Postage Due on eBay Package?

[ShortyBoo]

So yesterday I went out of town and when I came home in the evening, I had one of those lovely orange cards from the post office that says I have a package with postage due ($1.15) waiting for me in the mailbox. It was written super sloppy and I couldn't make out the sender's name, but I'm only expecting a few items and all but one item were only shipped out on either Friday or Saturday (meaning they wouldn't be here yet) which leaves one particular eBay item that shipped about a week ago that I wasn't given a tracking number for. Either way, I'm upset. Because not only do I have to pay extra to get my package, I also have to find a ride to the post office to pick it up and I have to wait another two days to get it because of them not being open on Sunday.

If I'm correct about which item this is (I'm 99.9% sure) then the item in question is a McDonald's Build-A-Bear teddy (from the current promotion) that was sold as a BIN for $6.99 with free shipping. Yes, I realize I over-paid and could have gotten it for $1 at McDonald's, but I didn't want to have to keep coming back until they had the one I wanted. Anyway, I bought it on the 16th and the estimated delivery it shows on my purchase history on eBay is Nov. 21st, which has passed. The seller has 100% feedback.

So anyway, I have a few questions. First off, how does someone send a package "postage due" in the first place? I thought the person shipping it is the one who's supposed to pay. So how did the package get sent if it wasn't paid for? Second, what's the best way to handle this, once I get my package? Assuming, of course, that it is the package I think it is. Do I contact the seller first and ask for a refund in the amount I had to pay? Of course, that doesn't cover the gas to get to the post office which is several miles away from my house. I just don't get how you could list an item as free shipping and then make the buyer pay the post office to get their package.

[bluerose9978]

I have had this happen before. The seller listed free shipping and we went to pick it up and it was due 57 cent. He had used a bunch of postage stamps and hadn't used enough so I asked for a refund in that amount. I think they could have printed out a label and didn't have a scale so the burden falls to the recipient.

[ShortyBoo]

I'm guessing the actual postage amount for the package is just a tad over $2. I ship a lot of small packages and that's the minimum amount a small package will cost. So why would the seller think that it would cost under a dollar to send? Common sense would tell you that the amount is wrong. It's not like this was her first time shipping a package, either. Her feedback score is over 500.

[Rhubarbpie]

Looks like the seller has not shipped your package through a post office/depot and has guestimated the postage using stamps. Surprising since the seller appears to be experienced with 500 feedbacks.

I would leave positive feedback since you did get your item and I am assuming it was in good condition/as described, but ding a couple of stars for the late shipping/arrival and having to finish paying for the item. 

[ShortyBoo]

Why positive and not negative or even neutral? If this happened through an Amazon Marketplace seller, I wouldn't hesitate to leave a negative for sending the package with postage due (unless it was just a few cents) unless they did a partial refund, but in that case, I'd still leave a neutral. Why is it so bad to leave neutral feedback on eBay? You'd think neutral wouldn't really hurt their feedback, it just wouldn't go up. I wouldn't feel right leaving positive feedback because it would seem like I'm saying I was happy with the transaction when I'm not. It's like people don't like to leave honest feedback on eBay, which really confuses me because wouldn't truthful feedback help other buyers more than acting like everything was fine?

[bluerose9978]

Well I wouldn't leave any feedback until your seller rectifies the situation.

And negative feedback really hurts an eBay seller who doesn't sell a whole lot. If they are a big time seller and have hundreds of auctions going at one time it won't hurt them. But if they have like 10 auctions per week it will really hurt because eBay has certain incentives for sellers with good feedback.

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[ShortyBoo]

I'll contact the seller once I get my package and I guess I'll see what they offer to do about it. I'll then leave feedback based on how it's handled.

[ponylady]

I would suggest messaging your seller before you leave any sort of feedback, especially since you don't even have the item in your possession and have not paid the postage due. Plus you always have the option of refusing the package and it will get sent back to her. But I would first message them and give them the opportunity to rectify the situation. It most likely was an honest mistake.

Also I just want to point one thing out about your estimated delivery date. Last week your area had some serious bad weather which most likely caused delays in that part of the country.

[goddessofpeep]

Contact the seller before you leave feedback.  If the seller blows you off, then a neutral or maybe even a negative is warranted.  If the seller does their best to rectify the situation, then I wouldn't punish them for a mistake.  I like to judge a seller on how they behave when things go wrong.  Any seller can be a "good" seller if there are no problems, but it shows what kind of person you're really dealing with when things go wrong.

Also, make sure you do not mention feedback AT ALL when contacting the seller.  Do tell them that you'll be giving them such-and-such as feedback if they do something.  Don't word your feedback to imply that, and absolutely do not state it directly.  Make *absolutely* no mention of feedback until you've gone as far as you can with this seller, and then just leave it without comment.  Mentioning feedback to the seller AT ALL can get you in trouble for feedback extortion.  The seller can report you, and you can get into trouble with ebay.  And whatever feedback you have left can be removed.   Pretend feedback doesn't exist until it's time to leave it.

[lunar_scythe]

ShortyBoo, make sure you select 'other' as the reason for contacting the seller or ebay will automatically open a case for you.   That could make the seller feel you are trying to scam them, and if you accidentally open a case and close it, you won't be able to open another one about the same item, if it comes down to it.  You might want to go ahead and contact the seller before you claim the package, and ask if they would rather you just refuse the package, so they can re-send it with the correct postage or refund you for it.

[emery]

I had this happen recently and had to pay $4.68 for a nearly 3 lb package  that was shipped with an 8 oz postage label on it. Printed from home no doubt without either checking the weight or just not having a clue and then probably picked up at their house so not weighed by the PO or anything. I should have suspected something would go wrong as the postage was only like $3 in the auction and I knew the items were heavy enough to be at least twice that amount.

I took a photo of the package and the postage due note as well as the actual weight on my postage scale and contacted the seller nicely to ask for a refund of the postage I was required to pay to receive the box. I ended up having to open a case and then I did leave a negative because the seller said 3 times that they would refund the amount I had to pay in extra postage and then they disappeared and did not refund any money. After a week with no response from the seller I escalated the claim and eBay refunded ALL of my money, not just the $4.68 that I requested.

lunar_scythe had a good idea about contacting the seller first to ask if you should refuse and have them resend it. That may spur them to the refund a little more quickly because resending would cost them more anyway.

[ShortyBoo]

My mom picked up the package for me after work and it was the package I thought it was. They just slapped 3 Forever Stamps on the envelope. I contacted them, so now I'm waiting on a response. I'm kind of more annoyed now because not only was it late and came postage due, I found she's now selling them for like half the amount I paid.

[bluerose9978]

My mom picked up the package for me after work and it was the package I thought it was. They just slapped 3 Forever Stamps on the envelope. I contacted them, so now I'm waiting on a response. I'm kind of more annoyed now because not only was it late and came postage due, I found she's now selling them for like half the amount I paid.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to contact the seller, tell her about the postage due and while doing that, mention seeing the cheaper items and maybe she'll cut a little bit off the price to make up for her postage mistake.

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[ShortyBoo]

How long should I give the seller to respond to the message I sent her before opening a case or leaving negative feedback?

[bluerose9978]

In my opinion, 24 hours, and then I think I would open a case.