# Yet another eBay rant **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393 "2003-02-11T18:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/81 "2003-03-06T22:56:09Z")
I remain the only “black mark” on his otherwise “spotless” record. :rolleyes: Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/82 "2003-03-07T12:00:44Z")
The final selling fee is based on the final selling value excluding shipping and handling, isn’t it? - If so, would this be (another reason) why people are charging outrageous postage fees? ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/83 "2003-03-07T12:25:09Z")
Dunno 'bout that **Mange** - in the auctions I’ve participated in, the S&H fee is made explicit so you know what it will be. The auction itself excludes this, true, but it’s not like it comes as a surprise. (Answering **Mange** only here - clearly **Spree** now understands this fine). pan ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/84 "2003-03-07T12:47:11Z")
For the benefit of some of you, including an user who emailed me about it, I’m posting the method to leave feedback directly, at any time. (I’ve left feedback a year after a transaction) The URL to be typed is ```auto http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?LeaveFeedbackShow&useridto=The_Other_Person&useridfrom=YOU&item=144442222 ``` So, if your ebayid is johndoe112 and the other party’s id is janedoe252. You both had a common transaction with item number 235422363 (hypothetical), then the URL you would use is ```auto http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?LeaveFeedbackShow&useridto=janedoe252&useridfrom=johndoe112&item=235422363 ``` This will bring up a page where you will be allowed to leave feedback. HTH ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/85 "2003-03-07T13:41:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kabbes \* > \*\*Dunno 'bout that **Mange** - in the auctions I’ve participated in, the S&H fee is made explicit so you know what it will be. The auction itself excludes this, true, but it’s not like it comes as a surprise. > pan \*\* I wasn’t really talking about the surprise element, I meant when the seller is hiking the postage and handling, then selling the item at below cost, so the eBay final selling fee is peanuts, but they still get a good price for the item (after the huge P&P charge is added on) ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/86 "2003-03-07T14:08:20Z")
Ah, hadn’t considered that. Bloody good idea, actually. pan ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/87 "2003-03-07T14:21:37Z")
Well, I suppose, except that if too many people do it, eBay will have to take steps against it to compensate for loss of revenue (probably by raising the fee scales generally or something) ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/88 "2003-03-07T16:42:41Z")
What, you think people _don’t_ do this? Happens all the time. They know the piece will cost $3.95 to ship, and they basically round up to some other figure and call it “handling.” (Yes, as explained herein, there are handling costs such as packaging and gas to run to the post office and whatnot, and yes, most of the people that sell on eBay are fine, upstanding sellers, but there are, as usual, shysters out there.) They get a few extra bucks out of you. It sucks, but as long as they spell it out in the auction description, it’s binding. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/89 "2003-03-07T16:49:17Z")
**Mangetout** is implying that it does the opposite of suck, **Spree** (blow perhaps?). Basically, if people know what they are willing to pay _in total_ then they will make their highest bid already allowing for the extras. As such the S&H shouldn’t affect the buyer, since it is just an allocation of the funds - more to S&H and less to actual purchase price. To the buyer it should therefore be neutral. TO the seller, however, less of the price is “taxable” by E-bay. They therefore win out of it. A cunning scheme. Until E-bay raise their prices to compensate, that is. pan ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/90 "2003-03-07T16:56:38Z")
I think it also takes advantage of newbies; I always check the postage and handling fees now, but when I was still green behind the ears ( 😉 ), I didn’t and I made a few expensive mistakes, bidding and winning what seemed to be a bargain, until the price doubled with packaging and handling. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/91 "2003-03-07T20:17:04Z")
So did I. I learned. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![moc.liamtoh\_rorrim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f17d59/32.png) [@moc.liamtoh\_rorrim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moc.liamtoh_rorrim)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393/92 "2003-03-08T23:15:06Z")
I agree with Esprix on the whole “neutral” thing. Positive: 🙂 I bid on the figure, won the figure, paid for the figure and recieved the figure. Thanks Ebay! Negative: Well i paid for the figure but the seller didnt send it to me, didnt give me a refund either. Neutral: Well… the seller didnt have any more figures, he couldnt please me after this transaction, but didnt piss me off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-ebay-rant/154393.md?page=4)