The MLP Arena
TCB => Trader & Shipping Support => Topic started by: ChipsteRJ on December 18, 2017, 05:15:33 PM
-
I bid on 2 small lots from the same seller not realizing they didn't offer combined shipping. The Shipping was stated at well over $25 for each lot, so I paid $53.45 in shipping. Almost double the cost of the combined price of the 2 lots (under $35).
2 Boxes arrived today
Cost of the boxes $1.99 each
Cost of shipping $10.05 each.
What do I do about the $29+ in Exorbitant fees?
I entered into a contract for the stated shipping fee, but ebay also has something against exorbitant shipping costs?
Granted I got the lots for a steal, probably the shipping turned everyone else away.
I'm kind of feeling bad for the seller, I got a good deal on the ponies, but I can't dismiss a $30 shipping overage!
I know the seller still has to pay ebay for the shipping fee, but they should never have charged this much in the first place. I even messaged them before paying to ask for combined shipping in a MEDIUM flatrate box (under $15).
What Should I do?
Obviously I messaged the seller asking for a reasonable explanation for stealing my $30. I would have let $5 or $6 slide as I know how expensive ebay fees are.
I don't want to be the one to tarnish a perfect rating, but unwilling to work with me on combined shipping - not even using a packing service. Each was in a ziplock no paper, peanuts, bubble wrap or air pillows. Not even a self printed label just Ziplocks, tape & a box.
Thought I might touch base with everyone....
She offered me a $10 refund - I didn't respond. She asked ebay to step in.
Ebay sided with her. I appealed - ebay again sided with her.
I then called Ebay they said they would reevaluate my claim & transferred me to Paypal where I filed a claim. She never responded to the claim... Finally I got my money back. & both of us had eachother's feedback removed by ebay.
-
Yeah sadly Ebay wants their cut of the fees, so they would be on the seller's side here... *sigh*
-
I have wondered about this as well! I have noticed lately people charging upwards of $40 for posting 5 ponies inside the U.S! I would be interested to hear what ebay has to say, as it seems an underhanded way of charging people. I almost bid on a few lots but noticed how high the shipping was and worried the seller was ripping people off.
-
I heard a response from the seller:
Considering the EXTREMELY LOW cost of each lot, you STILL are having issues with this? Are you serious? You are the only buyer giving me issues with this. You got these ponies for an UNREAL price. But still you are unhappy. If you were not happy with buying these and paying for the shipping prices then perhaps you should not have bid on the items at all. I made it very clear to you before the listings ended that combined shipping was not available and that the shipping prices were stated as is. No refund will be available for this. I do apologize but once again everything was upfront and nothing was being kept secret from you. You knew the shipping cost when you bid on the items. I hope you realize your own mistake and learn not to make it in the future. Next time perhaps you should not bid on an item if you are unhappy with prices.
.... After I found out about no combined shipping I ALMOST requested to cancel.
Now to decide Neutral or Negative. I did get what I paid for, so Negative might be too harsh????
-
I have wondered about this as well! I have noticed lately people charging upwards of $40 for posting 5 ponies inside the U.S! I would be interested to hear what ebay has to say, as it seems an underhanded way of charging people. I almost bid on a few lots but noticed how high the shipping was and worried the seller was ripping people off.
Yeah, shipping costs sure are crazy! Makes buying from overseas affordable!
Sending overseas is a big hit to the wallet, I sent 70 ponies to Sweden 5 weeks ago and shipping cost $75! ( I paid $50 to have 30 shipped to me Domestically standard not Priority.... over charged by $29)
-
If the seller doesn't state in their listing that they offer combined shipping and the shipping was clearly stated, I'm sorry, but I don't think a negative or a neutral is warranted. I also have noticed the high shipping prices on some sellers' lots and I just refuse to bid on them. I figure these sellers either don't know the cost of shipping or they inflate the cost hoping the buyer won't notice to make extra money. It's on the buyer to pay attention. It's shady, but apparently eBay doesn't discourage it.
If it were me, I'd ding stars for shipping and leave feedback reflecting your anger about the inflated shipping price and the seller's rude message to you (as they were quite rude). As a seller they need to think about their customer.
-
ah I bet I know the seller, I didn't bid for that reason. I am positive shipping was jacked up to account for the low reserve, unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it as you bid knowing there shipping price
-
Sorry you are facing this situation. :( I think if a seller is unable to combine shipping, it should be stated in the listing. I also thought that sellers are not supposed to profit off of shipping? I'd be interested to know if/how this is stated in eBay's policies too. If fees were the concern, I remember from selling that eBay offered a shipping discount to help offset fees (eBay had told me that directly). If you feel comfortable, it may help to let eBay know how the seller handled the shipping costs and their response message to you. I've found calling eBay helpful in the past and they even guided me as to leaving appropriate feedback on some difficult transactions. Remaining professional as a seller is important and I personally feel like this seller's response to you did not adhere to a professional standard. I would have been disappointed as well due to lack of Priority shipping and packing material for the shipping price paid. Did the listing state expedited shipping?
Best of luck and I hope this resolves in the best way possible! :)
-
My feedback would be neutral - because feedback should reflect the experience, not just the item. I'd comment that they answered a query in a rude manner, and that you won't be a returning customer. If I was in a physical store, and the prices were high, but the items amazing, and I questioned the price to a staff member and they said that, I wouldn't give them good feedback. I always try to compare the experience to a brick and mortar purchase - because shopping online shouldn't be unpleasant, just because it's online! Being online doesn't make your questions any less valid (I've heard plenty of dumb questions in retail, and those staff members still remain professional!!).
-
I would either leave a neutral or a positive with one star rating for shipping fee. The only reason I would still leave a positive is you knew the cost when you bid but neutral might make more sense considering they were rude in their reply to you.
-
I'm going to go against the grain here:
I don't feel the seller's action or response warrant a neutral or a negative. They were upfront in their listing, and the items sold for a very low price. I have seen a lot of sellers make up for this in shipping, and unless Ebay says otherwise, I don't feel it truly matters whether the bulk of the item's cost is listed as the item's price or the shipping fee, as long as the two together come out to what I'd expect to pay for an item.
As far as their response, the tone could have been kinder, but there was nothing explicitly wrong with what they said. There were no false accusations, name calling, etc... just blunt honesty.
I understand why you're feeling cheated, but unless someone better versed in Ebay's policies sees a violation, I think the seller's points are valid.
-
I tried to leave feedback and the only thing I can't rate is the shipping.
Looking at ebay policy.... Looks like a grey area- I thought it was more strict at one point....:
Be sure to specify shipping costs and related service charges in your listings. This was done
What you can charge
Actual shipping cost: This is the amount for shipping the item. It should be what you paid the carrier. (Inflated, but looks like no limit)
Handling cost: This can include the cost of packaging materials and insurance cost, if any. ($29 handling cost??????) - the box cost $1.99!
Delivery confirmation and extra services: If you choose to use these options, you must add them to your shipping and handling costs, and you can only charge what they actually cost. Examples of services include: (No Extras)
Certificate of Mailing
Certified Mail
Collect on Delivery
Delivery Confirmation - free with Priority Mail and discounted with some other services when you print shipping labels on eBay
Registered Mail
Restricted Delivery
Return Receipt
Signature Confirmation
Special Handling
Tax and government-imposed fees: Only applicable federal, state, country, city, Value Added Tax (VAT), or equivalent taxes may be charged.
Tips:
If your shipping and handling costs are higher than average, consider explaining in your listing what the shipping and handling costs include. (Failed to do this)
We recommend that you provide tracking information. Using tracking information, delivery confirmation, or signature confirmation can help protect you if a buyer reports that they didn't receive an item. This is one of the qualifications for getting an automatic 5-star rating for shipping time.
If you want a certain amount for for something you put in a reserve price- yes, it costs $2 to put a reserve on, but charging $29+ extra on shipping with the the ebay fee... a reserve would actually have been cheaper!
I have no doubts that the shipping costs deterred the seller from getting a better price. - is this possibly fee avoidance? Even though either way ebay still gets their cut?
-
I would definitely leave honest feedback to the effect that your seller flew right off the handle, started YELLING at you and went completely unprofessional when you inquired about $29 in unexplained handling costs. Write something that will warn off others from dealing with their attitude, but I would stick with that angle 120% as you did get the items for a nice price :)
-
If the shipping amounts were stated ahead of time and the items were delivered within the desired timeframe, then I don't think a neutral or negative is appropriate.
SOMEONE was going to be making a profit off $25 in shipping; does it really matter if it was the seller vs a shipping service?
Yes, eBay used to be very strict on this because sellers would sell items for a penny and then make all their profit from the shipping fees, which didn't used to be charged eBay's Final Value Fee. But now, eBay charges the FVF on the shipping as well. So basically eBay no longer cares.
-
So I called ebay tonight.
They did agree that sellers are obligated to charge a reasonable shipping fee. The statement in the listing is not enough to warrant a contractual agreement to charge double the actual cost.
They suggested opening a case against the seller requesting a partial refund and furnishing photos of the actual shipping charges.
So, in a bittersweet week.... Something good happened on the evilbay!
There are always good & bad experiences, from a completely different seller I got the following:
I sent you a message via the paypal return but didn't know if you'd see it so thought I would contact you here. I guess when I listed this I didn't realize how light it was so I was able to send this first class instead of priority (the mailman said it goes in the same time) and save you some money on postage so I sent it back to you - thanks!
-
Glad that things are working out! :) Keep us updated!
-
I hope your case works out for you! Sometimes contacting eBay is all that it takes to figure out a solution. And maybe the seller will decide next time it's not worth it to try to make up the price by overcharging shipping.
-
I am glad eBay could help out and that was nice of that other seller! Do keep us posted as you are able- hope it all resolves smoothly. :)
-
It's nice to see that eBay is helping you out a bit!
I actually see more of the opposite of what seems to be going on, I see a lot of people list things as free shipping for higher prices.
-
I filed the case asking for a $23 refund. The seller would still profit nearly $7 from the actual shipping costs... Of course that would not cover the ebay & PP fees in full, but had they charged me a reasonable amount for shipping ($15-18) they would have paid less than $2 to ebay for shipping, but they charged $54 to ship about 20 mixture of G1, G2 & G3 ponies in various condition from NM to baits. (ebay fees of nearly $5.50 for shipping alone)
I paid a bit over $80 total for all of these, but could (and should) have paid under $50. I have no problem paying $5-7/ pony if they were HTF or NM ones. More than 3/4 were pretty common and about 1/2 had some sort of issue.
Now the buyer is willing to refund $10 (of the $23 I requested) and I have to decide whether to accept or not. I should probably take what I can, but that is still a $20 profit on my shipping charges. Not happy, but I rather be done with it... I'll probably think on it for a few days (I have until February 2018 to decide).
I have gotten ripped off with shipping many a time, but I can dismiss a $5 differential, I'm just not able to accept a nearly $30 overcharge!.... I can only imagine the shipping fee they charged for International Probably $100!
Now the seller wants to call it "buyer's remorse". I don't think I'm being unreasonable to someone who (perhaps unknowingly) violated ebay rules. Actual + materials. Am I being unreasonable to request justice in shipping?
In an effort to satisfy your buyer s remorse, I am offering you this partial refund even though my policy CLEARLY states that I do NOT provide Refunds, Returns or Exchanges considering these items are in Used condition and in some cases are over 30 years old. I had also made it VERY clear to you that the shipping costs were AS POSTED in the auction and would not be changed as we had spoken BEFORE the auctions ended (Nope, I never messaged her prior, but I did after, so I might take partial responsibility) . Again, in this particular case, I cannot understand why if you had such a huge problem with the shipping costs did you continue to Bid, Pay and Receive the item BEFORE you started filing for refunds with eBay. This makes very little sense to me. If you had such an issue with shipping costs than you should not have Bid on the items in the first place. Again, nothing was hidden or sprung on you at the last minute. Everything was made clear and was up front from the time of your first message to me which was well before the auction ended. I hope that you take this offer of a partial refund so that we may be done with this and can finally move on. Thank you. I never messaged before the ordeal, so they must have been thinking of someone else.
Bottom line.... if you want a certain amount for your stuff put a reserve, DON'T AUCTION it or begin the bid at the lowest you are willing to sell it for (not jack up your shipping to the lowest acceptable price).
-
Good grief that seller to me is kind of blunt and borderline rude. They have found a justification for what they are doing. It doesn't matter if they take refunds or not. Ebay requires that if a refund be given. They sure do think they have a lot of control over the way business is run on ebay. If they still think they can say no refunds then they are in for a shock, but you will have to pay to ship them all back and I would take that into consideration.
-
I'm checking her feedback daily... I'm not the only one! Someone else gave positive " shipping is outrageous".
Here is the full description from the listing:
You are bidding on My Little Pony Lot 9
Condition: All of these ponies are from my private collection and are in Great to Near Mint condition! However, with a VERY FEW exceptions, you will find: internal rattling (mostly in the G1 babies), missing tail hair, minor hair-cuts, minor scuffs and/or marks. Ponies that are pictured in their boxes are indeed MIB/MOC and have never been opened although their boxes/packaging may have minor damage, with the exception of the My Pretty Pony which has been opened but still has her original box, all instructions and all accessories.
***These lots will ONLY be listed ONCE, so if you want them, BID don’t just watch! These lots do not include Nirvanas and there are absolutely NO FAKIES!!!***
All ponies are coming from a smoke-free and pet-free environment. They have all been meticulously packaged and safely kept in boxes for a few years, now it’s time to find them new homes! The pictures shown were taken of the ACTUAL ponies. What you see in the picture is what you will receive!
You could not ask for better additions to your collection. I have collected these ponies over many years but now it is time to thin my herd. Please give them a good home! 😊
Shipping: I will ship to the domestic United States for the listed price on the bid. For shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, or outside the United States please message me and I will give you a quote because it WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN THE PRICE POSTED on the bid. (25.95 for 15 ponies) - never states clearly no combined shipping, but I guess it is implied by "listed price on the bid"
Returns/Exchanges: I do not do any returns or exchanges for any item listed. ALL SALES ARE FINAL!!! With this in mind, please feel free to ASK me any questions you may have on any item listed BEFORE you bid. I can also provide you with additional pictures via email if you require them. Thanks so much!
***Paypal only please!***
-
I sit in the camp she stated the shipping price so don't bid if you don't like it. I didn't bid cause I didn't like shipping price. I do agree she went a sneaky way about bumping up the price but she was straight up that that it's what the price is. I would feel ticked off if I was here, I don't agree on bidding period if you aren't happy with the shipping price.
-
The price was the price, and that's fair enough. I don't bid on something unless I'm happy with the overall price, but that's just because I'm a quite a reasonable person, and I can't be bothered dealing with morons that think they'll get more that way.
HOWEVER, it's also absolutely fair, that as it is stated that that section of the price is for shipping and handling, that that price should include shipping and handling to that value. I'd expect a good fast shipping method, in a sturdy, quality box, possibly with the items wrapped quite well individually. And if I was overcharged by that much, I'd be annoyed if I didn't get the best shipping that I could possibly have gotten for that amount. You should get what you pay for, and that amount was supposedly reserved for 'shipping'.
If you want a better price, you pay for a reserve, start the auction as low as you're willing to go on the item, or you sell as a BIN. You do not pile the 'reserve' onto the shipping price. I don't give a duck's behind that they put FVF on shipping now. That just means you add up your S&H expenses, then add the extra% onto it, not that you add whatever you feel like. It's outrageous. And then to respond the way the seller did to the buyer's enquiry was rude to boot. I certainly wouldn't have given them positive feedback after a message like that. Even if I got the items for a single cent, it's irrelevant, the transaction experience wasn't POSITIVE at all. And that was the question - Neg or neut? Again for me it would be a neutral - Items were fine, but the overall shopping experience leaves a LOT to be desired, and I wouldn't return to that seller's store.
-
Still it was clear as day the shipping price. Don't bid if you aren't happy, ask if you think the price is off nothing should be assumed these days.
The stress chipster is going through unfortunately could have be avoidable by not bidding, others choose not to bid to avoid outrage at a shipping price which you know is going to be much lower than stated.
-
Still it was clear as day the shipping price. Don't bid if you aren't happy, ask if you think the price is off nothing should be assumed these days.
The stress chipster is going through unfortunately could have be avoidable by not bidding, others choose not to bid to avoid outrage at a shipping price which you know is going to be much lower than stated.
I agree with this, but possibly because I'm a hardened and embittered international buyer who has to deal with sellers jacking up international shipping prices because (I can only guess) they think we don't understand other currencies. And sometimes they add that onto the custom value, which puts up import duty as well. I think that the pain of overcharged shipping is so normal in my life that I just kind of think it's one of those ebay things.
The only thing I would say is that the seller's attitude is really very rude. And I would be taking that back to ebay and letting them look at it. I think if the price of shipping is listed when you bid, then you know what the deal is. It is wrong to charge more than you intend to spend, but as handling is nonspecific, it's hard to make a case around it. I remember one person who included in handling driving to the post office, and buying lunch on the trip...so yeah. Not fair but still.
Just her manner as a seller is not professional or polite. Her description gives some hint of her potential attitude, though, and I would have steered clear based on her large print exclamation mark overuse and minor rant about only listing them once....
-
Thought I might touch base with everyone....
She offered me a $10 refund - I didn't respond. She asked ebay to step in.
Ebay sided with her. I appealed - ebay again sided with her.
I then called Ebay they said they would reevaluate my claim & transferred me to Paypal where I filed a claim. She never responded to the claim... Finally I got my money back. & both of us had eachother's feedback removed by ebay.
-
Wow what a fight for your money! Would you share the ID of this seller? You can PM me!