Frustrating buyer

[Willthisworknow]

Buyer bid on £180 worth item, designer dress, £4.99. Not happy with £5.65 postage. Instructed me to reduce it. I gave her chance to back out of sale as feel p & p reasonable. She paid 4 it. Gave me neg feedback. First out of 187 buyers. Contacted her but tote unreasonable mare. How can I get her to back down.

[lazydog]

How much did it cost you to post it?

[LavenderGreen14]

refund her the difference in postage? £5.65 is very expensive postage just for a dress - how much did you pay to post?

[lljkk]

She shouldn't have bid if she didn't like the postage.
Next time list it with postage inclusive, then she can whistle for it.
You really can't do anything except refund, as others say, and that probably won't work, anyway, so best to give factual statement in reply to the neg & forget about it.

[Timetofly]

It's not just postage, you're allowed to factor for packing as well. Did you pack it well and how much did it cost to send?

[Flibbertyjibbet]

How much did it cost you to post it?

Whilst I understand that the price includes postage AND the price of the item, it does annoy me when someone puts a high postage charge on then sends the item for a couple of quid.

I have been ebaying for 10 years now, the money I make each year from selling on our bits and bobs usually pays for some cheap flights in the summer. That won't be happening this year- I am still listing the same type of stuff but hardly anything is selling. I'm tired of stuff going for 99p or not selling at all. And had my first pain in the bum buyer last week who got something for 99p that cost £4 to post, and then complained about it (I have 800 feedback, 100% positive), knowing that the postage would make it not worth sending back.

I think maybe ebay has had its day for selling 2nd hand on, its too full of traders selling new stuff, all offering free p&p for which they have trade franking machines and business accounts with royal mail/couriers.

[DomesticSlobbess]

£5.95 is quite a lot IMO. I sent a few dresses last week. All Royal Mail 1st Class Signed For. None of them came to more than £2.70.

I've seen a few things I'd like to bid on then been put off by the £5+ P&P.

However, I do think the bidder shouldn't have bid when she knew how much P&P you were charging and wasn't happy with it. I always factor that in when bidding.

[DomesticSlobbess]

Sorry, £5.65*

[nickelbabe]

£5.65 is the price of a 1st class medium parcel under 500g/1kg. (can't remember - i did one today and it was really light!)

that's not unreasonable for a dress - you'd package it so it didn't crease too much.

[Gatekeeper]

DomesticSlobbess..how have you managed to post clothing 1st class recorded for 2.70?? Everything I sent this week cost me 3.70 2nd class recorded (tops, shirts). Wondering now if I was overcharged

[GemmaTeller]

Gatekeeper it depends how flat you can get the parcel so it goes in the 'large letter' slot and not the 'small parcel' slot.

I have an online business and post out 50+ items a week and I make doubly sure my parcels are as flat as possible

It also helps if you have post office counter staff who don't just guess the size.

[DomesticSlobbess]

Gatekeeper - everything I post goes through as a Large Letter. I bought 9x12inch mailing bags online. A dress or shirt can get through the Large Letter slot no problem.

[nickstmoritz]

Gatekeeper is right. To post large letter pack flat rather than fold several times and if you have larger mail bags tape them so they fit within the LL size. Some PO counter people don't worry about this if it goes through the slot but some are picky and will charge small parcel if your bag is not within the rectangle (I have had this).

Price wise £5.65 for a dress is too much imo. Unless of course it is a bulky/prom type dress that has to go medium parcel. Small parcel signed for is £4.10 this is what I charge for anything of a higher value but if you added about 30p on for packing that would be still reasonable. Any more than £4.50 is asking for low stars or bad feedback so not worth it. I know people say bidder should be happy with P&P before bidding but it's when they see the actual postage vs what they paid - you are going to get trouble or low stars.

[Gatekeeper]

oh ....I thought Large Letters was just for letters, cards etc. I didn't realise that you could send 'soft' stuff. There was loads I could have sent that way

[alemci]

yes i sent a cardigan this week for £3.70 which was signed for. £2.60 usually means small parcel 2nd class. Over £5 is alot. You would charge that for a coat.

[500internalerror]

Most clothes I send are @ 3.70 2nd class recorded. But I can easily see how a bulky dress could slip into the next bracket - eg a puffball thing, or a heavy tweed/wool work dress.

[nickstmoritz]

If you have a bulky item then it is going to be more (and could br worth looking at courier) but the issue is more about actual cost vs what is charged. If you charge £5.65 but your parcel says £3 then the buyer is likely to feel peeved (and with some people that is even if they have got a good bargain - just the way it is).

[millymae]

I buy a fair bit from ebay and I always look at the stated postage costs before I bid and if I think it's too much I don't bother. Equally if an item I've won arrives with a postage considerably less than has been stated in the listing and rubbish packaging as well I don't shy away from leaving a negative comment because I think it's wrong and not in the spirit of ebay for sellers to have inflated postage costs to increase profits.

As a seller I make absolutely sure that the listed price for postage is as near as dammit to what it will actually cost me to send. When I've got it wrong I've always upped 2nd class or whatever to something better so that hopefully the buyer will get it quicker.

[LavenderGreen14]

I agree Millymae- it is the principle as well as the money.