Being overcharged for shipping !!

Hmmm...well, the seller did overcharge you, but you agreed to the auction's terms (including her $7.50 rate) when you bid/won the item. You already suspected the seller's shipping was particularly high (considering how close the 2 of you live) so you tried to negotiate, but the seller didn't budge. If the $7.50 quoted shipping wasn't to your satisfaction from the start, then IMO, you should have bypassed the auction altogether. ...If I was the seller in this situation, I'd be rather miffed the buyer's coming back to inquire about a shipping refund...

^^This.

Fees are clearly outlined in the listing and buyers agree to them when they bid. If the item arrived damaged due to improper packaging that would be a separate issue and still not directly related to fees charged - more irresponsible/inadequate handling. IMO, if the item was received within the agreed-upon timeframe then there's no reason to ding the seller as he/she delivered on what both parties agreed to.
 
Still dishonest and wrong. I don't think you'd feel that way if it were your item. Sure it's a t-shirt, but it could have been a nice designer shirt. The package could have become wet, torn, etc.

It's natural that one assumes (yes, I know, assume, but still) that when one sees the shipping charge that it is going to include adequate packaging. Why else charge so much more? What's the point? A buyer agreeing to this price is giving the seller the benefit of the doubt and also not making an unreasonable assumption.

I would never do this as a seller. In fact, I usually have taken a loss on shipping because I make sure everything is packed well, regardless if it's a handbag or an item of clothing.

It's not cool. But I guess we'll agree to disagree. If it were me, I'd ding stars. And I would never buy from that seller again. QED.
 
Sorry to bump this, but I just "won" something that has really high shipping; it's for an item about 20 miles from me, and the item is lighter than a t-shirt, but also clothing. The seller is charging $15 for shipping. i didn't notice (my fault) until after I had bid, but $15 is totally exorbitant. I have personally taken losses on shipping stuff to people before, but never taken advantage such as this seller is going to. There is no way that I can see that justifies sending something that would cost $5.90 maximum (really no need for priority as I will get it in one day if sent by boat).
 
Sorry to bump this, but I just "won" something that has really high shipping; it's for an item about 20 miles from me, and the item is lighter than a t-shirt, but also clothing. The seller is charging $15 for shipping. i didn't notice (my fault) until after I had bid, but $15 is totally exorbitant. I have personally taken losses on shipping stuff to people before, but never taken advantage such as this seller is going to. There is no way that I can see that justifies sending something that would cost $5.90 maximum (really no need for priority as I will get it in one day if sent by boat).

I'd just send a polite note and say that you just noticed the higher cost of shipping, and since it turns out you're so close, could she let you know if the actual shipping cost will be less and refund you the difference. Or you could always ask if local pick-up was an option since the cost of the drive would be about the same as actual shipping.
 
I did send a nice note and it was ignored. I just sent another one with ebay's shipping policy quoted with the link. I'm waiting, but expect that one will go unanswered as well.
 
I often lose money on shipping. Sometimes I make a dollar or two, if I ignore the FVF. It bothers me that buyers don't take FVF into account. If the shipping is significantly less than what I quoted, I usually refund the difference. When I print my shipping labels, I never print the cost on the label so the buyer usually doesn't know how much it really cost.

Some sellers don't realize that for lightweight items, it is so much cheaper to send first class than priority.

When you bid on an item, it is true that you have agreed to the shipping cost; however, why does eBay allow you to rate the reasonableness of shipping charges if you weren't meant to ding them for it if it isn't reasonable?

It also annoys me that when I list certain items, such as clothing or toys, eBay will give me a message stating that my shipping charges are more than other sellers, but I have calculated the actual cost so I know it is going to cost me that much and the other sellers either don't have a clue or are willing to eat the cost.
 
Still dishonest and wrong. I don't think you'd feel that way if it were your item. Sure it's a t-shirt, but it could have been a nice designer shirt. The package could have become wet, torn, etc.

I do not believe in dinging stars when the postage is listed. If she had charged $7.50 and it cost her $10, would you be asking to return the difference?
 
To ship my item, which is 20 miles away, the seller could use parcel post or first class mail, and it would arrive in the same time as priority; one to two days.

I understand that there are final value fees, and I understand there are costs associated with shipping. As a seller, I personally do not charge for gas, tape, etc. I pack with plastic wrapping to protect against inclement weather, and I pack with foam/bubble wrap to cushion boxes. I also understand that some do charge for this.

I have lost money shipping items; I have never expected the buyer to cover this, but if I notice it cost more than what I paid in shipping to get an item to me, yes, I would send the seller a message asking to cover this cost for them. I think I am a pretty reasonable buyer and (occasional) seller.

What I do not understand is charging 3x the rate to ship an item. The cost of the item is about $25, not fragile, a very lightweight piece of clothing.
 
Last edited:
Even after eBay changed the final value fee calculation, I've often encountered listings with unreasonable shipping fee. Some sellers might be still thinking that they can make money out of shipping?
$15 shipping sounds way too high for an item you described. Even if the seller shipped to the other side of the state, it would still sound too high...
Hope the seller understands your concern and works with you.
 
Sorry to bump this, but I just "won" something that has really high shipping; it's for an item about 20 miles from me, and the item is lighter than a t-shirt, but also clothing. The seller is charging $15 for shipping. i didn't notice (my fault) until after I had bid, but $15 is totally exorbitant. I have personally taken losses on shipping stuff to people before, but never taken advantage such as this seller is going to. There is no way that I can see that justifies sending something that would cost $5.90 maximum (really no need for priority as I will get it in one day if sent by boat).
It has happened at times whereby as a seller, I forget to change the shipping method (priority vs parcel post) or the shipping amount (though this hasn't happened since I started offering 'free shipping' about 8 mos ago).

In any case, even if sellers can no longer inflate their shipping costs as a means of circumventing fees (for ex., listing an LV bag at a starting price of $35.00, but then charging $300 for shipping) :rolleyes:, some sellers will start off their listings low to attract interested buyers...but since they're afraid of the listing also ending low, they compensate by jacking up the shipping cost.


What the seller should've done was to roll the shipping cost into its price and put up a listing for $40 with free shipping, (if that was the lowest the seller was willing to go).


Yes, the shipping is exorbitant, but as you stated, it was your fault for not noticing the $15 shipping price. If you had noticed this beforehand, you could have brought this issue up w/the seller and likely gotten a favorable compromise.


As it stands now, as far as the seller is concerned, he/she has sold the item at the price and shipping, as agreed per the listing. The seller is not obligated to refund a portion of the shipping cost. Would it be nice? Of course. However, my sense is that because the seller has been non-responsive with your 2 inquiries, you probably won't get a refund (or if the seller does grant it, it will be very begrudgingly so).
 
It has happened at times whereby as a seller, I forget to change the shipping method (priority vs parcel post) or the shipping amount (though this hasn't happened since I started offering 'free shipping' about 8 mos ago).

In any case, even if sellers can no longer inflate their shipping costs as a means of circumventing fees (for ex., listing an LV bag at a starting price of $35.00, but then charging $300 for shipping) :rolleyes:, some sellers will start off their listings low to attract interested buyers...but since they're afraid of the listing also ending low, they compensate by jacking up the shipping cost.


What the seller should've done was to roll the shipping cost into its price and put up a listing for $40 with free shipping, (if that was the lowest the seller was willing to go).


Yes, the shipping is exorbitant, but as you stated, it was your fault for not noticing the $15 shipping price. If you had noticed this beforehand, you could have brought this issue up w/the seller and likely gotten a favorable compromise.


As it stands now, as far as the seller is concerned, he/she has sold the item at the price and shipping, as agreed per the listing. The seller is not obligated to refund a portion of the shipping cost. Would it be nice? Of course. However, my sense is that because the seller has been non-responsive with your 2 inquiries, you probably won't get a refund (or if the seller does grant it, it will be very begrudgingly so).

Agreed. The second you hit the commit to buy button, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions as stated. We all make this mistake at least once, then become better readers. All questions belong before the listing ends - if shipping materials and cost are important, then be sure to ask these before bidding. (by the way, I am personally a cost price shipper, and don't bury my shipping costs in something else).
 
It has happened at times whereby as a seller, I forget to change the shipping method (priority vs parcel post) or the shipping amount (though this hasn't happened since I started offering 'free shipping' about 8 mos ago).

In any case, even if sellers can no longer inflate their shipping costs as a means of circumventing fees (for ex., listing an LV bag at a starting price of $35.00, but then charging $300 for shipping) :rolleyes:, some sellers will start off their listings low to attract interested buyers...but since they're afraid of the listing also ending low, they compensate by jacking up the shipping cost.


What the seller should've done was to roll the shipping cost into its price and put up a listing for $40 with free shipping, (if that was the lowest the seller was willing to go).


Yes, the shipping is exorbitant, but as you stated, it was your fault for not noticing the $15 shipping price. If you had noticed this beforehand, you could have brought this issue up w/the seller and likely gotten a favorable compromise.


As it stands now, as far as the seller is concerned, he/she has sold the item at the price and shipping, as agreed per the listing. The seller is not obligated to refund a portion of the shipping cost. Would it be nice? Of course. However, my sense is that because the seller has been non-responsive with your 2 inquiries, you probably won't get a refund (or if the seller does grant it, it will be very begrudgingly so).


ITA. :ghi5:
 
While it was my fault, and I'm sure I will have to eat the high shipping, it is kinda like the inflated shipping costs, only not $300 for shipping and $35 for the bag. Ebay actually cut down on this kind of thing years ago, but I guess it still happens. I guess I still like to think/hope all transactions will be with reasonable people, like most of mine (as a buyer) are.
 
There is a seller that I contacted regarding their shipping charges. They are about 2 hours from me. They charge $9.20 to ship anything to me; a small piece of jewelry, a wallet, a blouse or a pair of jeans. Makes no sense; they sent me a canned response about the charges. I won't bother buying from them. Doesn't matter, they don't need me, they have lots of buyers.