Postage costs

[Muddlewitch]

Just after a little bit of advice - I bought something (toys) on Ebay for £20 plus £10 postage. They have arrived and the toys are fine but arrived in a ripped carrier bag stuffed into a used shoe box with my address stuck on the top on a piece of note paper. Postage on the front shows £2.85 paid. The box was exactly as it was, not wrapped in brown paper or anything and still with all the sports direct stickers etc on it so no packaging costs laid out at all. Do I have any come back on the £10 postage fee I paid? Appreciate the seller might have travelled to the post office but even so I feel the £10 was a bit steep when they only paid £2.85.

Quite happy to be told it's tough luck/I'm being unreasonable.

Just to get this out of the way, it is against ebay's rules to increase postage costs to reflect that the seller might have travelled to the post office. The postage costs are supposed to reflect the post and packaging themselves.

You can contact the seller saying that they've overcharged you on postage and asking whether they are willing to refund the overcharged amount. If you do, expect no reply or an evasive one.

When you leave feedback, whatever type you leave, make sure to mark them down in the star sub-feedback relating to Detailed seller ratings:

pages.ebay.co.uk/help/feedback/detailed-seller-ratings.html

Obviously you'll give them a low star for How reasonable were the postage and packaging charges?. If the seller was arsey in communication give them a low star for How satisfied were you with the seller's communication?

Did you get a real bargain on the toys. I notice some people put low start price for items but inflate their postage fees. I know not the point but still. Sounds like they could have made a much better effort with the packing. Also, do they only have a few stars, maybe they have no clue on postage fees.

p&p is just that - not petrol, time or anything else. I would ask for a refund and if they don't give it am afraid I would neg and low stars too. It is just greed tbh. If they over estimated the cost they could have easily refunded the difference once dispatched.

Thanks for all the advice, I have messaged the seller so will wait and see if there is any response.

No didn't get a particularly great deal on the toys, was about the same as other similar ones were going for if not a little bit more due to Christmas.

Didn't realise that they aren't allowed to include travel to post office etc in costs, have seen it mentioned in listings before.

I really don't understand buyers like you. You agreed to pay £10 postage so what does it matter how much it actually cost to send? No one forced you to make the purchase.

I would complain and complain again and take no notice of anyone like Sugarcoma who says you knew what the postage was.

As a seller I'm completely at the other end of the spectrum (my choice) and I only ever charge what the Post Office charges me, with nothing added on for packaging etc. Your seller is greedy and should be reported. The only good thing is he or she will be charged fees on the £10 not the £2.85 actual cost.

I check on the royal mail site for an estimate. Sometimes I'm out of pocket and once I was overcharged by the post office worker. Sometimes the postage is a little less than expected.
I usually package the item securely. Packaging costs money and it takes time to walk to the post office and queue.
If I sell something for 99p it makes me question if it was worth it.

"I really don't understand buyers like you. You agreed to pay £10 postage so what does it matter how much it actually cost to send? No one forced you to make the purchase."

If i am paying £10 for p&p i expect it to be well packaged, as they charged over £7 for it....

I really don't understand buyers like you. You agreed to pay £10 postage so what does it matter how much it actually cost to send? No one forced you to make the purchase.

But you don't know how much the seller paid in postage until the item arrives. So it's only after you receive the parcel that you know how much you've been ripped off.

Agree with Suburban - sellers like this really annoy me - if they don't respond or refuse to refund part of the overcharge I would leave negative feedback.