Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
"The United States Postal Service has produced its first postage stamp to exceed a $20 denomination: the $22.95 Columbia River Gorge Priority Express Mail stamp was issued Jan. 17.
It is also the first U.S. stamp printed by Banknote Corporation of America using a plate number beginning with the letter B.
A second stamp intended for Priority Mail use, printed by Ashton Potter USA Ltd., was issued at the same time: a $6.45 La Cueva del Indio stamp.
"
In case you weren't aware, the US Postal Service raised postage rates for priority and international mail on January 17, 2016. Domestic first class postage remained unchanged.
International rates saw some huge increases, especially in international first class parcel. The first ounce used to be around $2.00. It now starts at $9.50 (for parcels weighing less than 8 ounces) to $13.50 depending on destination.
Here is the link where you can view and/or download the rate notice:
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm
Bookmark this link as it always provides the most current prices for all services provided by the US Postal Service.
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Excellent info for us USA collectors!
Thank-you!
David
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Both eBay and Amazon had awful 4th quarters. I don't know for certain, but will bet rising shipping costs are a headwind for both of them—and for me on eBay when I try to sell an item. Too many items these days with parcel shipping costs equaling or exceeding the prices of the items being sold/bought. Basically, it's a transfer of wealth from the buyers and sellers to the shippers.
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eBay has changed their online postage purchase rates. My son showed the tables to me. On particularly the lighter weight parcels, sellers will no longer get a discount, and actually will be paying above USPS first class rates.
Sellers now will have to compare rates between the online costs when buying through eBay (I don't know if this applies to buying postage online through PayPal, but I'd be surprised if it didn't), and buying postage through the post office. The post office does offer a small discount for buying prepaid postage online through them. It is getting quite convoluted.
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08:30:05pm
Linn's reports that, " Washington Stamp Exchange discontinues ArtCraft FDCs: After producing the covers for more than 76 years, the company said in a statement that “the decreasing volume of sales could no longer sustain the high costs of production.†"
Are there any other FDC producers still using a shovel to stop the tide.
The stamp that broke the FDC fad.
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Shipping is a killer on eBay.
If you purchase a postcard, and live in Canada like me, the sellers want to send it to me International Express Mail for $13 + US. Why not charge me $3.00 and put it in an envelope with some cardboard?
With the Canadian Dollar now at roughly 70-cents to the U.S. Dollar, I'm sure the sales to Canada have fallen dramatically.
David
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There is nothing at all new about this. The problem is and has always been dishonest buyers on Ebay. Buyers have no accountability and Ebay will always side with the buyer.
A buyer simply has to claim he did not receive his auction lot and Ebay will take the funds out of the sellers bank account or credit card without even notifying the seller. The buyer gets to keep the item and gets his money back. Without proof of delivery the seller has no leg to stand, but even having proof of delivery will not always go in the sellers favor. As a seller I had had this happen to me 4 times. The first time it happened was over a $120 car part. The buyer claimed he did not received the item and Ebay refunded "his" money from my bank account. The item had proof of delivery thru UPS but Ebay did not care about that. It was only after I pointed out to Ebay that the jerk had left me glowing feedback for the item that they restored my money. This was around 12 years ago and things have got much worse with the lack of foresight that Ebays seems to have with any decision it makes.
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Several times in recent months I have decided not to buy items (not just stamps and covers) because of the incredibly high shipping costs. When you have to pay more for shipping than an items costs it just doesn't make sense. Nor does it make sense when one stamp dealer on eBay wants to charge $12.95 to mail a stamp or cover, and a seller in Vietnam or France will ship the same type of item, as registered mail, for $2.50. But when did the world make sense?
Here in Vancouver we are witnessing an interesting real estate bubble. The average cost of a detached house in Vancouver is now almost US $1.6 million. This planet is nuts.
Bob
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I agree that shipping cost are getting out of hand and to make matters worst some dealers....and stamp collectors alike, inflate the shipping charges to the tune of two or three times the actual cost, it is the reason many times I don't even bother to look at their listings be it on approvals or auction sections. I do sometimes bite the bullet but never forget that this is just a hobby of mine, not a necessity.
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"A buyer simply has to claim he did not receive his auction lot and Ebay will take the funds out of the sellers bank account or credit card without even notifying the seller."
Sorry, but that is not correct., eBay contacts the seller to ask for proof of mailing and tracking information. If the seller doesn't have that, then yes, eBay will refund to the buyer. eBay is quite clear on its rules regarding sellers, shipping and proof of mailing. If sellers neglect to follow those rules, it isn't eBay where the blame should be thrown. Sellers, protect yourselves, or else take the risk.
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Not a nice innuendo! That is exactly what happened to me. Ebay did not notify me first but took the money straight out of my bank account before I knew anything about it and I know this has happened to others. The guy of course told ebay that he tried to contact me twice without reply which of course was not true. That happened around 15 years ago and ebay may have changed it's tactics but I rather doubt it. Whatever, I do not appreciate the accusation.
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"If you purchase a postcard, and live in Canada like me, the sellers want to send it to me International Express Mail for $13 + US. Why not charge me $3.00 and put it in an envelope with some cardboard?"
The problem lies within both Ebay and the USPS. Tracking is not available for first class letters, only for for first class packages (that includes international first class). First class packages now start at $9.50 (I believe it used to be $2.20)
While apparently not affecting postcards, stamps cannot be insured:
"The following must not be accepted for insurance:
Bees, postage stamps (canceled and uncanceled) and albums in which they are mounted, and parcels addressed to CFPOs."
This is a direct quote from the USPS guide to shipping items outside the country
It gets a bit complicated.
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ce_003.htm
In that guide you will also find that a customs form MUST be attached to any msiling containing anything other than documents regardless of value and that you cannot ship any "Reproductions of Canadian postage stamps unless printed in publications in black and white only and with a defacing line drawn across each reproduction"
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I have not had a problem in a while with ebay and lack of receipt of parcels. Once or twice over the past year I had a problem and ebay actually refunded the buyer from its own pockets. I believe there are different rules for different people (I have an anchor store) and for the smaller seller the buyer is always right.
Yes the shipping amounts have changed. The PO doesn't make anything on first class mail, just parcels. I still think you get a decent discount on a lot of items postage wise when you generate your own labels. I always add a dollar or more for handling on a parcel (a lot more for international folks) as ebay and paypal both take a cut of the postage claiming that the sellers make a profit on postage. For most of us that is not true. This all came about because there were people years ago that were selling things like flat screen TV's for $50 with $600 in postage. Rather than go after the abusers, they did the easy thing and came after everyone
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"I believe there are different rules for different people (I have an anchor store) and for the smaller seller the buyer is always right."
I have the cheapest basic store; the only time a customer opened a dispute against me for non-delivery, ebay refunded the buyer out of their own pocket.
Ted
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Equating eBay of 15 years ago to today is the same as saying that you use a Commodore 64 for all your computer needs.
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One way to protect one's self here in the USA when shipping items from eBay to a seller is to utilize the eBay sponsored merchant, Shipsaver Insurance.
For international shipments, Shipsaver has a list of countries that it will not issue insurance but most countries are covered AND the cost is very reasonable much cheaper than USPS insurance.
Requirements for proof on international shipping are customs form number and post office receipt which prints that customs number on the receipt and destination. Buyers are required to electronically sign a statement that they never received the item. A snail mail copy of the document will also be mailed but holds things up abit.
If a buyer refused to sign the affidavit, I wonder if that would be grounds for eBay to refuse his refund? A buyer did that to me once but Shipsaver paid me anyway since I had proof of shipment--the customs form has his name and address on it plus post office receipt validated the mailing was received.
While lost shipments are rare, Shipsaver has not failed to pay me when an item is reported lost. I in turn refund the buyer his payment which by the way, insurance includes his postage/handling paid, too.
As an example, insurance cost for domestic is 79 cents for the first $100; $1.00 for the first $100.
All shipments I mail to foreign destinations are sent via USPS 1st Class International Mail--most nonmachinable letter rate.
Bruce
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02:28:52pm
From Linn's
"The United States Postal Service has produced its first postage stamp to exceed a $20 denomination: the $22.95 Columbia River Gorge Priority Express Mail stamp was issued Jan. 17.
It is also the first U.S. stamp printed by Banknote Corporation of America using a plate number beginning with the letter B.
A second stamp intended for Priority Mail use, printed by Ashton Potter USA Ltd., was issued at the same time: a $6.45 La Cueva del Indio stamp.
"
In case you weren't aware, the US Postal Service raised postage rates for priority and international mail on January 17, 2016. Domestic first class postage remained unchanged.
International rates saw some huge increases, especially in international first class parcel. The first ounce used to be around $2.00. It now starts at $9.50 (for parcels weighing less than 8 ounces) to $13.50 depending on destination.
Here is the link where you can view and/or download the rate notice:
http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/Notice123.htm
Bookmark this link as it always provides the most current prices for all services provided by the US Postal Service.
Login to Like
this post
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Excellent info for us USA collectors!
Thank-you!
David
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this post
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Both eBay and Amazon had awful 4th quarters. I don't know for certain, but will bet rising shipping costs are a headwind for both of them—and for me on eBay when I try to sell an item. Too many items these days with parcel shipping costs equaling or exceeding the prices of the items being sold/bought. Basically, it's a transfer of wealth from the buyers and sellers to the shippers.
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04:37:03pm
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
eBay has changed their online postage purchase rates. My son showed the tables to me. On particularly the lighter weight parcels, sellers will no longer get a discount, and actually will be paying above USPS first class rates.
Sellers now will have to compare rates between the online costs when buying through eBay (I don't know if this applies to buying postage online through PayPal, but I'd be surprised if it didn't), and buying postage through the post office. The post office does offer a small discount for buying prepaid postage online through them. It is getting quite convoluted.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
29 Jan 2016
08:30:05pm
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Linn's reports that, " Washington Stamp Exchange discontinues ArtCraft FDCs: After producing the covers for more than 76 years, the company said in a statement that “the decreasing volume of sales could no longer sustain the high costs of production.†"
Are there any other FDC producers still using a shovel to stop the tide.
The stamp that broke the FDC fad.
Login to Like
this post
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Shipping is a killer on eBay.
If you purchase a postcard, and live in Canada like me, the sellers want to send it to me International Express Mail for $13 + US. Why not charge me $3.00 and put it in an envelope with some cardboard?
With the Canadian Dollar now at roughly 70-cents to the U.S. Dollar, I'm sure the sales to Canada have fallen dramatically.
David
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
There is nothing at all new about this. The problem is and has always been dishonest buyers on Ebay. Buyers have no accountability and Ebay will always side with the buyer.
A buyer simply has to claim he did not receive his auction lot and Ebay will take the funds out of the sellers bank account or credit card without even notifying the seller. The buyer gets to keep the item and gets his money back. Without proof of delivery the seller has no leg to stand, but even having proof of delivery will not always go in the sellers favor. As a seller I had had this happen to me 4 times. The first time it happened was over a $120 car part. The buyer claimed he did not received the item and Ebay refunded "his" money from my bank account. The item had proof of delivery thru UPS but Ebay did not care about that. It was only after I pointed out to Ebay that the jerk had left me glowing feedback for the item that they restored my money. This was around 12 years ago and things have got much worse with the lack of foresight that Ebays seems to have with any decision it makes.
Login to Like
this post
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Several times in recent months I have decided not to buy items (not just stamps and covers) because of the incredibly high shipping costs. When you have to pay more for shipping than an items costs it just doesn't make sense. Nor does it make sense when one stamp dealer on eBay wants to charge $12.95 to mail a stamp or cover, and a seller in Vietnam or France will ship the same type of item, as registered mail, for $2.50. But when did the world make sense?
Here in Vancouver we are witnessing an interesting real estate bubble. The average cost of a detached house in Vancouver is now almost US $1.6 million. This planet is nuts.
Bob
Login to Like
this post
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
I agree that shipping cost are getting out of hand and to make matters worst some dealers....and stamp collectors alike, inflate the shipping charges to the tune of two or three times the actual cost, it is the reason many times I don't even bother to look at their listings be it on approvals or auction sections. I do sometimes bite the bullet but never forget that this is just a hobby of mine, not a necessity.
Login to Like
this post
09:25:02pm
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
"A buyer simply has to claim he did not receive his auction lot and Ebay will take the funds out of the sellers bank account or credit card without even notifying the seller."
Sorry, but that is not correct., eBay contacts the seller to ask for proof of mailing and tracking information. If the seller doesn't have that, then yes, eBay will refund to the buyer. eBay is quite clear on its rules regarding sellers, shipping and proof of mailing. If sellers neglect to follow those rules, it isn't eBay where the blame should be thrown. Sellers, protect yourselves, or else take the risk.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Not a nice innuendo! That is exactly what happened to me. Ebay did not notify me first but took the money straight out of my bank account before I knew anything about it and I know this has happened to others. The guy of course told ebay that he tried to contact me twice without reply which of course was not true. That happened around 15 years ago and ebay may have changed it's tactics but I rather doubt it. Whatever, I do not appreciate the accusation.
Login to Like
this post
08:29:54am
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
"If you purchase a postcard, and live in Canada like me, the sellers want to send it to me International Express Mail for $13 + US. Why not charge me $3.00 and put it in an envelope with some cardboard?"
The problem lies within both Ebay and the USPS. Tracking is not available for first class letters, only for for first class packages (that includes international first class). First class packages now start at $9.50 (I believe it used to be $2.20)
While apparently not affecting postcards, stamps cannot be insured:
"The following must not be accepted for insurance:
Bees, postage stamps (canceled and uncanceled) and albums in which they are mounted, and parcels addressed to CFPOs."
This is a direct quote from the USPS guide to shipping items outside the country
It gets a bit complicated.
http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/ce_003.htm
In that guide you will also find that a customs form MUST be attached to any msiling containing anything other than documents regardless of value and that you cannot ship any "Reproductions of Canadian postage stamps unless printed in publications in black and white only and with a defacing line drawn across each reproduction"
Login to Like
this post
Approvals
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
I have not had a problem in a while with ebay and lack of receipt of parcels. Once or twice over the past year I had a problem and ebay actually refunded the buyer from its own pockets. I believe there are different rules for different people (I have an anchor store) and for the smaller seller the buyer is always right.
Yes the shipping amounts have changed. The PO doesn't make anything on first class mail, just parcels. I still think you get a decent discount on a lot of items postage wise when you generate your own labels. I always add a dollar or more for handling on a parcel (a lot more for international folks) as ebay and paypal both take a cut of the postage claiming that the sellers make a profit on postage. For most of us that is not true. This all came about because there were people years ago that were selling things like flat screen TV's for $50 with $600 in postage. Rather than go after the abusers, they did the easy thing and came after everyone
Login to Like
this post
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
"I believe there are different rules for different people (I have an anchor store) and for the smaller seller the buyer is always right."
I have the cheapest basic store; the only time a customer opened a dispute against me for non-delivery, ebay refunded the buyer out of their own pocket.
Ted
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01:00:28pm
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
Equating eBay of 15 years ago to today is the same as saying that you use a Commodore 64 for all your computer needs.
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09:36:34am
re: Dig Deep Into Your Pockets
One way to protect one's self here in the USA when shipping items from eBay to a seller is to utilize the eBay sponsored merchant, Shipsaver Insurance.
For international shipments, Shipsaver has a list of countries that it will not issue insurance but most countries are covered AND the cost is very reasonable much cheaper than USPS insurance.
Requirements for proof on international shipping are customs form number and post office receipt which prints that customs number on the receipt and destination. Buyers are required to electronically sign a statement that they never received the item. A snail mail copy of the document will also be mailed but holds things up abit.
If a buyer refused to sign the affidavit, I wonder if that would be grounds for eBay to refuse his refund? A buyer did that to me once but Shipsaver paid me anyway since I had proof of shipment--the customs form has his name and address on it plus post office receipt validated the mailing was received.
While lost shipments are rare, Shipsaver has not failed to pay me when an item is reported lost. I in turn refund the buyer his payment which by the way, insurance includes his postage/handling paid, too.
As an example, insurance cost for domestic is 79 cents for the first $100; $1.00 for the first $100.
All shipments I mail to foreign destinations are sent via USPS 1st Class International Mail--most nonmachinable letter rate.
Bruce
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