Thread: Seller's handling fees.

wow, that's the first time i've heard of such practices
mind you, i don't often buy on ebay
i usually just get charged with what they put down under shipping costs..
can't you dispute that and say to the vendor that there has been a miscommunication with the shipping & handling costs and negotiate with him?

Last time I refused to pay so the seller dropped his handling fee in half again I refused to pay I simply did not want to do business with them after pulling that. Took an unpaid item strike on that one.

I've never heard of that either. I thought all fees had to be stated. I once had a seller try to make me pay tax without the auction stating it - I protested and the seller dropped it. I had another seller tell me point blank that she jacked up her shipping to cover ebay fees, paypal fees, packing materials, and her time to go to the post office. She actually said something along the lines of "Is time free where you come from?" when I asked about the massive difference between the shipping cost I was charged and the postage fee on the box.

Imo, it's all BS. Buyers bid what they want to pay, sellers have to pay the "overhead;" if sellers don't like it they should set reserves instead of weasling more money out of the buyers in backhanded ways. Then again, I always consider shipping costs when I bid, and I only really have a problem with it when shipping prices are high and packing is substandard.

Just remember sellers can add these fee's after you have won their item. IMO they use this to recoupe Ebay's fee and paypal fee's or if the item ended and they didn't like the final price.

I had no idea sellers could add handling fees on ebay. Is this ebay usa or somewhere else?

Always good to check feedback on the seller

This is ebay.com

Originally Posted by jimmyfingers

I had no idea sellers could add handling fees on ebay. Is this ebay usa or somewhere else?

Always good to check feedback on the seller

Was there a "shipping" fee listed in the original listing?
If you click on see all details on the shipping amount
or "Shipping and Payments" there is a tab
"shipping and handling"... Also there is a change log
for each auction . If something changed between
your bit and the close of the auction....

I'm not disbelieving anyone specifically, however, I have a hard time believing that it's an allowable practice for a seller to tack on completely undisclosed fees after an auction ends and then force a buyer to pay said fees or be dinged as a buyer for not doing so. I'm not clear if that's what's being described here, but if true, why would anyone want to buy on Ebay if the actual price would potentially be unknown and the buyer penalized for not paying?

Chris L

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Imo, it's all BS. Buyers bid what they want to pay, sellers have to pay the "overhead;" if sellers don't like it they should set reserves instead of weasling more money out of the buyers in backhanded ways.

+1
it just happened to me recently as well
i got a ebay not paid notice, so i rang the seller and said i didn't want to buy this item anymore because the way he conducted his business
the non payment from ebay was removed
we shouldn't have to take this sorta BS
buyers have rights too

If I am not wrong the handling fees have to be incorporated in the shipping charges, at least that's how I read the rules.
If the fee is charged after may be you should open a dispute and see what eBay thinks of it.
My last time I had an argument was because an overcharge shipping. The listing had fixed shipping fee but the postage was 3 times cheaper, the seller told me the difference was for his time and gas to get to the PO. eBay decided that was Ok. I feel that all fees should be incorporated in the shipping fee listed, and also explained in the listing. In my case I am not sure why one would charge for their time when they are willingly selling items, no one makes them to do it.