Ask For Shipping Charge Refund

By

Burnsed

I have been reading the comments from readers and it appears that some people do not really understand that shipping in general is very expensive and people as buyers or sellers have no control over this actual cost.

Most on line sellers (particularly smaller sellers) pay fees to whoever they list with just to list and sell. All of these fees keep going up also. When sellers list as "Free Shipping" the shipping cost is in the price you are paying whether it is listed or not. Shipping is not free to anyone.

Large companies that ship have the shipping figured somewhere or they would be out of business. They also have a handling charge fingered somewhere as tape, wrapping paper, labels, boxes, packing material, etc. all cost money to all sellers. Employees and overhead still have to be paid so it is all figured in the total cost of an item.

Small sellers have the same kind of cost only on a smaller scale. (Some try to get much material free but tape, labels, wrapping paper all add up.)
I believe buyers should also look at how far away a seller is located as this may determine why some shipping is more costly for the same item.

I personally always look at the total cost before buying anything and do not complain when the item arrives as I am the one made the decision to pay this amount.

It is very disturbing to me to not be able to "find" the shipping charges until I have shopped and get to the end of the transaction where the shipping is "revealed".

There will always be good and bad practices in on line selling and buying- so we - the consumer - have to be the ones to be the watch dog over what we agree to pay for. Why buy something from eBay (and other sites) and then complain about what you paid? I can understand complaints about what you receive not being as advertised but not the shipping cost you agreed to pay.

How often can we complain about the shipping (and handling) cost of goods bought from larger companies? We can either pay it all or hunt somewhere else  right!

Why can't we do the same when we buy on eBay or other sites like that. I believe a lot of sellers are just trying to make a little extra money and sometimes I find good deals and sometimes I do not - but - to buy and pay - are still MY decision.

I consider the cost of my gas if I go shopping to be part of my "handling" cost of the goods I purchased. Maybe I am looking at this all wrong - but - I am rarely disappointed with my purchases.

By

Pixiedust7

This is the reason why I hesitate to buy & sell on eBay; I don't want to be gouged on shipping. I think having eBay add a handling charge is a TERRIBLE idea! That will just add to the cost! Why would someone be happy about that? I also don't understand why MCW owes the customer a refund on shipping; if you charged the fair price to begin with, why do you owe a refund? If someone says they'll ship something one way, then they should not ship it another way. Either way, they should not be allowed to make a profit from the shipping charge. This issue is the main reason I don't use eBay for anything.

By

maphisx7

This will all be different soon. Ebay is putting together information on shipping that will not allow price gouging on shipping. They will have a handling charge instead.
So no high postal rates anymore.
Yeah eBay!
Gem

By

MCW

This was really bugging me so I had to log into my Paypal account and had to find the transaction of a purchase that I made on eBay. I purchased a vintage Tupperware bowl from a seller. On the auction page it was advertised that it would either be shipped by priority or parcel post. Priority mail has free delivery confirmation and parcel post has delivery confirmation but there is a fee of $0.19 if paid on line if seller prints out their own shipping labels. The item + shipping box weighed over 1 lb. so it would be shipped at the 2# rate. I would have paid $7.15 priority or $7.21 parcel post. I paid for priority mail shipping, so the seller decided she would ship the item in a resealable poly bag which has been approved by USPS, UPS and Fedex. The Tupperware bowl weighed 10 oz. So the postage cost was $2.75 + 0.19 delivery confirmation = $2.94. So I did the math $7.15 - $2.94 = $4.21. I don't have any qualms if eBay sellers charge a minimal handling fee, but I personally feel she didn't have a right to pocket $4.21. Where she made the mistake is that she only gave the option of shipping priority or parcel post. I didn't have the option of having the item shipped by first class mail.

I sent her an email and I didn't demand, but asked her nicely for some kind of a reasonable refund. So she refunded me $2.50, and I was well satisfied.

By

jehosophat jones

My daughter bought an exercise machine on ebay, (uk) free shipping. When it arrived broken the seller simply told her to send it back and he would refund for the machine- but not the cost of sending it back! Ebay decided this was reasonable even though the thing was heavy. The seller wasn't interested at all. Who wants to buy online if it means you're out of pocket? If she'd just changed her mind that's different. Seller disappeared from ebay now, machine is rusting in the shed, daughter lost her money. I agree, most people are honest but we don't buy on ebay any more, can't afford the risk.
Marg from England.

By

brenneman826

I used to sell & buy on Ebay as well and can honestly say I never had any problems at all. I understand that someone gave you an option on shipping then decided to ship it the way they wanted and I can uderstand how that makes you feel as if they mislead you, BUT you also have to understand that if your merchandise arrived in good condition, and in a timely manner it really doesn't matter how it was shipped. When you chose to buy the item(s) you were notified of the shipping charges, you agreed to them. Maybe you feel that you are more honest then the sellers you have dealt with, and hey that is great, but why nit pick and cause these people problems? I mean I could understand it being a ripoff if they said oh the shipping will cost you a dollar and then you get charged ten, but the buyer is aware of the costs upfront so who cares how they ship it?

By

bobbie g

I hope I don't do business with you as an ebayer. I have used ebay in the past several years as both a seller and a buyer. I can tell you that most people are very, very honest in their postage. I never ship anything for postage only. It costs my time, my supplies and my gas to the post office to mail something to a buyer. As I have mostly dealt with books, there have been many times when I have had to "eat" the cost of postage because ebay will only allow $4 for top cost of postage for media mail. And, yes, I have always combined shipping.

When I buy something, I fully expect to pay handling charges too. Sometimes I get a super deal on an item for only 99 cents...I fully expect to pay a little extra in shipping on my end...the people do have to consider their listing and paypal fee plus gas to post office etc. I think you are going overboard in asking people for refunds in shipping, when you saw what the shipping charges were posted to be. I do not think people are trying to be dishonest....they are trying to make a little money on their ebay selling...which takes a lot of time and effort. If you want a lower shipping price ask the seller to consider before you even bid on the item.

I hope you will consider this in the future.

By

nufty

Here in the UK eBay do nothing about hugely over-priced postage. I bought a lot of wool and was charged £22 for postage, when the actual cost to the seller was £9.45. When I complained to seller, they 'had already made a discount' and whenI complained to e-Bay they did not even reply. From e-Bay sellers I got several nasty comments. Apparently I should have complained before paying, when I didn't even know how much the postage was going to be, different from what I was charged!
Guess who got negative feedback! And that's your only remedy, folks!

By

MCW

You bet your "Sweet Bippie" I have 100% feedback, and I'd surely like it to stay that way.

The following information can be found on the eBay website:
DSR (Detailed Seller Ratings)
Seller standards are based on the number of 1s and 2s in the detailed seller ratings (DSRs) a seller receives for sales with U.S. buyers.

All eBay sellers can have 1s or 2s for "item as described" on no more than 1.00% of transactions, and on a maximum of 2.00% of transactions for communication, 2.00% for shipping time, and 2.00% for shipping and handling charges.
To ensure sellers especially lower-volume sellers are not penalized as the result of just one low rating, it will take at least 4 instances of low DSRs (1s or 2s) in any one DSR for consequences to be applied.

Sellers who don't meet these standards will be lowered in search results. They may be offered coaching and training on selling best practices. In more serious situations, other consequences may also apply, including limits to further selling, loss of Power Seller status and discounts, and in some cases account suspension.

I'd like to clear up any misunderstandings. I'm not some snotty nose kid always demanding my own way. I'm in my 60's and have been around the block a few times. With eBay listings I have to dot every "I" and cross every "T." I have to give a detailed description of the items for sale, since the photos don't show everything. I also have to offer eBay buyers various way they would like their item shipped: First Class, Priority Mail, Parcel Post, or Media Mail. There are restrictions on shipping Media Mail - books, CDs, DVDs, vintage vinyl records, recordings. USPS has the right to open all Media Mail. First Class Mail weight is 13 oz. or less and anything over the 13 oz. has to be mailed priority or parcel post. I own two shipping scales. The large one will weigh packages up to 60 lbs. and it was purchased at an estate sale. My light weight scale goes up to 5 lbs. and I use that for first class mail, and we bought it from a flea market.

My husband and I are forever using the 60 lb. scale for weighing our luggage before we take a flight. It's not necessary for me to drive to the post office loaded with packages to mail. I go online to the USPS website and request a package pickup. That's the advantage of being able to weigh my own packages, and print shipping labels through Paypal. You can also use a bathroom scale to weigh heavier packages.

All sellers can be rated on:

Detailed Seller Ratings

Criteria

Item as described
Communication
Shipping time
Shipping and handling charges

I don't believe in leaving Negative feedback to sellers because I don't want it done to me. What goes around, comes around. I have received negatives from a few difficult buyers who have had a vendetta with other sellers. Those kinds of people are long gone since eBay makes it a practice of suspending buyers and sellers accounts.

By

pigeon toes

This will all be moot in a little while. Most sellers will need to opt for the free shipping. Reason? ebay will soon be taking their percentage of the sale from the entire transaction, winning bid and shipping cost. So it will behoove the seller to include the shipping price in the starting price and offer free shipping. Otherwise, they'll be taking a percentage of your shipping cost and you won't recover your full mailing cost. The big online sellers include the shipping price in the starting bid. The free shipping attracts buyers. I bet MCW has 100% feedback.

By

MCW

I just mentioned that I normally advertise on the eBay website when they offer free listing days. No I do not dispute shipping charges when I do transactions online with businesses. In fact I do a lot of business online since many stores in my area don't sell the items that I want to buy.

I didn't realize that I would hit a sensitive nerve with some of the members who frequently post on this website.
I hope others will familiarize themselves with the increase in shipping costs whether it is USPS, UPS or FEDEX. It boils down to the fact that our fuel prices are going up every day.

By

MCW

Norella,

I've been selling on the eBay website for a good number of years now and I know what I'm talking about. Please read my post a second time and you will see that the seller advertised either parcel post or priority mail shipping. I wasn't given the option of paying for first class shipping. So I overpaid on the shipping cost. eBay permits sellers to charge a minimal handling fee, but I feel that it's not morally right to gouge a buyer and make extra money on shipping costs. I add a $1.00 handling extra on all my auctions to cover for the delivery confirmation number and I use ShipSaver shipping insurance through eBay which is much cheaper than USPS insurance. I don't believe in making money on shipping costs.

I also combine shipping and I've mailed out numerous books.

I just came across a seller who was advertising a small stuffed toy which wouldn't cost that much to ship. The seller charged $5.95 to ship an item that could be mailed by first class mail. And this seller lived in New York State and just lived 60 miles from me. The seller DID NOT use calculated shipping according to the postal zip codes. But no matter if you lived on the east coast or the west coast you would have to pay $5.95, no questions asked.

I use a lot of packing peanuts when I ship out auction items. I have gotten the packing peanuts for free, and I will not charge for the packing peanuts. My husband and I have found boxes for shipping out items by parcel post, and they were also free, and I won't charge the buyers for free shipping supplies.

You're entitled to your opinions on buying and selling and I'm entitled to mine!

Have a nice day!

By

Anonymous

I am with Noella! My question is, "What does free insertion fees have to do with shipping costs?" Free insertion is simply a benefit to the seller that eBay uses to entice them to post their wares so eBay can make their commission and I am certain you love that benefit when you can utilize it as a seller. And I am not trying to be rude but do you also demand a shipping and handling refund for online shipping and handling costs from other types of online sellers simply because you didn't like their final choice of shipping and handling costs?

If you don't like the bargain prices you already receive from sellers on eBay why don't you switch to Amazon and see if you can get away with doing this there or wait for sales of what you want at stores like WalMart, Penneys, etc and see if you can get away with haggling with them too. Better yet, go to those stores and save the cost of shipping and handling.

By

Noella

I hope I don't do business with you as an ebayer. I have used ebay in the past several years as both a seller and a buyer. I can tell you that most people are very, very honest in their postage. I never ship anything for postage only. It costs my time, my supplies and my gas to the post office to mail something to a buyer. As I have mostly dealt with books, there have been many times when I have had to "eat" the cost of postage because ebay will only allow $4 for top cost of postage for media mail. If I mail out a 5-6 lb book (which has happened), there is no way I can mail it for $4.

And, yes, I have always combined shipping.

When I buy something, I fully expect to pay handling charges too.

I hope you will consider this in the future.