Ridiculous Ebay auction win

**Mick** · 11-09-2013, 10:17 PM

Not my listing but wanted to relate an ebay story:

A few days ago, I "searched" for scrap computer components and put "beginning" bids on several. First two ended today. I wound up getting both. For the first one, I upped my "High Bid" by a dollar to get it. Second one was 22 pounds of wiring and cables with $17.85 shipping and my starting bid of 0.99. I got it for the opening bid. I hadn't read through the description till it was almost over. He'd intended to start at $9.99!!! So I emailed him asking what he wanted to do but I'd stand by my bid if he wanted. He honored the mistake. The sad part is that I didn't really care if I got it or not. I'd put in minimum bids on several with "High Bid" which doesn't show until someone outbids me. Just that nobody else bid.

**Lupin111** · 11-13-2013, 10:11 PM

Congrats on the win!

**Mick** · 11-15-2013, 09:21 PM

Got the cables today. Actually weighed 17 lbs but still happy with it. Emailed the seller just as a "heads up" that he might want to check his scale. Figured out that the shipping was the actual shipping charge. Thanked him again. He replied that even at .99, he was "happy to see them go".

**spider03** · 11-16-2013, 11:23 AM

Glad that you won the bid. It is nice when the sellers don't try to make a profit on the shipping charges.

**Ecycle Atlanta** · 11-16-2013, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by spider03

Glad that you won the bid. It is nice when the sellers don't try to make a profit on the shipping charges.

While it is true that some people really try to gouge the consumer with high shipping charges, I ALWAYS charge more than actual shipping cost because I include handling in that cost. I guess it comes down to semantics where you would charge handling, as it could be included in the price of the item instead of the shipping, but then people would complain that I charge too much for my item and wont buy it. Mostly now I do "free shipping", but when I do listings for items and add on shipping, I always state that the shipping cost includes handling as well. You have to remember that there are 3 costs involved: First, the cost (or value) of the actual item. 2: The cost in time/materials to list the item, package and take to UPS/FedEx, etc. and 3: The actual cost for 3rd party to ship the item. In Mick's case, the poor sucker would have probably lost money even at $9.99. He would have been better just recycling it himself or even throw it in the trash.