An example of packaging which riled our letter writer.
MADAM – I am a regular user of various online sites that facilitate distant bidding. I have noticed a huge disparity between auction houses that recognise that the bigger the audience, the greater chance of higher prices for the lots on sale – and therefore the chance of increased buyer’s premium earnings – and those that seem to regard bidders using delivery services as a cash cow to be milked through ‘shipping costs’.
The enlightened firms keep the post and packaging in-house and only charge a reasonable rate for their services, whereas those with less customer focus either outsource this service and abandon their customers to a third party or load the costs to increase their own margins.