What is it with people not being willing to ship in the classifieds?

[gmerkt]

This is called the "Amazon effect". Where online buyers expect all orders to be in the stock, ship right away for free and show up within 2 days.

This actually is a real thing.

THIS IS THE TRUTH RIGHT HERE.

and advertise "free shipping" because it attracts buyers and free shipping is what the lions share of Ebay buyers want.

Yes this, especially for competitive items. However, people also are afflicted by the immediacy syndrome (see first quote, above) and some items that won't sell at auction will sell quickly for "buy it now." Regardless of shipping method.

I won't buckle on my shipping practices. I do well enough moving stuff to do it my way to my own satisfaction.

Remember the ebay 99 cent gimmick? They promoted this as a way to start auctions to generate more interest. That died rather quickly. When too many things more valuable than 99 cents got gobbled up for that price. Do not listen to their marketing advice. If you've got something worthy of sale, properly priced, it will move. You don't have to be the "popular kid" on ebay to make it work.

 

[Caveman Jim]

This is called the "Amazon effect". Where online buyers expect all orders to be in the stock, ship right away for free and show up within 2 days.

This actually is a real thing.

Friends don't let friends buy through A ma a zonnn...

 

[HA556]

Seven miles due west of Lincoln City.

Guess I better get prepared!

 

[Idaho44]

Kool pops would resolve the overheating issues with the Commodores! Just had to be careful of the 'h2o'!

 

[Helocat]

Friends don't let friends buy through A ma a zonnn...

No kidding.

 

[308]

I seen a couple guys in Idaho that lived in the middle a nowheres saying "no shipping" for some pedestrian gewgaw and I was all .

Hey now, my middle of nowheres Idahoo pedestrian gewgaw is like gold. Trust me.

 

[jbett98]

If you live in an town that's

This is called the "Amazon effect". Where online buyers expect all orders to be in the stock, ship right away for free and show up within 2 days.

This actually is a real thing.

This comedian is right on about Americans and their instant gratification needs.

 

[Xaevian]

Phew, looks like the question finally got answered...and then some.


Next on the debate itinerary:

Why do people demand money orders and won't accept a credit or debit card?

 

[Kruel J]

I won't ship because I like threads like this. Reading about people's complaints they can do nothing about makes me chuckle.

 

[bbbass]

and some items that won't sell at auction will sell quickly for "buy it now." Regardless of shipping method.

I won't buckle on my shipping practices. I do well enough moving stuff to do it my way to my own satisfaction.

Remember the ebay 99 cent gimmick?

Nowadays, I only buy using the "buy it now"... I don't have inclination for the competition of auction. I do sell using auction tho, and find that it doesn't make much diff as to what moves. Some folks seem to enjoy paying more than an item is actually worth as they get caught up in beating somebody else out of the chance to have it. Oh well.

Yep, to each his own is the lesson of this thread!!!

I barely remember the $0.09 gimmick. Was never active enough as a seller to be interested. Some folks make a living at it, once that seemed like a good way to go (when I could no longer operate my service business but hated being back in my old job working for a buhthead), but now that I'm retired just seems like a PITA. I guess some folks just enjoy that life, it's fine, just not for me at this time in my life.

 

[mmalleck]

I had a TRS80, remember them well. I spent thousands of hours writing my own programs on my Commodore back in the '80s. If I'd only have kept at it, and gone on to do it professionally...

The generational divide only seems to be getting worse, as time goes on. My kids often seem to think they're superior somehow because they know all the new technology. In reality it's just because they have the time and interest to learn it all. I ask them, Who do you think invented that stuff? That's right, a bunch of "dumb old boomers"!

Technology builds on itself. The generations aren't so different after all, and can learn from each other if they're willing. I get my kids to show me how to use stuff all the time, not because I can't learn it myself, but because I'm too busy working and earning an income to pay for their food, to take the time and interest to learn something I'd rarely use.

Way off topic. Did you mark the volume control on the cassette deck with whiteout? I too programmed in basic and fortran on a TRS-80. My first computer was a Zenith. I used Wordstar and a dot matrix printer for my first resume. The younger folks might need to google some of the terms above.

As for not shipping, I enjoy meeting people. Many of the people I consider "good friends" - I've met buying/selling/trading guns. Can't sell guns out of the trunk at a parking lot anymore, but I've met some great people buying/selling some ammo. I actually paid $29 a box for GECO 9mm the other day just because it's my favorite ammo. (that hurt a little) Last year, GECO @ $8 per box shipped. If I was going to ship, I'd just post on gunbroker. That said, I have purchased $3,000-$4500 1911s on 90 day personal payment plans via PayPal friends and family to total strangers.

 

[CountryGent]

Interesting thread. I pretty much only ship. I live in the sticks and just don't have the time to line up a meet, exchange, et al. Not to mention the occasional no-show. On the other hand, the post office is a less than five minute walk from my office. Sell, ship, done. Easy-peasy and in a fraction of the time.

 

[awshoot]

If you live in an town that's

This comedian is right on about Americans and their instant gratification needs.

And napkins. I think that dude is pretty funny and I think most comedians aren't actually funny very often.

 

[awshoot]

Way off topic. Did you mark the volume control on the cassette deck with whiteout? I too programmed in basic and fortran on a TRS-80. My first computer was a Zenith. I used Wordstar and a dot matrix printer for my first resume. The younger folks might need to google some of the terms above.
...

My first computer was TRS-80 CoCo when I was in middle school -- the day mom bought me the cassette deck so I could save programs instead of retyping them every freakin' time was awesome.

 

[Hueco]

It's an interesting time that you're asking. Before this year, I'd have considered shipping difficult simply due to cost. What I want out of a gun as far as sale price, plus shipping and transfer fees, would put the total dollar value in the range of the new weapon for most of the things I've sold (~$500 and less). Either I'd take the hit absorbing the ship cost or the buyer would (likely) just suck up a few extra bucks and buy new at the local store.

I say that it's an interesting time because many weapons cannot be found on said store shelves. I haven't had the need to sell anything recently, but if I were, I'd definitely offer to ship. It may actually be worth it for the buyer this time around.

It's all about the economics of it, for me. Whether or not someone chooses to ship, I don't much care. It's their choice on which markets they decide to play in. Now, I did have a member here get salty and walk from a sale because I wouldn't accept their personal check...That one bugs me a bit. I don't care how many other people have +1'ed you - if I don't know you, I'm not accepting your personal check. Given that there are so many other ways to pay, I'm not sure why personal checks are even still a thing.

 

[GWS]

It's all about the economics of it, for me. Whether or not someone chooses to ship, I don't much care. It's their choice on which markets they decide to play in. Now, I did have a member here get salty and walk from a sale because I wouldn't accept their personal check...That one bugs me a bit. I don't care how many other people have +1'ed you - if I don't know you, I'm not accepting your personal check. Given that there are so many other ways to pay, I'm not sure why personal checks are even still a thing.

That's why I specify cash only and face to face
That way I put the item directly in your hands and your cash goes directly into mine. I don't have to worry about checks bouncing or UPS/FedEx/USPS damaging or losing the package. The deal is done, we shake hand and go our separate way

 

[JohnnyMac]

The problem with the face to face deal is that I have to, stop drinking, wait until daylight and put on pants. Tends to get in the way of my routine.

 

[HaveGun]

This is called the "Amazon effect". Where online buyers expect all orders to be in the stock, ship right away for free and show up within 2 days.

This actually is a real thing.

I've been an Amazon Prime member since 2008 and have never received an item within 2 days.

I live in a small town on the border of Idaho and Washington. I think the fastest I've ever gotten anything is 3 days and it happened once. I was amazed.

I just ordered an item from Amazon 20 minutes ago and it said it would be here Wednesday. Free 1 day shipping. I guarantee it will NOT be here Wednesday. Just about everything I order from Amazon, I expect it will be here in 1 to 2 weeks. If I need something quicker, then I will write it down and get it when I go to a larger town a couple of times a week.

The last time I bought something from a private seller, it was on Ebay. I ordered a Foster case trimmer set up for .30 cal rifle cases. The seller was a private seller from Michigan and probably some older gun guy. I won the auction on a Tuesday, he shipped it the next day for $10, it arrived at my house the next Wednesday in a USPS flat rate box.

It was "as described" and we were both happy.

When I sold a JM Marlin 1894 to a gun in California, I took the gun to a local gun shop who packaged it up and sent it to his FFL for around $30. It was surprisingly easy. The buyer was happy since I had taken 20+ photos of the rifle and he knew exactly what he was getting, and I got over $1000 for a rifle I bought a couple of years earlier for $400.

 

[MDJ]

edited out - meant to reply to someone in the thread.

 

[MDJ]

Your point is well taken. Generally speaking, if someone is willing to ship something, they'll let you know in the ad. I feel the pain of some folks that live in the more remote parts of our states and are truly unable to drive 5 miles and buy what they need. I shop online for virtually everything anymore and I'm in the suburbs of Vancouver! Besides, I am old, bitter, everything hurts and I haven't had a bowel movement in four days.

Haa, another Vancouver'n. Military retired no doubt.
I agree - been selling on ebay for a while now - thinning out my stockpile of junk.
So far, never had a single problem (knock on my head).
Shipping/no shipping - really not as much of an issue.
Sometimes, meeting a person is risky these days.
You really never know who you will see getting out of that other car and worse, you won't know what their motives are.
I've heard a few really bad stories from Craigslist users who've been scammed or worse.
Shipping, yeah its a crapshoot but then what isn't these days.