Acceptabel P & P profit

[mummydear]

Paid £5.00 for three clothes items to be sent,

it arrived second class P & P £2.12 and outer packaging ripped .

is nealry £3.00 profit acceptable on something that doesn't necssarily need along of packaging ?

Just wondering ..

P and P prices have changed recently, somethings that used to cost loads are cheaper, maybe this was one of those sorts of parcels?
Jeans used to cost no less than £4 before are now nearer £2.
And if P and P is stated before you bid, the unwritten rule is, you have accepted it, whether its a rip off or not.
Some people put things on at 99p with 17.99 p and p to save on fees.

i don't think it's fair. I have been ripped off like this myself. WhenI have sold on ebay I have made up to a pound more just from guestimating p and p costs, but I always wrap really well and post v. quickly.

It was sellers standard rate... but when I do this but I post first class and make sure that it is wrapped well.

Wouldn't mind so much but package was ripped.

Buy hey ho live and learn..

THink it is live and learn really.

I don't bid on things with postage higher than I estimate myself.

Hi Mummydear, it's actually against ebay regulations to profit from shipping charges, and can also nullify a seller's protection with Paypal. When I feel I've been 'mugged' I politely email the seller and point these facts out - so long as you do so before leaving feedback, there's a good chance they'll do the right thing and refund a little. I don't necessarily expect postage at cost price, but actual postage cost, plus a little for packaging (NOT if I'm recycling...) say 20%... Hope this helps.

Thanks MKMMD , ( nice name , how very true )

I always feel that, as long as you know up-front how much the total price will be, it's not really important how much is "item" and how much is "P&P" - it's what hits your purse that counts! Yes, it's against regulations, and some people take the piss, but you accept that if you want their item, and take it into account when setting your max bid. You should always be entitled to expect safe and secure packaging though, whether you pay £1 or £10 for it.

I always just guess a sensible-ish amount for postage - I've just listed a load of jumpers with £3 postage, some will cost more and some less, but I reckon that overall it's not too unreasonable. When I was new to eBay I used to weigh each item individally after packing and charge the exact amount - so much extra work! When I had my Eureka moment and realised that it was the overall cost that mattered, it made listing so much quicker and simpler. I'd never try to charge £17.99 or something daft to post a jumper though!

Message withdrawn

I think it is against e bay rules to make profit from post and packing, I hate being overcharged for postage.; I got caught once when someone charged £3.95 for something that could have been sent on a 1st class stamp he was really awful when I queried it and amongst other things said he paid someone to wrap it for him and it took 15 minutes. I said that if the people he employed took 15 minutes to wrap something I would personally be looking for new staff!!! it was a tiny cotton suit

I often estimate postage and if I find I have overharged more than 30p which is what it cost me for the bags I use I do refund the difference

You also have to remember the cost of the paper/tape/wrapping - petrol getting to post office? These were all reasons I was giving by a seller when I threatened to report them for profiteering from P&P - I'm sure ebay would find it difficult to prove that the P&P wasn't justified.

I sell quite a bit of our bits and bobs on ebay. I always weigh everything and put down the postage charge plus about 10p as if people pay by paypal the commission is taken on your postage as well. I save everything that might come in handy for packaging so its very rare that I actually have to pay for packaging but if I did I would add that in. Stayathomemummy, you may feel that people take into account the postage charge, but I have sometimes as a test listed two similar items, one at actual postage and one with inflated postage, and find that I make more profit overall on the ones with actual postage, as you get more bids on items with lower postage. Also, if someone else is selling a similar item but with higher postage, I usually find that mine gets more bids and sells for more! It only takes a second to weigh each item on my kitchen scales and look up the weight on my post office chart, but as my actual postage charges gets me more bids then its time very well spent.

I would be very p###d off if I found out i had paid an extra £3.00 to the seller for p&p!! Wouldn?t have thought the ripped packaging was anything to do with the seller though.

When buying I always look at p&p and think is it worth it. (and even check the postage cost when it arrives as you did. AND this can make me put neutral feedback.)

When I?m selling I always weigh items and go as near to weight and packaging cost as I can. ? the cheaper the P&P the more bids !.

People that put P&P plus handling charges need shooting!! If you decide to sell stuff on eBay you should firstly be sincere about P&P costs and secondly have thought about having to go to the post office to post the stuff! and how much petrol, time ets this will take.

I actually like the fact that my P&P is exact to weight and packaging, as I think people will return? and thankfully they do!