I purchased a piece of furniture on eBay for what I considered to be a real deal, but I hadn't requested the shipping cost ahead of time (my error entirely). When the BAD news came back--that shipping would be 75% of the purchase price--I asked to be released from the contract (out of Christmas kindness, as it were). The seller turned a bit nasty, and it became clear that the seller had an in-house delivery operation, which I began to suspect "padded" the return on the sale with a little extra for the shipping. I found Uship, and was able to save $200 off the cost of shipping from the original estimate, with the piece being delivered in perfect shape, to boot! Now that I know about Uship, I'll make using it part of any large purchase I make on eBay.