Do you put extra charges on top to cover wrapping/petrol costs?

[sunnyshine]

In dispute currently with some one regarding this. The main topic of contention is an extra amount on top of actual postage cost to cover going to post office to get item weighed/ then going again a different day to send item. Then packaging on top of this. Otherwise surely I am losing my own money on the item to send this. What if you think?

I think you can charge for certain things like time and petrol if you are a business seller but not a private seller. You can charge for the packaging though.

No I dont- I factor those things into the starting price.
I am highly dubious of sellers that do, tbh.

Why can't you just weigh it and send it at the same time? Every eBay listing I've seen stated p&p charges. You should have factored it into that.

I usually charge actual cost of post plus 30-50p depending on type of wrapping. I don't seal the package until I get to the post office and if I do find that I have over estimated the postage I put a refund in the package.

I do not run a bsuiness therefore I am not intending to profit on my time etc.

p&p is postage and packing for a private seller, petrol, parking etc is not part of that amount and you cannot charge for it if you are not a business.

Use kitchen scales - there is no need to go to the post office twice.

No, I don't. As Sandy says P+P is just that Postage and Packing otherwise it would be Postage, Packing, a latte en route to the Post Office, hours parking ticket, petrol and a sausage roll from Greggs.

VERY bad form to charge for anything other than P+P and to be honest anyone that does isn't going to keep their account for long because if a seller admitted to it they would most certainly be getting one star in that category from me.

No, you don't charge for anything other than the cost of the packaging and postage. YOU have chosen to sell the item, why should the person who has agreed to buy it from you have to fund you getting to the post office? Factor it in to whatever you're charging at the start price.

That isn't permitted under the eBay rules.

Just stick stamp price plus a little for packaging or even better do free P+P. Get yourself some scales and check the parcel sizes on the Royal Mail website before you list to save you going down the Post Office twice. Petrol, time and fees are just part of selling on ebay and shouldn't have anything to do with your postage price.

I weigh my parcels at home on kitchen scales and price according to royal mail's website. If I'm very close to the top end I charge the higher amount to cover me and charge an amount for packaging dependant on whether I am reusing packaging or I'd need to purchase something. The price is for p&p, not p&p&faffing-around. Sorry.

I used to add on something to cover the paypal fees, especially the paypal fees for postage & the FVF for paypal fees+postage!!

I just go with inclusive postage now. Probably why no one is buying, but at least they can't mark me down for trying to break even.

As far as I can tell Ebay's own guidance is extremely vague on this point & notoriously they do not get involved in p+p disputes.There is a user culture that says when it is or isn't appropriate to add on something for costs, but no definite Ebay rules.

Sorry your misunderstanding. This was within the postage and packing charge I had applied. . So eg I said p and p was £6 which was agreed to when the item was bought ( I went with the postage amount e bay suggested) then he asked for a refund after the item had been bought to which I said no as I had done the previously mentioned things.

I know this has been said already but if you are a business seller you can charge for your time and petrol (although it doesn't go down well with buyers so most don't now), if you are a private seller you can only charge for the postage price plus your packaging (ie. cost of the envelope or packet). It doesn't matter what you state in your listing about time down post office, you still aren't allowed to charge it if you are a private seller.

It is difficult as the buyer agreed to pay the postage stated when they bid but they are not being unreasonable to ask for a partial refund as you aren't supposed to profit on postage. Sorry but it's just part of the extra cost of selling of ebay that's your responsibility to cover when you choose to list an item.

I know it's a pain that all your profit gets eaten away by fees etc. It why I don't sell much on ebay anymore.

How much was the actual postage on the parcel if you don't mind me asking?

How far do you live from the post office? I have been charged extortionate P&P. As a buyer you only really know the differential between the actual postage charge and the P&P charged when the parcel arrived. Buyers don't know the weight of the item so can't tell how much you are charging beyond the actual postage. In my case, I googled the buyer's address and she lived within 1/2 mile of the nearest post office and had charged £5.50 for postage which cost £2.20 and recycled packaging. That shouldn't require petrol money, not to mention 2 trips to the PO.