would you ask for p&p refund?

[FoxSticks]

I'm usually a very laid back buyer, I don't think I've ever complained despite not always receiving exactly what I thought I would. I got a parcel through yesterday, I'd paid £5.65 p&p, postage was £3.20. Normally it wouldn't bother me as I understand this cost covers packaging too, but this parcel was wrapped in newspaper held together with gaffer tape. When I sell things I live in fear of poor feedback so am always very careful that my p&p adds up and always refund if I overestimate. I just think it's a bit cheeky charging £2.45 for a bit of newspaper and brown tape. Would you question it?

No. You agreed a price and received the goods undamaged. Look at it the other way round - would it be reasonable for the seller to ask you for more money to cover her costs if P&P worked out more expensive than the price they had put on eBay?

I sent something yesterday postage charged at £5.95. It was £2.80.
I refunded £3.

But I agreed a price on the basis that I thought I was paying for packaging, not newspapers. I thought the rules are you are not supposed to make money from p&p. That's why I would always refund like MrsDB.

I would mention the newspaper packaging in feedback. What if it had got wet?

yes definitely ask - sod all this you agreed what you paid rubbish. It is blatant greed. You agreed for your p&p to cover the p&p - not a huge profit. You don't know the weight of the item or the quality of the packaging - you trusted the seller to be honest.

P&P - Ebay now charges fees on this. Plus I think that sellers are allowed to factor in time and fuel costs for getting to the post office. You can mark them down in the feedback though.

No, I wouldn't.

Ok, I'll probably just mark them down then. I was just surprised at the mark up, like Jackson says you don't know the weight when you buy something and you are trusting the seller. Although if you are now allowed to charge for fuel and time maybe it is ok.

Before I completely make up my mind, I have to say if I was the seller I think I'd rather be asked the question than be marked down, wouldn't you? Or would it just get your back up about the buyer?

no - private sellers are not allowed to add on cost for petrol time unless they are a business. Why won't you neg? It isn't like they can neg you back. I would ask for the refund and if they refuse I would neg and leave low stars - sorry.

Ah you are right, I got that wrong.

ocsnext.ebay.co.uk/ocs/sr

I still think, however, that you accepted the charge at the time.

Link fail

Sellers are allowed to:
Charge the actual postage cost.
Include the cost of packaging materials, insurance, and delivery.
Include delivery confirmation or extra services in the handling cost.
Sellers aren't allowed to:
Charge more than the maximum postage cost in categories with a postage limit.
Charge a separate fee for insurance.
Charge for business related fees such as employee wages or mileage costs.
Include contradictory or confusing postage prices in their listing.

Sellers do get charged fees on postage costs though.

10% fees on p&p is a bit different to a profit of 80% isn't it?

Yes. But if I choose to pay £5 or whatever to get something delivered from John Lewis and the like, then I've accepted it upfront.

Ebay's fees are ridiculous and are putting private sellers (like me) off completely.

but the p&p on eBay is just that - that is part of the rules of eBay which you sign up to when you join. It doesn't compare to a different retailer. Completely different.

I'm a private seller too Primal, and that's why I'm questioning it as I wouldn't try and make money on p&p. I'll ask the question I think, I haven't got anything to lose.

I usually undercharge accidentally anyway. But if I choose to buy something then deciding whether I am willing to pay the postage is all part of it.

Yep I do the same, and people don't normally acknowledge it.

No I would not ask for money back.

It's only "greed" if you think people on Ebay should give you their stuff. How dare they try to get the most money they can, eh? The nerve. Maybe they should pay you to take stuff off their hands, come to think of it.

I almost always only sell with "Free" postage to avoid whinging buyers. There are stories about sellers getting bad feedback because the postage wasn't actually free so the listing was misrepresented, since the seller actually had to pay a delivery charge instead of delivery being truly free.

That's a tad harsh isn't it? Where on ebay does it say that you are supposed to make money on postage? You make money on the auction. I've already said I sell too, I just don't try and rip my buyers off on p&p. I can't bear a whinging buyer either, that's why I make sure I'm fair. Sellers like this dont do anyone any favours by inflating their p&p prices and sending out parcels wrapped in newspaper!

so list your item for the correct item price in the first place then - that is where you make the profit. You do not make profit on p&p - those are the rules of eBay. Calling someone whinging for not wanting to be ripped off is very harsh don't you think?

Low postage stars don't even count as seller defects. That's how much Ebay HQ don't truly care about postage charges or possible overcharges (nowadays). Regardless of what their supposed rules say (increasingly outdated).

Ebay cares about bad buyer experience so they will punish seller if OP wants them to. If I was unhappy about other things I might well moan at a seller, and if I was still unhappy I might Neg, but not about the delivery charge I promised to pay.

OP asked WWYD & no point in answering without some explanation why.