postage costs

[spideyman]

Some sellers are taking the p**s surely!

[dustyhousewithdustypeople]

Yes! Do they not realise you can see how much they actually paid on the package?!

[spideyman]

I am looking at some sylvanian stuff..... they want £6 postage for something that is minute. I won an item much bigger and heavier a few days ago and the postage was half of that!

I dont know why people bid for such items. if they couldnt get away with it they wouldnt do it. I thought ebay was about finding bargains not paying more for second hand things that you would buying them new.

[yuleheart]

I agree, someone has a shop on there selling beads starting at 99p and the postage is £3.49 for what would cost at most .90p in a small padded envelope.

I don't buy from people like that as a matter of principle.

[PostBellumBugsy]

Just checking - is the general view that £2.50 profit on post is too much?

Not me I should add, I keep my post as low as I can - but I bought an item that turns out to cost £2.50 less to post than was put in the postage costs. The packaging was 2nd hand (which I don't have any issue with) - but it does mean a thumping great £2.50 profit on postage costs.

I've asked if a £2.00 rebate would be considered but haven't heard anything.

I've never left bad feedback before, but would defiinitely consider neutral with a note about v high post costs if I don't hear back.

Just wanted to sense check that I'm not BU!

[fergoose]

Yes, I think it is greedy and fee avoidance, and I would leave appropriate feedback and low stars

[PostBellumBugsy]

Thanks Fergoose.
Got a snotty note back saying that the post costs were to cover time & petrol to go to the post office.
I suggested that as a private seller, she may want to check out ebay postage centre guidelines!!!!

[fergoose]

well if they aren't a business seller they are not allowed to charge for time and petrol so that is a rubbish defence.

[Trills]

Don't buy from them then.

[grotbagz]

you can see the postage cost before buying - not like they have just lumped it on as an unknown cost at the end, so don't bid on it if you're not willing to pay the price stated...

[grotbagz]

just to say because that came across worse than i meant it to! i make mine accurate and reimburse if people pay a lot over what it cost, but wouldn't be annoyed if i bought for someone and they didn't - i agreed to that when i placed a bid/bought it!

[fergoose]

the op has already bought. And yes postage costs were stated, but you as a buyer trust a seller is honest and not overcharging. How can a buyer know how much an item weighs or the cost of the packaging until after they receive it.

It is just blatant fee avoidance and greed by the seller, and just arguing it was clearly shown how much it cost, does not detract from this point.

[MisForMumNotMaid]

I live a long way from a post office and very rarely go into town with one. I use a courier for all but the smallest of items that will fit in an A5 envelope (the local post box only has a tiny opening). This is clear in all my listings but people still occassionally purchase and then send me frankly rude emails saying they'll only pay second class postage. It costs me around £5 to drive to town, park and drive back. I acknowledge ebay rules and explain that i offer free collection or will courier because i live remotely. I charge the hermes courier cost which starts at £4.

Negotiation needs to be done pre auction bid/ purchase or don't buy.


Rant over.

[fergoose]

If you are a private selelr P&P is for postage and packing, not petrol and time to drive to a post office.

[Trills]

As a buyer you look at the price and the P&P and think "Am I prepared to pay £X+£Y for that?", and also "Could I get this for less than £X+£Y elsewhere?".

If the answers are yes and no, then you buy it.

It doesn't really matter what X and Y are, or how they relate to what the Post Office charges. Do you want the item at that (combined) price, or not?

[fergoose]

well it does on ebay - excessive p&p is not permitted as it is fee avoidance. You only pay FVF on the final item price, not on the P&P costs, hence they stopped crooked sellers selling items for 99p with £79 postage.

[PostBellumBugsy]

I'm pretty easy going about postage usually and I don't grizzle if people have made a £1 or so on their postage - however I think £2.50 is taking the piss.

The item that I bought could have been quite heavy, so it was difficult to assess how reasonable the postage costs were. The seller also stated that the item would be sent recorded. As it turned out, it wasn't that heavy & the seller did not send recorded & they used recycled packaging.

I'm all for using recycling packaging - I do it myself - that is why I always ensure my postage charges genuinely reflect the cost of the post itself. It is also a giant pain for me to get to the post office - so I make sure I bunch items together, to make it worth my while, as I know I can't charge for my petrol.

[MisForMumNotMaid]

Which is why as a private seller i use a courier, this is what i charge (i don't charge for packaging). Ebay doesn't allow for private sellers petrol costs so i don't offer post office sending.

It means its not worth me selling low value stuff, under £5. It doesn't give eBay users the right to demand i drive to a post office at my cost.

I stand by if you don't want to pay the cost plus postage clearly listed don't bid.

[PostBellumBugsy]

Mis - I've got no beef with what you are saying.

I understood that I would get the parcel delivered recorded delivery. It wasn't. I didn't get what I paid for but the seller got £2.50 from saying one thing & doing another. I don't think it is unreasonable of me to ask for £2.00 refund - and I was very polite!!!!

[Trills]

The type of delivery is also written down before you bid.

It might matter to ebay but as a buyer it doesn't really make any difference to you.

[PostBellumBugsy]

Trills, it did matter to me, because instead of being at the depot for me to pick up - the parcel was left on my front doorstep in the rain. The item inside the packaging was damp but I guess I should count my blessings that it was there at all.

I'm out all day, so I always ask for recorded delivery & pay extra for it. Part of the reason I selected this item was because it already stated it was going by recorded delivery.