What are the current rules on sellers passing on paypal fees to buyers?

[HeinzSight]

Basically I've bought three items from one seller and they've refused to give a discount on the combined P&P saying that they end up paying the exact cost in the individual postage quoted because they're charged VAT and paypal fees. Therefore they're passing on the paypal fees to me within the P&P. Isn't this against the rules?

[fergoose]

no they are not allowed - it was stopped years ago. you can report them for it.

don't pay - or pay for each separately and demand separate parcels.

did they offer combined postage - did you ask before biddign?

[HeinzSight]

I asked before paying and just assumed that the invoice sent to me had a combined postage. It was until (stupidly) after I'd paid that I realised they'd just added together the three individual P&P costs.

I queried this in an email. I'll copy and paste the reply here. Hang on.

[fergoose]

report them to ebay and ask for a refund

they are not allowed to charge for paypal

[HeinzSight]

Hello

You have picked the three *** products that have postage and packaging charges all of the colours are free postage. I do not offer a postage discount on these items due to the weight of the items. They are far heavier than a colour and they also have to go in a larger jiffy envelope. We are also charged ebay and paypal fees and vat on the charges so we end up with the exact cost of the postage. I clearly show the cost on my adverts and I am not like another sellers who spring the postage costs on their buyers after they have committed to buy. I have not dispatched your items yet and I will wait to hear back from you before I do. If you do not want the items due to their being no combined postage on them, please let me know and I will refund your money.

Kind regards

XXXXXX



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Sent Date: 19-Oct-11 15:40:43 BST



Dear XXXXXX,

I've paid for my items, but I've noticed there is no combined postage and packaging. Why is this? I'm assuming you'll be sending all three items in the same package (saving on packaging and most likely postage cost too), therefore am a little confused as to why the P&P is just the three separate P&P prices added together.

Regards

XX me XX











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[HeinzSight]

'we are also charged ebay and paypal fees and vat on the charges so we end up with the exact cost of the postage'

Please tell me I'm not imagining this is passing on paypal fees?!!!! [hconfused]

[fergoose]

get a refund then - and appropriate feedback can be left if you wish.

they save on paypal fees too if you pay for all of them together - so they save on packing and fees.

Take your hard earned cash elsewhere is my advice :)

[HeinzSight]

[hsad] I've just looked on ebay and they've got me over a barrel as they're the only supplier in the UK for what I'm looking for. Bugger

[HeinzSight]

They're a power seller, you'd think they'd know better than to openly admit that they're passing on these fees.

[fergoose]

contact live help so you can report them for the paypal fees

[HeinzSight]

I will once my items arrive [hshock] [hblush]

[fergoose]

make sure you tell the seller to send them in 3 packages then as that is what you have paid for.

[sixlostmonkeys]

but they are not saying they are passing the paypal fees on are they? they are explaining that they have to pay all these fees and are not in a position to further reduce the cost of postage, especially as the items are heavy.
That's how I read it anyway.
They could have explained it better I guess, as they seemed to have rambled on a bit about how their business runs instead of simply explaining that a combined/reduced postage is not possible on these items.
You will probably find that when your items arrive the postage will be correct, as sometimes the actual postage doesn't work out cheaper when you combine.

Give them a chance (wait until your parcel arrives) before you do anything that could mess up their business. Too many businesses are failing at the moment and most of them are just people trying their best

[HeinzSight]

Thanks for your responses. I will hold fire as their message could be interpreted in different ways. I still think they should give a combined postage discount.

[sarahtigh]

sometimes combining postage makes them too heavy for second class so they jump to first class as you can not send standard parcels "signed for" so sometimes combining postage may save a box or mail bag but would not save bubble wrap as each item would still need to be wrapped so they did not hit each other in transit

they did not explain it well but yes paypal do charge fees on postage so if an item costs 3.15 to post to you and i charge £3.15 i'm actually making a loss

ebay do not charge fees on postage which is why some sellers mark up postage so much more to avoid ebay fees so you get charged £3 for posting a t shirt that costs £1.72 to post no way does a mail bag cost 1.28 it is strictly fee avoidance ( i have meet some sellers of childrens clothes who won't discount postage if you win for 99p or £1.25. its not your fault if you are only bidder you may have been prepared to pay more you just did not need to. Someone once tried to charge £15 for 7 items of 3-6 months stuff I would have been surprised if it even cost £4 to post and would not budge as she was trying to get more money from sales we ended up cancelling)

combining postage definitely saves no money sending abroad as every 100g is more money

wait and see what postage actually costs if they are charging £8 and when it arrives it says £7.62 it was reasonable if it says £4.41 it was not