I feel a bit like I've been diddled - can you reassure me or incite me to do something about it?

[GunpowderTreasonAndSquonk]

I bought three gameboy games from an ebay seller. It wasn't till I went to pay for them that I saw that he had a note on his site saying that he will not bundle items together in order to save postage.

So I paid over a quid for each one and was expecting them all to come separately.

They arrived this morning, in the same envelope and he had paid £1.10 postage. I paid him £4.60 postage all together.

Now, I have absolutely no problem with people making a bit on postage, and it's only just over a fiver more than he actually paid, but my problem is that he said he WOULDN'T put them all together which is why I had to pay three lots of postage, then he DID put them together.

Am I right to feel a bit "done" and if so, should I do something about it, especially as it's only a fiver?

Gameboy, the thing is, it is kind of irrelevant whether the postage you paid corresponds to the actual price paid to the post office. When you bid, you must take that amount the seller is charging for postage and factor it into the final selling price. If there's a book I am willing to pay £15 and one seller is charging £5 for postage, I'll only bid up to £10 on his auction. On another auction where the seller is charging postage at cost for £1, I would bid up to £14. The only difference is that the seller gets slightly more of my money in the first example, and eBay gets slightly more of my money in the second example. I pay the same, the seller gets paid, and I get my book. If you don't want to pay (for example) £10 to have your item delivered, don't bid on it.

Oh I don't agree- Dh gets a regular slating for the postage costs on his listinga dn he cahrges exactly the postage price! So why should people who make money on the P&P get good ratings?

Because they are not doing anything that is deceitful or against the rules?

a seller is allowed to charge for postage, packaging, their time packing the item, expenses incurred going to the post office, etc

you as the bidder are in the position to decide in advance whether you think the postage price is reasonable

not after you get your package

and peachy, just because your dh gets rated unfairly, doesn't mean other people should be as well does it? Was that really what you meant to say or did I misunderstand?

exactly - the ratings are there for a reason - there wouldn't be a category for postage in the ratings if it didn't matter.

Franny - you are right in your explanation on how to bid with the view of how much you are prepared to pay in total, and ebay encourages this, hense their reason for showing the P&P on the search landing page - but when it comes down to expressing your satisfaction on various aspects of the service it is only fair to express honestly what you think of the postage charge.
I have already (recently) explained my reasons for disliking high P&P prices

sorry x post - I was responding to peachy

but if you think the postage charge is too high and want to therefore give a low score, why would you decide to bid on that item? I don't get it

because, as already mentioned - sometimes you can't guess the actual cost ....until the item arrives

I think you misunderstood peachy's post franny - I took it to mean that if someone who doesn't overcharge on P&P doesn't get full stars then why should someone who overcharges get full stars - that would make a mockery of the star rating system

LOL can't you? I often can. Or I just don't care really, if I thought it was a fair price in total. Why do you CARE? it is a question of eBay making a few pennies less, that is all. Seriously, why do people get bothered?

I wonder why he stated that he would post out individual parcels but then didn't.

He also made £5 on the transaction which isn't a lot, but multiply that over a few transactions and it's not bad going.

However I don't ever ebay and don't understand the system so I may be talking out of m arse...as usual.

well, I see what peachy means

I was thinking along the lines of two wrongs not making a right

I mean her dh should not get rated down, nor IMO should the equally honest sellers who state (not purely at cost) postage up front

My arse, I meant.

well one would hope he is making money on every transaction or it would be spectacularly pointless for him

I don't think the fact he made money on it implies he is dishonest

"LOL can't you?"

LOL no

"I often can. Or I just don't care really, if I thought it was a fair price in total. Why do you CARE? it is a question of eBay making a few pennies less, that is all. Seriously, why do people get bothered?"

I get bothered because if high P&P prices become the norm then ebay as a venue will lose the buyers. I don't want all the buyers to go

i'm with franny on this one. it doesn't matter diddly to me what the postage actually costs - i can fairly easily work that out by the weight of the item or what other sellers charge for similar items. as long as the item reaches me in one piece and is adequately packed then i've agreed that the amount stated was reasonable by bidding at all. if i think the charge is taking the piss i won't bid. i count myself lucky if someone is prepared to combine on multiple wins but don't expect it as a right. the only time i comment on postage charges is when the charge is high AND it's badly wrapped, e.g. clothing sent in an envelope without waterproofing that arrives ripped.

aw it's a buyer's market on there IMO seeker

the postage prices are usually much more reasonable than eg a department store's website, or an internet retailers

sorry, sixlostmonkeys not seeker

a department store's website, or an internet retailers selling new items - not bargains

But should he making anything on the postage?

Just seems a little odd, not particularly bad, but not very straight up either.

It isn't what he stated initially.

< wonders why I'm at all bothered with Squonks ebaying quandary >

I am interested this has split people's opinions so much

IMO you are viewing reasonable and honest behaviour as misleading and a con

I do respect your opinion SLM as I know you are very knowledgeable eBay bod, but in this case I don't agree

I don't think this seller is misleading or conning - just charging way too much for P&P - which is why I suggested marking him down on the postage star

yes I think poor ratings should be reserved for misleading or deceitful sellers, or an otherwise shoddy experience

but really - what difference does it make to you as the buyer which part of the deal the seller makes their money on? you've agreed to pay a total price which you consider reasonable. why is it so important to you that ebay gets more of your money than the seller does?

keepyourpuppy - my reasons are because I don't want to see high P&P costs becoming the norm - I do feel strongly about this and I am a seller not a buyer