I was browsing ebay and came upon a poster of a Chinese panoramic camera. All seemed normal until I found out the postage cost - us$9000. There is a question asked by someone regarding the cost of postage of this item near the bottom of the page. Take a look at the answer provided by the seller in an attempt to justify himself.
http://cgi.ebay.com/810-8X10-617-6X17-6 ... dZViewItem
Extremely steep postage cost for an ebay item
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
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freddiesykes
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Sellers frequently list items at a low cost to attract potential buyers coming across the item using the search function, only to charge an exorbitant amount on shipping just so they can make some money on the deal- I'm sure you've seen it done in the past. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Now, the real question is whether or not that camera is worth that price.
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this company Amvona does the same with their studio equipment. Pretty deals can be made with their stuff, but the shipping cost is always unreasonably high.
We'll knock back a few, and talk about life, and what is right
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MovieStuff
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Actually, after reading the response, I think that what they are doing might be very smart. Imagine if the price for shipping the poster were normal. Most people would see the camera, not realize it was just a poster for the camera, and then bid maybe $100 or more, thinking they were getting the bargain of a lifetime on an otherwise expensive panarama camera. Then the seller has to later explain over and over to dissapointed winners that all they won was a poster for $100. 8O
I can certainly see that happening because several times I've bid something silly, like $50, for a Pentax 17mm Wide Angle Lens Cover. Or $100 for a Classic Nikon F2 Photomic SLR Camera Bag. By putting the shipping at a ridiculous price, it calls attention to itself and makes people ask questions before they bid, not after. Then they just ship the poster to the winner at a more reasonable price.
Or, as someone else pointed out, it may be just for advertising.
Roger
I can certainly see that happening because several times I've bid something silly, like $50, for a Pentax 17mm Wide Angle Lens Cover. Or $100 for a Classic Nikon F2 Photomic SLR Camera Bag. By putting the shipping at a ridiculous price, it calls attention to itself and makes people ask questions before they bid, not after. Then they just ship the poster to the winner at a more reasonable price.
Or, as someone else pointed out, it may be just for advertising.
Roger