[CLOSED - resolved (yay!) ] Suspect shipping charge practices on ebay?

[Nimrodel]

Sorry PonyLady, not quite what I meant.     This is my confusion to what you posted:  So the ebay calculated shipping cost was the $3.04 which is based upon the weight of the item she entered, is that correct?  Then why did she say it was wrong and charge me more?  Wasn't the estimate based upon the weight and size that the seller entered?

Apologies, I'm not a seller, so I don't know how these things work.



Edit:  By the way, we resolved it completely amenably, so all is good.     

[LittleSpiffy]

Huh, so now I'm a bit confused.  So the ebay calculated shipping cost was the $3.04 which is based upon the weight of the item she entered, is that correct?  Then why did she say it was wrong and charge me more?  Wasn't the estimate based upon the weight and size that the seller entered?

Apologies, I'm not a seller, so I don't know how these things work.



Edit:  By the way, we resolved it completely amenably, so all is good.     

It should give the right amount based on the weight/size/shipping method, but sometimes doesn't.  Sometimes it's off by a few cents...other times it's off a lot more.  It also doesn't take into consideration if the seller wants to insure the item (which is a couple extra bucks if they're using First Class or need insurance above the $50 that comes with Priority).  Sellers can add a handling charge when they list their item, but it wont tell you in the auction - it's just added into the calculated shipping cost.

I experience problems when shipping internationally.  I'll put in the correct size/weight and it will charge, say $46 to ship via Priority...but it's really something like $32.  When it's off drastically like that, I refund the buyer the difference.  If it's off by only a $1 or $2, I leave it alone (I've actually cause more confusion sending partial refunds in the past, so I try to avoid it).

The only time it seems to be right (for me) is if I use a flat-rate option.

I've been offering free shipping with my domestic auctions for the last couple of years just to avoid buyers being confused/POed.  I know what it costs to ship an item...so I just start my bidding at a higher amount to cover the cost.

[Nimrodel]

LittleSpiffy, as a seller, what do you do if the shipping is wrong and is more than what was stated in the auction?      Do you absorb the cost or do you charge the extra to the buyer?  This is where my confusion comes in.  Lots of people have had issues where they are initially overcharged in an auction, but that cost was specified right from the start, and then sometimes they get a refund.  This is a case where I agreed to a shipping charge that was stated both in the ebay calculated shipping area and in the seller's description and then it was changed to a higher amount after the end of the auction via invoice.  It was also not due to combined shipping.

I've purchased hundreds of ponies in hundreds of ebay auctions since 2000, and I've never had an issue like this.   

[Ringlets]

I'm glad that you and the seller managed to sort it out in the end   its no fun to have to pay more than you expected and ebay does not allow the seller to charge more ..unless it was an estimate using the calculator as PL said.
Personally I never use the calculator. I use digital scales to figure out the costs before I list the item so its pretty accurate ..but If I do happen to stuff up the shipping costs I never ask the buyer for more money, I just cover the cost myself. 

[Haruna]

Yeah, I've never asked the buyers for more shipping money, either. When I first started out on Ebay I just estimated a shipping cost that sounded right to me (do not try this at home) and charged that; it was not enough. (I was shipping FedEx back then, too, for small items; again, do not try this at home.) I ended up losing almost all my profits on several items because of that, and since I paid for the shipping out of my earnings instead of charging the buyers more. But I never made that mistake again. 

[bluerose9978]

I'm glad that you and the seller managed to sort it out in the end   its no fun to have to pay more than you expected and ebay does not allow the seller to charge more ..unless it was an estimate using the calculator as PL said.
Personally I never use the calculator. I use digital scales to figure out the costs before I list the item so its pretty accurate ..but If I do happen to stuff up the shipping costs I never ask the buyer for more money, I just cover the cost myself. 

I don't think the OP and the seller have actually sorted this thing out yet. She's still trying to figure out whether the ponies are being shipped priority or whether she can have them shipped a cheaper option.

[LittleSpiffy]

LittleSpiffy, as a seller, what do you do if the shipping is wrong and is more than what was stated in the auction?      Do you absorb the cost or do you charge the extra to the buyer?  This is where my confusion comes in.  Lots of people have had issues where they are initially overcharged in an auction, but that cost was specified right from the start, and then sometimes they get a refund.  This is a case where I agreed to a shipping charge that was stated both in the ebay calculated shipping area and in the seller's description and then it was changed to a higher amount after the end of the auction via invoice.  It was also not due to combined shipping.

I've purchased hundreds of ponies in hundreds of ebay auctions since 2000, and I've never had an issue like this.   

If the shipping is more, but I am still making a profit: I absorb the cost.

It hasn't happened yet, but if the shipping was more, causing me to lose more money than I was making, I would message the buyer and explain the situation.  I would give the buyer the option to pay the difference or cancel the transaction.

[Nimrodel]

Ringlets:  Thank you, me too!    I don’t like conflict and nearly all pony sellers I’ve met are awesome, super friendly people.  :-D   

Haruna:  Eep, I was honestly thinking of maybe selling some of my extra ponies (I have a 10 x 10 storage unit full and need to downsize :-S  ), but I don’t think I want to figure out ebay.  *head desk*   


BlueRose9978:  We did, thank goodness.      I’d hate for the seller to be out any shipping charges, so I just let her know she could totally send it the cheapest way possible.  I have no problem waiting for ponies.   

LittleSpiffy:  Makes sense.    Thankfully I found the PonyFair, which is where I now buy most of my ponies.  Makes it so much easier on buyer and seller, and it’s the epitome of a pony buyer’s paradise.     



Figured out.  Closing the topic. 

[bluerose9978]

Edit:  By the way, we resolved it completely amenably, so all is good.     

I didn't see this before. I'm glad everything has been resolved!