Signature confirmation

[mugsisme]

Uh, did you know that if you sell something for over $250, Ebay automatically adds sig confirm on your postage? It doesn't say it is charging for it separately, but I had a woman complain that I charge $10.50 to ship a $300 necklace. But I paid $9.55 and fees to ship it. Then she was mad that it had signature confirmation on it, and she had to go to the PO to pick it up.
I just ran a test on a bracelet that sold for $275. I went to print a label, and sure enough, it came up with USPS insurance, $9.55. Without sig confirm. I added it, and it went to over $12. I took it off, and it went back to $9.55.
When I paid and printed the label, it says that signature confirmation is on there. it was a flat rate priority envelope.

It would have been nice for Ebay to give us the option, since some buyers don't want it.

 

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[kali_is_my_copilot]

Thanks for the heads up! I tend to add signature confirmation for jewelry that sells over $150 or so anyway but I agree that it's not appropriate for eBay to add this on.

 

[mugsisme]

Save yourself some money. LOL. Still can't find anywhere it says that they do it.

 

[Joe777Cool]

USPS requires a signature (for their own internal use only) for items insured over a certain $ amount, I believe it's $200 or $250, and it is only viewable to USPS employees. eBay/Paypal require signature confirmation for items over $750, but it can be added for any item/$ amount. Signature confirmation is viewable by the seller/eBay/Paypal.

The problem you are having is being caused by insuring your items. FWIW I'd be angry if I was charged $10.50 to ship a necklace too, and you are probably losing sales over these exorbitant costs.

 

[mugsisme]

Joe, you wrote exactly what I was coming to write. Yeah, the PO requires it for over a hundred dollars, and yes, it has to do with the insurance. Personally, if someone doesn't want to pay that much on an expensive item, there are other sales. I'm OK with losing those sales. Seriously, I am not making money on those. I am insuring them. Yes, I so far, thank G-d, have never had a package get lost or damaged. But you know Murphy's Law ... the ONE time I don't insure it, it WILL get lost or damaged, and *I* will be out the money. I weigh the cost of eating the loss vs paying for the insurance.
I did lower my first class shipping. And I have plenty of auctions now with free shipping (shipping built into the cost of the auction). But on a $300 necklace? I'm not eating it because someone didn't want to pay a little extra to insure their package.

 

[Joe777Cool]

I sell mainly coins on eBay. USPS doesn't insure coins, so i have never purchased it. Knock on wood, no lost packages. Actually i had 1 "lost" packaged. It was a $3 coin I sold years ago.....I skipped tracking confirmation to save the (30 cents?) as I was using the PO to print labels, not ebay. Customer claimed he never received it - $5 lesson learned. Tracking and/or signature confirmation should be enough protection for 90% of transactions in my opinion - the other 10% would include some international transactions and breakable/perishable items etc.

 

[diggummup]

USPS requires a signature (for their own internal use only) for items insured over a certain $ amount, I believe it's $200 or $250, and it is only viewable to USPS employees. eBay/Paypal require signature confirmation for items over $750, but it can be added for any item/$ amount. Signature confirmation is viewable by the seller/eBay/Paypal.

Ebay used to require a signature confirmation on any transaction of $250 or more. Since the policy change in May of last year it is now $750 or more, yay. If you print labels through the eBay system it automatically adds signature for $2.35 or whatever on items over $250 but under $750 just like always. Stating that this "helps confirm" but does not say it is required. I still use the old rule of $250 myself.

The problem you are having is being caused by insuring your items. FWIW I'd be angry if I was charged $10.50 to ship a necklace too, and you are probably losing sales over these exorbitant costs.

Why would you be angry? I bet you'd be angrier if you were the seller and the package got lost in the mail and the buyer never received it. You would have no recourse, you'd be out the item and you'd have to refund the buyer on top of it. If I plan on using signature confirmation and/or purchasing extra insurance for whatever reason then my shipping price will reflect this. If someone is going to complain about paying $10.50 for shipping on a $300 item (be it a necklace or whatever) then they shouldn't have bought it in the first place. Besides the fact that mug already stated that it cost her $9.55 to mail the item. Factor in the 10% ebay charges and she's right on target. The extra charges are for my protection more than the customer.

 

[Joe777Cool]

The buyer shouldn't be responsible for the seller insuring themselves against possible loss. Thats not their problem. IMO if a seller is going to insure the item or even self insure, that is absorbed into their cost of doing business. IMO $10.99 or $11.99 to ship a necklace is ridiculously high for an item that should cost $2.99 to $3.99. Thats my opinion. High shipping costs turn buyers off. Now if there are 2 identical items, 1 cost $100 with free shipping, and the other cost $80 with $15 shipping, Im buying the item that nets lower. However, with jewelry and coins etc, often there arent multiple to choose from. In this case having an item cost $80 with $15 shipping may turn off buyers. I agree that when you buy the item you shouldnt be upset with the shipping cost after the fact, you agreed to it.....but there are too many that will still reflect their dissatisfaction in your dsr's and even in feedback.