http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230374103263&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT
It would'nt be profitable for Ken to lower his pices, due to his low volume.
But on Ebay, traffic is much higher . 25% of my sales are worldwide .
Mr Sullivan emailed me that my glove box light was expensive (at $11.40 , 3.00 S&H).
Vanagain's is $30.00 plus 3.00 handling and 7-8 dollars shipping .
At what price does it get affordable? Maybe cheaper for Mr Sullivan to drive to a wrecking yard and buy his own dome light. May it will be cheaper for him in time, gas, and purchase price.
BTW, my profit on the used Vanagon dome light I sell for $12.75 is 7 cents.
The time I spent sending this email no doubt ate this profit up.
Vendors like Vanagain and I are providing a door -to -door parts service. The price charged is what you pay for service. And of course, we combine shipping.
I might just have my 2 cents worth left.
Robert
1982 Westfalia
--- On Mon, 11/30/09, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
From: David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net>
Subject: Re: Parts Needed Dome Lights
To: "Robert Keezer" <warmerwagen@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, November 30, 2009, 5:28 PM
At 08:14 PM 11/30/2009, Robert Keezer wrote:
>
>Hi David,
>
>I finally found the lights on the Vanagain site. Here's the cost breakdown:
>
>Cost for item BAT947105 - $9.00
Wow! Either that's a mistake or he's raised the prices a lot. Back
in say June-July I paid $7 or so for two of them -- new, not
used. Maybe he was giving me a break, 'cause I was getting a bunch
of cooling stuff, but it didn't sound that way.
>UPS Standard Ground- $7.91
>Handling- $3.00
>Total Order- $19.91
Yes, packing & postage as the Brits say make it expensive as a single
item, even if you take $5.50 off the price. That cost was swamped in
my combined order.
>
>This is for a new light.
>
>Here's a break down of my used light:
>
> My cost : (including purchase, ebay and paypal fees, and travel expenses.
>
>
>Purchase price: $1.63
>Ebay listing fee: $ 0.35 for 30 days
>Ebay Final Value Fee (FVF) $1.88
>Paypal fee on $14.48 = $0.93
>Time , gas , wrecking yard fee $1.10
>
>My cost total: $5.89
>My Ebay net: $5.96
Sux, don't it? I kept trying to tell Sylvan that she was making
about fifty cents an hour or less selling/shipping odd items on ebay,
but it didn't sink in.
>
>My profit: $0.7 .
[$0.07] When I was a kid that would get you a six-ounce Coke plus
the two-cent bottle deposit.
>This doesn't factor in other costs such as internet or electricity.
>This is the first time I have done this-I'm surprised. Clearly I
>need to raise the price .
>
>My shipping cost to most places is about $1.75 USPS First Class mail.
>That's 2-3 days delivery.
>Cheapest shipping Vanagain has is UPS ground -5 days -$7.91
I live nearby so it's generally overnight to me but I take your point.
>Look at my Ebay store , you;ll see I am affordable. A used Vanagon
>fuel pump is 45.00. , a 1.9 engine computer $125.00. When you
>factor my cost and fees on the computer , for example, I'm lucky to
>get 30 -50 bucks. for my time and cost.
It's good to know; I'll definitely keep you in mind.
Yours,
David
