't run a charity.

[redrumloa]

@stefcep2

You are 100% correct, except that I know it well alright. I'm just not your typical retailer in that I don't care about venting on a forum :-)

I've had a few buyers lately claim their item is DOA. When I aplogize and tell them return it and I will send them a working item after I get theirs back and verify the problem, they dissapear. Seems to be exactly what Plaz mentioned, trying to get something for nothing.

[redrumloa]

I believe the solution is to raise prices because the people who complain are probably those who can't afford it anyway and raising prices would help you recoup and to keep the bad people away because those who can afford it will renegotiate or not complain.

Sounds like a plan  :-D

-Edit-
I actually did that once with a CD32, the incoherent complaints I got from a couple eBay users was helpful to populate my blocked buyer list :lol:

[redrumloa]

abbub wrote:
As it is, shipping costs are severely broken on ebay.

Keep in mind my average handling fee is $2, unless something is bulky or needs extra material then it can scale up to $5. I have an account with a box manufacturer, I buy new boxes, bubblewrap, peanuts, tape, antistatic bags etc. Each of these cost money, that is why there is such a thing as a handling fee. Go to any box/shipping supply company online and calculate how much all this costs. See what a pack of 100 boxes costs to be shipped to you.

What some people miss is there is no Voodoo here, everything is stated up front. Back when I was selling comic books on eBay for a while I tried a flat $2 shipping first comic, all additional comics ship free. I plainly stated in the listings basic shipping would ship in a padded envelope by media mail, unless buyer opted for upgraded shipping. The comics being sold were anywhere from $.35 each to a couple dollars each. I'd have people buy ~25+ comics and pay just $1.99 shipping. My actual costs were about $8.00 and people would complain the comics didn't ship Priority Mail or boxed. So they pay ~$15-$20 for comics and expect it to be shipped at a higher cost than what they paid  :roll:

[redrumloa]

@Bezzen

Where the heck you been? Long time no see :-)