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Original poster

How do I report a seller for fee avoidance?

62 replies

IsItWishfulThinking · 17/08/2013 15:42

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 Hmm
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?

OP posts:
MrsTingley · 17/08/2013 18:41

The only reason people like to know eBay id's, is so they can talk about putting them on their blocked bidder lists!!
Why anyone would want to mention putting someone on a blocked bidder list on a public forum is beyond me, aside from the obvious choices of a power-trip, a need to feel superior or perhaps guilt.

thismousebites · 17/08/2013 22:16

I have bid on items before where the postage is £4-£4.50.
I know full well that the item will probably only cost £2.60 to send, but if I like the item then I'm not that anal as to complain.
The way I see it is if I buy off ebay I don't pay full price so am getting a bargain anyway.

lljkk · 18/08/2013 08:42

I think I must be the only Ebay seller who is glad about the new charges on postage because it will almost entirely do away with this ridiculous debate. The guidelines are ambiguous; the original Ebay guidelines years ago made it clear that Sellers were allowed to charge something for their time. It was up to buyer to decide whether to pay it or not. No one reads fine print of Ebay changes in T+C. The new guidance is still fuzzy and Ebay does not care about 30p of fee avoidance.

Anyway, of course I want to block OP. I am very nervous of unfair or bolshy buyers, would prefer to avoid them altogether. OP can choose who she buys from, much harder for sellers to choose who to sell to. It's my loss if I block OP, no? Why should OP be afraid of that? She avoids sellers like me, I avoid buyers like her, we're both very happy with the outcome.

Seller OP describes is of course being an idiot; she should protect her account by refunding whatever the F OP wants and then block her.

swallowedAfly · 18/08/2013 08:50

i'm actually a bit nervous now as i've just sold a few items and guesstimated the postage. they're pain in the bum things to pack and send and hard to access how much they'll cost to send. now paranoid i've had the misfortune to sell to someone who'll make a big fuss if i've guessed the postage wrong.

like others have said i look at the postage as part of the price when i'm buying - if it seems too high and will make the item more than i'm willing to pay i don't bid but if it still ends up the price i want even if it seems a little excessive i'll still bid.

when someone pays you by paypal they take a cut, ebay takes fees and if you've got someone wanting you to refund them money via paypal again presumably that's another fee i'd pay.

if i order something from a shop online and it says £5 delivery i don't question whether that's how much the post office is going to charge the company i accept that is their delivery price and assess if i'm willing to pay it or not. same with individual sellers.

hope to god i haven't overguessed or underguessed the cost of sending these items out tomorrow.

swallowedAfly · 18/08/2013 08:50

and yes i too would block a buyer who made a big fuss over something like this and i'd leave feedback on them saying to be careful of selling to them. feedback works both ways.

lljkk · 18/08/2013 08:57

It's not supposed to any more, Swallowed!! Sellers get a strike if we say anything bad in f/back. Argh. Why don't we get to rate buyers, too? Best you can do is a slightly passive aggressive comment, like "Sorry you weren't happy with postage." or "Glad you got it for price you wanted." etc.

I can understand OP reporting the seller because seller was rude, but sounds like OP has pushed hard, too, to get seller's back up. Maybe seller deserves it for being rude. It's the pushing hard that rings my alarm bells.

swallowedAfly · 18/08/2013 09:06

oh i didn't realise lljkk - i have loads of feedback from people i bought from - fantastic buyer, fast payer, excellent communication etc. i presumed i got to leave feedback on buyers.

swallowedAfly · 18/08/2013 09:10

obviously i've only just started selling things recently. i left feedback for my last two buyers but that was about a month ago so maybe things have changed.

feedback seems to be the obvious place to air out differences OP - i recently left feedback after a reminder on a dog bed i bought on there (storefront rather than private seller) and said i wasn't impressed as it wasn't well stuffed and didn't look like the picture in that sense and immediately got an email offering me a collect and refund if i changed my feedback. i said yeah but we've used the dogbed so i doubt you'll want to refund me and they actually gave me a full refund and let me keep to change the feedback.

private sellers are different obviously in that they don't have as deep pockets and most don't actually make their real income from ebay but the issue is the same - no point getting into a row just leave your feedback as negative and see what happens.

HokeyCokeyPigInAPokey · 18/08/2013 09:21

What you have to realise is that everyone is different and has different attitudes to postage.

I have been on ebay for over 10 years and have never had my postage refunded when it was been much less than agreed.

I however always refund if the postage is significantly less than i have stated.

What you have to remember is that when you decide to buy an item you are agreeing to pay the postage stated on the listing so you have to decide if that is reasonable to you or not.

Even if i see something i really want i will not buy it if the postage is inflated, i will shop around and i bear this in mind when creating my own listings.

I think to report the buyer would be a bit much and again i would be wary of a buyer like you.

I have actually stopped selling atm as buyers seem to want the moon on a stick.

lljkk · 18/08/2013 09:24

You get to leave feedback on buyers, but rather restricted in what you can say.

Problem is that Ebay is evolving and the original expectations & conventions have changed so much.

Feedback is Now supposed to be the place where you comment at very end of the transaction, when you are 100% sure that it's all finished. It's your final statement not the first. Because F/back cannot be changed (usually). Any disputes or dissatisfaction should be addressed before you leave feedback (contact seller separately). Give the seller a chance to resolve anything you didn't like.

Some Ebayers have caught up with those changes, but some are still working by the rules as they were 10-15 yrs ago. Confusing. My only Neg is from a guy who never got in touch to say he had a problem. I didn't notice for a few weeks. I should be grateful he only trashed my "Description" DSR and not every single one of them. Get enough (as few as 3) low ratings on DSRs and seller gets banned forever.

Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 10:48

I'm not quite sure how I've been unfair or bolshy but I'm sure you can tell me.
I've been polite, asked not demanded, tried to sort out with seller before leaving feedback yet I'm still in the wrong? Why is it so bad to ask? Fair enough if he'd said no he was keeping it to top up on his sale, there's not much I can do, it happens. When he's rude to me and tells me it's to cover his fees (which I was under the impression we're not allowed to do, as sellers) then it gets my back up. I've not threatened him, been rude or demanded anything. I paid straight after the sale. I'm failing to see why I'm such a terrible buyer and you all need to block me?

OP posts:
swallowedAfly · 18/08/2013 10:54

for me it's as simple as you agreed to buy it at that price including the p&p as it was stated. if you weren't prepared to pay that p&p you shouldn't have bidded and then the seller would have sold to someone who wasn't going to get shitty about it after the event.

Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 10:55

So asking is being shitty these days?

OP posts:
swallowedAfly · 18/08/2013 10:59

asking to be given back money that you already agreed to pay, and by agreeing to pay and bidding prevented the seller selling to someone who wasn't going to expect to not pay what they said they'd pay, is yes, imo, a bit shitty.

Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 11:01

Right. Point taken. Will make I won't happen again. Thank for the advice.

OP posts:
LilyBossom · 18/08/2013 11:22

Isitwishfulthinking, I agree with you. Just because a listing states the cost of p&p, if you later find it to be a rip off, I think you are quite right to complain. The seller was greedy and breaking rules. You were quite right to ask for a partial refund I reckon.

Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 11:52

My point was, yes I had agreed to pay that sum of money but I'd agree to pay it for p&p costs. Now if that's not what the p&p costs were, it makes me feel a bit ripped off.
Im not quite sure why people feel the need to write what they've written here since I havnt actually done anything. I've not left negative feedback or contacted eBay or been rude or aggressive. Simply asked if there was any chance of a partial refund.
But that seems to be the wrong thing to do. So I'll make sure in future I put up and shut up.

OP posts:
LilyBossom · 18/08/2013 11:56

no you don't need to put up and shut up. You are entitled to an opinion.

GemmaTeller · 18/08/2013 11:59

Isitwishfulthinking I agree with you,

Every discussion on here about ebay postage always ends in a row with posters split into two camps.

Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 12:03

Crap. Didn't realise I'd started one of those threads. Like the shoes on/off in a house, loo brush/ no loo brush, drop by/ call first threads?

OP posts:
Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 12:04

Thanks lily. Doesn't always feel like it!

OP posts:
alemci · 18/08/2013 12:15

i think you have every right to complain. I try to offer fair postage for my sales and when they introduce this 10% postage charge i may add that onto my cost but still try to keep postage low.

It is usually £2.60 for an item of clothing to post, and I usually charge £2.99. I may charge say £3.20.

if it is the wrong amount and i post for less I will refund postage if it is say a large package.

StickyFloor · 18/08/2013 12:20

Of course you are being "shitty"!

You asked for a refund, and because you didn't get what you wanted you want to report the seller for fee avoidance!

Also, I love that you are pretending to care about fee avoidance, when actually all you want is your few pounds refund.

Original poster
IsItWishfulThinking · 18/08/2013 12:30

Sticky- he told me it would cover his fees. As far as I'm aware I'm not meant to pay his fees. Yes I asked how I report this, as I was under the understanding that it's not allowed.
I think you need to take a look at how you speak to people.

OP posts:
MrsTingley · 18/08/2013 13:08

I've no problem with the concept blocking bidders as we're all entitled to set those up in our eBay preferences.

However is there really any need for anyone to say they wish they knew the OP's eBay id and also talk about putting people on their blocked bidder list? So I say again, What useful point is there in mentioning it on here? Get on and do it (which of course you can't, cos you don't know their id) and then move on.