Dear Japan....

[rknewcomb]

I've noticed even domestic shipping prices are now typically over $20 USD, which is at least $5 higher than it used to be. I refuse to look at items that have a domestic shipping charge over $20 because it appears to be a way to inflate the profit for the seller, since many camera related items can be shipped in Flat Rate boxes which cost $15.50
It used to be (10 years ago) that people routinely inflated the shipping charge to make more from the sale, but buyers were turned off by this ploy, and sellers clued in to that fact, and it seemed to have fallen out of favor. Perhaps the pendulum has swung?

Shipping rate costs to sellers have gone up in general.
I have sold items on the bay where I lose money trying to keep shipping costs down for the buyer. Fbay takes a cut of the payment you get from the buyer for shipping cost so i lose again. If i try and pack some item well so it gets where its going without damage that costs more than a crappy "stick it in too small a flat rate box and send" it method. Add insurance and it costs more.
Really can't keep everyone happy.
Robert

 

[MattKing]

The super inflated shipping cost charges are why eBay fees are now based on the price including shipping.

 

[grat]

Also, I believe Japan Post is still refusing to send mail to the USA. So shipping is usually FedEx or DHL. Expensive, but insured, and freakishly fast. Obviously, it's not worth it for a couple of dark slides, but for a camera, it's kind of nice to buy something and have it in your hands 2 days later-- from 7 thousand miles away.

 

[MFstooges]

The super inflated shipping cost charges are why eBay fees are now based on the price including shipping.

Which in turn makes it even more expensive because seller have to make up for ebay's cut on the shipping charge, see post #52 from rknewcomb. Not to mention that ebay have claim policy that is very lenient for the buyer.
In case of Japanese seller maybe they still maintain outrageous shipping cost to undervalue the item so that the buyer don't need to pay outrageous tax on used item.

 

[CMoore]

I don't know wtf happened to Japanese eBay sellers. It seems like there was a time, not long ago, when they were honest. Now they seem to be in a completion with each other for the most ludicrous item description. I just don't understand.

It has probably been 2 or 3 years since i bought from Japan.
But the several experiences i did have were Normal/Excellent.
The prices were reasonable and the item descriptions were not ridiculous.
It was much more.....Good and Very Good and a lot less........AA+++, Mint, Better than new, Etc etc.

 

[Anon Ymous]

...
In case of Japanese seller maybe they still maintain outrageous shipping cost to undervalue the item so that the buyer don't need to pay outrageous tax on used item.

Taxes and import duties are calculated on the value of item + shipping, so this wouldn't work. Or at least this is what happens here.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Perhaps the pendulum has swung?

No, eBay has just increased their fees.

eBay takes 12% of the total sale, which includes the shipping charges. So $15.50 actually ends up being $13.29 leaving the seller to foot the bill for the rest. And if the seller is using paypal for payment processing, you can add another 3% to that as well.

I sold my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR earlier this year and learned a hard lesson when it comes to fees. I sold it for $650 and after all the fees and shipping costs, I walked away with a little under $550. Never again.

 

[BradS]

No, eBay has just increased their fees....Never again.

Yup, I whole hardheartedly agree. The fees along with their insistence that they handle the money has pushed it too far. I'm done selling on eBay.

 

[Huss]

The super inflated shipping cost charges are why eBay fees are now based on the price including shipping.

Yeah as others have mentioned, that really screws the sellers. Last time I shipped a camera via USPS, my cost was $29.55 because I had insured it to its real value of $950.
I did not sell via ebay, but if I did they would have charged me a cut of that shipping, even though I wasn't making money on it. So that shipping cost to me would have been closer to $35.

Once all those fees pile up, it gets pretty hard to want to use ebay.

 

[MattKing]

Folks - as a seller, it is easy to deal with the fact that eBay includes the shipping for fee calculations. Just include enough in the price or the shipping and handling charge to cover it.
And yes, I understand that that increases the costs to the buyer, but every bit of "overhead" ends up increasing the cost to the buyer.
And eBay provides both an international marketplace and a mechanism for handling sales/purchases that is relatively streamlined.
Whether or not the percentage charged by eBay is fair is certainly an appropriate subject for discussion, but eBay's tool for dealing with the $1.00 item plus $100.00 for shipping crowd certainly seems appropriate to me.

 

[MFstooges]

Taxes and import duties are calculated on the value of item + shipping, so this wouldn't work. Or at least this is what happens here.

not in USA

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

No, eBay has just increased their fees.

eBay takes 12% of the total sale, which includes the shipping charges. So $15.50 actually ends up being $13.29 leaving the seller to foot the bill for the rest. And if the seller is using paypal for payment processing, you can add another 3% to that as well.

I sold my Nikon 70-200 2.8 VR earlier this year and learned a hard lesson when it comes to fees. I sold it for $650 and after all the fees and shipping costs, I walked away with a little under $550. Never again.

You're selling stuff on consignment. It's still cheaper than selling your gear at a photo shop on consignment.

 

[Arthurwg]

Exception to every rule, but generally speaking most of their stuff is misrepresented and overpriced.

 

[CMoore]

Folks - as a seller, it is easy to deal with the fact that eBay includes the shipping for fee calculations. Just include enough in the price or the shipping and handling charge to cover it.
And yes, I understand that that increases the costs to the buyer, but every bit of "overhead" ends up increasing the cost to the buyer.
And eBay provides both an international marketplace and a mechanism for handling sales/purchases that is relatively streamlined.
Whether or not the percentage charged by eBay is fair is certainly an appropriate subject for discussion, but eBay's tool for dealing with the $1.00 item plus $100.00 for shipping crowd certainly seems appropriate to me.

Not JUST you. but any member with Thoughts/Experiences.................. what are some alternatives to Ebay for non-local or even international Buying/Selling.?
I suppose a forum like this is one alternative. But they do not have quite the exposure that Ebay does.

 

[gdavis]

My guess is it was modified for this reason:

https://www.diyphotography.net/convert-your-old-camera-to-a-backdrop-projector-in-10-easy-steps/

"September 4, 2011 by Udi TiroshIf you own one of them 90’s film cameras and stopped using it because digital is so hip right now, you’re gonna dust it off once you’re done reading this tutorial...."

10 years later, that 90's film camera is hipper than digital...

 

[MFstooges]

This may be from Imperial collection. Losing money every single month until it is sold.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153567673879?hash=item23c158be17:g:D0gAAOSwKQJdLLj9

 

[mark]

On Ebay I'm only interested in items from Japan that have [exc ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++] and "haze"

There was a time I felt pretty confident ordering on Ebay from Japan. Not anymore.

 

[Huss]

This may be from Imperial collection. Losing money every single month until it is sold.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153567673879?hash=item23c158be17:g:D0gAAOSwKQJdLLj9

"Appearance is beautiful.
tiny scuffs from normal use.
It shows signs of use"

Well, at least shipping is reasonable.

 

[PerTulip]

I don't know wtf happened to Japanese eBay sellers. It seems like there was a time, not long ago, when they were honest. Now they seem to be in a completion with each other for the most ludicrous item description. I just don't understand.

I had the same observation. I bought many cameras/lenses from Japan and the descriptions were very accurate, often understating the condition. Now stuff with obvious defects is "Excellent+++++".