There's
nothing more frustrating than thinking you've got
yourself a great deal, only to then discover that
the final bid price is not the final price. Here's
a list of additional costs that you need to factor
in when you are deciding on your Maximum bid price.
Shipping
and Handling
Unless your seller lives right down the street
you'll be paying shipping and handling fees. Shipping
and handling fees differ from seller to seller. Some
sellers list items intentionally low and then recover
most of their profit by charging ridicules shipping
and handling fees. I was looking for a set of books
recently, all the auctions were priced the same but
the shipping ranged from $5 all the way up to $20
for the exact same set of books. So it's very important
to get a shipping quote from the seller before you
bid. Or make sure the seller has clearly stated what
the shipping and handing charges are. You don't what
to buy an item for $15 and find out you are paying
$20 to ship it. A good deal can turn bad really fast.
Also, don't assume the seller will use the most cost
effective shipping method, many sellers will only
ship priority FedEx or Purolator when others are fine
with just using regular post. Get this information
before you bid.
Insurance
Adding insurance is usually always up to
the buyer. Most sellers will add insurance but only
if you request it. Don't assume that insurance is
included. Unless it's clearly stated in the item description
that insurance is included it will be an extra expenses
that will be added to the final invoice. So check
with the seller before you bid, all they need to do
is call the shipping provider to get an accurate quote
for you. Most carriers will not pay for damaged or
lost items without insurance so it's worth adding
insurance to anything fragile, rare or expensive.
Incomplete items
Remember to include the cost of additional
purchases if the item isn't complete. Say you buy
a computer that didn't come with a processor. Since
it's not going to boot without one this will be an
extra expense right off the bat. As long as you do
your research before hand figuring out what each additional
item is going to cost you can factor everything into
your maximum bid amount so you don't end up going
over budget. Also, if an item description fails to
mention something, don't assume that it's included
with the purchase of the item. (even if the picture
shows extras) If you have any questions, ask the seller.
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