exray wrote:
It cuts both ways. A normal operating business considers expenses like
that as part of doing business. As a customer I would be outraged if I
went to a merchant and they charged me extra because I chose some
particular form of payment.

Agreed, Bill.
People work at Ebay and PayPal, and they have families to feed, too.
They provide an outstanding service for reasonable money.
The service charges, when compared to the costs of doing business
in the old "brick and morter" way, are far less.
Traditional auction houses are going to get 10-15% of the
final bid price, so the buyer gets nailed good.
Then the seller gets stuck with an average 5.5% charge
if the buyer uses a credit card. Ebay and PayPal fees
are way below this, and they both seller and buyer
an outstanding, low-overhead market in which to do business.
Personally, I think they're the best thing since sliced bread.
Selling a few things on Ebay is the only way I can afford my
radio hobby, and it also helps Kay stay home
to take care of the babies.
The Ebay and PayPal fees are less than half traditional,
and the market is orders of magnitude larger.
I'm grateful for their service.
73 Dave S.

David Stinson wrote:



exray wrote:

It cuts both ways. A normal operating business considers expenses
like that as part of doing business. As a customer I would be
outraged if I went to a merchant and they charged me extra because I
chose some particular form of payment.


Agreed, Bill.
People work at Ebay and PayPal, and they have families to feed, too.

Its not just that, David. Its the attitude that some sellers have that
you should have to pay them additional to take your your money. Same
mentality often tries to gouge unexplainable "handling" fees because
they need to be paid extra for their time. One clown charged me 50
cents extra for his having to print an invoice (which I didn't need or
ask for) and another 50 cents for printing an address label! After all,
"these things cost money".
Can you imagine having to pay for a portion of the roll of cash register
tape at the supermarket or them charging you for using the cashier?
Where do people get off thinking that these are legitimate things to
charge to a buyer?
-BM

exray wrote:
Can you imagine having to pay for a portion of the roll of cash register
tape at the supermarket or them charging you for using the cashier?
Where do people get off thinking that these are legitimate things to
charge to a buyer?

Well...

....you *are* paying for them, in either case. (Where do you suppose the
money to pay for the cashiers and cash register tape comes from?)

--
John Miller
Email address: domain, n4vu.com; username, jsm

The only real advantage to punk music is that nobody can whistle it.

John Miller wrote:

exray wrote:

Can you imagine having to pay for a portion of the roll of cash register
tape at the supermarket or them charging you for using the cashier?
Where do people get off thinking that these are legitimate things to
charge to a buyer?


Well...

...you *are* paying for them, in either case. (Where do you suppose the
money to pay for the cashiers and cash register tape comes from?)


Exactly the point. They are being paid for already as "cost of doing
business" so the merchant need not ask you for more.

-BM

"exray" wrote in message
...

Exactly the point. They are being paid for already as "cost of doing
business" so the merchant need not ask you for more.



I have the right to refuse PayPal due to their charges. If someone INSISTS
then I have the right to refuse their business or ask for reimbursement of
the charges.

I ran a substantial mail order business and some people wanted to come and
pick up their orders. Not only did I not charge them shipping, but I gave
them a 5% discount because they were not using our shipping "resources"
which were normally built into the product price.

My objection is that PayPal/eBay wants to control my freedom of speech by
telling me what I can and cannot say. I prefer full disclosure and let the
buyer make their own decision. Of course, this hurts them as then everyone
sees that they raise the cost of doing business (regardless of the merits of
their service).