How do I report a seller for fee avoidance?

[IsItWishfulThinking]

Bought an item and happy to pay the postage as looking at royal mail assumed this was the best price for item.
Item turns up with postage half of what was quoted. Obviously managed to pass it as smaller parcel.
Contacted seller to ask if partial refund possible as double costs is a lot to pay. Seller says its to cover petrol and selling costs.
I've explained this is against rules. They say it's happened to them and eBay never sorted it so they're doing it too
I have been polite and not unreasonable but they're becoming quite rude and now say they're not refunding anything if im 'being like that'. All I said was it wasn't fair to punish me for what's previously happened to them.

I understand I agreed to the postage before I paid, I get that, but that was on the understanding that would be how much it cost the seller to post it.
Can I report it to eBay?

In fairness I've gone to post something and its gone through as a large letter rather than a parcel meaning its ended costing about 1/2 what I expected- I just see it as a little bonus. Unless the article was something a lot bigger you are arguing about a few pence on something that you were happy to pay the postage on previously. The cost to you is the same.
I do try to make sure I set fair postage prices though.

it's not fee avoidance though is it. and ebay allows you to select the postage price when you sell something and when you click to buy you agree to it.

bear in mind also that the cost of postage isn't just the price on the parcel - it's the wrapping, the time, the travel to the post office etc.

i don't think they've broken any rules.

It's not a few pence though, I'd not bother if it were but I for see how it's fair to charge me twice the price once he realised? Then to say its to cover his fees?

Swallowed, I was under the impression you can only charge for postage and packaging? Nothing more?

It takes time and effort to get a parcel weighed. Unless the postage is utterly outrageous then i would let the seller pocket the extra. You agreed to the price when you made your bid.

If you look at other online retailers they often charge far more than basic packaging and stamps for postage.

Ebay makes loads of profits. Why are you bothered about this seller getting a few pence.

Really- like I've said, it's not just a few pence. I don't think it's a lot of effort to use a tape measure and a pair of kitchen scales? I've managed it before and I'm certainly not technical.
Like I said, if it was pence then fair enough but we're talking pounds (which is a lot for me).
I agreed to pay that much for postage and packaging, not to bump up his profit. I won the item with a fair bid so why should I have to pay more?

report fee avoidance here (sorry for long link). And make sure you leave appropriate feedback and low stars if you wish them to count.

contact.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUs&wftype=2023&rcode=LP%25P10190&subject=Avoiding%20eBay%20fees&bcrumb=%20Home%20%3E%20Help%20%3EMembership%20%26%20account%3ERules%20%26%20policies%3EAvoiding%20eBay%20fees&instruction=&expirationDate=

How much money are we talking exactly? I believe sellers are allowed to include the cost of packing in their postage fee (so bubble wrap, tape etc). However, if you are talking pounds in the difference then that seems excessive. However, something that costs so much to post may also be bulky, difficult to package so really unless you give a better indication of what was sent and how much you were charged then it's difficult to say more.

And yes a private seller cannot charge for their time, fees, petrol, parking meter, shoe leather etc. It is p&p only - and all this you knew when you bid is nonsense, you trusted the seller to quote the correct amount for the weight and size of item, you aren't going to know if they are ripping you off until after it arrives.

Really agree about packaging (p&p costs) but a small sheet of brown paper and some Sellotape was used. Nothing more.
We're talking at least £3.

How much are we talking about here?

Sorry. X post

I don't think £3 really qualifies as fee avoidance, but if I were the seller I would have automatically have refunded the difference as a matter of fairness.

Ebay will not give a figleaf.
I would love to know OP's Ebay name.

Why exactly would you like to know my eBay name?

I would report them too. It's so unfair when sellers do this. So many seem to be charging £3 upwards to send a small item of child's clothing that I know will cost £1.20. If you want to make a specific amount, start your item at a higher price.

I sell on ebay too and quite a few times I have overestimated the postage but I always refund the difference and sent them a message telling them sorry for overcharging in the first place.

Charging anything over 50p for packaging is fee avoidance and they are not allowed to charge for time/petrol etc!

I would be majorly ticked off if someone overcharged me £3.00 on postage and didn't refund it.

I know you agreed to the postage charge but you did so assuming thats what it would cost to post, none of this 'it includes, time, petrol, parking etc' crap.

I would leave low stars and a comment to effect that they deliberately overcharge on postage.

lljkk why would you like to know the OP's name? I'd rather know the ebay name of the seller.

Regardless of the items final price, I don't bid on anything that has ridiculous postage (ie the flimsy M&S summer top that would have been £1.20 to post but had postage quoted at £4.00) - and yes I know exactly what postage costs are, I post out approx 60 parcels a week, none of which are sold through ebay.

That's a bit menacing?

What possible reason?

I think lljkk sells on ebay with vastly inflated postage costs herself?!

yup, a whole 51 p here and there!! Gawd forgive me since MNers won't. Scandalaous, eh?

Well I personally wouldn't mind 51p. But anything over £1 I would expect to be refunded. The postage costs should be the actual postage costs (plus a little for packaging which doesn't cost much).

I wouldn't mind 51p either but when we're talking more than a couple of pounds (which to me is a lot, even if you don't) I just think its not on.
I'm probably naive but as I refund overpaid postage, I expect the same in return. But then that's just me.

What exactly do you want to know my eBay name for? To block me?

I have never asked for a refund for postage. If you are happy to pay it then you have agreed? If someone bought something off you from eBay and you had to pay more than you quoted would you ask them to give you more money????

no I wouldn't ask for more postage if I had underestimated because that is against ebay rules. My mistake so I would have to fork out for it. I don't think anyone minds 51p extra on p&p, but a few quid and a rude arrogant seller is another matter.

Inthe, I have been in the sellers position of not asking enough and taking the loss myself and asking too much at which point I've refunded.
That's how it's meant to work.