Auction Additional Charges: It doesn't matter whether it's eBay or not, it is illegal for people who accept credit cards to charge more than they are authorized by the buyer.

If the 2nd auction was $50 plus $5 shipping the buyer was only authorized to charge $55 no matter what happened previously unless you gave them permission to add on more money for something else. The seller should have asked your permission first and since she/he didn't you can dispute the extra charge with your bank.

Carol, S P Miniatures

Auction Additional Charges: The cost of shipping a package is usually more than the cost of the stamps... the box and packing material are an expense the sender has to pay, as well as the mileage to the post office (and the high cost of gas can add something to that expense)... even the time involved in going to PO is an actual expense especially if you have to stand in long lines at PO. And I noticed that if you send something UPS, they didn't include the cost of the insurance in the postage stamp on the box. When I asked why, they said it was so the delivery people wouldn't see how much it was insured for and be tempted to steal it.

Usually, though, the sender will absorb some of those "hidden" expenses themselves. I try to charge only the actual postage (not the packaging materials) but unless I make two trips to the PO, one to get the actual cost to report to the buyer, and a second one to do the actual mailing. To avoid two trips, I am forced to "guess" at the cost of postage, since my PO is one of those that has long lines. Sometimes there are as many as 50 people ahead of me, at those times, I tend to turn around and go home as I feel too much time is wasted standing in line. I try again another time.

Hope that helps to understand to some degree why postage can be higher than
the actual stamps on the package (I'm assuming, of course, that the $20 and the actual postage amount were not too far apart ... just enough to allow for those other expenses).

"If the seller made a postage mistake with the first package, well, it is their fault and they should take the hit on it, learn the lesson."

I agree, we should not have to pay for someone else's mistake. If the extra cost of postage charged was for a former mailing... I'd not feel obliged to pay it.

Viola

eBay payments from/to abroad: There has been some discussion on payment from non US residents for items sold from the US on eBay. Also, someone had a seller charge for more than was authorized on an order, due to extra shipping on a previous order. No one has mentioned PayPal, which allows one to pay by credit card, without giving out your credit card number to the seller. Therefore, the seller gets only the amount you send him/her. For further information, go to http://www.paypal.com . Since I live in Israel, and am an eBay addict, I find this works very well for me.

There is also another option for those of us who don't live in the US - BidPay. With BidPay, you use your credit card to have US Western Union money order sent to whoever you want in the US, for an auction payment. True, there is a fee ($5 for a MO up to $100, and slightly higher fees for higher-valued MOs), but it would cost me much more to go to my bank and buy a check in US dollars, not to mention the time wasted going to the bank, waiting in line, and then going to the post office to send it, etc. http://www.bidpay.com

I have no affiliation with either PayPal or BidPay, other than using their services, and finding them safe, convenient and useful. I hope this information helps...

Jonathan in Israel

Miniature Show Dates: They are listed in the mini magazines but they are also online in several places.
Dollhouse Miniatures website http://www.dhminiatures.com/Meetings/Meetings.html
I think their 2002 show dates are screwed up about.com's website
http://miniatures.about.com/hobbies/miniatures/cs/shows/index.htm

Always, always, check first before you go to the show. Show dates change or are canceled or the listing is in error.

Carol

Miniature Show Dates: Miniature show dates are available to be found in many of the larger websites such as http://www.miniaturemall.com, Lisa Vollrath's About.Com miniature newsletter, and online at http://www.tombishopshow.com , http://www.mollycromwell.com . etc. Many upcoming shows are mentioned in this newsletter

Susan Flaks

Miniature Show Dates: Here are a few sites that list show schedules:
http://www.onelist.com/calendar/dollhouseguild
http://dhminiatures.com/Meetings/Meetings.html
http://www.myminiatures.com/events.asp
http://www.miniatures.org/

Marilyn, MI

Postage Rates: Here is a tip on postage. If you get a good scale (you can get them form Staples and places like that for a really inexpensive price) you can get postage costs from http://www.usps.gov.ncsc/ They have both International and Domestic postage rates. Just click on the one you want and fill in the information. Then you can make a choice of what postage rate you want to send your package. You will be within pennies of the correct postage if you have a good scale. Hope this helps.

Grace Shaw

Postage Rates: To avoid two trips to post office go to the US Mail web site and calculate postage and insurance for the zip code package is being sent to. http://www.usps.gov There is a postage calculation wizard at the site. I use it all the time prior to mailing packages or large envelopes to OK and TX for family. You will need a scale [a food scale works just fine] to weigh the package.

UPS http://www.ups.com also has a calculator on site. Click on the calculator icon.

FedEx http://www.fedex.com also has a calculator on site. Click on the rates tab [orange color].

Hope this helps everyone with their package shipping. Will save you at least one trip to shipping facility. BTW did you know that UPS and FedEx will pickup for a nominal charge at home? US Post Office will do the same if you have an account with them or subscribe to their on-line postage service.

Patricia / Redwood City, CA

UK Postage weights and prices: The weight limit for sending things "small packet" rate from the UK is 2 kilos, or 4.4 pounds. Weight limits and postal prices can be checked by looking up Royal Mail's website, on http://www.royalmail.com

Actually, my posting on SS about postage costs from the UK seems to have been edited - what I actually said was that it usually costs us under two pounds to send a rocking horse airmail using the 'small packet' service, but I used the pound sign and the numeral. Obviously it didn't travel too well!!

Annie Logan

Postage Costs-England: For certain countries including the USA, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, etc. English Air Mail, letters and/or Small Packets are only insured to the value of £28 - if the contents are of greater value and there is Loss and/or Damage the only compensation available from the Post Office is £28. For these more valuable parcels we have to use Parcel Force where the compensation level is higher, and can be increased if required. Unless someone else has another solution!?!

David Betts