Sellers adding for PayPal use is plainly BS

Are any of you old enough to remember when certain brands of gas stations started to charge more if you used a credit card? I forget who started it, but most everyone followed. Maybe 15-20 years ago...they said it cost them more to take credit cards - at that time their own - so credit card users should pay more. Funny thing, those brands started to lose market share to the station down the street (Shell I think it was)who started advertising "Same price, cash or credit".

I suppose it is a little different in the context of used audio equipment or auctions given that there may not be readily or immediately available alternatives. On the other hand, those of you who are proponents of "tacking it on" may want to take notice the number of people that are annoyed by the tactic. As a result, some may chose to ignore your items, thus reducing the market size and, perhaps, reducing the price you end up receiving. Why not take the suggestion and bury it in the price and just make it easier for people to bid/offer to buy and maximize your buying audience. You can always offer up a bit more of a discount for cash if someone wants to go the PayPal route.

I believe this is called Marketing 101.

If adding the PayPal option is solely for the convenience of buyers and so valueless or burdensome for the seller, why bother with the hassle?

Presumably sellers add the PayPal option to increase the size of their potential market to include those who don't have the cash to pay immediately or have an aversion to sending strangers large sums of cash. Presumably, this is to drive the maximum sales price. Some customers/buyers are just more expensive to deal with than others - I agree with a couple of comments that it is just a cost of doing business that most retailers recognize.

Having said that, I wholeheartedly agree that any seller has the right to charge whatever they want for whatever they have, including tacking on PayPal fees. Why not bill back any long distance charges for return phone calls, as well? Recognize, though, that it may turn off a subsegment of the market, such as Eldragon, with whatever implication that has for price you get for whatever it is you are trying to move. Given one off sales of high end audio, the implication is probably nothing. For most retailers, the implication is meaningful.

I'd remind you of various threads here and on AA about how some people react to the "attitude" of various high end dealers. The "tacking on of PayPal" fees potentially falls into the category of "attitude" for some.

For me, I can live with either alternative.

On a different subject - Eldragon - try the 1999 Abadia Retuerta Rivola. Quite good for around $10/bottle.