"Keith Marshall" wrote in message
om...
But considering the fact that on the first listing of his that I looked
at (from the link you gave) he states the following for shipping charge:
"US $3.95 - US Postal Service Priority MailŪ"
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7514472115
I'd say HE'S the one that's being unreasonable. :-)
Thanks for bringing that to my attention!
I also find it hard to believe that UPS would cost $17.70 for something
the post office will ship for $7.70 but the flat-rate boxes could make
that much difference I suppose.
Yup, that's the beauty of the new Flat-Rate boxes. They offer two sizes,
either of which will ship for a flat rate of $7.70, regardless of
destination or weight (up to 70 lbs max). It really is a great deal!
If he sticks to his guns and does ship it by UPS I'd be sure
and check the label when it arrives to see how much it actually
cost him.
I've gone through the metal weight calculator and figured 12.5 lbs for the
stock, and guess another 1.5 lbs for packing material. Since he says he has
daily UPS pick-up, then he gets preferred rates. Which means he should be
able to ship a 14 lbs package to me for just $11.01.
But here's where it gets odd. He wrote: "Send the total for all (3)
auctions, and if the actual is much different than the estimated shipping
charge, I'll refund the difference. I belive the total shipping is quoted
around $12.00."
(Actually, the total shipping quoted was $17.70.)
In any case, he claims that he's not trying to make money off the shipping,
and that he will refund any overpayment. Given the circumstances, I have
little expectation that he will hold true to that offer, but it certainly
takes the wind out of the argument that his intention was to pad his profits
by overcharging on shipping.
The only other comment I have is that you should have asked him about
this BEFORE bidding since he didn't specify in his listing how he planned
to ship it. I know it's easy to say that now that it's too late but it's
something I learned long ago when buying via eBay.
I usually do clarify such things in advance. But he seemed like a reasonable
seller (stated "actual shipping charges) and I really didn't expect there to
be this kind of problem. In fact, even now I can't imagine a reason for his
obstinace.
BTW, the fact that you're using a postal money order doesn't
automatically mean that he's going to the post office anyway.
I normally either cash them at my bank or deposit them into my
checking account when I receive them so there's no need to take
them to the post office.
I did some more research on this after my initial communication with him and
discovered that bank deposits were an option. That is why I wrote him back
and explained how everything could be done from his home or office (via free
box delivery and free carrier pick-up, and with me mailing him the postage
and forms with my payment).
But his position is even more odd considering that he offers Priority Mail
on one of his other active auctions.
- Michael