You don't ask Boots for a postage refund, so why are you asking me? AIBU

[ForTheHorde]

I sell clothes and things on ebay. I typically add a blanket postage fee of £3.20 - the cost of a 2nd class package. The only time I don't do this is when I know it will cost less than a £1 because of how thin it is.

Around 98% of my sales are small package size, so at this point I have charged the buyer exactly the postage cost, but even then I will be out of pocket as I'm not adding extra for packaging and final sales fees.

Occasionally I will have got the estimate wrong and undercharged (I never ask the buyer for more money to cover in this instance) or it does actually goes through as a large letter.

In this instance, the buyer actually bought two items with the £3.20 postage charge and I combined the postage costs (and I did this without being asked as a goodwill gesture) and put them into one package (so she was only charged one postage fee). I was charged £1.53 at the post office. The buyer is asking me to refund the difference.

When you buy something from anywhere else that has postage, you don't demand a refund on it's arrival based on the actual cost. Why do it with a private seller?

AIBU to say no to the refund citing all the above?

(By the way, the total cost of the two items was £6 so it's not like I made a killing on them anyway after fees).

I guess because most places have free returns in place now?

No I wouldn’t. You need that money to cover packaging and your time/fuel to go to the post office

Just reply and explain the total cost is postage and packaging, not just the posting fee. It includes you packaging the item and your time to send it. She bought it agreeing to pay that fee so she can’t really complain!

Just message them back a calculation of cost of your time, packaging, parking , petrol etc. They are not just paying the price of the stamp ,also I think, eBay takes a cut of the fees for the postage as well doesn't it ?

I wouldn't bothered asking for a refund if I were this buyer because it's less than £2 and life's too short.

But there are some petty buggers on Ebay so I would just save yourself hassle and give her the money back before you get a case and negative feedback.

Honestly not worth the fight.

I thought it was for postage and packaging not just postage

She doesn't want to return though. She actually got a massive bargain as it is.

She wants £1.67 (but in that case I'll need to calculate the fees based on £3.20 + packaging - so more like £1?). You literally wouldn't go to any company after the item arrived and ask for a partial postage refund (unless it was next day and late or something like that). And she bought the item knowing the postage charge - just as I do when I buy from somewhere like Boots.

It's post and packing which includes petrol/ parking and time . It's not just for the postage .

I find when posting with Royal Mail I have to err on the side of caution as it's shit being stung with extra charges later on or unhappy customer because their package is being held up at the delivery office because of incorrect postage. They were clearly happy with paying the postage to begin with, and by combining the items you already saved them some money, so it's unfair of them to have a strop about it now. You don't have a crystal ball to predict exactly how much postage you will be charged at the office, I've found some staff are more willing to push something through as a large letter than others for example.

@THisbackwithavengeance

I wouldn't bothered asking for a refund if I were this buyer because it's less than £2 and life's too short.

But there are some petty buggers on Ebay so I would just save yourself hassle and give her the money back before you get a case and negative feedback.

Honestly not worth the fight.

This is where I am at the moment - let her have it and just block her as a bidder afterwards. But it's really annoyed me in with the pettiness.

I think that’s fair, it’s posting and packaging so you’ve not charged much at all for your effort, time, petrol etc.

when you get a package from a big company it doesn’t say the price of the postage on it.
This probably helps them a lot.

Very eagle eyed of them to even notice, and slightly petty really. Send them 15p in coins. £1 refund minus the cost of 85p for the first class stamp for you to send it to them.

Tell her exactly what has been said - that she knew the p&p fees when she bought the items.

I sidestep the whole issue by offering "free postage". Obviously in reality it's just added to the price of the jewellery.

If a customer buys multiple items I don't discount either.

@LadyPoison

I sidestep the whole issue by offering "free postage". Obviously in reality it's just added to the price of the jewellery.

If a customer buys multiple items I don't discount either.

I think this is the way forward myself. Work out all the costs associated with the item and have it as part of the price your selling it for. Being drawn in by low prices and then charged pounds extra for postage always irrationally annoys me. I’d rather pay an upfront price.

Do not refund. As others have said, they knew what the cost was before bidding/buying. If they had requested a combined postage cost/invoice before you sent items then you could decide if you wanted to do this. It takes time and effort postal supplies to send items as well as ebay fees,

I agree that free postage is the way forward from now on.

It’s the first time this has even come up and I think I’m actually really generous considering I absorb the packaging/ time/ fees costs.

I am worried about negative feedback but I think eBay do remove in some cases, and I’m fairly sure I’m the one in the right here (I mean as far as the legality of eBay goes).

YANBU. Trust yourself to know you’re being taken advantage of and just say no. Drama over. Some people take the piss.

Expect to be marked down on ratings and maybe negative feedback. Buyers expect p & p to be roughly the price of the stamp.

She is in the wrong.

Don't refund her -- it'll encourage her to carry on chancing it.

Perhaps direct her towards eBay's instructions on how to resolve problems between buyers and sellers i.e. if she wants to pursue the matter, let eBay adjudicate.

I’ve stopped using eBay as I find by the time I paid fees & postage it’s not worth selling on there. I use Vinted instead. It’s much more transparent in my experience and the buyer pays a small fee.

She knew the postage cost when she bought it. End of conversation. Unless you've written "if it posts for less I'll reduce postage cost".

@ForTheHorde

I agree that free postage is the way forward from now on.

It’s the first time this has even come up and I think I’m actually really generous considering I absorb the packaging/ time/ fees costs.

I am worried about negative feedback but I think eBay do remove in some cases, and I’m fairly sure I’m the one in the right here (I mean as far as the legality of eBay goes).

eBay won't remove negative feedback just because you're right and she's wrong. It's only if they swear in the feedback or something like that.

I think "free postage" on Amazon prime etc means people have forgotten that it's not free. I sell on Etsy and have lots of messages "why is shipping so expensive?" And it turns out they are in America and, well, that's what it costs me!