What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

[sylbry]

I can ship a bat to most places for $8. Add in tracking and insurance and you are talking $10 to $12 max.

Lately it seems sellers are jacking up shipping prices. Seeing $15 is becoming common. And $16 to $35 is pretty easy to find. It simply does not cost that much to ship a bat.

It is getting absurd.

[shoremen44]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

For most of the bats I sell I dont charge shipping... you never know what the actual cost will be...

it seems like some people want to make an extra $10 on you on shipping... rediculous really when you are taking about something they may be making a hundred or two or more on already

[godwulf]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

Agreed. I always favor, and will much more readily do repeat business with, someone who charges $10 or less for shipping a single bat, than with someone who charges more. I've paid as much as twenty, if I really wanted a particular bat, but chances are I wouldn't deal with that Seller again - certainly not on a regular basis.

Some Sellers will go out and buy brand new mailing tubes, for $3-$5, to ship bats in, and of course expect to tack that onto the shipping price. Why they do that, if they're going to be shipping it USPS Priority anyway, when the Post Office will give you those sturdy, three-sided boxes to ship bats in, I don't really understand. When sealed properly, they're much more secure than a mailing tube, anyway.

I recently saw a listing for a bat with a shipping price of $75! The Seller had relisted the item at least once, and I finally emailed the guy and said, "If you're serious about selling this bat, you might want to adjust your shipping." He wrote back, apologizing, saying that he'd "misread" something or punched in the wrong numbers, and he'd list the bat again. Which he did. With a shipping price of $28.50.

[dcgreg25]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

I agree that those 3-sided Priority Mail boxes are the perfect solution and seem like they were made for bats. People should not be charging more than $10 unless it includes insurance for a big ticket bat.

I think the high shipping prices are from people who are either padding the price or just dont know about the boxes. When I first started selling some bats, I tried one of those stores that packages and ships for you. They tried to charge me an arm and a leg to ship a bat because of the irregular shape. Those places will kill you with extra charges. But for an experienced seller, they should know better.

[jetersbatboy]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

Shipping cost all depends on the bat. If I ship a $300 from Hawaii to New York It cost me $14.95 and insurance is about $3, which most time I'll eat the cost of. Now if I ship a $1000 bat to New York, shipping is the same price but insurance is like $14 so ill split the difference and charge the $7. Shipping cost total is like $22. I guess it varies with the seller. Some times I ship in those triangular box but still send it in a plastic bat tube, which adds to the cost. I will pay more for shipping if the packing is worth the extra cost and the bat is a more expensive bat. I have paid $65 to have a bat shipped to Hawaii and had no problem with it. It did come second day Fed ex air, full insured, and well packed w/bat tube, so to me it was worth it.

[BULBUS]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

I live on the east coast, so if I ship a bat to the west coast, Priority Mail is in the 12-13 dollar range without insurance. If I ship locally, its around 7-8 bucks. So, it all depends on where you live and where you are shipping.

[momen55]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

people buy bats from auction houses and pay 10-20% buyer's premiums on top of shipping and it's ok.

an individual sells a bat and charges a few bucks more for shipping and that is a problem.

what is the problem with this picture?

[godwulf]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

people buy bats from auction houses and pay 10-20% buyer's premiums on top of shipping and it's ok.

an individual sells a bat and charges a few bucks more for shipping and that is a problem.

what is the problem with this picture?

Most auction houses have a lot of overhead and expenses that the typical Seller does not. More importantly, most auction houses are selling things that they, themselves, do not own; if there were no buyer's premium, how would the auction house have any income and stay in business?

[TFig27]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

I think most buyers take the shpping cost in consideration in the total cost of the bat and bid accordingly.

[BULBUS]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

Most auction houses have a lot of overhead and expenses that the typical Seller does not. More importantly, most auction houses are selling things that they, themselves, do not own; if there were no buyer's premium, how would the auction house have any income and stay in business?

Arent Ebay fees, Paypal fees, always increasing shipping charges, gas to drive to the post office, and packaging (because the free packaging wont work) overhead? It's hard to make a buck anymore.

Youre better off raising the price an offering free shipping these days. That way everyone is happy.

[ndevlin]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

Regarding the auction houses.-- I think most people get mad about $16+ shipping on bats that cost $5-$30. If I was buying a $500+ bat from an auction house, why not spend $20+ on shipping/insurance/tracking. I would want to! If Im spending that much money on an item, I better get it!

Plus, if people would set up a FREE account to USPS to get FREE boxes with FREE shipping. It would make things a lot easier for future buyers and sellers.

[godwulf]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

Arent Ebay fees, Paypal fees, always increasing shipping charges, gas to drive to the post office, and packaging (because the free packaging wont work) overhead?

Sure they are...but those things don't compare with having a physical building (or buildings) to light, heat, cool and pay taxes on, or employees and consultants to pay.

Anyway, the second part of my answer is really the more pertinent, I think. The auction houses rarely own what they're auctioning, and the money they need to stay in business has to come from somewhere. I suppose they could deduct a percentage of the winning bid price from the amount that they pass along to the owner of the item - which, if you think about it, is pretty much what eBay does - but the fact is, the buyer's premium concept has been around for so long, if an auction house decided that it was suddenly going to start charging the owner, rather than the buyer, it would very quickly run out of folks wanting to consign their items there.

[grenda12]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

Arent Ebay fees, Paypal fees, always increasing shipping charges, gas to drive to the post office, and packaging (because the free packaging wont work) overhead? It's hard to make a buck anymore.

Youre better off raising the price an offering free shipping these days. That way everyone is happy.

That is true but people dont take that into consideration.

[sylbry]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

I think most buyers take the shpping cost in consideration in the total cost of the bat and bid accordingly.

I used to do that. Now if I see a bat with $15+ shipping I won't bid.

[TNTtoys]

Re: What's the deal with outrageous bat shipping prices?

I sold two bats this past month and lost money on the shipping of both of them by charging the nominal $10.00 that people come to know and expect. One cost me in the ballpark of $15, and the other was approx. $18. What seems to complicate matters is the following:

1. Any coast-to-coast shipping maximizes cost, as the rates are zoned. I live on the east coast...automatically a sale of a bat to a west coast buyer is more than any cost from someone shipping bats out of the center of the country.

2. The post office raised rates this month. Many are not aware.

3. The post office considers any package with 1 side over 36" a possible oversized package (bats generally fall into this criteria). Therefore, you may get hit with surcharges. At very minimum, you cannot print postage for these online...meaning higher rates for postage at the window and no longer do you get free delivery confirmation.

4. If the bat is worth a few hundred, you should insure it. At $7-8 insurance alone for a $500.00 item, people also often don't take this into consideration.

5. If you are going to buy a bat tube to ship in (and believe me, the post office has no problem selling these), that's another $4.00.

So... $10.00 to ship a bat might be a price of the past except for the following circumstances:

a. You are shipping to someone fairly close
b. You don't require any shipping materials
c. You're sending an inexpensive item that doesn't require insurance or delivery confirmation