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eBay

If you buy or sell items on eBay, you will find tips and advice on this forum.

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Original poster

Charged more than double the actual postage

36 replies

FindingMymOOOOOOOOjo · 27/10/2010 17:10

.... on a pair of trousers. I am always happy to pay the postage plus a bit for packaging etc, and sometimes you pay a bit more, but more than double?? Who likes to be ripped off? And she used recycled packaging so no 'cost' there.

I gave her the benefit of the doubt in perhaps she made a mistake in the postage calculation & asked her to refund overpaid postage - no reply.

I feel like she's stolen from me. Is it unreasonable to leave negative feedback if I comment its for charging double postage?

OP posts:

scurryfunge · 27/10/2010 17:13

If you didn't agree with the postage costs then you should not have bid. That is how people make a bit of money.

sixlostmonkeys · 27/10/2010 17:38

people shouldn't make money from postage. It's very very very very wrong.
It's difficult to know prior to receiving a parcel just what the actual postage is therefor the 'you shouldn't have bid if you don't like it' doesn't hold here.
Anyone can make a mistake regarding postage but once a buyer has pointed it out then a seller should refund the difference. Yes, she has stolen money from you, and is avoiding ebay fees by 'making a bit of money' this way.

Give her a couple of days to respond then give up (I guess) and leave appropriate feedback. Ignoring your messages is poor communications so that's 2 stars to mark down.

scurryfunge · 27/10/2010 17:40

I'm sure you could estimate what the reasonable postage should be prior to bidding, so it is easy to judge whether you are willing to pay it or not.

People will not buy if the postage is too high.

maxybrown · 27/10/2010 20:54

not true scurryfunge. I use recycled packaging and sometimes buy bags for my clothes in bulk so they are very very cheap. A lot of people I have bought from have charged much more than i would for postage but then have bought really decent jiffy bags, so then i can see where their costs have come from once the item has arrived. It's not what I would do, but some people only sell very occasionally

People DO rip off others with postage and it is against ebay rules for extortionate postage. Besides, even if no one complained to them, surely they will get marked down in their star ratings and suffer eventually anyway?!

CarGirl · 27/10/2010 20:58

Sometimes it's tricky to work out whether something will be able to go as a large letter or a packet and if unpackaged it's just under a price band as well then it's all a bit of a guess.

If it's cearly been done to make extra profit then you can report for excessive postage costs.

scurryfunge · 27/10/2010 21:00

Oh come on....anyone can make a decision whether they feel the postal charges are acceptable or not.

Talkinpeace · 27/10/2010 21:20

It is called Postage and Packaging, not stamps.
get real about the time, effort, mileage and materials.

ShirleyGarrote · 28/10/2010 11:14

I had someone contact me and ask if I would reduce postage on an item.

I was only charging 50 flipping pence. FIFTY PENCE!

People are mad.

maxybrown · 28/10/2010 16:00

lol shirley that is very funny my postage is only ever the exact postage plus 10p or so max, and I still get marked down on postage stars

DirtyMartiniOfDoom · 28/10/2010 16:07

Shirley . Loons.

I frequently take a hit on p&p, actually, especially because I like sending things recorded just to be extra sure I am covered in case of problems/attempts to scam me. And I'm scared to look like I'm making any money in a dodgy way, lest it hurt my feedback, so I sometimes ed up losing out.

I'm not saying this makes me better somehow. It actually just makes me an eBay wuss. Ah, well.

RunforFun · 29/10/2010 01:04

'very very very very wrong' ??

Jeepers, there are somethings in this world that are wrong, crime, racial hatred, abuse, but making a couple of quid on postage ....

fwiw I always add at least £1 to the actual postage costs, frequently state up front that I may use recycled packaging and still have a 4.9 rating for P&P.

sixlostmonkeys · 29/10/2010 05:53

Making a couple of quid on postage is most definitely wrong (comparing it to crime, racial hatred and abuse doesn't warrant a response)
Wrong because the seller is taking money from a buyer for no legimate reason, theft if you will.
Wrong because the likes of you who admit to doing this yet still keep good star ratings are actually selling on the same platform as me. I don't "make a few quid" on postage, yet even when I charge actual stamp price I don't always get full stars. When my stars go down I run the risk of my losing my seller status. This ultimately affects my business. My business is my only income. My income is the only way I can house, feed and clothe my family.
I am competing with private sellers who don't pay insertion fees and pay lower final value fees because they have made their money on the postage. Wrong? Oh yes.
It is years of such sellers that have forced ebay to introduce p&p capping and star ratings. It would seem that despite this, such unscrupulous sellers are still getting away with it, yet the genuine sellers work under the threat of losing their business. How is this right?

juneybean · 29/10/2010 07:02

In a time when a lot of villages have lost their post office and have to travel considerably to get to the nearest one, it's not unreasonable.

Original poster

FindingMymOOOOOOOOjo · 29/10/2010 09:38

Thanks for all your comments - clearly some people think it's OK to 'profit' from postage while others play fair.

I do think it's wrong - I don't expect to be charged the 'exact' amount (though this is quite easy to calculate) and will happily pay a bit more to cover packaging etc and accept that sellers should overcharge a little rather than undercharge & be out of pocket. It's no biggie. But charging more than DOUBLE is taking the piss & clearly profiteering from postage. As a buyer I really don't know what the post will cost until the package arrives.

I don't agree postage charges is to cover time & effort - that comes out of the sale of the item fee. P&P is P&P and the rules clearly state sellers aren't to profit from it.

Certainly when I sell & have overestimated postage (say on a bundle of clothes) I've refunded the buyer any postage overcharge.

I'm going to leave negative feedback.

OP posts:

scurryfunge · 29/10/2010 15:18

If you feel delivery or postage charges are too high, you do not buy. Simple. It works for every business.

AuntAda · 29/10/2010 16:14

Depends what it's the double of. If you've been charged £4 for an item that cost £2 to post, I'd probably take it on the chin. Bear in mind that mail order companies routinely charge £4.50++ for posting comparable items, so it's not that unreasonable. IF you were charged £10 for an item that cost £5, then I thnk you have more reason to feel cross.

It is trickier to estimate postage than it might seem, esp given the extra tariffs for eg. large letter vs package etc etc. Sometimes I do get to the post office and find that the postage was much less than I'd anticipated -- if the differential is a big one then I would offer to refund the difference even without the buyer asking. If it was smaller (the £2 cost for £4 charge eg) I probably wouldn't offer spontaneously, but I would refund if the buyer queried it (though I'd mentally roll my eyes a bit.

Not responding to a buyer's query is a bit off though, but give her a few days longer to respond -- it's half term and people might be away and not have internet access.

nigglewiggle · 29/10/2010 16:20

I think you should take it on the chin. If the seller has been clear about the postage cost and you have accepted it as part of the overall price, then it is unfair to leave negative feedback.

Talkinpeace · 29/10/2010 20:40

Do you send negative feedback to any website whose "standard postage" is more than it cost?
Do you refuse to buy on amazon as £2.75 is more than the real P&P

Sorry OP but you are not in the real world.
You will find yourself on a thousand BBL for your intemperate views.

sixlostmonkeys · 29/10/2010 20:55

Don't be so rediculous!
Read my post up there pointing out a few reasons why it is wrong to overcharge/steal/con/make a few quid.
All I read on here are lame excuses for why each of you defend your overcharging. I read no acknowledgement of realisation that's it's wrong and it makes the ebay community as whole suffer.

shame on you

GiganGORE · 29/10/2010 20:57

i think that the items are displayed with the poastage costs.

if you believe them to be too high then find an alternative item.

Some people also factor in the cost of getting to the PO so maybe not necessarily as over priced as you may assume

ragged · 29/10/2010 21:03

I agree with AuntAda. That said, you could politely contact the seller and ask for a small rebate on postage (down to what you think is reasonable). If you did that to me I'd jump thru hoops to keep you happy.

MsSparkle · 29/10/2010 21:14

I didn't think you were supposed to count the time it takes to get to the PO etc when charging for p&p?

PavlovtheWitchesCat · 29/10/2010 21:26

i tend to find i get more bids and more money by far if i undercharge by up to 50p less than the norm, i never make money on postage costs and this make more on my items. it gets attention/interest if low postage.

scurryfunge · 29/10/2010 22:29

Sixlost, I don't really understand your annoyance. You have all upset over something that really should not bother you at all. It is packaging alongside stamps that is the cost. It is pure business and supply and demand. I emphasize the point that if you take the piss with postage then you will not get any customers. Adults have the right to choose whether they pay the amount or not. .....no one forces these charges.

Tryharder · 30/10/2010 00:09

I don't make money on P&P either and am always a bit when people charge claim to charge petrol money for getting to the post office.

OP, I wouldn't leave negative feedback for high P&P charges if the item was otherwise in good order but would definitely mark down on stars. I would leave positive feedback, possibly neutral and would write something like "nice item but P&P costs far too high"

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