Ok I think this topic has been brought up before but Im gonna bring it up again. Today I recieved a brake kit that I won off ebay about two weeks ago. As I looked at the shipping charges it said $3.76........I paid $15.00 bucks for shipping!!!. I no most sellers are hounst about shipping charges, but those who arnt should br stoped...ITS FRAUD!!!

"ITS FRAUD!!! "

Nope, it's just everyday business on GREEDBAY.

Ya I guess your right but what goes around comes around.

Here's a variation on shipping.
Sent an item to the UK and unwittingly wrote the ebay final auction price (650) in the insurance field of USPS.com. I didn't even buy insurance on the item, just filled out that column.

well the item arrived in the UK with a $180 tax tied to it before it can be picked up. holy cow, talk about expensive shipping. I had no idea... ugggh.

Well, say you pay $10 for a part and the shipping is $10. You paid $20, just part of the total IMO. Whether you pay $2 for the part and $18 for shipping or $18 for the part and $2 for shipping, it is still $20. My guess is that if the shipping cost were a little closer to actual, which is different depending on where you live, the price of the part would have been a little higher.

My variation.....

But, When it says "Shipping and Handling" The latter part is for time spent packaging, driving to the post office (if thats how it was shipped) and standing behind 2 gray/blue hairs (no disrespect to the elderly) picking out what dammmmn book of stamps they want.. Hmmm.... do we want the Dove's or the American Flag? ..................JUST PICK ONE!!!!

-10 min packaging
-15 min drive to the post office
-Gas at $3.00 a gallon
-20 min in line helping "very nice" elderly people pick out stamps

...45 Minutes to send someone a package while being in the bowels of hell for that last 20 min stretch...O' yeah someone is gonna pay for it
J/K...No actually not, thats why I don't do ebay, cuz everyone would be starting threads about me "Conley just screwed me again"...$25 shipping for a used signed jockstrap worn by BridgeCity in the 196? olympics...YEAH someone's gonna pay damnit!

LMAO!!! ^ right there ^

When I buy off the Bay, I treat it like 83gt4fun said, shipping cost is part of what you are paying for the item. If you really want it, "somebody is gonna pay."

Im w/ Mark on this one.
I put shipping and handling in all my auctions. Gonna get paid for my time. And when I box something up, I take my time, and make sure its packed well. I've received so many packages that have been thrown together. In the end I have the frame w/ the ding in it, because UPS/Fedex punts the box from one side of the wharehouse to the other.

Its a cost of doing Business. My 2 cents.

I have been working for UPS for 26 years and it's true, they hire out of work NFL kickers and washed up soccer players. It's a requirement (I lied my way in, at the interview/tryout I could drop the box but I kept missing the punt). They hired me for my dropping abilities alone.

I tell anyone shipping thru us to package any box well enough to be able to drop it from waise high.

If you could see our system from the inside, it's a wonder anything make it thru alive. LOL

Only backing up Red here ( BTW, I forgive you for calling the MN guys stooges or stange, can't remember )

Anyway, true story here, from friends 10 years apart in age, with 10 years difference in their times of working in the "back of the big brown truck loading area". ( that sounds really bad I know)

...ANYWAY, both claimed that the highlight of their work shift was "Who could kick the box further into the trailer, because it was marked FRAGILE". They were also both on the mid morning shift, like some 3am to 6am part time as well....I have since stopped marking my packages FRAGILE.

BTW, How about the female UPS drivers in other areas of the country? Do none of them look good in the big brown polyester pants? DON"T be offended here...

Disclaimer: only in my area I can say this is true, "from my opinion" only, and have not gotten the opinion of others that live on my block

It's kind of like the local Hardee's fast food drive up (Star Burger, something or other to you southren folk, eh!) Not even the hottest behind the counter females looked good in the big brown polyester pants BITD ..... BMX related part here. SO, I decided to "ride up on my bike" to the drive up window one day(so I couldn't see the pants. Lying here, was just being an azzzz), and the Gal that POLITELY (not really) said "You can't do that, you need to be in a vehicle, or come inside" So after I told her off "In a Nice Manner ) ... I found out a 1/2 a year after dating my wife (18 years later) .....that, that was her! O' well, she still doesn't look good in brown polyester pants...

true story....

I love these guy's who will send you an Email about something you are selling on ebay, telling you hey it only cost $12.00 for you to ship that to my area, so why are you charging $15.00, I used to get those emails about 3 times a day when I had an Ebay store selling engine parts, We all know that about 90% of the people who shop on ebay are cheepskates looking for something for nothing, I try to add a few dollars to my shipping cost for the handling, it takes time to drive to the post office, and I also try to recoup some of the listing and final value fee's, it is almost getting to a point with the freaking fees ebay has been charging, to not even sell anything on there anymore, The first thing I always look for when bidding on an item is the shipping cost, I try to be fair,,but I love the guys who really try to screw people...like the other day, I was looking for some projection headlights, and the guy had some listed for a buy it now price of $10.00, but the shipping was $20.00,, it is no secret what his scam is, other than making a ton of money off of the shipping cost, if the headlights show up at your house all broken cause the UPS man punted it across the street, he only has to refund $10.00 so he still makes about $15.00,,cause it only cost the jerk $5.00 to ship it,,people like that should be shown the door and not allowed to sell on ebay,,,damn I wrote a book here,,,sorry guy's i will stumble onto another thread,,,,,its late i'm tired,,

Hey Dennis do you remember "pitching trash cans" with bikes . Maybe you should have tried that, then they might have started you with more $. The bosses could have blamed any damage on the neighborhood kids.

"Hey what happens to it after we set it on the porch ain't our problem. We can't help it if there are a bunch of Juvenile delinquents running around like Monkeys on bikes. Call the COPS"

first off ive been a ups driver for 17 years and i just dont leave packages laying on the front porch for the whole world to see, we are held liable for missing packages if we do that and they get stold. second you can open a UPS account online @ UPS.COM get your own shipper number and print your own labels. example: you by something from joe cool in ca, get his adress go to ups.com enter him as the shipper and your adress as the receiver and mail him the label.have him put it on the box and take it to a ups store, ups customer counter,to a driver or even the ups guy at his work for no charge, you have the tracking number so youll be able to track it and he wont be able to charge you 25 dollars for a 12 dollar shipping charge. i do this alot and the shipper always seems happy that they dont have to deal with lines or over price ups charges at some outlets. another option is do a one time pick-up that you can also do online where the ups driver will go right to the shippers house with the shipping label and pick the box up for 10 bucks. maybe we could get a ups link over to the right and everyone would have quick acess to it dosnt cost anything to get a account except a credit card. id be happy to help anyone out who needs it

Easy there Bud, I was jokin, did ya notice emoticons? I used UPS plenty of times no problems. Did ya happen to notice The Red Barons post. He's been working for them longer than you and can joke about it, jeez relax. The post is really about the prices some people charge for shipping, but as many a negative vibe post goes around here it won't take long before one of us pranksters to come along and try to turn it into a joking thread. I don't think anyone here was trying to offend you or your employer, sorry if I did, but please read the posts carefully and take them in the context they were intended. The boards are filled with pranksters and there is alot of sarcasm slung around here, you need to have a pretty thick skin or you will probably find yourself offended alot. Loosen up a bit and have some fun.

Peace
Chuck

Nice going Chuck! Offend the new guy. Way to go.



Wait for it...

Gettin ready to head to work Dennis? What is it 7:07 am there? I've been at work 2 hours allready. It's was a whopping 8 above this morning 18 bellow with the wind chill. What freakin possessed me to leave AZ (insert gun to head emoticon)

Packaging, time and gas is expensive, but I only add about a buck or so for handling. Sometimes I get the buck, and sometimes if I screw up my calculator and it weighs more or is bigger then I expected I eat the buck. It kinda all evens out. New rules for USPS - often now Priority is CHEAPER then Parcel Post! Always use delivery confirmation or some type of online tracking number.

I won't use UPS (sorry, but they are AWFUL). I do use FedEx, but be careful with using an account number as they try to rip you off every time by placing more or additional charges to your credit card. Last time I got a receipt for $21.00, but my card was charged $54.00. That's a big difference to me.

I wrap everything very well! And if you ship international make sure to TRACK IT! International Express USPS is the cheapest with tracking!

It does get to you when people email you looking for a cheaper method of shipping when your close to the bone to start with.

I had a Tandem bike on ebay once that a guy in IOWA wanted me to drive 2 hours to drop it off at the Chicago Amtrak and didn't expect me to charge him time/gas/and parking costs! He didn't get the bike!

I bet if I had beer (s) and a cigar (s) waiting for ya you'd drive it the 2hrs to my house.

What the hell were you doing with a tandem bike?

Dammmm! Chuck, what the heck were you thinkin? BURRRRRR. I wear shorts here year round.

If I were working todat, I would already be there. I am off to Jury Duty this morning. Gotta leave in a few minutes. Do they have Jury Duty in the other states?

Hey, I never said UPS is the best, we do recruit the best punters though.

Heck, anyone who ships anything with any carrier will have a story about every shipper. It is a business of numbers and we are all human. Sorry for your loss.

Well, I am off to do my duty as a juror. Wait, let me practice. GUILTY! Ok, I'm good to go.

On Monday I packed two bikes for shipping.

They were fairly easy to pack, maybe 30-45 minutes each.

The boxes came from a bike shop that's a 30-minute round trip from here.

I took the packed bikes to DHL, which is about a ten-mile round trip through the city. Between driving there and standing at the counter, it's a half hour easily.

It cost me $52.91 total to ship both bikes.

What did I charge the bidders?

$22.00 each.

That's right. I spent at least two hours packing and driving. And a $52.91 cash outlay (check, actually).

My total "profit" on "outrageous" shipping and handling?

Negative $8.91. And negative two hours of my life.

So there's hope, boys. Not all eBayers are greedy.

I just shipped a bike (everything minus the cranks) and it cost me 54.00 ground (mn to oregon). I was floored. I shipped it in a cruiser bike box (all I had). I guess there a bit longer/wider, non the less, its a ripoff.

The main reason some sellers jack up the shipping and reduce the price of the item is because Ebay doesn't charge a final value fee on shipping. It's like avoiding sales tax or a commission. The other reason is, when people sort items by price, the seller with the .02 cent brake kit and $15 shipping is going to show up first, as the cheapest. Common sense is going to tell you to consider the total price when bidding or buying. Does it really matter??

Too bad ebay didn't work like pricegrabber, where they show the bottom line price based on the item + shipping.

I believe all the shippers use what we cal DIM weight (dimension). The size of the package is part of the equation, as is where it is shipped from and where it is shipped to. You could put a feather in a huge box and be charged for 70 lbs.

I am curious, go to UPS.com (you do not need an account) there you can check on the pricing of a shippment. They will need the size of the box and the weight. Do it with the size of the box you used, then with the minimal size you would have needed if you cut the box down to fit.

Actually, I think all the shippers websites have a price check.

Let me know if there is a difference.

It is incumbent upon me as someone who screws up every thread, ever, that a markup is not fraud. It may be distasteful, it may even be odious, but it is most certainly not fraud.

Also, packing and shipping is a time suck, thereby an expense, regardless of method.

Well BenOr Elvis, it's easy for you to say considering the stock options you just acquired in UPS. It's in my best interests to now watch your financial moves, every one of them. your nephew.

When you refer to "Dim" weight, is that the length of the box and around the box for a final number??? I was told @ UPS this is how they determine it, and weight of course. EX: My box was 118" (length and around) and if its over 108" the price gets jacked up.. I don't know.

if you go to usps.com and click the "see size requirements" button when filling out a shipping label.
it gives this info with some very good graphics. (not a URL so I can't copy it here)

I've been nailed a couple of times with an extra 30 bucks on shipping by exceeding that number by just a couple of inches.....




While postage is generally based on a package's weight, items that are bulky and lightweight—a fishing pole or basket, for example—are charged a 20-pound balloon rate surcharge when mailing to zones 1-4 or are subject to dimensional weight pricing if the package is over one cubic foot and being shipped to zones 5-8. The balloon rate is applied to all Priority Mail® items that weigh less than 20 pounds and measure over 84 inches—but not more than 108 inches—in length and girth combined.

The dimensional weight is applied to Priority Mail items that are larger than one cubic foot. The dimensional weight represents the amount of space a package occupies in relation to its scale weight, therefore postage may be based on scale weight or dimensional weight, whichever is greater.

These are the calculations we use to determine pricing based on the measurements you provide:

Rectangular Packages
Balloon Rate
(The maximum allowed for this rate is 108" and 70 pounds.)

Length + Girth = X"

Dimensional Weight
Length x Width x Height = X / 194 = X pounds
Non-rectangular Packages


Balloon Rate
(The maximum allowed for this rate is 108" and 70 pounds.)

Length + Girth = X"

(Girth is the distance measured around the thickest part of the parcel.)

Dimensional Weight
Length x Width x Height = X(0.785) = X / 194 = X pounds

That is correct. Measure around the smallest part of your package, then from one end to the other of the longest side of your package. Add those up, if that is over 108" it is considered "oversize". If you would have cut you 118" box down to be under 108", it would have saved you a lot of $. Maybe half, I can't be sure.

BridgeCity gives a ton of good info there. Bottom line is to do your homework, a little research will go a long way. I was looking online at USPS.com about sending something overseas and, if I remember correctly, it was cheaper to do it online than if I actually took it to the Post Office and had them do the shipping.

Odious,......wasn't that the kid's name on the Andy Griffith Show?


Dennis, did youz guys send the dude to the "chair"


It's Balmy 18 above zero in sunny Champaign IL. Break out the shorts and flip flops

"Measure around the smallest part of your package,"


Can you say this on the internet?!

"handling" charges should be factored into the reserve or just eaten by the seller since they obviously are getting more for the item by selling it abroad rather than locally.

If its a pain in the you know what to ship it, try selling it locally. But then you wouldnt be selling your services for shipping if you did that.

Guilty, but I know and like YOU!

I refurbished a few Tandems before going into the OS-BMX thing! I will post a pic of the Tandem Later!

sure ya can, but you'll wind up paying a lot more for the item haha

looks like we have shared the same problem and going by the replies from seasoned members in my neg thread it's all ok to do it. obviously there are no brothers in this hobby, just greed.


http://oldschoolbmx.com/community/index.ph...wtopic=27007047

Fraud no, but illegal, YES! Make sure if your a real business to use the words "Shipping & HANDLING"!
Reason: My current understanding (unless the laws have changed) is because shipping is not taxable! Thus no margins can be associated with freight. Marking up freight costs is illegal as it is a tax loophole for businesses to create tax free income. If your company ever gets into a freight audit it becomes apparent that this happens often.

Balloon weight? I thought Balloons floated thus they should have negative weight and the shipping company should then owe you! LOL

Has anyone priced 3M packing tape lately? It's not free.

My garage is full of every shape and size box you can imagine. I hate holding boxes, but it's part of the gig. It also takes time to track down bike boxes and pick them up. The closest bike shop that really moves bikes is about 20 minutes away. There is one closer, but they crush their boxes and won't hold any for customers.

Packing material. This stuff takes up more of my garage. I hate packing material but, it too, is part of the gig.

My time disassembling a bike.

My time packing and repacking a bike to prevent damage or "break through" that most bikes I'm mailed seem to get.

My time and ink printing a FedEx label. Have you priced DELL ink cartridges lately?

My time running a bike to FedEx Kinkos so it ships in a timely manner, rather than waiting a day for them to pickup. Not to mention the gas to get to and from FedEx. I have a location 3 miles from my house, but they are complete tools, so I drive an extra 3 miles each way to go to the one that knows what they're doing.

All of this, I consider "handling." If you don't think a seller should charge for all that, you're crazy.

I think there is truth to that, I work in shipping and receving, one day I open my dock door for the driver only to see him STANDING on a sealed box that contained a 42 inch plasma TV. Im scared of sending my frame off to Chip for powdercoat for that very reason.

I think this has hit a all time low for VBMX to me. There are threads on here that shows all kind of different vintage BMX heart and soul. This topic has 2 pages of replys and it at the top now. Im really sorry about the bump TTT. If you don't like what the auction says then don't bid. Read the auction.
The pictures are just here to change the mind frame, maybe.

Mark Durgee

So your in the business of shipping items. Great! Remind me never to buy from you. It's people like you that makes everyone think they can charge the seller for driving to the post office.

hmmm, when i sell i actually enjoy disassembly and packing to help the next fella out. the 5km trip to the PO dosn't worry me and then if the postage cost comes to less than i quoted, i refund the difference. it's not a business for me, it's a hobby.
i guess to some it's a chore, a bit like getting up to go to work.

Just for the record, I do look at the shipping and handling charges and that factors in on my maximum bid. I miss out many times because of this. The seller would have gotten more money from me for the item had he not charged for the handling. I just think its wrong. Its deceitful if you ask me.

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. It's all good.

This thread started with a statement and that persons opinion. We all know that opinions are like armpits and some of those stink. But everyone is entitled to thier opinion. There is some good information on here for everyone.

Personally, I read these more for the laughter affect from the guys cracking jokes. I have no problem skimming through the parts that do not concern me.

Boxing up bikes and framesets is a pain in the butt.

It's not illegal, it's handling.

Listen, if in buying a thing you don't make sure you have all the angles, as in what was disclosed, you're the one in the wrong. It really is that simple. You (all) can point fingers, huff and puff, invoke whatever this vague thing is about you should only pay what you think is fair, but bottom line: It's right there on the auction or whatever what they're charging.

It's not that hard.

Red, honestly to me your word is totally bond. You are a BMX godfather (proven). Maybe this topic should have been under "everything else" or "negative", in my opinion. If some one were to go to www.BMX m*****.com they could find all kinds of cheap transaction beating threads. Or you could go to BMXB****.com and click on a link and get meatsun at work for the addminns to see. I think www.vintagebmx.com is fun to be at for the older and newer good memories of BMX. From my BMXB****.com browsing "Wrong F F F***".

Kelly, very true. It does not belong in this catagory. Now that you mention it. Hey ElvisorBenor orsomeone, what's the skinny. Why is it here?

There is too much negativity in the world to continue to propagate it further here. true true true...

Dude, don't make this any harder by making me think about what I do, leave alone justify it.

I agree with red, kelly and elvis on this issue and everything else for that matter. I no longer need to post here. Just read theirs twice from now on.

COOL pic's Kelly, thrashin the Yamajamer! How did you give the forks more travel? If the thread bums ya just read the goofy posts twice.




Agreed! If there wasn't a few who liked to have a little fun on the these type of neg threads then I think it would be very dull around here. There is a section just for negative stuff.

Dennis next time you see Rick punch him in the arm for me.