Thread: eBay Shipping Question

About a month ago I won an auction for a razor. What looks like a decent Genco. Cost me $9.99. The seller wanted $8.00 for shipping. I thought it was high and told him so. They then changed it to $6.00. Ok, fine, I paid.
Last week, 3 weeks after paying, it still hadn't arrived. So I asked WHEN they shipped. They replied by basically telling me something I already know, which is that I paid for low priority post and it could take 3 to 4 weeks. But they never actually answered the question of WHEN they shipped. I was cheesed but said nothing.
Today I get a message from the seller telling me that the item came back undelivered. They don't know the reason, or didn't tell me at least. They also went on to say that this happened once before when shipping to Canada. They said that shipping would have to be paid again, how do I want to handle it?

So here's my dilemma. I always take a seller at face value, and this seller has a 100% rating. But a couple things bug me. The original $8 shipping charge for a razor??? Come on. Not telling me WHEN they shipped instead offering to remind me that I opted for cheaper post bugged me. And now wanting me to repay for shipping. In MY books I'm obligated to pay, they are obligated to deliver. I have paid, if it needs to get shipped twice that is not my issue. They may want me to pay half the shipping, but even at $6 I'm SURE it doesn't actually cost that much. I just know it'll show up with a $1.95 price label on it. I don't feel I should pay twice for their "handling fee".

But hey, I could be being a dick. So I ask you guys. What are your thoughts? What would you do?
Thanks,

Did you save the e-mail? Another thing that will make it easier on you is to have all of your contact with the seller through the e-bay messeging system. You should send him a msg that goes a little like this:

<Insert Seller's Name>,
I paid for the product and a relatively reasonable shipping rate but you are still in possession of the product asking me to double-pay for the shipping. This is by no means fair and I demand that you send me the product immediately and at no additional charge.
It appears that you have issues with entering Canadian addresses properly. Make sure you enter all 6 characters of the postal code. Here is my address:
<Insert Address w/ Postal Code in Bold>
As long as you enter this properly and in clear block lettering, the package should not return to you.
If you do not wish to ship internationally, you can most certainly stop selling to international bidders but the bottom line is that you are obligated to ship the product after I have paid for it. I just want to get the razor without resorting to reporting fraud and other extreme measures.

Sincerely,
Dave

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

Did you save the e-mail? Another thing that will make it easier on you is to have all of your contact with the seller through the e-bay messeging system. You should send him a msg that goes a little like this:

Ouch! You're nasty. LOL.
It hasn't gotten to that point yet. I think the person probably did something absent minded like not fill out the customs declaration.
What I HAVE sent them so far was basically did you fill out the customs declaration, I've received dozens of eBay items from the States with NO problems. Are you suggesting I pay for shipping again? I'm not sure I agree with that.

Now it's in their court. I expect them to come back with a 50% arrangement. But still even 50% is MORE than the actual shipping costs. I'll pay the requisite bullsh!t service fees people ask for, but not twice.

Why would you pay twice if they were the ones who made the mistake? It's a tax writeoff for them in any case. Actually that e-mail that you sent is perfectly fine but I would not be paying anything extra if I were you.
I hate dealing with idiots and when their idiocy starts hurting me, I stop wasting words on niceties and get down to the bottom line in short order. In this case they're either trying to con you on purpose or just to con you into paying for their mistake, neither of which is acceptable in my books. People like that can sense weakness and require a firm hand.

Most companys/sellers seem ok when i have borught from them and i also always go by what the reputation is on Ebay, but it seems like they are beating around the bush, i also order off ebay for my company on different thinigs once a month and somtimes the seller makes the product £40 cheaper or something then adds £50 to the delivery so when people see the item is so cheap they buy it up straight away without checking the the total ammount due, this is a bit of a con and i am sure there are rules against it, i would send an email like the one written above to state that you do know the laws and your rights. Maybe check Ebay rules and Reg's and rights and maybe quote a few of them. Remeber Knowledge is Power and Visa versa. Rich (Good Luk)

Sorry for massive Post but here is some knowledge for you to consider:

Excessive Postage & Packaging Charges Policy


Sellers may charge reasonable postage & packaging charges to cover the costs of posting, packaging, and handling the items they are selling. While eBay will not prescribe exactly what a seller may or may not charge, eBay will consider member reports when determining whether or not a seller’s postage, handling, packaging, and/or insurance charges are excessive. Postage & packaging and handling charges may not be listed as a percentage of the final sale price.

In addition to the final listing price, sellers are permitted to charge:

Actual Postage cost: This is the actual cost of delivering the item.

Handling Fee: Actual packaging materials costs may be charged. A handling fee in addition to actual postage cost may be charged if it is not excessive. Sellers who want to be sure they are in compliance with this policy may charge actual postage costs plus actual packaging materials cost.

Insurance: Sellers offering insurance may only charge the actual fee for insurance. No additional amount may be added, such as “self-insurance”. Sellers who do not use a licensed third-party insurance company may not require buyers to purchase insurance.

Tax: Only actual applicable taxes, eg: VAT, and equivalent taxes may be charged.


For cross-border transactions, sellers may not collect tariffs and duties. However, buyers may be responsible for actual, applicable tariffs, and duties as requested by respective country laws.

Breaches of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

Listing cancellation

Limits on account privileges

Account suspension

Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings

Loss of PowerSeller status

Example: New Pink Motorola L6 L 6 Unlocked Slvr GSM World Phone

BIN: £70.00

International Postage: £25.00

Explanation: The seller has clearly stated that Airmail will be used to post this item, thus overall postage charges are inflated as actual price will be around £6.00.

It may be easier to get the package shipped to a member in the usa and have them forward it. I've got a po box in buffalo if it comes down to it.

FWIW, I had a package returned to the seller. He messed up the address, so he paid for the second mailing (willingly I might add). IF the address or forms were filled out incorrectly, I'd expect the seller to pay.

Originally Posted by shavethebadger

It may be easier to get the package shipped to a member in the usa and have them forward it. I've got a po box in buffalo if it comes down to it.

FWIW, I had a package returned to the seller. He messed up the address, so he paid for the second mailing (willingly I might add). IF the address or forms were filled out incorrectly, I'd expect the seller to pay.

That's a very generous offer Matt. I'll keep it in mind.

I have to suspect that the person screwed up the label. I never told the person my address, they took it off my eBay and PayPal info, which IS correct. Everyone else uses it. It's been 24 hours since I last emailed the person. I wonder if they are avoiding me. If I get grief I have the perfect comeback. If THEY ordered something from Amazon and 4 weeks later Amazon informed them that the package came back undelivered and wanted THEM to pay again??? What would they say? Exactly, they'd expect the seller to pay for the shipping again. I pay shipping one time to receive it one time.

Finally getting into the right spirit Dave. We should all strive to treat people other people fairly but not allow ourselves to get screwed over. The points that you've raised are right on