Charging more shipping than what was stated??!!

crazzee_shopper

Now a Mrs.
Jan 13, 2010
3,871
0
So I had this encounter this morning, and I'm wondering if I did the right thing.

I bought a pair of shoes on ebay that was advertised as new in original box. For any CL lovers (or any shoe lovers) out there, you know how important it is for us to have our boxes. My unboxed shoe purchases feel homeless.

Anyway back on topic, I bid, won, and paid right away. The listing had stated the shipping would be $13.xx dollars to ship fed ex from Canada to the US. After I paid, I received a message from the seller to stating that she's going to find out how much shipping will cost, if it is more or less than the amount I paid. And that she hopes that is ok. Also, asking if I really wanted the box since shipping would be less without the box.

Of course I wanted the box!!! I replied that I wanted the box, but made no reply as to the possibility of paying extra for shipping.

This morning, I received a message stating that shipping cost $20 and to please paypal her the additional $6. Also that she had crushed the shoe box in order for it to fit in the fed ex box.

This was my response:

"I just spoke to ebay. As a seller, you technically cannot overcharge for shipping than what was stated in your auction. Thus, I should not have to pay the extra $6.

I also asked about the crushed shoe box. By crushing the shoebox, the item is now considered "Not as described". I am unhappy that the shoebox was intentionally crushed by you in order for you to squeeze it in a packaging item that was too small. We can either go the route for a full refund and you keep the item or a partial refund for an item that was not as described in your listing."

Please tell me if you had received an email like that if it would upset you. My intention wasn't to be demanding. I just wanted to state the facts.

The reason why I had asked for a full refund was because I was hoping to just cancel this transaction and make it easier for both of us. I didn't want to receive the item, not be happy, then have to waste both of our times (and me for shipping back) because the item was a SNAD.

Maybe I shouldn't have suggested the partial refund. I seriously would have been happy with my final bid price if it had been the new shoes in box. Now I feel like it's been recategorized as new without box. And for that, I am not happy with my final price.

I know some may think, "it's just a box". That box was a deciding factor for me to bid in the first place.

Now I seemed to have pissed the seller off. She had already shipped the item. She stated if I'm unhappy to just return the item to her for a full refund. But that would mean, I would be out the cost to return it to her. At that point, it's not even worth returning if as she states "shipping by canadian post is $33"
 
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I think you're entirely in the right here, crazzee. :yes: Sellers should never add to the shipping cost after the fact, and your message to her seems reasonable, rational, and level-headed. It is the seller's responsibility to find out the correct shipping price before listing an item, and the seller has no obligation to pay for a mistake like this. Since the shoes are already on their way to you, I think you should wait to see how they arrive before proceeding any further. When you receive them, check out their condition and the condition of the box. If you're still unhappy with the purchase, go ahead with the return. I'm sorry you have to deal with an angry seller, but hopefully she'll realize it was her fault in the first place!

Oh, and I just wanted to add that if a return turns out to be necessary, you can always open an eBay case and then see if they will pay the return shipping cost since it's a more expensive int'l transaction. eBay has sent me a prepaid shipping label in the past, so hopefully they might do the same for you.
 
To update: Seller decided that our transaction was unpleasant and went back to Fedex to stop the package.

She then asked me for my email account to refund through paypal. I had to walk her through how to refund on paypal so she that she got her paypal fees back. Then I told her to send me an ebay cancellation so she can get her final fee on ebay back as well.

For a seller who has been selling on ebay for years, it surprised me that she didn't know how to do this.

Then when I read the cancellation request on ebay, she wrote that "Buyer purchased item by mistake or changed mind." :shocked:

Ummm...I only changed my mind because of YOUR actions. OMG!!! :cursing:

Well long story short, I got my money back. Seller only lost out on listing fees. Hopefully seller learned something from this.

She stated that she's been buying on ebay for years as well and that her sellers have asked more for shipping on a few occasions.

I'm sorry but 2 wrongs does not make a right.
 
What you did was fine.

A couple thoughts.

1. I think it is a positive that your seller was unfamiliar with the refund policy. It shows she has never had a reason to do it.

2. These words "Buyer purchased item by mistake or changed mind" were not your seller's words; when you cancel a transaction ebay has radio buttons that have a couple choices and that was probably the one that was the closest to this situation.

I am a seller on ebay and it is still important that buyers remember that many of us work FT jobs in addition to our ebay sales job. Honestly, I don't think any of your seller's actions were that horrific.

Relax and enjoy ebaying for what it is...it is not always a shopping experience comparable to Saks!
 
Thank you for your input designingstyle. I pretty much came to that same conclusion after posting that it was probably one of the options of selections. I would have preferred an "other" as a selection.

Of course not every experience will be a good experience. I just think that both buyers and sellers should understand the fine print of good selling and buying practices.

I believe that I have been pleasant and accommodating for the seller. I guess the fact that she deems that our transaction has been unpleasant to her bothers me. I haven't been rude. I'm trying to help. I wanted the best possible resolution for both of us.
 
^^Hopefully your buying name on ebay isn't the same as your posting name here...that would put up some flags for any seller! She is crazzeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
 
To update: Seller decided that our transaction was unpleasant and went back to Fedex to stop the package.

She then asked me for my email account to refund through paypal. I had to walk her through how to refund on paypal so she that she got her paypal fees back. Then I told her to send me an ebay cancellation so she can get her final fee on ebay back as well.

For a seller who has been selling on ebay for years, it surprised me that she didn't know how to do this.

Then when I read the cancellation request on ebay, she wrote that "Buyer purchased item by mistake or changed mind.
Ummm...I only changed my mind because of YOUR actions. OMG!!! :cursing:

Well long story short, I got my money back. Seller only lost out on listing fees. Hopefully seller learned something from this.

She stated that she's been buying on ebay for years as well and that her sellers have asked more for shipping on a few occasions.

I'm sorry but 2 wrongs does not make a right.

She lost out on her lisiting fees..just wondering would the additional

shipping been close.. since the miscalculation was made on her end.. she

should have been gracious and just shipped you in the correct size box

and chalked it up to 'business'..
 
This morning, I received a message stating that shipping cost $20 and to please paypal her the additional $6. Also that she had crushed the shoe box in order for it to fit in the fed ex box.

That is terrible that she crushed the shoe box. She would have saved herself a lot of trouble if she just sent it in the right sized box and ate the cost of the extra shipping.
 
You're so nice, crazzee! ;) After such a strange transaction, I would've been glad to have the seller pay the extra fees. I can't believe she went back to FedEx to get the box back. :rolleyes:
 
Sometimes we learn through doing, and your seller doesn't sound too experienced. It was her responsibility to research how much shipping to the US would be.

I should also note that I usually loose money on shipping. Sometimes I know I'm going to loose money when I create a shipping cost, but don't want buyers to knock me feedback stars by saying I overcharge. It's just something that happens when you sell.

Maybe you're lucky that she stopped the transaction. Better not get started with her. Shipping them back, getting a refund.... it's all a big headache.
 
Well what done is done.

To be fair to the seller, I don't think she crushed the box out of spite. It was just carelessness. Even though she stated that she has sold on ebay for years, her actions make me categorize her as a new seller due to her lack of experience.

I don't sell on ebay, but I would *hope* that sellers would describe and package an item as if they were the potential buyer themselves. I hope she understands my disappointment that the box got crushed.

Ironically, I came home to find a fedex package. It was a pair of CL shoes with box that was packaged in a fitting fedex box. So the excuse that fedex boxes come small was just refuted right there.

Overall the experience was interesting. No real loss to me. The money spent on that pair could now go towards another. :P

And with that mentality of continuous shopping is why I'm crazzzeeeee!!!!! :wlae::wlae::wlae: