Buymilsurp.com--scam artist

[Parrisk]

I am with the OP. If you charge me for Priority and tell me you will do Priority don't go cheap.
Me I usually take 1st class because more often then not it gets there either before or a day after the Priority

......, but the sellers on Ebay are noted for this scam.Post will say $10. for shipping and arrive with a $1.50 worth of postage on the envelope. I do realize it cost some $$$ to get to the post office but they usually send more than one package and some have the mail guy pick up mail at there door. Just the cost of doing business I guess.

reason Ebay sellers put high Shipping and handling is because Ebay does not take a percentage of that cost.. they do take a cut of the selling price. So sell cheap, charge $10-15 S&H and real costs might be $3-5.. they make more money then had they sold the item for more with free/realistic S&H

[MT1]

This is off the "buymilsurp" dealer, but the sellers on Ebay are noted for this scam.Post will say $10. for shipping and arrive with a $1.50 worth of postage on the envelope. I do realize it cost some $$$ to get to the post office but they usually send more than one package and some have the mail guy pick up mail at there door. Just the cost of doing business I guess.

Good point here. I'm very cautious who I order from when it comes to the shipping and handling fees. These have become just one more way of jacking up the price. All too often the item I need is only worth a few bucks but they want another $10 to drop it in a .99 padded envelop. Unfortunately there are a lot of loopholes the sellers can use such as not being able to guarantee USPS is on time (many forms of delivery are not guaranteed but instead just an estimate) or not filling an order immediately to consolidate trips to the Post Office. I've seen dealers claim 2 or 3 day delivery but when questioned they point out they make no promise when the count begins.

[Troyj817]

I own a business and I make it a point to take all orders to the post office every day if ordered by 230pm (pickup is at 3pm). I look at it as if the customer needs this order ASAP.

My order I placed with buymilsurp.com was placed and processed on Saturday at 1:40pm. I would expect my order to be handed off to USPS on Monday especially since I paid $16.30 for priority shipping. This was not the case. My order was handed to USPS today (Wed) and 2 full business days later. That just sheer laziness since you can actually request a pickup and USPS will come to you and would have at the very least got my order out on Tuesday (if he failed to schedule the pickup Saturday for Monday). This guy is definitely a slacker and im almost certain he fraudulently used my credit card to purchase a $359 powder scale from brownells.com this morning. I called them and cancelled the order before it shipped and got a refund so whoever tried to steal my card got nowhere but it all sounds very fishy to me.

[Noah_Zark]

Better call card services and get them to send you a new cc with a new number. If someone used it once, they will again, or sell the number and info.

Noah

[KCJones]

reason Ebay sellers put high Shipping and handling is because Ebay does not take a percentage of that cost.. they do take a cut of the selling price. So sell cheap, charge $10-15 S&H and real costs might be $3-5.. they make more money then had they sold the item for more with free/realistic S&H

That hasn't been true for years now. Ebay does take their commission off the entire purchase including postage. Stated reason was too many folks charging $1 + $25 shipping in the past, effectively 'scamming' Ebay out of commission. But also now means folks with reasonable/honest shipping charges had to bump them up 10% or lose that money. So $7 actual postage cost needs $7.70 charged to customer to even out, or seller just eats $0.70...

As someone who sells online for a living, here's a users guide to what I see 2nd-rate vendors do to "make money on" shipping (you might even say 'scam')

1) Use 'calculated rate' shipping and overstate the weight/size of the item. Customer sees/pays a higher rate than you actually pay.

2) Charge for one service, provide another (as previously stated). MOST customers won't notice.

3) Don't order the stuff from your distributor until the customer has already paid. Only order once a week so that you get a discount on the order. Fail to mention the extended time to get the items out. Even better, charge premium shipping knowing '2 day shipping' is pointless if it takes a week or two to ship. Also, typically, see #2.

4) Don't pass along your shipping discounts. E.g. Charge the book rate of $12.90 for 2lb priority mail to the west coast, then only pay $10.30 because of your discount.

5) Add 'handling' charges to your shipping price, then just toss stuff in a box and don't use good quality / sufficient packing materials / padding / etc.

Do bear in mind some things that may -appear- shady but aren't, IMHO:

1) Most forums (Ebay for sure) let sellers specify generic shipping methods like 'standard' shipping, meaning they get to pick UPS Ground, Fedex Ground or USPS First class as they prefer (slow boat services like SmartPost or Parcel Post aren't allowed). So if you get something first class or ground that IS what you paid for. Priority Mail is considered "expedited" not "standard".

2) Actual-cost shipping is often more than people think. USPS just jacked rates substantially. First class (1lb or less ONLY) now runs about $3-5 depending on weight. Priority mail starts at $7 and goes up from there, often substantially depending on weight, size and zone. It's near-impossible to send something by UPS or Fedex for <$10 (unless it would be cheaper by USPS anyway). Bear in mind all the shippers now effectively charge by the HIGHER OF weight or size. So even a rather light item that takes a big box can cost a pile of money to ship. Small heavy items (unless they fit in a flat-rate box) also can cost a lot. Example: shipping a motorcycle gas tank to the west coast? You're looking at $50 minimum, by ground.

3) Legit Handling. Ever get an item that's poorly packed and packaged arrive beat up and broken? Ever have the seller tell you to take it up with the shipper or drag feet on refunding/replacing? I know I have. Good packing/padding materials ain't free and safe packaging often involves using a larger more-expensive-to-ship box. USPS offers a limited assortment of free boxes, but anything larger than 12x12x8 (their biggest) there's the cost of a box too - and good heavy corrugated costs more than flimsy.

4) Juggling shipping/item price within reason. Maybe controversial, but for instance say I sell something I'm pricing at $41 and costs $3 to ship. What if I sell it for $39 + 5 shipping Vs. $41 + 3. Is that scammy? Am I 'cheating' someone? Dunno, but I can tell you the $39+5 item will sell better every time.

[SevenMilePete]

"for PRIORITY SHIPPING, which the Post Office
claims is 2 days, 3 days tops"

They claim but, they (usps) actually only consider it late after 10 days.

Also, What was the label dated??
It should have a date that it was printed (if it's a sticker), or a postage cancellation date over the stamps.

If you payed him on the 22nd and he Shipped it the 26th and you got it the 27th, well you got what you paid for USPS Priority service. He just was slow getting it to the PostOffice.

Not defending anyone, I'm just saying.

Except around Christmas, I've found there is very little difference between first class shipping for small packages and envelopes vs. Priority mail. There's your real scam.

[KCJones]

Except around Christmas, I've found there is very little difference between first class shipping for small packages and envelopes vs. Priority mail. There's your real scam.

Well, first class is under 1lb only and everything over 1lb is basically "priority mail". So not sure it's a 'scam' so much as two names for 'package service'.

Having said that, the difference depends on distance. Nearby, 1st class is definitely just as quick. Going 1/2 or all the way across country, then priority actually is faster.