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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave neutral ebay feedback due to p&p charges

69 replies

chickenfortea · 13/01/2009 13:37

I bought some trousers for DD just after christmas, the postage was quoted as £2.50. They arrived fairly quickly and in good condition.
They were wrapped in one of the plastic self seal postage back and the postage paid was 65p.
I sent an email to the seller to advise of my proposed feedback and have had a response to say I shouldn't have bid and that it has to cover her time to go to the post office.
AIBU to expect P&P to be a vague reflection of the cost of postage and packing?
Should it give her extra for her time??

OP posts:
catsmother · 13/01/2009 14:10

If I buy anything on eBay I look at the total price - bid + p&p and ask if I'm happy to pay that. If I am, then surely it's irrelevant what the actual p&p is ? In the past, I've received stuff wrapped beautifully with unnecessary extra layers, fresh new tissue paper, ribbons, the lot ..... which would have added to the cost, and I have also received stuff in grotty old used envelopes with stamps that cost a lot less than quoted.

But ...... if I think I have an overall bargain, that is all I care about. From having sold a small amount of things on eBay, I've found it can be a lot more time consuming than you sometimes imagine. Taking photos, downloading them, queueing up at the Post Office (or driving out of your way to get to one with decent digital scales so you don't get overcharged on the more old fashioned type, which has happened to me more than once), ensuring things are securely and protectively wrapped. I personally don't try to "fleece" people but where a sale has involved a reasonable amount of time to conduct, it really isn't too hard to understand why people try to make an extra pound or so on p&p.

kittywise · 13/01/2009 14:11

If she'd set an minimum then you'd have had to pay more anyway.

You really do have far too much time on your hands if you are spending time crabbing about this.

Go and do something constructive and nice for someone today instaed of looking for ways to cause someone distress.

Aimsmum · 13/01/2009 14:14

Message withdrawn

Original poster
chickenfortea · 13/01/2009 14:17

Thank you for your replies, I sense I am in the company of several ebayers
I just feel that the postage should be a vague reflection on the actual costs incurred. Its not hard to weigh an item and work out estimated postage.
This is not something that bothers me greatly, I won't be losing sleep over it, I just thought it would be an idea to get some independant views!!!

OP posts:
Lulumama · 13/01/2009 14:18

i don;t ebay, am just of the opinion life is too short to get this worked up about a couple of quid!!

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 13/01/2009 14:19

YABU I reuse packaging where possible but I don't always know if I have any in stock when I list, so quote what i would expect to spend.... and I lways qoute above as I was left out of pocket in the past.

When you bid on the item you accepted the cost. The item arrived undamaged as described in a timely manner. None of this deserves a neutral!

Treat it as a lesson to yourself compare and contrast P&P costs before bidding!

expatinscotland · 13/01/2009 14:28

It's entirely possible it is a vague reflection of the actual costs involved, if as several of us have pointed out she had to drive to the post, if the post used the old scales, if she wasn't able to get packaging as cheaply, etc.

DH buys stuff of Ebay. I don't use it anymore because of cheeky gits trying it on to rip sellers off.

Seriously, just leave no feedback on if it the odd pound bothers you that much.

Bucharest · 13/01/2009 14:31

ChickenforTea- I'm an ebayer too and I think there are many sellers who rip people off, just as there are many buyers who want summat for nowt....all you can do is learn from the experience.

I have never made a penny from postage. I weigh my stuff on digital scales and always refund if I get to the PO (and I'm in Italy so it's only open half a day) and find that I've charged more than it weighed. I always buy new jiffy bags as well which I don't charge for. I call it customer service.

FAQtothefuture · 13/01/2009 14:31

"25p when bought in a pack of 10 at our local PO"

Not in our local one!!!

solidgoldsoddingjanuaryagain · 13/01/2009 14:31

I charge approx postage, approx packing (because it varies depending on whether I have time to get to the pound shop or not) and usually add in about £1 for the cost of the tram fare to the post office. I don't think that's unreasonable.

catsmother · 13/01/2009 14:33

Slightly off topic here but the thing I always remember with eBay as well (having been there myself) is that there's an awful lot of people there who don't run a regular business but who are pretty desperate and trying to scrape together a few quid with what they can find to sell. I therefore don't mind when I see they've made the odd pound on the p&p so long as I'm happy overall - which I am, otherwise I wouldn't have bid.

As a seller, it's horrid when you get unfair - or completely lunatic - feedback (not saying that's you !). It can take a lot of effort trying to get stuff like that sorted out and though it's obviously not on the same scale as someone lying through their teeth to wreck your standing just because they can, it's still pretty demoralising to get marked down about anything you've been upfront about, like p&p. I think the problem is in the definition: you have people who think it should be literally the stamps and the wrapping, and then you have everyone else who thinks other elements of sale come into it.

Nekabu · 13/01/2009 14:42

YABU as you saw the postage cost before you bid on it. If you didn't like it, then you need not have bid. If you feel the postage was high then reflect that (after leaving positive feedback!) using the Ebay star system.

ScottishMummy · 13/01/2009 14:43

so you are happy with item,but have gripe at P&P?tough titty she made it explicit in listing

fwiw,maybe she had to get on bus,pay fares,lug a buggy to post your in good conditioin trousers (which you saved money on had you bought them new)

sheesh!read the T&C before bidding

HolyGuacamole · 13/01/2009 14:50

YABU.

Astarte · 13/01/2009 14:51

I have just posted 2 items separately and weighed them, stated the postage would be £10 by standard parcels, according to the RM website. I have to drive 4 miles to the nearest PO, with 3 children in the car, whilst heavily pg.

When I got to the PO one parcel was £9.60, the other was £11.10, so I was 70p out of pocket, plus petrol and time.

Maybe I should leave feedback to that effect?

If it has bothered you in the slightest to the point you would consider leaving neutral feedback for it, then you honestly aren't cut out for ebay.

If you left me a neutral for the OP reasons I would ban you from bidding any future item and leave feedback to say why so everyone else can see.

wickedwitch81 · 13/01/2009 14:55

YABU - I'm sure you still paid less than you would have in a shop..

PaulaatMummyKnowsBest · 13/01/2009 15:22

my DH sells stuff on ebay.

Sometimes he looses money on the postage and sometimes he makes a little.

I once queued for nearly an hour to get ebay packages out in time. Surely that too needs to be accounted for in the "P&P"?

YABU IMO

paddingtonbear1 · 13/01/2009 15:29

I think YABU.
I bid on something once without checking the postage - it was v steep. The item was lovely so I gave positive feedback, and just marked down for postage on the star rating. I always remember to check now.
Yours sounded pretty reasonable though imo.

pleasechange · 13/01/2009 15:36

YABU - as others have said, you were happy to bid, and therefore accepted the charges. Also £2.50 is hardly extortionate

MorrisZapp · 13/01/2009 15:36

YABU. Catsmother said it all for me.

But I would add that it's important to note that ebay take their charges based upon sale price EXCLUSIVE of the p&p cost. So while the p&p goes straight to the seller, a portion of the sale price goes to ebay.

I'm happy for sellers to take some money 'tax free' as it were, if the overall price is favourable. If the overall price is not favourable I don't buy.

I've had so much fantastic stuff and eye watering bargains from ebay - quite apart from the good feeling of not seeing stuff go to landfill - I say live and let live.

By all means use the star rating to make your point but not neutral feedback unless the item itself was in some way lacking.

ClareVoiant · 13/01/2009 15:54

agree with others in that it is unreasonable to leave a neutral but to use the p&p stars if you are that bothered.
I had this at christmas bought a dvd for dp spposedly bn and sealed. the P&p charged was £2.99 it cost 64p to send and was sent in a normal paper envelope with absolutely no protective covering. the envelope was ripped by the time it arrived as was the sealed cellophane and the box was dented and dinged.
I left positive feedback but put it in the comments box at the P&P not being of good value.
however I also look at the total cost,and at christmas I also bought a ps2 game which the postage was £2.50 on. it also only cost 64p to send. however i only paid £3.75 total, so was happy to pay the extra. was good to get a bargain, but felt a little sorry for the person selling.

mistressmabel · 13/01/2009 15:55

YABU - very infact. You agreed to the postage costs when you bought the item! A seller can cahrge what they want and you either take it or leave it. It is really bad form to leave neutral feedback in this case.

Also you should consider that P&P includes wrapping (those bags are not cheap), travel cost to the post office, time and effort put in as well as postage.

It is even worse that you are actually happy with the item and the time it was delivered in.

mistressmabel · 13/01/2009 15:58

And quite honestly it is such a small amount of money why are not making a big deal out of it?

mistressmabel · 13/01/2009 15:58

And quite honestly it is such a small amount of money why are not making a big deal out of it?

oldraver · 13/01/2009 15:59

Astarte.....when your paying that much as postage its cheaper and better to use a courier.

OP ont he whole I would say you are BU to give neautral feedback, we all no it happens and its galling whn you see someone has charged you £2.50 and there is less than a quid postage... but I just take that as they are making some thye dont have to pay fees on

That said I have just this week received an item I was resigned happy to pay £6.00 P+P as it was the only item of its sort. It arrived without any packaging.. in the display bag that was ripped open all down one side, probably as it was the 'crunchy plastic'that rips. I dont even think I will give negative feedback but will mark down on stars