Offering lower that the reserve...?

[letmehelp]

There's an item listed which I fancy for DS2's Christmas present. It's been listed with a high reserve and fairly high postage. It's due to close in the next few minutes and so far has no bids. IMO the reserve combined with the postage makes it too expensive, but I would be prepared to pay a reasonable sum. Is there a way to make an offer to the seller? Sorry bit of a novice here.

[fergoose]

well you can email the seller and make an offer - I take it they haven't put the option to make a best offer in the listing?

[chirpchirp]

You can always send them a message asking if they would accept £X, the worst that can happen is they say no.

[letmehelp]

Thank you. If I send an email offer though, how do we do about settling up?

[fergoose]

they will have to set up the listing or relist it as a buy it now for you. Don't agree to an off eBay transaction.

[letmehelp]

No fergoose, that was what was worrying me. Thank you

[sarahtigh]

is postage too high because they are overestimating weigt or trying to make extra money from postage, or if it is heavy suggest they use courier not royal mail

if as has happenned to me you pay £6.50 postage and it arrives with £2.16 on label you email them first and say i noticed that postage cost £4.34 less than you charged me. the bag and bubble wrap would not cost that so i think I should get a partial refund ( by the way if I quote postage and when get to PO it is cheaper I just send refund with a note automatically) if they do not reply or say you agreed to postage when purchasing i would mail back and say I agreed to 6.50 as i9 thought you must have weighed it and therefore quoted that figure if still no refund i am afraid it is a 1 star for postage and packing charges

but you could mail them an offer and say i see item x did not sell would you be prepared to take £y includsing postage if they say yes agreed to relist at a partivcular time because they could relist at BIN and then someone else could buy it before you

[letmehelp]

Not, sure TBH. It is quite a heavy item, but they were quoting £17 postage.

[aswellasyou]

It would need to be about 25-30kg or huge to cost £17 if they're shopping around for a quote. I've always used City Link via Parcel Monkey and they're really cheap. You could suggest to them that they use a different courier and see what they say.

[sarahtigh]

£17 pounds is more than royal mail charge for upto 20kg with maximum length of 1.5 metres but that would be reasonable as about £!5.50 and £1 for packing but if less than 10kg is only £13.61 so £17 would be steep and if under 10 kg would get a courier for less than £7 unless live in highlands

if a cube shaped as opposed to very long and thin you would get a courier to take upto 30kg for about £10

more than 30kg reuires 2 people to move so much higher cost or needs a pallet