Shipping Overcharge

[coinoperatedgirl]

I know, I know.  I agreed to the charges when I purchased the items.  However, here's the rub.

I won a lot on eBay last weekend, and received my item in a timely manner.  I was completely content to pay the $11.25 for the ponies, as there were several, it was being shipped priority, and I figured they would be boxed.

However, they were received this afternoon, with 7 wingers bubble-wrapped and jammed into a flat rate envelope that cost the seller $5.75 to send.  When I asked about the price difference, I was told:

my local postal woman told me that the box I was going to use would cost more and that a flat rate long envelope would do the job and save me money. I would have shipped in box and the shipping would be accurate. but please check all other postal services for two day shipping (ponies shipped tuesday as post office was closed monday arrived thursday ) and see price difference. you also forget package supplies 2 feet by 1 foot bubble wrap sheet $2.20 , bubble wrap case $1.50 and cardboard used .60 .

Now, I'm all for building your packing materials' costs into the handling fees or the item's cost, and I told the seller that, and requested the difference in shipping fees.  The reply was "I do not charge supplies as I consider it a courtesy to my customers", not to mention that the cardboard used in the envelope was recycled.

Any input?

[Shiromisa]

Was the seller named "bronyswagusa" by any chance? I PMed them on ebay asking why they were charging $11 to ship a single G4 pony and got a rather short response about "shipping is charged by weight." Uhhh yeah...but are your ponies full of lead for some reason??

[coinoperatedgirl]

Nope, it wasn't them.  He/she did tell me that they've been a collector for 15 years now, which puts most bronies right out of the running, unless they came out collecting at birth!

[MikeysGrrrl]

Wow, so you pretty much paid double and the ponies were packaged in such a way that had the postal service been rough with them they could've been damaged?

I would message back and state that since you paid x amount of dollars for a certain type of shipping, you expect to get what you paid for, however since the seller clearly went another route to save money (that technically wasn't his money, it was yours) he should refund the difference to you.

If he refuses, I would at the very least ding his shipping charge star.

[rosierjay]

personally i'd email again asking for the difference and say how upset you were that the ponies were in jeopardy (Wingers? in an envelope?! i only do that at the seller's request), and if they refuse, file a claim. if i over shoot a price i've given to someone i try to add tracking or something to make it closer, or i refund them. well back before i really knew how paypal worked i didn't but i didn't have any complaints either. but still!

[NoDivision]

I would write back and say "That's great that the lady at the post office found a way for you to save me some money on shipping. I'd like my change back please."

Okay, maybe not... but still.

[ponylady]

  $5.50 difference.

I would probably email her back and quote what she said about charging you packing materials, both times. I would then say your confused by her reply/replies?? I mean did she charge you or didn't she, which is it? If it's the latter then you would please like the overage back.

I would like to tell you that you can report them for excessive shipping charges but I am yet to see eBay do anything about it. Plus reporting folks for excessive shipping is such a grey area. I know when they put that rule in place it was basically meant for sellers who are charging a very low price for their items and tacking on a $50 shipping charge.

*sigh* I hope you are able to work things out with her. Good Luck and keep us posted.

I would write back and say "That's great that the lady at the post office found a way for you to save me some money on shipping. I'd like my change back please."

Okay, maybe not... but still.

  or you could go with this message.

[WildBlue]

This makes no sense to me, maybe I am confused......it is like one of the friggin math word problems purposely worded to confuse you to see if you get the right answer.... heh... anyway....
11.25 - 5.75 = 5.50

"you also forget package supplies 2 feet by 1 foot bubble wrap sheet $2.20 , bubble wrap case $1.50 and cardboard used .60 ." okay,  2.20 + 1.50 + .60 = $4.30....

but..... they turn it around and say "I do not charge supplies as I consider it a courtesy to my customers" So what was that $4.30 for if not for "supplies"??

That leaves 1.20 unaccounted for.

Another part that makes not one bit of sense, to me....
first they say "the box I was going to use would cost more" and then immediately in the next sentence "I would have shipped in box and the shipping would be accurate"

  ????

So, this is my opinion - it may be off base... but I feel this is a great way to scam a few extra bucks out of people. Do it to enough people and it adds up quickly. Quote them a price on shipping, then use the post office as an excuse "oh they said it was cheaper", use packaging and supplies as an excuse "gotta pay for that, tho I dont do that as a courtesy", throw some numbers out there like they gave a good deal and pocket the extra money.
Like I said, I may be off base with that opinion, but I've seen a number of threads like this and that is the impression I get from it. I may be thinking with a cynical mind too much on this.
But it seems some people are just quoting a shipping, getting a cheaper shipping, making an excuse and have some extra cash because of it.

[coinoperatedgirl]

I would probably email her back and quote what she said about charging you packing materials, both times. I would then say your confused by her reply/replies?? I mean did she charge you or didn't she, which is it? If it's the latter then you would please like the overage back.

That's exactly what I did in my last response, which she has yet to respond to.

I would write back and say "That's great that the lady at the post office found a way for you to save me some money on shipping. I'd like my change back please."

Okay, maybe not... but still.

    AWESOME.

personally i'd email again asking for the difference and say how upset you were that the ponies were in jeopardy (Wingers? in an envelope?! i only do that at the seller's request)

I will admit that they were all in bubble wrap, but c'mon.  This was 7 ponies.  They were in a flat rate cardboard envelope, which, when I received it, was about 2 inches wide in thickness (I compared it to my tv remote, I was shocked).  Every single pony's wings were pulled up behind their ears, in most cases beyond vertical.  I did politely told her that she may want to reconsider how she packages things with fragile wings and was pretty much told that based on my previous sales on eBay, I was not experienced enough to tell her how to properly package wingers or flutters.

This makes no sense to me, maybe I am confused......it is like one of the friggin math word problems purposely worded to confuse you to see if you get the right answer.... heh... anyway....
11.25 - 5.75 = 5.50

"you also forget package supplies 2 feet by 1 foot bubble wrap sheet $2.20 , bubble wrap case $1.50 and cardboard used .60 ." okay,  2.20 + 1.50 + .60 = $4.30....

but..... they turn it around and say "I do not charge supplies as I consider it a courtesy to my customers" So what was that $4.30 for if not for "supplies"??

That leaves 1.20 unaccounted for.

Another part that makes not one bit of sense, to me....
first they say "the box I was going to use would cost more" and then immediately in the next sentence "I would have shipped in box and the shipping would be accurate"

  ????

So, this is my opinion - it may be off base... but I feel this is a great way to scam a few extra bucks out of people. Do it to enough people and it adds up quickly.

Pretty much my thoughts as well.  The shipping label was perfectly applied to the envelope with no sign of it ever having been on something else, which also struck me as suspicious.  Plus, how would the post office woman know what was in "the box" in order to suggest using something smaller? 

Personally, I think it's a definite case of padding the shipping to get more profit because I did win them for a steal, and they're all in pretty decent shape.  When I brought up a refund for the overcharge, she flat out told me to send them back to her for a refund because she'd make more money selling them separately.

[MikeysGrrrl]

I really don't like the behavior this seller is exhibiting

They definitely have some nerve stating that you're too inexperienced sales wise to have the common sense regarding fragile vintage items and the best method for shipping them I'm sorry, but their explanations definitely don't match up and they really need to refund the difference, it's as simple as that.

You don't have a problem with the item, simply with how it packaged 9which you only gave them a heads up on since yours arrives safely) and the fact that they charged you twice as much yet it only cost them half of what they charged you.

I think that if they don't provide a refund for the difference, I would personally be inclined to leave nothing more than a neutral "Paid 2x shipping cost, poorly packed, but ponies arrived intact as described" and I would definitely ding their shipping cost and communication stars.

Great score on the ponies though

[WildBlue]

"based on my previous sales on eBay, I was not experienced enough to tell her how to properly package wingers or flutters."
Oi, I'm so sorry, what a horrible response. 
Your experience as a seller has nothing to do with this and that was a cheap shot.
I wouldn't send those ponies back for a refund and the reason why, I would say I am not experienced enough to properly package wingers and flutters.....
I hope you can come up with something that will work out for both of you, but after that - I dont think you will. May come down to this being someone for us to avoid.

[DavidC]

"based on my previous sales on eBay, I was not experienced enough to tell her how to properly package wingers or flutters."

Excuse me? Now I personally have sold nothing on *eBay*, but I have vast experience with shipping and receiving fragile toy and hobby items. *I* would leave her negative feedback based simply on her attitude as quoted.

But that's me.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Thanks for coming to warn us about these shady selling practices!    If you are able to, we'd really appreciate the ID so we all can choose not to buy from this person. 

Shipping them in a way that they could have been easily damaged and to tell you, "Send 'em back for a refund, I'll make more money selling them separately!"  Ugh it's extortion as she has stolen your money!

[NoDivision]

you also forget package supplies 2 feet by 1 foot bubble wrap sheet $2.20 , bubble wrap case $1.50 and cardboard used .60 .

Also, where the heck is shy buying bubble wrap that one mall piece costs $2.20? You can buy bubble wrap at the dollar store!

[coinoperatedgirl]

you also forget package supplies 2 feet by 1 foot bubble wrap sheet $2.20 , bubble wrap case $1.50 and cardboard used .60 .

Also, where the heck is shy buying bubble wrap that one mall piece costs $2.20? You can buy bubble wrap at the dollar store!

I get it for free at work:  we get loads of it in the pharmacy.  I'm tempted to box some up and send it to her as a courtesy.