eBay pickle - all my own fault - WWYD?

[BikeRunSki]

I recently sold something (a Bumbo) on Buy It Now (£7). The buyer paid immediately. She lives in Norway.

I took the parcel to the PO this morning and discovered that it is too big for them to carry, although I had estimated the postage right based on weight (also £7 for 800g).

I have looked on line for other couriers to take the parcel and have been getting quotes around £30.

WWYD -

1- Contact the seller, apologise and refund her?
2 - Post the parcel at a massive loss and chalk it up to experience?
3 -Pretend to post it, then refund her in a few weeks when it doesn't show up? (not keen on this, but I am sure it has been done to me?)

I am so cross with myself. I've been buying and selling on Ebay for 9 years and I post stuff abroad all the time (my sister lives in France and my DN's birthday presents have never been a problem)- it never occurred to me to check dimemsions! I know that the right thing to do is 2, but I am on mat pay and I really could do without taking the hit.

I've made small errors with postage and just paid them.

But for that amount I'd contact the seller and apologize. But I don't know what the rules are about that sort of thing.

Or you could say that the item's been damaged and refund her.

In the past I have just covered small errors in postage. Kind of hard to damage a Bumbo though!

Do 1. Be honest with her and she may well be understanding.

Definitely not 3. I don't see how you can know for sure that this has been done to you; even if it has, that doesn't justify you doing it to her.

Also, try one of the compare-courier-quotes sites and you might be surprised. RM is really uncompetitive for certain kinds of parcels.

Spilt tin of paint?
Dropped a large carving knife on it?
Left it on the cooker and turned a ring on?

Erm... I'm sure it could be done :o

1

I would just refund her and apologise - and cancel auction to get fees back and relist. and make sure you change your settings to stop foreign buyers in future too I reckon.

Have you tried Interparcel? They are a comparison site and generallly come in at around £22 for countrys like Norway.

Either option 1 or 3. With option 1 she might be understanding or not so you might risk neg feedback but just the one won't make much difference I think, specially if you respond politely with a reasonable explanation. Option 3, I am sure it has been done to me before, just remember not to list the item again for some time. My seller listed it within the same week which just gave the game away really

baabi, that is exactly how I think it has been done to me!

Say you misplaced the item and refund her. She'll be happy to get her money back I'm sure.

I've paid £9 excess postage internationally but £23 is loads on a low value item! I'd contact her and do what milk said...