Shipping should be "at cost", nothing more... No handling charges. However, if shipping and handling charges are clearly stated up front, as a buyer, I have no problem whether they charge $5 or $50, because then you can calculate those charges into how much you are ultimately willing to pay for an item, and adjust your bids accordingly.
I'm pretty sure many buyers/bidders view s/h charges the same way when bidding. It's just another scam to bleed a higher percentage from the consignor based on the "overall item cost", by decreasing the "final sale price".. Basically, these costs(unless hidden) don't really cost the buyer anything more, but they do cost the consignor.
The handling portion of s/h is still a total BS concept. The auction houses basically get their BP for handling the sale of the item...And then charge you again for handling the shipping, despite the fact that handling the shipping is necessary when handling the sale of an item over the internet or phone, and is thus part of the same handling process.
Last edited by novakjr; 01-20-2012 at 02:23 PM.
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