5KidzRUs Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I bought three $15 laptop batteries on an auction. The seller is charging me $9 EACH for shipping even though he shipped them together in a padded envelope. His postage via First Class was about $6 - so he overcharged me about $21. He was adamant that he would not combine shipping charges. I want to leave negative feedback - does this warrant that? Or neutral? After all, I really should have checked his S/H policy before I bid - on the other hand, it is against the sites policy to fleece buyers on S/H to cover fees and he did say he has the lowest price for the actual item ... but when you factor in S/H it is a different story. Thanks for any input! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I wouldn't leave negative feedback if his shipping policy is stated on his page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Was this an e-bay purchase? They have the star section for shipping charges and other criteria. I'd be a little miffed with his shipping charges...but he did have them listed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 If his shipping policy is listed, I'd go neutral saying "beware of shipping - seller refused to combine charges even when mailed together for significantly less cost to him" (though that would have to be cut down to fit the characters allowed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I want to leave negative feedback - does this warrant that? Or neutral? After all, I really should have checked his S/H policy before I bid - on the other hand, it is against the sites policy to fleece buyers on S/H to cover fees and he did say he has the lowest price for the actual item ... but when you factor in S/H it is a different story. Thanks for any input! :confused: It doesn't warrant negative feedback if he clearly stated the price for shipping. It's up to the buyer to make sure they understand the charges and once you agree to buy the item, you agree to pay for the shipping charges that are stated. If you think he's unfairly padding his price, you can contact the site itself and report him and then it will be up to them to decide if they think he's unfairly charging shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarcyB Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 He stated terms..and you agreed to them when you purchased them according to his terms. There's no case for negative feedback. However, if you left good/neutral feedback because he did fulfill the terms as agreed (sent them on time, packaged well, were as described), you could leave a comment on the fact that he doesn't combine, as an fyi. but then report him as doing some unethical things with shipping to the place he was selling from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvToRead Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 (edited) Was this three different auctions? It sounds to me like he broke his own rule. He combined shipping, even if he told you he wouldn't. If he charged shipping on three items, I would expect each item to be shipped separately. Otherwise, you did agree to his shipping terms. Edited October 18, 2010 by LuvToRead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 First, I would check his shipping policy and see if you feel as if you were treated unfairly based on that. Then, I would contact the seller and explain to him why you feel cheated and that you will be leaving negative feedback (as long as he did, in fact, violate his own policy by shipping your items together and charging you a per item shipping price). I would give him ample time to respond, say, 1 week. Then, I would leave the appropriate feedback if you do not hear from him. If you DO hear back from him, then maybe something can be worked out - especially if he values his e-bay reputation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 First, I would check his shipping policy and see if you feel as if you were treated unfairly based on that. Then, I would contact the seller and explain to him why you feel cheated and that you will be leaving negative feedback (as long as he did, in fact, violate his own policy by shipping your items together and charging you a per item shipping price). I would give him ample time to respond, say, 1 week. Then, I would leave the appropriate feedback if you do not hear from him. If you DO hear back from him, then maybe something can be worked out - especially if he values his e-bay reputation. I like your response better than mine, as yes, he did [potentially] violate his policy and combine shipping to save himself the shipping dollars. If he said he wouldn't combine shipping, why did he? Yes, I'd go with negative feedback in that situation IF he didn't refund quite a bit of those shipping $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyce Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 It does sound like he broke his own policy and you are due some of your fees in shipping and handling back. If you don't like what he's done leave him negative feedback and file a formal complaint with the auction company (I'm assuming it's ebay). Just so you won't be disappointed I've done several combined shipping purchases and most seller only take about $1 or $2 of the shipping price of the other purchases so you may not get as much back as you're expecting. Even with combined shipping you really have to think about it. I'll frequently look for the same product and even though it might have a slightly higher price when you add in the shipping costs it comes out cheaper. I've even seen the shipper of the item I'm looking at have it listed on his site cheaper so Always look carefully before you just pick something and bid. It helps if you set your inquiry button to lowest price including shipping. When you do that you'd be surprised at the finds you can get. I've had a couple of items that were auctions and the seller had several of them listed, some buy it now's. I'd buy it now cheaper than what the auction went for and sometimes everyone seems to focus on one of the auction item and don't even see the other ones that end around the same time, all from the same seller. I've gotten several good deals that way as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Buyer beware. Read the fine print before you bid on anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Was this three different auctions? It sounds to me like he broke his own rule. He combined shipping, even if he told you he wouldn't. If he charged shipping on three items, I would expect each item to be shipped separately. Otherwise, you did agree to his shipping terms. Good point! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I bought three $15 laptop batteries on an auction. The seller is charging me $9 EACH for shipping even though he shipped them together in a padded envelope. Can you tell us exactly what his auctions said about the shipping charges? If he listed that the charge was $9.00 each, and that's what he charged you, then you have no justification for leaving negative (or even neutral) feedback, if the guy sent you the items reasonably quickly and the batteries were as described in the auction listings. If he wasn't clear about his shipping charges, that's a different story. And I hate to say that, because the same thing has happened to me, and it was very irritating -- mainly because I'd been careless about reading the shipping charges and didn't ask in advance about combined shipping. Some sellers underprice their items to get people to notice their listings, and then overprice their shipping charges to make up the difference. I think it's kind of shifty, but if the charges are right there in front of me, the seller isn't being deceitful about it, so I have no right to complain. My only recourse is to buy from a different seller -- and I have done that. I've bought items with a higher selling price and a lower shipping charge, even if the "grand total" is a bit higher, because sellers who gouge on shipping annoy me! Anyway, I'm sorry this happened to you. I know that when it happened to me, I was annoyed with myself for buying from that seller for quite a while, but at least it taught me to be careful to read eBay listings closely. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 You are not charged fees on shipping from ebay. Some people charge a penny for the product and make their money on the shipping. It is a way of avoiding fees and making more money. You, as a buyer, always need to check shipping charges! Some sellers have free shipping and their product costs the same as the penny product with high shipping charges. Some people combine shipping charges and some people don't. As long as they stated this in their ad, they are not breaking any rules. You might not like it, but there are no standard shipping policies for ebay. Each seller is allowed to make his own policy and as long as they follow their policy, they are following the rules. The seller didn't do anything to deserve negative feedback. He followed the rules in his ad. Did he say he would ship the products separately? I'm sorry you didn't realize this when you purchased the products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Was this three different auctions? It sounds to me like he broke his own rule. He combined shipping, even if he told you he wouldn't. If he charged shipping on three items, I would expect each item to be shipped separately. Otherwise, you did agree to his shipping terms. Unless he stated in his terms that each item would be shipped separately, he did not break a rule. A person can charge as much for "handling" as they wish. you might not like the idea, but it is not breaking a rule if you are willing to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Unless he stated in his terms that each item would be shipped separately, he did not break a rule. A person can charge as much for "handling" as they wish. you might not like the idea, but it is not breaking a rule if you are willing to pay. Leaving negative feedback wouldn't be breaking a rule either. It seems from the op: He was adamant that he would not combine shipping charges. that he was asked about combining shipping and declined. So, at that point, to keep things legit, he should have mailed all three separately - which - at $5 or so each, wouldn't have been an overcharge considering time, packaging and the like. Since he instead DID combine shipping (to save himself handling and postage costs), he should either refund some of those $$ or get a negative in the feedback IMO. HE did what he was adamant about NOT doing to profit himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3littlekeets Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 You knew UPFRONT what the charges were. Why complain when you agreed? This is the kind of stuff I simply don't get :confused:. If you didn't like his terms, you should have bought elsewhere!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamom Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Personally, I really swallow alot when it comes to ebay. His prices were clear to you. Many people are still overcharging on shipping to add to there profit. I wouldn't take the chance of having him buy from me just to give back bad feedback. This happens alot. Instead when you fill out that accurate survey form, you can give him a low rating with shipping. Thats what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I think I am going to be the odd man out. I would probly leave neg feedback. I don't think sellers should make it this difficult on buyers. What I love about free market type stuff, is that if enough of us leave neg feedaback, sellers will get the point. Be upfront with the cost and the shipping. If you are unwilling to combine to save me a buck, then don't combine to save yourself one. If you are not going to treat your customers the way you want to be treated, I will leave neg. feedback. Just because you "can" do something, doesn't make it good buisness practice. Now, if he had insisted on shipping every item seperately, that is his perogative and what you agreed to. That is what he would have done if 3 seperate buyers bought the batteries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5KidzRUs Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 Here is one of the messages that the seller sent me: Hi, sorry for the inconvenience. But we just want to make the listing fee to be the lowest, so the shipping fee is high. Our total price is the lowest in ebay, you know this. And the shipping fee is not the real one the total price is contain it. Hope you can understand and have a nice day!?? It reads to me that they admit violating policy - also, the did ship the laptop battery to me in a padded manila envelope. I still have not decided how to leave feedback. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrsjamiesouth Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 I bought three $15 laptop batteries on an auction. The seller is charging me $9 EACH for shipping even though he shipped them together in a padded envelope.His postage via First Class was about $6 - so he overcharged me about $21. He was adamant that he would not combine shipping charges. I want to leave negative feedback - does this warrant that? Or neutral? After all, I really should have checked his S/H policy before I bid - on the other hand, it is against the sites policy to fleece buyers on S/H to cover fees and he did say he has the lowest price for the actual item ... but when you factor in S/H it is a different story. Thanks for any input! :confused: I was once charged $21 for shipping, but when I got the package the total shipping was $8. They were supposed to send priority but instead sent media mail. I contacted the seller and they refunded me the difference. IF he said he didn't combine shipping, then you should have received 3 seperate packages IMO. I would contact him and ask about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5KidzRUs Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 IF he said he didn't combine shipping, then you should have received 3 seperate packages IMO. I would contact him and ask about it. The sellers reply that I posted above was to my last message to him requesting a partial refund since he put two laptop batteries in one envelope (postage $4-+) - the other battery had gone out in a second (postage $2-+) envelope. "We just want to make the listing fee to be the lowest, so the shipping fee is high..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Here is one of the messages that the seller sent me: Hi, sorry for the inconvenience. But we just want to make the listing fee to be the lowest, so the shipping fee is high. Our total price is the lowest in ebay, you know this. And the shipping fee is not the real one the total price is contain it. Hope you can understand and have a nice day!?? It reads to me that they admit violating policy - also, the did ship the laptop battery to me in a padded manila envelope. I still have not decided how to leave feedback. :001_huh: I'd send his reply to you to e-bay. He's knowingly violating policy and admitted to it. E-bay may possibly refund some of your money (or not) and what he is doing is wrong. There's nothing at all wrong with reporting him sending his quote to them. That's far better at stopping it than negative or neutral feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pqr Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 There is an element of caveat emptor here. I simply do not bid if postage is too high, but as he refused to combine shipping and then did (for himself) I would offer a choice; negative feedback or refund. As others have said had there been three packages you would not have had a leg to stand on but once he combined than I would expect the same courtesy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeldaRules Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 I'd send his reply to you to e-bay. He's knowingly violating policy and admitted to it. E-bay may possibly refund some of your money (or not) and what he is doing is wrong. There's nothing at all wrong with reporting him sending his quote to them. That's far better at stopping it than negative or neutral feedback. I agree with this. It is against ebay rules for sellers to inflate their shipping prices. When they do this eBay loses money because sellers don't get charged on the shipping cost. So he charged you $27 for shipping, it cost $6 and that is $21 in fees eBay did not collect. I would either contact him and tell him you are contacting eBay with his quote if he doesn't refund you at least $15ish or just email eBay without letting him know. He knows he can get in trouble if you report him. eBay doesn't look highly on inflated shipping prices and they want people to report sellers when they do it. (Because they lose money). Good luck. I would leave neutral just to warn that his shipping practices SUCK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 I wouldn't leave negative feedback if his shipping policy is stated on his page. Exactly. It's common practice to make shipping prices higher and auction prices lower, but to me the bottom line is what the total, overall price will be. I mean you can't really complain that you paid a ridiculously high shipping price for something that you got to pay a ridiculously low sales price for, right?... and he told you up front (adamantly) that he won't combine shipping, and you still agreed to buy from him. Presumably because even with the ridiculous shipping costs, the overall price was still cheaper than everyone else's on ebay. So, no, while I might grumble about it, I wouldn't leave negative feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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