Ebay shipping question

[birdie3]

I recently won a game and the guy I bought it from lives in California. He charged me roughly $15 for shipping via First Class USPS Airmail. When I finally received the package I noticed that it cost him only $1.32 to ship it to me. Should I ask this guy for a refund or what? Advice would be greatly appreciated as I am rather annoyed with this person.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPER-ZAXXON-cartridge...1QQcmdZViewItem

[Christophero Sly]

$15 is egregious. I would definitely point this out to the seller and request a substantial refund.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Christophero Sly

[birdie3]

OK. And if he says "no"...?

[Christophero Sly]

I wouldn't cross the "no" bridge until I got there. For now, I'd politely point out the discrepancy between what you were charged for shipping versus the actual shipping costs and ask him for a refund of at least $10.

 

I assume he didn't leave you positive feedback after you completed your end of the transaction, so if he refuses to make this right, then you'd probably be at risk of receiving negative feedback if you proceeded.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Christophero Sly

[birdie3]

I emailed him. Not alot of money here but the point of the matter is that this seemed to be a bit too much to pay for shipping.

[Albert]

$15 is egregious. I would definitely point this out to the seller and request a substantial refund.

That is pretty ridiculous--I tried to look at the auction but the link is not valid. Shipping to Canada from the US is pretty inexpensive--usually cheaper than USPS Priority Mail! To charge $15 for a single cartridge (at least that's what I assume it was) is highway robbery. However, if this was stated up front in the auction terms, you probably should have written the seller to ask him to reduce the shipping charges.

 

..Al

[Zwackery]

here it is:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=220146183694

 

yes, you were overcharged, yes, ask diplomatically for a refund and direct the seller to eBay's Excessive Shipping Charges policy

 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-shipping.html

[Albert]

here it is:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=220146183694

 

yes, you were overcharged, yes, ask diplomatically for a refund and direct the seller to eBay's Excessive Shipping Charges policy

 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-shipping.html

Thanks for looking up the auction link. I wonder how eBay would side with this particular listing. Obviously the buyer can show that the item was shipped for less than $2, and by charging $15 that's quite a "handling" charge for something that's quite easy to ship and doesn't require much "handling". I personally don't buy into the whole "handling" aspect of shipping charges. That should be absorbed in your cost of doing business and included in the final price of an item (whether selling via eBay or any type of online store).

 

..Al

[Buyatari]

here it is:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=220146183694

 

yes, you were overcharged, yes, ask diplomatically for a refund and direct the seller to eBay's Excessive Shipping Charges policy

 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-shipping.html

Thanks for looking up the auction link. I wonder how eBay would side with this particular listing. Obviously the buyer can show that the item was shipped for less than $2, and by charging $15 that's quite a "handling" charge for something that's quite easy to ship and doesn't require much "handling". I personally don't buy into the whole "handling" aspect of shipping charges. That should be absorbed in your cost of doing business and included in the final price of an item (whether selling via eBay or any type of online store).

 

..Al

 

What price was quoted in the auction for your country? I'm of the mind that if the auction states the shipping and you bid then you should have placed your bid accordingly. Now if the shipping he has listed is not what he charged you then you have the right to ask for a refund.

[lemoncurry]

Try ordering something from an infomercial and letting the nice lady on the phone know that you don't want to pay handling, just shipping, and see how far you get.

 

Not to say $13 out of $15 isn't excessive, it most certainly is, but handling is not something invented by eBay sellers!

[jetset]

here it is:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=220146183694

 

yes, you were overcharged, yes, ask diplomatically for a refund and direct the seller to eBay's Excessive Shipping Charges policy

 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-shipping.html

Thanks for looking up the auction link. I wonder how eBay would side with this particular listing. Obviously the buyer can show that the item was shipped for less than $2, and by charging $15 that's quite a "handling" charge for something that's quite easy to ship and doesn't require much "handling". I personally don't buy into the whole "handling" aspect of shipping charges. That should be absorbed in your cost of doing business and included in the final price of an item (whether selling via eBay or any type of online store).

 

..Al

 

What price was quoted in the auction for your country? I'm of the mind that if the auction states the shipping and you bid then you should have placed your bid accordingly. Now if the shipping he has listed is not what he charged you then you have the right to ask for a refund.

 

Yes but the auction stated $15, and it was actually $1.32 so the seller lied. How can you bid accordingly when the seller states one thing and does another?

I'll never understand how people can justify this kind of scam.

What if you won an auction that said "Atari carts, $1.00 each", with a $20.00 BIN and 20 carts listed in the description, but when you recieve the package there's only 17 carts, and the seller justifies this by saying "Well, it cost me $3.00 in ebay and paypal fees, so after that I really only netted $17.00, so you only get 17 carts"?

 

You should have known about the fees, and the fact the seller told you $1.00 each so you should have bid accordingly right?

 

Deception is deception is deception.

Edited September 20, 2007 by jetset

[Zwackery]

While the auction had shipping to Canada listed at $14.66, it does not make any difference that the shipping was listed this way from the start of the auction, as overcharging this much for shipping and handling violates eBay's policy:

 

"A handling fee in addition to actual shipping cost may be charged if it is not excessive."

 

If you follow the link for the Excessive Shipping Charges Policy, eBay does provide some examples of what they regard as excessive charges.

[Christophero Sly]

Now that I can see the auction, the seller's payment instructions do indicate that a $10 handling charge will be added to international shipments. I don't see how that can be justified, but there you have it.

[mnbren05]

Excessive shipping is a major problem. Many people try to (as I'm assuming this seller) use the handling as a way to charge extra. I try to keep my shipping low because it is not fair to just tack on 5-10 bucks and call it handling. Handling in most respects is nothing more than driving a few miles to the post office and dropping your item into an envelope for some sellers. I really do not understand how $10 can be justified for an international shipment (especially Canada to US). I would ask for a refund of a partial amount of the cost and see what he does. (I would assume they either say no or give you $5) Good luck keep us updated.

[birdie3]

I have to admit that (at the time) I did not notice the blurb at the bottom of the auction which clearly states that I will be paying a $10 handling fee basically because I am in Canada. My own stupidity was at play here so ultimately this is my fault and I definitley should have asked more about it before I had bid. The seller quickly brought this detail to my attention in his response to my recent post-auction ebay message. He expalined that he had to take one hour off of work and fill out a large number of customs forms to send this to me and this had cost him valuable time and money.

 

Honestly though, I found this auction in it's last few seconds and bid rather quickly on it in order to win it.

 

This still seems like legal theft in terms of the excessive handling fee regardless of whether I noticed the blurb about the fee or not. It will be interesting to watch what happens in the next little while with this sort of issue as the Canadian dollar slowly becomes more valuable than the American dollar.

[godslabrat]

I'm sorry, but if it's in the terms of the auction, then your hands are kind of tied. You can ask for a refund, but it's up to the seller to grant it. I, for one, always charge extra for Canadian shipments, but NEVER to the tune of $10!!!! Yes, that's way out of line... but the fact is, you did agree to it. *shrug* Sorry.

[jetset]

Ya, if the auction stated a $10 handling fee, thats the one time I would say the seller is being (sort of) honest. Granted, that s a ripoff, but he at least disclosed it. These scumbags that state like $9.00 for a joystick and actually charge $5 are the real problem because they're not disclosing they're charging a profit paddage fee.

[Albert]

I have to admit that (at the time) I did not notice the blurb at the bottom of the auction which clearly states that I will be paying a $10 handling fee basically because I am in Canada. My own stupidity was at play here so ultimately this is my fault and I definitley should have asked more about it before I had bid. The seller quickly brought this detail to my attention in his response to my recent post-auction ebay message. He expalined that he had to take one hour off of work and fill out a large number of customs forms to send this to me and this had cost him valuable time and money.

An hour of work to fill out "a large number of customs forms"? What a line of bullshit.. It takes a minute to fill out the SINGLE customs form required for sending a package to Canada (or any other country). I do them electronically and it takes me maybe an extra 10 seconds (if that!) to type in the information and that's the only extra time it takes me to ship international packages versus those being shipped within the US.

 

..Al

[Zwackery]

I have to admit that (at the time) I did not notice the blurb at the bottom of the auction which clearly states that I will be paying a $10 handling fee basically because I am in Canada. My own stupidity was at play here so ultimately this is my fault and I definitley should have asked more about it before I had bid. The seller quickly brought this detail to my attention in his response to my recent post-auction ebay message. He expalined that he had to take one hour off of work and fill out a large number of customs forms to send this to me and this had cost him valuable time and money.

An hour of work to fill out "a large number of customs forms"? What a line of bullshit.. It takes a minute to fill out the SINGLE customs form required for sending a package to Canada (or any other country). I do them electronically and it takes me maybe an extra 10 seconds (if that!) to type in the information and that's the only extra time it takes me to ship international packages versus those being shipped within the US.

 

..Al

Right on, Al! I was going to say the same thing but ya beat me to it.

 

I'd like to add that if the package weighs less than 1 pound - which shipping one cart most certainly does - then NO customs form is required!

[flyers156]

I have to admit that (at the time) I did not notice the blurb at the bottom of the auction which clearly states that I will be paying a $10 handling fee basically because I am in Canada. My own stupidity was at play here so ultimately this is my fault and I definitley should have asked more about it before I had bid. The seller quickly brought this detail to my attention in his response to my recent post-auction ebay message. He expalined that he had to take one hour off of work and fill out a large number of customs forms to send this to me and this had cost him valuable time and money.

An hour of work to fill out "a large number of customs forms"? What a line of bullshit.. It takes a minute to fill out the SINGLE customs form required for sending a package to Canada (or any other country). I do them electronically and it takes me maybe an extra 10 seconds (if that!) to type in the information and that's the only extra time it takes me to ship international packages versus those being shipped within the US.

 

..Al

Right on, Al! I was going to say the same thing but ya beat me to it.

 

I'd like to add that if the package weighs less than 1 pound - which shipping one cart most certainly does - then NO customs form is required!

I actually believe it's under 4 pounds doesn't require a customs form. Either way though it only takes a few seconds to fill out.

[Albert]

I actually believe it's under 4 pounds doesn't require a customs form. Either way though it only takes a few seconds to fill out.

It is one pound..

 

..Al

[birdie3]

Thank you for the interest in my recent ebay experience. Your opinions are all welcomed and appreciated. For your reading pleasure, I have attached text taken directly from our recent chat via ebay.

 

Here is the conversation that ensued..

 

Me:

 

Hello. Item received rather quickly and safe. Thank you kindly. Unfortunately I am rather dissatisfied with the amount I paid for shipping considering the actual shipping charges were $1.32 and you charged almost $15. Hopefully you will be able to provide some insight into why I was chraged this much. Thank you kindly and I expect to hear from you soon.

 

Response:

 

Sorry for the high shipping charges. For this item to be sent to Canada the ad states: "USPS shipping charges plus a $10 handling charge will apply." (No additional charges for multiple items up to 1LB)

This is due to the fact that we normally ship UPS from our business location. Since our UPS service will not normally deliver outside the Continental USA, I must send your item via USPS. A special trip must be made to the post office and several forms must be filled out by hand. This takes over an hour of my time and with the reduced hours of the post office is very inconvenient for me and costs me time off from work. The handling charge is for this extra service plus the USPS charges are different than UPS and are based in 1LB ship weight to cover most international shipping situations. The USPS regulations make it a big hassle to ship international these days since 911 there are a lot of restrictions. I try to make the shipping charges clear in my eBay ads so bidders know the total price they are bidding that includes extra service charge for international. I hope you understand.

 

Me:

 

Hello and thank you for the response. I am unfortunately very disappointed with your unnecessarily superfluous and convoluted answer. Honestly sir, I have heard this type of explanation numerous times before and I am well aware of the typical response to this question. I did not purchase this item with the additional consideration of your inconvenience involved with selling it to me and for this I apologize. I also am perplexed as to why you have yet to leave me feedback seeing as I certainly paid you on time. Good day sir and good luck with your business.

 

*** Seems fair enough. Right?

[atari8warez]

Thank you for the interest in my recent ebay experience. Your opinions are all welcomed and appreciated. For your reading pleasure, I have attached text taken directly from our recent chat via ebay.

 

Here is the conversation that ensued..

 

Me:

 

Hello. Item received rather quickly and safe. Thank you kindly. Unfortunately I am rather dissatisfied with the amount I paid for shipping considering the actual shipping charges were $1.32 and you charged almost $15. Hopefully you will be able to provide some insight into why I was chraged this much. Thank you kindly and I expect to hear from you soon.

 

Response:

 

Sorry for the high shipping charges. For this item to be sent to Canada the ad states: "USPS shipping charges plus a $10 handling charge will apply." (No additional charges for multiple items up to 1LB)

This is due to the fact that we normally ship UPS from our business location. Since our UPS service will not normally deliver outside the Continental USA, I must send your item via USPS. A special trip must be made to the post office and several forms must be filled out by hand. This takes over an hour of my time and with the reduced hours of the post office is very inconvenient for me and costs me time off from work. The handling charge is for this extra service plus the USPS charges are different than UPS and are based in 1LB ship weight to cover most international shipping situations. The USPS regulations make it a big hassle to ship international these days since 911 there are a lot of restrictions. I try to make the shipping charges clear in my eBay ads so bidders know the total price they are bidding that includes extra service charge for international. I hope you understand.

 

Me:

 

Hello and thank you for the response. I am unfortunately very disappointed with your unnecessarily superfluous and convoluted answer. Honestly sir, I have heard this type of explanation numerous times before and I am well aware of the typical response to this question. I did not purchase this item with the additional consideration of your inconvenience involved with selling it to me and for this I apologize. I also am perplexed as to why you have yet to leave me feedback seeing as I certainly paid you on time. Good day sir and good luck with your business.

 

*** Seems fair enough. Right?

 

 

You're not the only one from Canada who dealt with this person. I too had a recent buying experience with him. He also charged me $10 handling fee however I was aware of the fact before I placed a bid and I did buy 4 items from him and asked him to combine them into one package. He obliged and did not charge me extra handling fee other then that $10. I am not too happy with this either but I had to buy these items and made a decision to pay the handling fee. I had however a feeling that he may get into hot water with his practice.

 

Anyway, I am also a seller and I do ship to USA frequently. The shipping fee is not only the postage. It includes material cost (box, envelope, taping, printing shipping labels and invoices etc) and the not so tengible "inconvenience or labour" costs. I do charge slightly above the postage to cover those packaging expenses and time my shipments so that I can take as many orders to the post office at once as possible.. In my case it's usually between $3-5 extra and I think that's a fair proposition. There are a lot of sellers in eBay who list their items low to be competitive but inflate the handling charges to cover for their "loss". I guess people who want the item badly and want it now simply accept the fact and bid, this seems to encourage them to continue the practice.

 

So IMHO one should read the auction pages very carefully before hitting that BUY IT NOW, or BID NOW button and ask questions beforehand. That way everybody will be happy at the end. And if you find the handling charges too high simply move on to other auctions. That's what I do anyway no matter how badly I want that particular item.

 

By the way, your communication with him was very elegant, some people start right off with insults and that makes for a very unpleasant buying/selling experience. Hope you will have better luck next time.

 

Ray