eBay Beware Of Shipping Cost Game Playing

[MEXICOWANDERER]

For tech items, and I guess everything else...

I looked for 100 1 amp axial rectifiers on eBay $4.95 + %5.95 shipping

I doubled the order. $11.90 shipping.

(Jim Varney) "Now, do I look like I got the word stuuuuupid written all over my face?"

I went to amazon.com and got the same brand and same part number for $11.38 delivered. 200 Diodes. There are probably better buys around.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The LIST not the individual ad. Scroll down the page of what, fifty ads and see a symbol on each entry. Not to have to click 50 times (down here it is s-l-o-w) and then go on an Easter Egg hunt. The combined shipping info is not automatically listed. It means email, read the spam protection letters, etc...

[DSchmidt_2000]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
eBay should employ a symbol on each listing, indicating if combined shipping is available. Saves many hours of 1.99 each! Shipping 9.99 and messaging sorry no combined shipping. For a one ounce item MAILED in a bubble envelope. It's hucksterism - raw and crude.

They do, on the 'shipping' tab it clearly shows what the seller's combined shipping costs are.

[RJsfishin]

I never have that trouble, because by the time I decide I need more than one, they already shipped the first one :R
OTOH, the couple times that happened, it was free shipping, so who cared. Anymore, its getting harder to find something w/o free shipping.

[martipr]

CAVEAT EMPTOR:S

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Just the opposite for me. I've had quite a number of vendors send replies that have the same tone as if I had asked to see their wife's underwear. Shocked that I would ask for less than full shipping charge on each 5 gram LED chip.

eBay should employ a symbol on each listing, indicating if combined shipping is available. Saves many hours of 1.99 each! Shipping 9.99 and messaging sorry no combined shipping. For a one ounce item MAILED in a bubble envelope. It's hucksterism - raw and crude.

[rickeoni]

I always ask for combined shipping when ordering off eBay, only once has the seller not done so.

[coolbreeze01]

I could have bought a 75cent washer on ebay for $5.95. You gotta watch.

[dougrainer]

The reason is simple on some of those deals. They MAKE their real money on the shipping. Watch TV and look at those only on TV ads for items. We will DOUBLE your order for free, (but pay separate processing and handling). They could just put 2 products in one box and ship like other "double" your order deals, but they make bigger bucks on charging separate processing and handling for EACH product ordered. As the OP pointed out, you have to really watch the "deals". Doug

[vermilye]

Yea, but Amazon does the same thing with its used book dealers - $.01 for the book & $3.99 for shipping. Buy 2 from the same dealer & pay double the shipping...

[doughere]

X2 on JimBollman's comments.

I usually find Amazon to be the easiest/best bet; but e-bay often has wider selection of "odd" stuff. Get real "odd" and Google starts to come into play. Great thing though; its out there somewhere!!

Doug

[DSchmidt_2000]

You're in Mexico so I don't think this applies, but Digikey will ship an order free in the US if you prepay. It's what I do when I don't need something in a rush.

Regarding Ebay, the sellers are pretty much up front on their shipping charges but you have to check the 'shipping' tab and make sure what you're getting yourself into. Some will send you a custom invoice if you ask them to combine shipping first before paying.

[helperzack]

Once ordered a case of filters off ebay, they were delivered the next day from Amazon.

Hmmm...

[JimBollman]

I always shop around, sometimes eBay is cheaper, sometimes Amazon and sometimes another source. I also keep an eye on where it is being shipped from, if you want it in a reasonable time for a project and the eBay guy is shipping from China it might be a month.

[ktmrfs]

and on ebay, if you buy multiples, request an updated price and often then you'll see the price for shipping not go up per unit.

And on amazon, if you do the next day shipping with prime, it's $xx per ITEM. So what do is order ONE with next day shipping. Then do another order with the rest I want with 2 day shipping. 9 times of of 10 they ALL arrive the next day and I only paid for one for next day shipping.