by Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig
Member since:
August 20, 2006

An eBay Rant...

April 17, 2007 02:56 AM EDT
views: 80 | rating: 9.2/10 (13 votes) | comments: 26

I have been doing a lot of browsing around eBay lately. There are quite a few things I am looking for. One, I can no longer work my fingers well enough without pain to make my own RenFest garb and Sweden's Riddarspelen and t he Viking Market are just 2 short months away.... so I am looking for complete outfits to wear to both of those. We are talking dresses, bodices, chemise, cloak, belts, pouches, etc.

Second, I have been looking through art supplies like acrylic paints, easels, brushes, ect.

I have been find a whole hella lot of stuff I wish to buy. I have the money in my Paypal accpount to buy. So why can I not buy? Because soooo many of the things I am interested in do not give a shipping amount to Sweden. they say 'Not Specified' on the shipping charges. 

Now look here. I am lazy and very Id-driven. I haven't the patience to email each seller and ask them about shipping to me, so those items I would have bought are not being bought by me... because the seller  apparently thinks we don't do RenFests over here. You know, over here where it actually our history... ahem.

All I'm saying is that if you sell on eBay, it really is in your best interest to list a shipping cost to Europe. People over here really do have jobs and money. they actually do know how to use the Internet and shop on eBay. You are screwing yourself by not realizing this and making it easier for us...

And no, it does NOT cost over 100 smackers to ship a freakin bodice to Swecen, like one seller had listed. Geeze. Get realistic. Sweden is part of planet Earth.... shipping FROM here is costly, but shipping TO here isn't all that bad... 

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Comments: 26

Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 4:45am EDT
I saw one bodice listed at 30 bucks for buy it now.... with a 125 bucks shipping to Sweden. I just sat and stared at that laughing.

I have no problem paying a lot for shipping if the item is heavy... but I have seen full outfits shipping to Sweden for 30 bucks so that other one was clearly insane.

But most of them just do not put that option up there at all, and it is not all that difficult to ship here. I could wait until June and buy the stuff here at the Fest and the Viking Market... and for much cheaper even, but I want to attend in garb. I miss dressing for the period. *whine*

There is a Swedish part of eBay, but it is relatively new so there are not many people aware of it yet to be posting. grrrrr.
♯ ♪ Apr 17, 2007, 7:49am EDT
eBay is now full of companies that deal with the bottom line. It's no longer a fun place to buy. If I sell something, I make nothing on shipping, but I expect to be properly reimbursed for my trouble.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 7:55am EDT
Yeah. When eBay bought out Epinions, they started screwing with the pay and shit there too... that's why I'm here and on AC instead now. heh.

But still... I found a few very nice pieces of Ren gear today from folks who will ship here... let's see if I win them now. Found a super great guy selling my needed painting supplies also.
Wow, Lori,
I didn't know that - what's up with the sellers? Don't they have international shopping carts that are capable of doing the shipping costs anywhere? I mean, E-bay sellers ought to know that they'll get bids from almost anywhere and be prepared - OR not sell. That's bull. Good luck...

Marilyn
Mary C Legg Apr 17, 2007, 8:54am EDT
you know Lori-- your Swedish clothes are very similar to German trachten-- why don't you consider digging about for secondhand trachten and that will take care of bodice and undergarments and stockings

I don't know about the skirt because Swedish embroidery and lace are distinctive but if you are just looking for plain clothes you could get away with using traditional trachten because it has remained unchanged for several centuries

do you have friends in Germany? they could do the secondhand store browse for you and if you tell me your size I might have some trachten bodices still around from my dirndl days when I was slender. I have a fantastic blue dirndl, but am now too fat to wear it, but I don't think you can have it.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 8:58am EDT
Well part of it is that I get a lot of my pay from both AC and the magazines via Paypal, but you cannot have a Paypal Visa unless you live in the US... so I have two choices: Either go through the pain in the ass to have that paypal balance put into my Swedish bank account (which takes a min of 2 weeks) or I can spend the money places that accept paypal, like eBay.

So, I'm doing the eBay thing.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 9:18am EDT
Yeah... but not into the areas of my current interests. I'm on a mission. HA!
Isn't your daughter in the states? Why don't you ship to her and then have her ship to you?
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 10:07am EDT
Because sellers get fickle when your shipping address on Paypal is not the same as where the item is being shipped. They get hinky thinking you scammed the password to the account. I don't blame them.
Nancy S. Apr 17, 2007, 10:54am EDT
I think some people certainly do gouge on the shipping, but there are lots of honest folks too. I think what Dani said is valid, too - many sellers just don't know how to do it.
I agree with Joanne, too, that eBay is not as fun as it used to be since the "stores" became prevalent. I liked it best when it was really an auction site.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 10:59am EDT
True, dat. I did just break down an email one of the sellers of swashbuckling type flat thigh-high boots why they don't ship here... we'll see what he says.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 11:20am EDT
She will ship my boots for 35 bucks if I win. that is fair for boots... but why didn't she list that to begin with? That's what I'm sayin... I am just far too lazy to email a seller on every freakin item I might be interested in, yanno?
Kris M. Apr 17, 2007, 11:36am EDT
Lori, is Sweden now located on the moon? That's the best guess I can make.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 11:43am EDT
Yes. and all the men are 6'6 hunks, and the women all leggy models and everyone has blonde hair and blue eyes.

And oh yeah, we pay 90% in taxes and live like paupers.
Aniko     Apr 17, 2007, 12:50pm EDT
Also, you all go nudist when the sun comes out, right? :-)
Kris M. Apr 17, 2007, 1:08pm EDT
Back when Stefan Edberg was playing tennis, I saw pictures of him, his friends/fellow players, and girlfriend, and thought, Whatever kind of genetic engineering they're doing over there... keep it up!
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 17, 2007, 3:20pm EDT
HA!

Well ok the proliference of blonde hair and blue eyes is greater here than the US, but still... it isn't everybody in spite of the stereo type. Not even half.
Mary M. Alward Apr 17, 2007, 8:29pm EDT
Lori, I sell on ebay, but ask International buyers to e-mail for an exact postal quote. I do state shipping prices to Canada and the US. Posting international shipping is really tricky because every country is a different price. So, if I state international shipping is $10.00 for an item, which may be the shipping price to Sweden, if someone in Japan purchases it, I lose. Shipping to Japan is more expensive than it is to Sweden, Australia and many other countries. Ebay needs to give us the option of selecting countries instead of having to post under international shipping. Hope this helps.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 18, 2007, 1:20am EDT
I understand... but the US Postal service offers flat-rate Global prices.... to anywhere. That is what the guy does who I just bought a bunch of acrylic paints from.
Barbara F. Apr 19, 2007, 11:33am EDT
I always ask international bidders to e-mail me for shipping costs..I just add $1.50 to whatever the actual cost is, that's all...I keep the USPS website on my favorite places and get the price immediately...I offer them ground or air..it's their choice...I've mailed many packages to Europe...You also know don't you that Paypal charges the seller and extra fee for international payments.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 19, 2007, 12:31pm EDT
I did not know that about Paypal. Hmmm. Interesting. Currency conversion most likely. It would be fair for them to ask for that much extra from the buyer. That would not bother me a bit...

But I usually do not even open an auction to look at it if there is not a shipping price to Sweden sitting next to it. Just sayin...
Charlotte McClain Apr 20, 2007, 7:32am EDT
CRAP! I have a whole box of ren fair stuff I was getting rid of stuffed in a storage unit in OHIO! If I'd only known! Well, maybe next year. Though I might want to do that Viking Market if I'm in the area at the right time.
Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 20, 2007, 7:51am EDT
End of June... it runs the same weekend as Riddarspelen (our RenFest) and they are fairly close together location-wise also. I would be thrilled if you would come with me! I have a spare bedroom...

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