I always thought it would be fun if you could post comments right on auction pages ("Are you ----ing NUTS?? $XX for THAT??!!") but I have a feeling that'd get out of hand real quick.

If you don't like it don't bid on it.

There I said it. I don't do it, but I don't see anything wrong in doing it. If you don't like the cost, don't bid and don't whine about it.

My ebay rant has to do with the ever-increasing practice of sellers abusing free USPS shipping materials (and thus helping drive up the cost of postage). You know what I mean, you buy an 8x10 photo or something, and it comes inside a stiff unused USPS Priority Mail envelope, which is inside a Tyvek unused USPS Priority Mail envelope, and the whole thing is stiffened with a cut up unused USPS Priority Mail large box and sent inside another large Tyvek USPS Priority Mail envelope. Four free pieces of shipping material, only one of which was used legally. Really ticks me off. I leave neutral feedback now for sellers who do that (and let me tell you, they're not happy about it!)

I'm sorry, but I don't really see a problem with this UNLESS the item is
not being shipped through USPS
Priority/Expressin the end.

The post office wants you to use the
"free" supplies (which are paid
for via the postage) and be guaranteed that you will send your item through them.

Obviously, they will be extremely upset
(and may prosecute) if you are turning the boxes inside out and sending the
items Media (or through UPS).

I use liberal amounts of tape to
make sure an item is protected before I put it in the shipping box. I also use that same USPS tape to seal the box.
I certainly don't feel guilty about it.

A couple years ago, I sold Seasons 1-7
of the TV show "Friends" (Region 4 PAL). It was 21 DVDs total.
I took six of the Large Video (Priority) boxes and put 3-4 DVDs in each box.
Then I sealed each one and put the 6
Video boxes in a large Priority box.

I could've put all 21 discs in the large box without the added protection of the smaller boxes. However, I wanted to make sure that the dics would arrive
safely. I believe a got a compliment for the packaging in the feedback.
The entire transaction was $300+
and I spend around $12-$13
on PRIORITY shipping.

Considering that all the people you described are using USPS supplies to mail items through USPS, I would also be upset to be left a neutral as there is nothing illegal about what they are doing.

USPS loses much more money on those individuals that use USPS Priority/Express shipping supplies
ship through Media Mail or UPS.

If someone is taking the extra effort
to make sure a package is adequately
protected, I would congratulate, and
not punish, them.

Are you certain about that? I'm not. It might be illegal, I just don't know. Anyway, you're right that the cost of the box is paid via the postage - but just one box, not the cost of, say, FIVE boxes.

Think about what you've just said. What's better - one person using one inside-out PM box to ship MM, or one person using five PM boxes to ship PM?

Oh I absolutely agree with that. You can buy boxes at any office supply store - but I never have to do that, because I always have plenty of scrap/used boxes that I can re-use.

Yea, it's getting worse. Had a seller who didn't respond to any of my emails. About 3 weeks after the auction ended he left me a neutral with no comment After checking his feedback he was newly registered and had 4-5 negatives already. I sent a email stating that people need a payment before you get the auction item and if he sent payment he could avoid another negative feedback comment. After a week of waiting with no response I just dropped a negative on him. Ebay and paypal are convienent with paypal's credit card and being able to pay your fees with your paypal account, but the hassle factor has really shot up in the last 6 months or so dealing with stupid bidders.

I hate when the DVD auction says that the DVD is shipped in a vinyl case instead of a normal plastic case, supposively, to "save on shipping costs". Yet when you go down to the bottom shipping is like $5.00 anyway. In reality, it only costs about $2 to ship a DVD. I know, because I recently shipped one.

What I also can't understand is how they can put these DVDs in vinyl cases when the case it comes in is one of those cardboard ones (like Warner Bros or New Line has). Yet they say it comes with all the inserts?!

I only deal with sellers that has at least 99.5% possitive feedback. And I always send them a mail before I make a bid.