Postage refund

[Heavensmells]

I've had an email today from a buyer I've recently sold an item to. She asked if the item had shrunk as it looks small and complained that the postage she had paid was too much.

Before I posted the item I checked how much postage other sellers were charging and took an average from this. I've lost out before from asking too little for postage so didn't want to do so again but also wouldn't buy something myself if the postage was too much so asked for an amount that was fair iykwim.

Anyway £4.00 was charged and postage itself was only £2.20 as i was able to make the package smaller than i thought. She has asked me to refund the difference saying that slshe would do the same. I've said no, she was happy to pay the postage at the time so why complain now. Is she being cheeky or is it me in the wrong here?

I think £1.80 profit on postage is excessive to be honest - I don't think she is cheeky to ask for a partial postage refund. Making money on postage isn't allowed and can be considered fee avoidance. You say the buyer was happy to pay that, but she isn't going to know how much the postage cost you until she receives the item is she.

I did genuinely think that it would cost that much to post. I wasn't trying to make extra but can see why she's annoyed.

I do tend to refund a bit if I find I've overcharged on postage. But its a goodwill thing - not sure how I'd feel having it demanded!

Posted too soon.

It's happened to me as a buyer but I've just shrugged it off and vowed to always buy from sellers with fair postage prices.

Yes I guess the tone of her email did rile me a little. It has never occurred to me to asked for excess postage money.

I assume that seller has weighed something so knows how much it weighs, with £4 postage quoted I would assume it weighs 750g-1kg and costs £3.50 to post reasonable charge of 50p for packing, if it arrived and had cost £2.20 I would think excess profit and would message asking for a minimum of £1 refund.

when I bid i do not know what it weighs so the idea that i agreed to postage is silly

if I had quoted £4, when i got back from post office with receipt for £2.20 i would automatically go to paypla and give partial refund with note

" hi a small refund as postage cost less than i thought kind regards XTYZ"

i don't think she is being cheeky i think she is being nice by asking for small refund rather than just leaving you bad feedback and low DSR give her at least £1 refund i think 40-50p extra is the max amount for packaging that can be reasonably claimed for clothes, it is not china that needs bubble wrap and boxes

So you posted it untracked, not signed for and all that?

If I saw postage at £4, for the weight, I'd expect Royal Mail signed for at £3.65 and would presume the seller had factored in 35p of package.

If not, I'd be asking for a refund too, as the buyer.

I think the buyer is being petty, else send it first class & recorded next time. .
I would just refund what she asked for postage & put her on my blocked list, not worth the aggro & doesn't sound like she's demanding full refund, at least.

What previous poster said.

Personally I don't bid if I think someone is taking the piss with postage. If you stated £4.00 for first class recorded but only sent it first class I'd be miffed though. If you stated in your listing it was just first class then I think the buyer is being unreasonable.

As eBay is all for buyers though it's not worth arguing over. Just refund the bitch and move on

She could make a complaint to ebay for fee avoidance. £1.80 is excessive.

As long as you posted it the class that you promised to then I wouldn't dream of asking for a refund. Buyers often forget that postage includes the packaging you have used too (and sometimes petrol to get to the post office).

You can't charge extra in the P&P for your petrol costs though can you?

I think charging too much is not only fee avoidance, it is just greed.

Ebay so is not going to give a fig about £1.80 being charged over Royal Mail cost.
£5, yes, maybe £3. But under £2, no.

Come to think of it, I love the Hong Kong listings, buy an item for £.01 with £2.99 shipping (due to the distance, naturally). They are listed as BIN or auctions but then no-one ever outbids, why would you? The items only ever sell for £.01 (nominally). There are literally thousands of those types of sellers, who do it for yrs & yrs.

ebay may not worry about £1.80 but people will start leaving good feedback but with only 1 or 2 stars for DSR postage and packing costs if your average drops below 4.6 you may find the number of items you can sell a month being restricted

packing costs only include mailing bags bubble wrap flat pack boxes

it does not include petrol, time, parking fees

only a business seller can charge for time but postal overcharging is not usually a problem with business sellers as they can't afford to get low DSR

most overcharging on postage is to try and make up for selling at 99p.

I do not leave negative for overcharging postage but I will email and if I do not get the refund, then they will get low DSR

I never weigh anything however I've got so used to posting out now I'm pretty good at guessing postage cost.

If I charge too much, I refund through paypal with a note OR send on a faster service.

Either way, I do not make money from postage

i do think some of the postage charges are excessive and it puts me off buying. I think you should be able to factor in your time, possible transport costs if you have to drive to post office etc, packaging, materials into the postage and packing not just the literal postage fee but saying that my postage is always very reasonable IMO.

My biggest gripe with ebay sellers is when the have a U.K postage price stated but increase the price when the buyer is located in N.I yet the item is posted by royal mail which costs the exact same as the mainland, I really am fed up with excessive mail costs for highlands and islands so I avoid those sellers.

I either refund the postage if overcharged £1 or more or ask if there is a faster service for the amount that has been paid.

I dont buy from people, who, in my opinion, are charging excessive postage.

alemci

you can factor in packing materials and container into postage that is why it is reasonable to charge a small amount extra such as 30-50p to account for mailing bag, box or bubblewrap, obviously if selling fine porcelain more packaging would be required and maybe a little more would be justified

if you are a private seller it is not your job so your time costs nothing, most private sellers drop things at PO on way to shopping. school run etc,

you can only claim petrol etc as an expense if the trip is made solely for business purposes ( ie you son't buy newspaper or milk at same time or drop a child off at school) if you are a private seller it is not business so you can't charge for petrol, parking or time

a business seller can charge for time parking and petrol provided it is solely business

that said most business sellers postage is more reasonable

I mostly sell ceramics/ collectables and charge 50p for packing 15p for new flatpack box , 10-15p for bubble wrap 5p would include tape, labels etc and about max 10p for time , all my items are breakable and i only charge 50p for packing so I do resent being charged £1-2 pounds extra for something in a plastic bag

good customer service matters on ebay just as elsewhere. poor customer service no repeat business and they tell their friends to avoid as fergoose said excess postage is bad customer service and greed, packing is meant to cover actual costs not to make up extra profit

Hi Sarah

as I said my postage is very reasonable and my starting price low but i have been shocked about how high other sellers postage is and i don't sell a great deal.

OOH i don't blame people for setting postage higher if they are only going to end up with a 99p bid and have to pay a seller fee and pay pal costs. the buyer will still get a good deal and then the seller will be relieved that he has made a £1 on the postage

what happened to the phrase time is money. sometimes with ebay i would have rather given it to the charity shop as it is a lot of aggro.

i am being a bit tongue in cheek BTW :)

It's rubbish though isn't it I came on here looking for advice I've just been charged 6 pounds postage for something that cost 2.20 to post. I would never complain about 50p ish for packaging or whatever but those who say it includes petrol parking etc etc are just taking the piss! Mine was a combined postage and I have no idea how much 3 things weigh without seeing them, personally I never sell for 99p unless Im happy with 99p for it.

I've taken to leaving 1 and 2 stars since everyone knows royal mail have increased charges so I often look for things in 2 s or 3 s but then if a seller adds 100/200 percent to the postage clearly that's a risk they want to take!

I'm now going to ask for my first refund on postage I'll let you know.....

I think £6 is too much for postage unless it is bulky like a coat. maybe it would be a good idea not to buy anything which is that expensive to post in future.

hope you get your refund

sothwest ask for £3 refund as postal charge was excessive that is still 80p for the seller wrapping etc, she can not say she does not combine postage if she sent 3 items in one packet, some people do not combine because everything is pre-wrapped and are sent out individually, no combining is three separate parcels

I've asked for 2.50 and am being ignored I will leave it until the weekdn then ask again then if no joy leave a neg for all 3 things

I will wait in case she is on holiday