Experiences With Martemodena

[sketchstack]

  On 2/25/2016 at 11:04 PM, Bill P said:

...

 

They will NOT do combined shipping - Why? They give some really really lame excuse..it's there ebay policy or something..their explanation defies logic and common sense.

 

Shipping rate - they have recently raised their shipping rate to $24 - so that is $24 additional for each item you purchase.

 

...

 

I'm pleased that there are generally positive experiences with this seller. However the shipping fees are a complete turnoff to me.

 

For example: They'll list a pen for a "Buy it Now" fixed price, and the shipping is $15.

 

Then I'll see a concurrent auction for the same model and the shipping for that auction is $60.

 

It would seem they're trying to pad the auction with a higher shipping price. When sellers do this kind of thing it just feels like they're playing games. You see it elsewhere, not just with this seller.

 

Sellers should simply list their products at the lowest price they're willing to accept just as buyers should bid at highest price they're willing to pay. Don't get clever with the shipping fees.

[Barkingpig]

And now they have added some additional surcharges for a few of the nib upgrades. I just have to decide if the varied costs for shipping are justifiable when contemplating the purchase. For me it has been, each time I have purchased from them, once @ an auction & once for a "buy it now," listed price.

 

But I have a lot of practice, because I constantly compare the shipping costs when ordering inks from the "usual US sellers." Some have "Free shipping," with higher purchase level, SOME do NOT, no matter how much you spend, you can figure an order totaling over $100.00 & find an added $20.00 shipping charge. While other Sellers offer the "smaller package" rate for smaller orders; all of which only offer comparison, IF there the item is even available from more than one Seller!

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/1/2017 at 11:51 PM, sketchstack said:

 

It would seem they're trying to pad the auction with a higher shipping price. When sellers do this kind of thing it just feels like they're playing games. You see it elsewhere, not just with this seller.

 

Sellers should simply list their products at the lowest price they're willing to accept just as buyers should bid at highest price they're willing to pay. Don't get clever with the shipping fees.

 

Yes, they do appear to be "padding" against very low auction prices. I see no problems with that; after all, they are in the business to make money and living.

 

I would find it problematic if they did not advertise their shipping prices. But they always do, so the prospective buyer can take that into account. To my mind, I don't see that it makes a difference if I pay, say, $50 for an item and $5 for shipping or if I pay $45 for the item and $10 for the shipping.

 

I don't think it is reasonable to ask or expect that sellers follow any particular practice, as long as they conform to Ebay rules. The problem with your proposal like "lowest price they're willing to accept" is that some buyers get turned off by "buy it now", "reserve prices', etc.

[parkerwasmyfirstlove]

I recently bought two pen pouches from their website for a reasonable price and shipping.

[sketchstack]

  On 7/2/2017 at 11:08 AM, FriendAmos said:

 

Yes, they do appear to be "padding" against very low auction prices. I see no problems with that; after all, they are in the business to make money and living.

 

I would find it problematic if they did not advertise their shipping prices. But they always do, so the prospective buyer can take that into account.

 

I think it's very questionable using shipping for profit regardless of disclosure. In fact Ebay cracked down on some of this practice a long time ago by disallowing shipping of books to cost more than $3.99 within the US. That's because sellers were getting crafty with shipping fees.

 

The nature of auction sales includes risk. If a seller is unwilling to accept that risk then they should stick to fixed price structures. (Or simply sell using auction but make a more reasonable starting price.)

Edited July 2, 2017 by sketchstack

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/2/2017 at 7:19 PM, sketchstack said:

 

I think it's very questionable using shipping for profit regardless of disclosure. In fact Ebay cracked down on some of this practice a long time ago by disallowing shipping of books to cost more than $3.99 within the US. That's because sellers were getting crafty with shipping fees.

 

The nature of auction sales includes risk. If a seller is unwilling to accept that risk then they should stick to fixed price structures. (Or simply sell using auction but make a more reasonable starting price.)

 

Obviously some people it questionable and some don't. What we can say about Martemodena is that they either have plenty of business from people who don't find it questionable, or they those who find it questionable (if they are many enough) don't care to the extent of not buying. Either way, the result is the same: Martemodena is doing business.

 

Ebay.com does have maximum limits, although I couldn't find the $3.99 on the list: At any rate the real question si whether they are violating any Ebay policy (whichever Ebay.**** that they are using.

 

I don't agree that the nature of an auction necessarily includes risk. I can take an item that I would sell in a brick-and-mortar store (or anywhere else) for a fixed price $X and put it on auction with a reserve price of $X.

 

As long as sellers abide by the policies of the auction platform, I don't think would-be buyers are in a position to insist that they do this or don't do that.I consider it unreasonable that would-be buyers should see an auction as a place where they are guaranteed a good deal regardless of any losses to the seller.

[sketchstack]

  On 7/2/2017 at 8:45 PM, FriendAmos said:

 

As long as sellers abide by the policies of the auction platform, I don't think would-be buyers are in a position to insist that they do this or don't do that.I consider it unreasonable that would-be buyers should see an auction as a place where they are guaranteed a good deal regardless of any losses to the seller.

 

Someone can buy a product with $10 shipping while the person next to them might buy the exact same product, for the exact same price, at the exact same time, from the exact same seller --except the second buyer will have $60 "shipping".

 

That's annoying at best and I personally choose not to play that game in a retail marketplace where trust is paramount. To each their own.

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/2/2017 at 9:47 PM, sketchstack said:

 

Someone can buy a product with $10 shipping while the person next to them might buy the exact same product, for the exact same price, at the exact same time, from the exact same seller --except the second buyer will have $60 "shipping".

 

That's annoying at best and I personally choose not to play that game in a retail marketplace where trust is paramount. To each their own.

 

Ebay has a facility that allows one to rank "price+shipping" for a given item. I would encourage the "second buyer" to learn about it and make good use of it, especially given all the exactness.

 

I agree with you on the "to each their own". Some people have issues with Martemodena's style, and some don't. As long as Martemodena sticks to the Ebay rules, there's no "right" or "wrong".

[sketchstack]

  On 7/3/2017 at 12:44 AM, FriendAmos said:

 

Ebay has a facility that allows one to rank "price+shipping" for a given item. I would encourage the "second buyer" to learn about it and make good use of it, especially given all the exactness.

 

 

That's not useful for mixed-format listings of the same item. Of course an auction currently at 99-cents will appear to be the "better deal" compared to a fixed price of $500.

 

I'm curious what the seller would say if asked why two identical item costs simultaneously $10 and $60 to ship?

 

...though I find those kinds of buyer questions typically go unanswered.

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/3/2017 at 1:31 AM, sketchstack said:

 

That's not useful for mixed-format listings of the same item. Of course an auction currently at 99-cents will appear to be the "better deal" compared to a fixed price of $500.

 

I'm curious what the seller would say if asked why two identical item costs simultaneously $10 and $60 to ship?

 

...though I find those kinds of buyer questions typically go unanswered.

 

 

Here is what I was responding to:

 

"Someone can buy a product with $10 shipping while the person next to them might buy the exact same product, for the exact same price, at the exact same time, from the exact same seller --except the second buyer will have $60 "shipping".

 

If everything, except price, is "the same exact", then I don't understand the "mixed-format" stuff. Regardless, if you can detect that everything is "the same exact", except price, then so should any other buyer.

 

I think a lot also depends on one's general attitude about such things. For example, I bid on only those things for which I am happy with the price+shipping. If I win, then I go away content. Whether I could have gotten a better deal from the same (or any other buyer) doesn't really concern me.

 

Anyway, it doesn't look like we'll reach any common ground on this one. Maybe we'll just leave it at "to each their own": I (and some others) have no problems with them and will keep buying from them; you (and some others) have problems with them and will move on.

[jkingrph]

I responded to a comment about MM on another fourm, about shipping. I looked up their eBay items today and there are very few compared to last year, ballpoints in fact. One is listed as buy it now with shipping of 14.90 the other is up for bid with shipping of 49.90. Why the huge difference in shipping on virtually identical items of probably same value.

 

As far as DHL, I got billed for customs plus their fee later. If in the future I do receive something from DHL from overseas and have to pay customs, which I have no problem with, I will not pay their processing fee. I made no contract with them regarding that and feel no obligation to pay it.

 

DHL service here is bad, it usually goes into Houston then they turn it over to USPS. Bottom line is that I will simply not purchase an item if DHL is the only way I can receive it.

Edited July 4, 2017 by jkingrph

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/4/2017 at 9:23 PM, jkingrph said:

I responded to a comment about MM on another fourm, about shipping. I looked up their eBay items today and there are very few compared to last year, ballpoints in fact. One is listed as buy it now with shipping of 14.90 the other is up for bid with shipping of 49.90. Why the huge difference in shipping on virtually identical items of probably same value.

 

I can't give a "definitive" answer, so this is a guess: Martemodena is not in business to give away stuff for free. So they probably look at the total of "price+shipping":

 

- On a "but it now", they probably figure that the set price is such that they can take a "loss" on the "shipping" and still make a living.

 

- On "regular bidding", they do not wish to take any chances and so charge full cost.

 

They probably figure that their customers, of which people like me are repeats, just look at the total "hit" to their pockets and not the specific split. I for one find that quite reasonable and will keep buying from them.

[katm201]

  On 7/5/2017 at 12:31 AM, FriendAmos said:

 

I can't give a "definitive" answer, so this is a guess: Martemodena is not in business to give away stuff for free. So they probably look at the total of "price+shipping":

 

- On a "but it now", they probably figure that the set price is such that they can take a "loss" on the "shipping" and still make a living.

 

- On "regular bidding", they do not wish to take any chances and so charge full cost.

 

They probably figure that their customers, of which people like me are repeats, just look at the total "hit" to their pockets and not the specific split. I for one find that quite reasonable and will keep buying from them.

 

Except that Ebay allows a "reserve price" so that you don't let it go for less than the seller is comfortable with. The shipping variation makes it look like a scam (it may not be, legally speaking, but it sure *looks* like a lot of scams out there) and that engenders a lot of bad will. Whether or not it's legal is not the issue--it's certainly contrary to most best practices out there, which is why it makes people angry.

 

You're certainly contorting yourself in knots to justify these bizarre practices. Do you work there?

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/5/2017 at 7:05 PM, katm201 said:

 

Except that Ebay allows a "reserve price" so that you don't let it go for less than the seller is comfortable with. The shipping variation makes it look like a scam (it may not be, legally speaking, but it sure *looks* like a lot of scams out there) and that engenders a lot of bad will. Whether or not it's legal is not the issue--it's certainly contrary to most best practices out there, which is why it makes people angry.

 

You're certainly contorting yourself in knots to justify these bizarre practices. Do you work there?

 

Yes, Ebay does allow "reserve prices", but that facility comes with extra costs; more importantly, nobody is under any obligation to use it. I don't know how you figure that it engenders a lot of bad will; after all, Martemodena has many satisfied customers. And why exactly are people angry? If they don't like Martemodena, they can simply go elsewhere. It's not as though the company provides services and goods that people are entitled to.

 

I don't see how I am contorting myself into anything. No, I don't work there; I'm just one of their many satisfied and repeat customers trying to help people see reason instead of unproductively working themselves into a lather.

[sketchstack]

Here are some shipping quotes from a random sample of single pens via their current Ebay listings:

• $79.90
• Free
• $28.00
• $49.90
• $14.90
• $69.90

"Round and round she goes, where she stops no one knows!"

[jkingrph]

  On 7/5/2017 at 9:58 PM, sketchstack said:

Here are some shipping quotes from a random sample of single pens via their current Ebay listings:

• $79.90
• Free
• $28.00
• $49.90
• $14.90
• $69.90

"Round and round she goes, where she stops no one knows!"

 

 

​I do relief work in pharmacies, people complain when the price of their prescription goes up one or two dollars, and some folks here seem to be saying it's no problem if the shippind difference is $60 on the same item??????????

[FriendAmos]

.

Edited July 6, 2017 by FriendAmos

[FriendAmos]

​

jkingrph

I do relief work in pharmacies, people complain when the price of their prescription goes up one or two dollars, and some folks here seem to be saying it's no problem if the shippind difference is $60 on the same item??????????

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Very odd reasoning. First, medicine is a necessity, for the ill; fountain pens are hardly a necessity for anyone. Second, to take your analogy; if some pharmacies raise their prices by one or two dollars but the medicine is readily available at other pharmacies at the lower prices, then what is the problem? Third, continuing with your analogy, there are probably a large number of people who don't complain if the price of their medicine goes up by one or two dollars; for example, I imagine that people who spend money (sometimes in large amounts) on luxuries like fountain pens and fancy inks probably don't complain about a dollar or two increases in the prices of pharmaceuticals.

 

It really doesn't matter what product you choose, there will always be people who complain if the price goes up, however slightly. (In fact, I'm surprised that you stopped at $1 or $2; I'm sure you can find people will will complain over a 50-cent or even 25-cent increase in the price of something.) But that does not mean that the supplier is necessarily doing something wrong. In your example, the mere fact that some people you know are unhappy with price increases of one or two dollars does not necessarily mean that pharmacies are doing something wrong, unless the pharmacies are subsidized to maintain constant costs. Here we have a few people complaining about Martemodema (a business supplying luxury items that people may take or leave) when their Ebay feedback shows that they have thousands of very happy customers.

 

If people have a problem with Martemodena's shipping rates, they should simply buy from others. The shipping price of a Martemodena item you had your eye on just went up from whatever-$ to whatever-$, and you don't like it? The solution is simple: don't buy it. (It is not a matter of life and death. You will continue to live without the item just the way you already live without it.) Is that really so difficult? Why do people seem to assume that they are entitled to get what they want from Martemodena on their own terms? In any case, other than frustrating themselves, what do people hope to accomplish with the complaints?

Edited July 6, 2017 by FriendAmos

[FriendAmos]

  On 7/5/2017 at 9:58 PM, sketchstack said:

Here are some shipping quotes from a random sample of single pens via their current Ebay listings:

• $79.90
• Free
• $28.00
• $49.90
• $14.90
• $69.90

"Round and round she goes, where she stops no one knows!"

 

By themselves, the figures alone are not informative. One also needs to know things like the package size, the method of shipping, etc.

 

The other thing I have already pointed out is that Martemodena---and it is not unique in this---may be willing to take a loss on the shipping if they figure the profit on the item price is large enough. So, what is the combined item-price+shipping on "random items"?

 

If I were you, I'd simply forget Martemodena and get pens elsewhere. Going through their Ebay listings and looking at what is priced how and then posting the numbers here seems to be a very unproductive and unhelpful activity.

Edited July 6, 2017 by FriendAmos

[Theroc]

I ordered from MM many times the last two years and my experience with them has been largely positive.

Their shipping charges for auctions are rather excessive, but that's their way of setting the starting bid. eBay does not charge commission on shipping charges. At least that has been my experience. So the only party cheated by MM would be eBay. eBay, however, does not seem to mind.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I won two pens at auction from them. They have yet to ship them. In the past they always shipped within two business days and I would receive my package within a week. When I inquired about the delay, I was told that I am buying some of the finest pens... etc. etc. that the delay is from the manufacturer and that I can cancel my order if I don't want to wait. The thing is I won the fountain pens at a shockingly low (but still substantial) sum and I can't help but feel that MM are trying to bore me into cancelling the order. Their feedback history for the last month shows a notable increase in the number of negative experiences, all very similar to mine.