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Last post 3 years ago by tonygraz. 24 replies replies.
Shipping Has Become A Joke
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efinebloom Offline
#1 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 11:36 AM EST
Joined: 04-20-2011
Posts: 1,029
If I have to pay $14 for shipping, it shouldn't take 7 days for my order to get to me. Maximizing profits on shipping isn't the way to do business. C-Bid should charge actual shipping.
KingoftheCove Offline
#2 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 12:24 PM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,632
Shipping fees and policies have been a joke here for many years. Have you not purchased in a while?

At least the selection had improved.................somewhat.
ZRX1200 Offline
#3 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 1:33 PM EST
Joined: 07-08-2007
Posts: 60,599
PAY for shipping?!!!!

LMAO
Palama Online
#4 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 3:15 PM EST
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,680
efinebloom wrote:
If I have to pay $14 for shipping, it shouldn't take 7 days for my order to get to me. Maximizing profits on shipping isn't the way to do business. C-Bid should charge actual shipping.


It’s not unusual for companies to mark up shipping. The questions are:

1. How did they calculate their costs?
2. What kind of profit margin or markup are they using?
KingoftheCove Offline
#5 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 3:29 PM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,632
Palama wrote:
It’s not unusual for companies to mark up shipping. The questions are:

1. How did they calculate their costs?
2. What kind of profit margin or markup are they using?


Well, if you order multiple items, cbid is gonna bend you over, no lube.
Most other places have a flat rate up to a certain amount (weight/dimension), which is quite generous.
I remember a few years ago, I got an order from the other place which was essentially the same as an order I got from cbid.
My cbid shipping costs was about triple the other place.

Then again, like Z said......"Pay for shipping"?
Lots of places offer free shipping these days...
tonygraz Offline
#6 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 7:18 PM EST
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,247
There is no "free shipping".
shaun341 Offline
#7 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 8:37 PM EST
Joined: 08-02-2012
Posts: 8,826
I heard rumors that once you achieve a certain status there is free shipping.
KingoftheCove Offline
#8 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 8:45 PM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,632
shaun341 wrote:
I heard rumors that once you achieve a certain status there is free shipping.

heh heh
Palama Online
#9 Posted: Wed, Apr 17 2019, 8:45 PM EST
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,680
KingoftheCove wrote:
Well, if you order multiple items, cbid is gonna bend you over, no lube.
Most other places have a flat rate up to a certain amount (weight/dimension), which is quite generous.
I remember a few years ago, I got an order from the other place which was essentially the same as an order I got from cbid.
My cbid shipping costs was about triple the other place.

Then again, like Z said......"Pay for shipping"?
Lots of places offer free shipping these days...


KOTC, to your first point, obviously CBid assigns a value to every item and doesn’t deviate from the per-piece model. At the other auction place that offered flat rate shipping, I tended to push my bids for boxes over to them. Then, if I won a box, would bid on more items to take advantage of the flat rate. Of course they grossed more revenue and profit but perhaps just as important, kept a competitor from getting a sale.

I’ve been pretty much out of the auction game but when I do buy, have tended to go with places that either offer free or flat rate shipping.
Mrs. dpnewell Offline
#10 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 11:02 AM EST
Joined: 08-23-2014
Posts: 1,373
I just look at it as a surcharge and figure it into my bids. If I bid on singles, I know that my actual bid is 25 cents more, etc.

David
efinebloom Offline
#11 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 1:38 PM EST
Joined: 04-20-2011
Posts: 1,029
I paid $14 and will be going on 11 days by the time this MAYBE arrives on Monday.
RobertHively Offline
#12 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 2:40 PM EST
Joined: 01-14-2015
Posts: 1,837
Stuff like this is why I havent shopped here since early 2017.
Pudding Mittens Offline
#13 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 5:44 PM EST
Joined: 08-15-2016
Posts: 1,291
Mrs. dpnewell wrote:
I just look at it as a surcharge and figure it into my bids. If I bid on singles, I know that my actual bid is 25 cents more, etc.

David

Yup!

You can declare that henceforth, you shall not pay shipping, nor shall you pay sales tax, and you can actually make it so! Not technically, but effectively, which is monetarily 100% just as good.

EXAMPLE:

There's a box of cigars up for bid. $70 is as high as you want to go.

You haven't won anything yet this week, and the item is marked as $7.00 for shipping.

Also, CigarBid charges 6% sales tax on shipments to your state.

Without your personal declaration of effective exemption from these fees, you enter your AutoBid max as $70 and, assuming it's maxed out when you win, would ACTUALLY end up paying $70 + $7 = $77 x 1.06 = $81.62

With your personal declaration, you'd simply place an AutoBid max of $59 instead, meaning you would ACTUALLY end up paying $59 + $7 = $66 x 1.06 = $69.96

You will win less often, but every lot you DO win will effectively have free shipping and no sales tax.

I have done these calculations and bid-adjustments on every item I've ever bid on here, since day one. Therefore I've effectively never paid shipping or sales tax on anything (even though I technically have on everything).

The best part is, it's all completely legal because you're just bidding a bit lower to negate those things.

Pretty cool, eh?
.
tonygraz Offline
#14 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 6:24 PM EST
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,247
Do you ever have time to smoke ?
shaun341 Offline
#15 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 8:17 PM EST
Joined: 08-02-2012
Posts: 8,826
Or you could just spend $500 a month to achieve the top status and earn free shipping, allowing you to outbid those less fortunate and trying to save on taxes and shipping. Losing is a sign of weakness and until you hit this status you will be destined for weakness.
borndead1 Offline
#16 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 8:35 PM EST
Joined: 11-07-2006
Posts: 5,215
How much crap did you win? My latest shipment was 1 box and two fivers and shipping was $9.50. To California.
borndead1 Offline
#17 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 8:37 PM EST
Joined: 11-07-2006
Posts: 5,215
I decide how much I'm willing to pay for a box of cigars *with shipping and taxes included* and bid accordingly. I still win about 75% of the stuff I bid on.
shaun341 Offline
#18 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 8:51 PM EST
Joined: 08-02-2012
Posts: 8,826
borndead1 wrote:
I decide how much I'm willing to pay for a box of cigars *with shipping and taxes included* and bid accordingly. I still win about 75% of the stuff I bid on.



Losing 25% of the time is unacceptable
KingoftheCove Offline
#19 Posted: Fri, Apr 19 2019, 9:50 PM EST
Joined: 10-08-2011
Posts: 7,632
shaun341 wrote:
Losing 25% of the time is unacceptable

Ha!
Applause
tonygraz Offline
#20 Posted: Sat, Apr 20 2019, 7:08 AM EST
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,247
I haven't lost a bid since June 25, 2018
Mrs. dpnewell Offline
#21 Posted: Sat, Apr 20 2019, 12:02 PM EST
Joined: 08-23-2014
Posts: 1,373
Pudding Mittens wrote:
Yup!

You can declare that henceforth, you shall not pay shipping, nor shall you pay sales tax, and you can actually make it so! Not technically, but effectively, which is monetarily 100% just as good.

EXAMPLE:

There's a box of cigars up for bid. $70 is as high as you want to go.

You haven't won anything yet this week, and the item is marked as $7.00 for shipping.

Also, CigarBid charges 6% sales tax on shipments to your state.

Without your personal declaration of effective exemption from these fees, you enter your AutoBid max as $70 and, assuming it's maxed out when you win, would ACTUALLY end up paying $70 + $7 = $77 x 1.06 = $81.62

With your personal declaration, you'd simply place an AutoBid max of $59 instead, meaning you would ACTUALLY end up paying $59 + $7 = $66 x 1.06 = $69.96

You will win less often, but every lot you DO win will effectively have free shipping and no sales tax.

I have done these calculations and bid-adjustments on every item I've ever bid on here, since day one. Therefore I've effectively never paid shipping or sales tax on anything (even though I technically have on everything).

The best part is, it's all completely legal because you're just bidding a bit lower to negate those things.

Pretty cool, eh?
.


Exactly!!!! But the warm weather has brought out all the over payers, so after this shipment I'm done for a while. This week I'm only 3 wins and 37 loses. Singles I've been wining consistantly for $1.50 are now closing at $2.50 - $4.00. 5 Packs that always closed at $7-$9 and now closing at $12 - $17.

Here's a little trick I use to consolidate shipping even further. I set my ship date for Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, I change it to Tuesday (you can change this once every 7 days). That way I get 2 weeks worth of wins in one shipment.

David
xavierone Offline
#22 Posted: Wed, Aug 19 2020, 12:32 AM EST
Joined: 06-25-2020
Posts: 1
CB is a Joke!! I bought some Tin Cigar and they charge me $7 on shipping plus tax which roughly cost more then the cigars, WOW!! Here's the catch, I bought the same one from TC and shipping was $2.00 plus tax. Come on guys you're better then that... Disappointed..!!!
Palama Online
#23 Posted: Wed, Aug 19 2020, 12:48 AM EST
Joined: 02-05-2013
Posts: 23,680
xavierone wrote:
CB is a Joke!! I bought some Tin Cigar and they charge me $7 on shipping plus tax which roughly cost more then the cigars, WOW!! Here's the catch, I bought the same one from TC and shipping was $2.00 plus tax. Come on guys you're better then that... Disappointed..!!!


Did you just win your first auction? Gonz

Regardless, this falls under the old adage, “Buyer Beware”. Anxious

Go back to the item you won. The shipping charges for each auction is right there, although you would have to expand the Shipping section to see it.

So yah, sucks when their shipping charges and tax are more than the item you won but that’s how they snag you to buy more to “save” on shipping. d'oh!
tonygraz Offline
#24 Posted: Wed, Aug 19 2020, 7:11 AM EST
Joined: 08-11-2008
Posts: 20,247
And then there states like New Hampshire with no cigar tax and no sales tax. They charge MSRP tho, so there are no real deals unless you can't beat the MSRP.
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