To ask for full payment or report this Ebayer? WWYD?

[Flossyfloof]

I sold a pair of boots at the weekend on EBay, they only went for a couple of quid but they weren't dear to start with (brand new).
The buyer has messaged to say could I reduce the postage (post sale) to second class as they are buying them for their neighbour who is a pensioner. I only offered first class postage at the rate EBay suggested. I don't know how much second class would be and I don't really want to have to go to the PO to find out and message the buyer, create a new invoice etc, for a total of 4.49 less my time money and postage.
I messaged them to say I thought it best for them to pay the full amount then if I could get the postage down I would. That way I could check second class postage cost, send the boots off and refund if it worked out.
They have messaged back to say they only have £5 and I can either wait or accept the fiver.
To be honest for this money I would rather just cancel the whole bloody transaction and give the boots to charity.
I know EBay is generally on the side of the purchaser but I don't think I am being unreasonable in expecting the purchase to be completed, am I?

report to ebay. If you can't pay, don't bid.

Yes you can insist I think. They've agreed to pay the invoice price and can't back down now.

I have this all the time. Just message back, being scrupulously polite, and say that the postage cost is what it is and given that the buyer doesn't want to comply with the conditions visible at time of bidding you will send a mutual cancellation request to which they should respond immediately. If they fail to respond then report them. And file a non-paying bidder complaint. They're trying it on, by the way, but I'm sure you know that!

Send an invoice for the full amount incl 1st class P&P. When it is not paid, open an UID and close as soon as you can.

Remember that you will be charged 10% on the advertised P&P by eBay so even if you did reduce to 2nd class, you would be out of pocket if you overlook this. On an item worth £4.49 you really can't afford to subsidise P&P as well.

Only communicate with the buyer vie eBay messages so that they can be read by eBay in the case of a dispute.

send a mutual cancellation request

I would strongly suggest that you do NOT do this. It depends on the buyer accepting the request. If they refuse, you then cannot open an UnPaid Item Dispute.

Also send recorded as if you don't they may open an item not received case and without proof of delivery they will be able to claim the money back and have your boots and the money.

I put on a Buy It Now price as well!
Thanks. I have messaged saying I am happy to cancel the transaction and if they don't wish me to do that I require full payment as we have noth entered into a contract.

I hate timewasters like this. Send them a polite but to the point message saying they agreed on the price (and postage) when they bid, so please can they make payment within 48 hours. If they don't, open an unpaid item case. Don't engage any further after this until you have received payment.

Only do the Mutual Cancellation when you have an eBay message confirming that the buyer wishes to void the purchase.

Then you fill in the MC form to say that the buyer has requested this. If they then send back a refusal (or ignore), eBay can read the message and see that you have acted in good faith and the buyer is messing you around.

These are the three messages the buyer has sent.

Hope you are well !!
Thanks for the listing and I am very glad that I have won the bid.
Please can you take £2.80 towards postage and use Royal Mail 2nd class ?
I am buying this for the old aged person(pensioner) living next door and hope you can help as well, as this is for a good cause..

Thanks very much again.
Saran

Hi,

Thanks for your message.. I do understand your situation..
The payment isn't going through due to lack of funds (got only £5) in the account.
Please bear with me, until I top this account up in 5 days) or you take £5 now.
Please let me know.. sorry about that...

Hi,
I am so sorry that you have thought that way. Honestly, the payment isn't going through...
I am trying to get in touch with Paypal... please bear with me..

PS : According to Royal Mail : Small parcel upto 3Kg on 2nd class will cost £2.80 only.

please tell me that these are perspex heeled stripper thigh boots for the pensioner next door?

Tranmere if you are the purchaser please just pay up, thanks.

Bloody cheeky bugger. I'm glad I don't sell much on eBay.

Have you got the boots weighed? I've sold football boots before on EbY. Sometimes they weigh in at the small parcel rate, sometimes, not. There's such a small margin of profit, so don't get caught out.

Also, the postage price is for postage And packing, so you have to factor in the cost of a Jiffy bag.

As others have said, they accepted the p and p price when bidding.

you could send Hermes for £2.98 - but no, the buyer is wrong. Stop communicating and file an unpaid case. And put them on for more money when you relist with free p&p and best offer. Selling for such a low amount really is not worth it.

that seems very cheap for a pair of boots? I sent some home made floating candles once and it cost over £2 I gave up after that

A small parcel (dimensions available online, but I've sent boots as a small parcel before) will be £2.80 second class. But that's just the cost of postage and doesn't include packaging maternial or allow for the fact that eBay charge you 10% on top as fees. I usually charge £3.20 for 2nd class

This link will give you dimensions adn prices for all different sorts of postage.

www.royalmail.com/price-finder

you can't charge for fees in with your postage - if you are a private seller it is for postage and packing only, nothing else.

worth repeating

DO NOT DO A MUTUAL CANCELLATION!!!!!

(that needs to be in flashing red really).
Open a non paying bidder case and do no more. Ignore messages, don't attempt to source cheaper postage etc. The time for asking questions is before you hit Buy It Now.

Bloody chancers. For the sake of other sellers please file NPB. This then goes onto their account and will go some way towards getting them banned if they make a habit of this.

I completely agree - and add to blocked bidder list too.

If you do Recorded Delivery (which I STRONGLY recommend) then it will be £3.90 for 2nd class small parcel anyway. They seem like the type of buyer who would pull an 'item not received' stunt! What is their feedback like?

signed for delivery is pretty much a waste of time - many posties don't bother with a signature. Hermes or Collect + provide full tracking without paying for a signature, plus cheaper than Royal Mail too. You should send everything tracked anyway.

I do mutual cancellations quite often. If the buyer and seller agree to cancel what's the problem? This is from the help section on eBay and it seems to me that you can attempt a mutual cancellation and then go on to an unpaid item case but not the other way round.

You won't be able to cancel a transaction if:

<strong>The buyer has already opened an item not received request</strong>

<strong>You have already opened an unpaid item case</strong>

Anyway - the point is that communcation is all and at the end of it the fee loss on a 4.49 item is hardly the end of the world. It's in the buyer's interest to agree to mutual cancellation as if it goes to unpaid item they get a strike on their account!

Thanks all. All sorted, transaction cancelled. I phoned EBay to ensure that there was a record and they took me through what to do.
Admittedly the fee loss would have been minimal but it really will discourage me from bothering with EBay in the future and if you are selling a few items and this happens a few times it could be quite costly.
I hadn't thought of the "I never received the item" angle, which I think would probably have happened.
Tranmere if you want the boots they are free for collection, just pm me!
Thanks very much everyone.