Postage due - buyer refused package?

Oct 18, 2013
1,367
0
I recently sold a larger item on eBay, I weighed the item before listing it so the buyer can get an accurate shipping price (I always use the calculate shipping by buyer's location option) The item came in at 12 lbs, and that is what I set it for.

I just received a message on eBay from the buyer saying the package arrived with postage due. He says the box weighed in at 21 lbs and the amount of postage due was...$21!!!! Are you kidding?! The buyer refused the package and it will be sent back to me.

This is the first time I've dealt with this problem in my two years selling on eBay. What do I do? I have not responded to the seller just yet, I don't know what to say. I want to be a great seller and offer to send it back to him, but $21? How did this discrepancy happen? A 9 pound difference? I personally ran this box into the post office and the man at the counter did not say ONE thing to me about it. He never holds back, I've gotten scolded by him twice because I dropped the box off one day later than the date on the label. Surely he would've said something if there was a 9 POUND DIFFERENCE!

I had a look at the buyer's feedback left for others, they have left 6 negatives and 4 neutrals in the past 5 months. They're all about items not being shipped, not as described, and items arriving damaged. I'm terrified of receiving a negative because of this.

I don't know who is to blame or what happened. I'm confused and it doesn't add up. I'm always so careful about weighing my items and putting the correct box dimensions so the shipping price is as accurate as possible. What do I do here? :sad:
 
I just went on the USPS to manually calculate the cost of shipping. From my zip code to his, a 12 lb. box would cost $28. That is what he paid. A 21 lb. box would be $42. That is a $14 difference, not $21. It just doesn't add up...
 
When you get it back, if you don't have a scale, take it to the post office and have them put it on the scale.

Also, a postage due package with have markings on it done by the post office showing the weight and the amount due.

If this is your mistake and you misweighed the package, you should be the one to pay for the correct amount of postage and resend it to her.

She paid the amount you told her it would cost and she shouldn't be responsible for your mistake. (This is assuming that you erred.)

If she doesn't want it back, just refund her full payment and chock the loss up to the cost of doing business.
 
When you get it back, if you don't have a scale, take it to the post office and have them put it on the scale.

Also, a postage due package with have markings on it done by the post office showing the weight and the amount due.

If this is your mistake and you misweighed the package, you should be the one to pay for the correct amount of postage and resend it to her.

She paid the amount you told her it would cost and she shouldn't be responsible for your mistake. (This is assuming that you erred.)

If she doesn't want it back, just refund her full payment and chock the loss up to the cost of doing business.

I do have a scale and I weighed it while listing the item to put the correct weight so eBay could calculate the accurate shipping cost since I leave it to them to calculate by the buyer's location.

The item was a mirrored jewelry box, there is no way it could weight 21 lbs. It was weighed again at the post office, if it was 9 lbs. overweight, surely the post man at the counter would have let me know about the due amount.

I have a feeling they changed their mind and no longer want the box, they refused it to avoid return shipping costs and made up the story of postage due. Since PD is marked on the box, we will see what it looks like when it arrives back here. I responded to the seller asking what they would like me to do to remedy the situation, no response yet.
 
I recently sold a larger item on eBay, I weighed the item before listing it so the buyer can get an accurate shipping price (I always use the calculate shipping by buyer's location option) The item came in at 12 lbs, and that is what I set it for.



I just received a message on eBay from the buyer saying the package arrived with postage due. He says the box weighed in at 21 lbs and the amount of postage due was...$21!!!! Are you kidding?! The buyer refused the package and it will be sent back to me.



This is the first time I've dealt with this problem in my two years selling on eBay. What do I do? I have not responded to the seller just yet, I don't know what to say. I want to be a great seller and offer to send it back to him, but $21? How did this discrepancy happen? A 9 pound difference? I personally ran this box into the post office and the man at the counter did not say ONE thing to me about it. He never holds back, I've gotten scolded by him twice because I dropped the box off one day later than the date on the label. Surely he would've said something if there was a 9 POUND DIFFERENCE!



I had a look at the buyer's feedback left for others, they have left 6 negatives and 4 neutrals in the past 5 months. They're all about items not being shipped, not as described, and items arriving damaged. I'm terrified of receiving a negative because of this.



I don't know who is to blame or what happened. I'm confused and it doesn't add up. I'm always so careful about weighing my items and putting the correct box dimensions so the shipping price is as accurate as possible. What do I do here? :sad:


Once this happened and I was the buyer. Seller used the wrong type of priority mail box so I had to pay postage due. It was either that or refuse the package. I didn't want to deal with the hassle and hoped the seller would reimburse me so I paid the difference to the post man. Contacted the seller and everything went smoothly.

I don't know whether this is the case for yours where it's an actual postage issue. I hope all works out.


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If this is the case and it's buyer's remorse, issue a refund for the purchase price and deduct that shipping cost.

I have a feeling this is what it is. It was a strange transaction. They offered a best price of half off, I countered right away but they ignored and purchased at the BIN price.

I read if the buyer refuses the package, buyer protection is voided, correct? If it turns out the PD was an excuse to return and I deduct the shipping cost from the refund, will they be able start trouble and try to fight it?
 
Just so you know, the buyer's refusal of the shipment voids her buyer protection.

In order to maintain buyer protection, the buyer has to accept delivery of an item. If a buyer wants to return it, she needs abide by your return policy or file a dispute.
 
I do have a scale and I weighed it while listing the item to put the correct weight so eBay could calculate the accurate shipping cost since I leave it to them to calculate by the buyer's location.

The item was a mirrored jewelry box, there is no way it could weight 21 lbs. It was weighed again at the post office, if it was 9 lbs. overweight, surely the post man at the counter would have let me know about the due amount.

I have a feeling they changed their mind and no longer want the box, they refused it to avoid return shipping costs and made up the story of postage due. Since PD is marked on the box, we will see what it looks like when it arrives back here. I responded to the seller asking what they would like me to do to remedy the situation, no response yet.

I recently purchased a LV Artsy on Ebay and it was INAD so I was going to ship it back. I packaged it up in the exact packaging that it was shipped in and didn't bother to reweigh as I'd assumed the seller had when he'd shipped it. The weight on the box read 3 lbs but when I took it into the post office to have it scanned in, I saw on her screen that it said the box was over 5 lbs! She wasn't going to say a word, it was me that pointed out the big discrepancy! She said, "Eh don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Worst that'll happen is they'll be charged postage due when it gets to them." I mean 2 lbs isn't a HUGE difference but 9 lbs is! I do think your buyer might be having a case of buyer's remorse. Fortunately for you, this can easily be proven. Good luck, I hope the buyer and Ebay don't give you any trouble!!
 
I recently purchased a LV Artsy on Ebay and it was INAD so I was going to ship it back. I packaged it up in the exact packaging that it was shipped in and didn't bother to reweigh as I'd assumed the seller had when he'd shipped it. The weight on the box read 3 lbs but when I took it into the post office to have it scanned in, I saw on her screen that it said the box was over 5 lbs! She wasn't going to say a word, it was me that pointed out the big discrepancy! She said, "Eh don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Worst that'll happen is they'll be charged postage due when it gets to them." I mean 2 lbs isn't a HUGE difference but 9 lbs is! I do think your buyer might be having a case of buyer's remorse. Fortunately for you, this can easily be proven. Good luck, I hope the buyer and Ebay don't give you any trouble!!


Some USPS employees seem to be lenient in weight! The one at my PO, no way. He is the rule enforcer and nobody escapes him, he has something to say to me every time I go in whether it be the wrong date or tape sticking out past the edge of the envelope! :P

I'm afraid it is going to be a case of buyers remorse, especially since they said the postage due is higher than the actual amount it would be if it in fact was the weight they said it was. If they wanted a refund, I would have gladly given it to them if they sent the item back. Why do buyers have to be so inconsiderate and make things difficult? Oh well, we will see what the package says tomorrow when it arrives. :sad:
 
I recently purchased a LV Artsy on Ebay and it was INAD so I was going to ship it back. I packaged it up in the exact packaging that it was shipped in and didn't bother to reweigh as I'd assumed the seller had when he'd shipped it. The weight on the box read 3 lbs but when I took it into the post office to have it scanned in, I saw on her screen that it said the box was over 5 lbs! She wasn't going to say a word, it was me that pointed out the big discrepancy! She said, "Eh don't worry about it, it'll be fine. Worst that'll happen is they'll be charged postage due when it gets to them." I mean 2 lbs isn't a HUGE difference but 9 lbs is! I do think your buyer might be having a case of buyer's remorse. Fortunately for you, this can easily be proven. Good luck, I hope the buyer and Ebay don't give you any trouble!!

You are saying a postal employee did not charge the correct amount and shipped it? What if the receiving post office sent it back to you instead of charging the postage due?