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Do I owe the Buyer a refund for excess shipping charged?
I recently sold an item that had the auto calculate function for shipping cost based on expected package size and weight. When the item sold I made a "custom" cardboard box that was a few inches smaller than what was set up in the shipping calculator, and the cost was about $25 less than the buyer paid. The buyer went to the post office and was told the price I paid for shipping and is asking for a refund of the overpaid shipping costs.
I did not include the shipping price on the label and in this instance, I added insurance because the amount paid for the item was greater than $100.00. Shipping was via USPS parcel select, so there was no eBay shipping discount such as with priority mail. The eBay fee was 13% for the sale of the item.
Do I owe the Buyer for the difference? On one hand my only packing cost was tape, printer ink, and a sheet of paper for the label because the box and packing materials were all recycled from things I have bought. On the other hand, the buyer should have considered the shipping cost in his bid amount. I see both sides, but I want to see what feedback you have.
kh-jean
·3 years agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoParcel Select Ground is not discounted because it is the online version of Retail Ground; both services used to be called Parcel Post. Next time, if you want to charge retail so you have a built-in handling fee, set up the listing with Retail Ground instead.
When the buyer was placing his bid, yes he considered the shipping cost. Not only in dollars, but also in whether that high shipping cost was necessary and worthwhile. From his point of view, you changed the shipping terms by reducing your out-of-pocket postage cost.
He clearly thinks this is unfair and since he hasn't left feedback yet, IMHO it would be prudent to give him a refund of part of that $25 savings, but explain that your out-of-pocket shipping cost includes not only the actual postage but also the insurance and overhead. After all, it's called "shipping and handling".
farmalljr
·3 years agoThat's just NOT true. Go look at the OP's solds. All of the sold listings show "economy shipping". The buyer has no right to expect ANY carrier or shipping type on that type of listing.
The buyer is a jerk looking for a partial refund. They knew what the shipping cost was. They knew it was marked economy shipping. A couple of clicks, and you could have seen this for yourself. Responders need to stop assuming the seller is screwing up.
If the OP gives a refund, well, they deserve to get shafted by the buyer. The buyer clearly knew the price and the shipping method. They still bought it. They still paid. NOW they want some money back, because the buyer is dishonest. YES, the buyer is not an honorable person. They agreed to the price of everything, right up until they thought it was a good idea to shake down a seller AFTER they have the item in hand. Don't care how you want to paint it, this buyer is trash. They are dishonest.
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoThe top of every eBay listing will show just a generic term like "economy" or "expedited" shipping. But if you open up the "Shipping and payments" tab, you can see the exact service that the seller chose. There has to be a specific service in order for calculated shipping to figure out a cost.
pattysbangles
·3 years agoWho gets the excess shipping fees? I see it taken from my payouts and from my bank account. (Shipping fees). Print a label and there is excess who gets the excess where does it go?
nobody*s_perfect
·3 years agoThe excess stays in your bank account.
If you charge a buyer $10 for shipping, eBay will take a percentage of that $10 as their final value fee, and the rest goes into your bank account. If there's any left over after purchasing the shipping label, you get to keep it.