Todd Hughes
>"An example of too high: a boxwood spokeshave with shipping fees of $16 within the continental US. OK would be $2.50 or $3 at the outside"

Yes you are right $16 would be to high but I can't ship a 10 OZ wood shave to Ca. and many other places for "$2.50 or $3". if I ship it in a box which I would have to provide it will cost $4.55 for Parcil post. If I send it Priority mail will cost $4.95
If I send it in a 1st class envolope I can keep it just under $3.00...if I don't charge for what the envolope costs me. Also if the thing gets broken because of being sent cheap in an envolope you better believe the buyer will be on you because you didn't wrape it well.
As to delivery confimation I don't know who should pay it. I figure as a seller my responiabilty ends when I deliver the persons item to thier shipping agent. I often get buyers that will ask me for a tracking number and unless they have bought insurance or del. confimation I don't have one...if they wanted this info they should have bought it. I keep my PO reciepts so I CAN prove that I mailed the item out
With PAYPAL now the buyer can put a claim in and get his money back and unless you have a tracking number as a seller I think you are out of luck while the buyer doesn't have to prove he never got the item.....Todd