Some people are just smarmy about their shipping 
costs. If I can, I'll ask if they can work with 
me on shipping--- for instance, there was one cel 
I bought from a person who wanted to use the 
fastest, most expensive shipping method possible. 
The shipping charge itself was more expensive 
than the cel. I asked if it was OK to bump it 
down to Priority Mail, and they basically told me 
I'd have to pay more if it was EMS from Japan. 
Well, yeah--- but they're not in Japan; they're 
one or two states over. The cel was still worth 
it to bid on, got the cel, and left my positive 
feedback-- but I filed that uncooperativeness in 
my memory.

I recently got charged $5.50 for shipping a 
single CD from elsewhere in the US. Anyone who 
regularly uses the post office is probably 
familiar with media rates, and a single CD is 
*not* going to cost $5.50. It may, perhaps, if 
you factor in packaging, gas money, and dedicate 
the rest to an amorphous "handling charge". So I 
let them know that I expected insurance to be 
included in that rate-- and while I didn't get 
anything arguing the point, I didn't get anything 
agreeing to it, too. When the CD comes in, I'm 
definitely going to check and see how it was 
shipped, and whether or not it was insured--- and 
that's going to affect whether I use them again 
or not.

So, yeah. If it's stated in the auction, ask them 
before bidding, and then see what their response 
is. Some people will work with you; others won't. 
If they won't, see if it's worth it or not. If 
you don't find out about it until after the 
auction close, ask them to break it down, as 
someone else said. And let that affect your 
future dealings with them.

-Cres