Charged $3.95 shipping, seller sent it in an envelope

[Taxel]

Thank you! I will definitely be contacting them and giving them time to make it right before I leave feedback or anything. I just hope it all goes well.

[banditpony]

If those are the choices for charging shipping, that is the way they should be shipping them. :/ The fact that eBay does not let you set shipping as a plain envelope says something: you should not be doing it.[/center]

No, they have very generic wording too, aka "standard" or "economy" which pretty much could mean any kind of shipping they wanted.

In the end, it was the same service "first class"... so I'm not sure it really is something you could try to address. But what you could, and should address, is the overcharging.

As I said, I can totally understand why you are mad about being charged extra. And it's even worse when it's something that you really want and is rare. I hope that your buyer will see your point, because it's absolutely valid.

btw, good luck (:

[MikeysGrrrl]

I can see that you have gotten loads of advice from other members in the arena.

All I wanted to say was although I understand being upset with being overcharged for shipping, your item DID arrive safely in perfect condition.

So I personally believe that if you want to contact the seller about the issue, I would simply mention that you noticed that they paid $1 to send your item, while you paid $4 for it to be sent and therefore you believe that you're owed money.

I don't believe that sending it in a bubble mailer would've made much difference cost wise, nor do I believe that it would have protected your item without throwing in the cardboard etc...

The fact is your item is fine, and you were overcharged shipping.

***I don't know how things are in the US, but I know that my husband and I have had issues with sending items in Canada, we always set the shipping at a set price for all of Canada, and I cannot tell you how many times we've been burned because one of our buyers lived in some random far off town in Canada that cost 2-3 times as much as everywhere else across the country. So perhaps they just have 1 set price and that's it. Or maybe they made a mistake... did the listing state that it would be sent in a bubble mailer with tracking? In any event we're all human and we all make mistakes. I think a polite note to the seller, is all that's needed. I definitely wouldn't leave neutral or negative feedback, your item is undamaged.

[Taxel]

They personally mentioned nothing about shipping (how it would be sent, tracking, etc). However if you look at my screenshot of the listing it says the item would be sent "First Class Package", which implies it would be sent as a package the way I expected. I was under the impression eBay requires a tracking number with non-international purchases, but that could be wrong. Either way the shipping price was perfect for a bubble mailer + tracking with a bit left over, and I believe you get free tracking if you print the label out through eBay? I'm not entirely sure, as I don't sell on eBay.

I would expect cardboard to be included even if it was shipped in a bubble mailer, as its a fragile sticker set. If they hadn't included cardboard (but sent it in a bubble mailer and it survived okay) I would have been a teeny bit annoyed and mentioned it to them as something to do in the future (as they have a LOT of stationary type rare old items for sale).

I think if you charge $4 for a specific type of shipping and then use a completely different type that only costs you $1 you deserve a low star rating and possibly neutral/negative, depending on how you respond if the buyer bring it up. That's not a simple mistake, that's knowingly choosing to do something that is "less" than what the buyer paid for.

[himmie]

I personally do not think it is as much of an issue of cost difference, but how the item was packaged. Shipping in a standard envelope allows for water damage and it can easily be torn. Plus, there is no reason to risk sending without tracking for a First Class item in the US. I am not sure how much it weighs but a 5 oz bubble mailer shipped via First Class with tracking (when printed via eBay) costs $2.04.

If the seller "figured out" after you paid that they could ship it in a cheaper manner, they should have immediately refunded the difference.

I hope the seller is willing to work something out and I am glad your item arrived safely regardless.

[Taxel]

Thank you himmie, you worded that perfectly. Its not just about the cost (although that does really tick me off), plain envelopes are very easy to damage. The stickers are still in their original plastic but that doesn't protect against tearing and doesn't guarantee them to be waterproof.

I'm not sure what the stickers weigh but I've sent numerous small bubble mailers (of things that weigh much more than stickers) recently with tracking for around $3, give or take a bit depending on how much I mailed. $3.95 was more than enough to send it in a bubble mailer with tracking and still have a little bit of money left over. It would have been even cheaper if they printed through eBay, since I think there are discounts/free tracking/something.

[goddessofpeep]

Sadly, anyone who buys enough on ebay will eventually run into shipping overcharges.  Is it right for the seller to pad their profits by overcharging for shipping?  No.  It's a shady practice, and sellers who do it usually don't get my business twice.  It still happens though, and buyers just have to deal with it.  Some sellers will do partial refunds, some won't, but regardless of how this turns out, you shouldn't let it upset you.  $3 is annoying, but it's still only $3.  Just keep that in mind, and try not to let it get to you. 

And at least the seller tried to put some care into the package.  I'll usually give a seller a pass on a small overcharge if it looks like they put some effort into wrapping it up.  I don't think you got $3 worth of effort, but they at least put some cardboard in the envelope.  You'd be amazed at how many sellers just don't think when they're wrapping stuff up.  I've gotten some really scary packages, like the plush pony crammed into a too small bubble envelope.  She arrived with her feet sticking out the bottom, and was one small shake away from falling out completely.

Maybe this will make you feel a bit better about your seller.  Here's my worst shipping overcharge story:

It's actually a really complicated story, and the whole thing ended badly.  To simplify it slightly, I won an auction, and my boyfriend(now husband) offered to pay for it as a valentine's present. I was leaving town to visit the boyfriend, so upon winning the auction, I emailed the seller immediately to contact boyfriend's email address to make arrangements for payment(you could do that back then on ebay), and then went to the airport to get on a plane. 

After my flight, I got to the boyfriend's place and checked my email.  The seller had emailed me a total, but had also emailed the boyfriend a total. The boyfriend had already paid with a money order before I landed, so what happened next was a bit of a surprise.  The shipping on my total was fairly insane(somewhere around $15-$20 for a single MIP pony, which at the time could have been shipped for $4 priority in a free box).  The boyfriend's total was almost $20 MORE than mine, so we're looking at over $30 to ship one pony within the USA over 10 years ago.  I guess the seller didn't think we spoke to each other or something.  The boyfriend just saw the total and bought the money order without really looking things over.

When we asked the seller why the shipping was SO high, the seller replied: "it's for gas, packing material, time spent wrapping and driving to the post office, wear and tear on the car to get to the post office, and lunch at McDonald's when I go down there".

I actually never did get my pony.  A day or two later the seller "lost" my item, but somehow had an almost identical one for 4 times what I won the auction for.  I refused to pay $200 for a pony I won for $50, so the seller returned the money order. She did it by writing "return to sender" on the envelope so it took 10 times as long to get back to us(over a month), but she didn't have to spend 30 cents for a stamp.  Found out later she did this a lot.  If she didn't like the ending price of an auction, she'd either make it up with the shipping, or "lose" the item and "find" a new one that she'd be willing to sell for more money.

Now THAT'S a bad seller!

[tulagirl]

I don't believe that sending it in a bubble mailer would've made much difference cost wise, nor do I believe that it would have protected your item without throwing in the cardboard etc...

I believe that the bubble mailer would have made a difference in the price of the shipping because, they charge more due to the size.  Also this was not the way to mail the stickers.  Regular envelopes go through sorters and a professional seller would know that sticking cardboard in an unprotected envelope chances damage.  Its just not professional to mail stickers that way.  I buy stickers off of ebay all of the time and they are always sent to me in bubble mailers.  Even the ones from China and Japan.  If I buy one tiny square its usually sent in a card, but a whole package...that is just not really quality packing.

I do see why you are upset about this.  Its the principle of the thing. Its about good service and poor service. Its not about looking at a listing and knowing your shipping ahead of time.  No ones knows how an item is going to be shipped when they pay for something.   How many of us have suffered due to poor packing and excuses like, "well, I thought they would be fine packed that way?"  Its a form of dishonesty to me when a seller charges shipping rates and then sends you your item for far less than you paid.  Just because you knew the rate of ahead of time doesn't make it right if the rate seems reasonable with professional packing. Its a way for sellers to have a lower starting price and still get what they initially were hoping for.  So, yes this is upsetting.



This seller may tell you they charge that for gas and time to go to the post office.  I get this a lot.  I am so glad the stickers were not damaged in a sorting machine.  I do feel you have a right to be upset, I am not really sure what you can do other than ask about it.  I had a book shipped to me the wrong way once and all 8 corners were dinged when they were mint ahead of time.  Since your item is not damaged like that, I am not sure if you will get any refunds.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

It's not the $3.00, it's the principle of the matter.  You paid for an out-of-print collector's item.  It should come packaged as such, not just thrown into a plain envelope.   

If the seller is not cooperative, please PM me Taxel!    So sorry you're going through this!

[Sarahlacewing]

This seller may tell you they charge that for gas and time to go to the post office.  I get this a lot. 

That isn't actually allowed.  That's what handling fees are for.  Anything other than direct postage is handling fees (as I understand it).  Since they have a separate option for that, there really isn't a reason not to use it if a seller needs to.

[hathorcat]

Before anything else, before assuming you were deliberately over charged, I would suggest you message the seller. If they sell a lot of items, they may simply not have realised the over charging issue. So I think I would give them the benefit of the doubt and ask the question.

Also as others have said, do not mention in your message anything about feedback or star ratings as doing so is considered a feedback threat. Something which I know, I as a seller, would be very quick to report to ebay.

As to how its packaged, personally I would perhaps be lenient to the seller as I dont believe there is an option for letter when listing. And thats not because you should never send something that way. Its just because ebay likes to keep things simple and because the vast majority of items which people sell would never fit in an envelope. So first class package is probably expected to cover everything from a first class letter to a first class package. However, if you are not happy then mention it - say to them - they may not have realised it would be something you were not happy with.

[ClosetAvalanche]

the cost of shipping also includes handling. Your basing your bad feedback on a what-if situation- the stickers got there fine and undamaged, so, imo there are no complaints.

[Shiromisa]

the cost of shipping also includes handling. Your basing your bad feedback on a what-if situation- the stickers got there fine and undamaged, so, imo there are no complaints.

"What exactly is a "handling charge"?

For many sellers, handling charges are different things.  Ideally, a handling charge is charged on a per item basis to specifically pay for those expenses required to handle and/or pack and ship the item.  This can include shipping materials (boxes, labels, tape, bubble wrap, packing peanuts) as well as any additional services required such as delivery and/or signature confirmation.  Most reputable sellers charge modest handling fees that total up to the materials cost to send your item to you.  A good seller should be able to justly explain the costs associated with their handling charge.  For those sellers who are just starting out, it is extremely important for you to track your shipping and handling charges separately so that you aware of what they are as a seller cannot properly explain handling charges if they are not aware of their expenses."

Pretty sure an envelope and some cardboard didn't cost $3.

[lunar_scythe]

it sounds like part of the issues is the only reason the item arrived safely is luck; usually plain envelopes go thru machines that can and will shred things, especially if one part of them is thicker then the rest, such as a piece of cardboard.  people post in here all the time upset about sellers mailing items without proper care being taken.  I don't really see how mailing the sticker set this way is different then when someone receives a pony shipped inside a plain unpadded envelope, and that was pretty upsetting to me!  After all, a pony is  'just an d toy, what does it need padding for?'(a non collector seller emailed me that excuse when I asked why my item had not been wrapped in anything)

[Taxel]

the cost of shipping also includes handling. Your basing your bad feedback on a what-if situation- the stickers got there fine and undamaged, so, imo there are no complaints.

Envelopes cost pretty much nothing. I paid for a certain shipping method (First Class Package), so damn right I expect that to be used! These aren't just some random stickers from Walmart, this is a very old mint condition collectible. When I paid $3.95 for shipping, I expected it to be shipped in a bubble mailer with tracking. I did not pay $4 so the seller could pocket an extra $3 and risk destroying the stickers I have spent so long trying to find.


The seller refunded me $1 (so they still pocketed $2) and said its 'shipping and handling' and basically told me they overcharge on shipping to make up for fees. Isn't that not allowed, admitting to adding extra to shipping to cover fees? And implying they overcharged me to get gas money too? Should I report them, and if yes how?
"The purchase price paid for the stickers is $6.99 - on my end there are listing fees, final value fees from ebay, and yet another fee from paypal to receive money from each buyer every time I sell an item."
"I work 6 days a week 8-10 hours a day and still take the time to make sure purchased items are mailed the next day after payment, driving out of my way to the post office (gas is quite expensive these days) rather than leaving things in my mailbox to be mailed so I am sure they get sent out."


And thank you lunar_scythe! The hypocrisy of people here is shocking me. If a pony (or a pony sticker) were shipped this way, people would be upset. I cannot believe so many people (who aren't newbies!) in a community of collectors are telling me its fine, I'm overreacting, etc. :/