Seller Charged for shipping when eBay said no shipping fee?
I'm not sure if this is reportable or not. Please let me know your thoughts.
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So the seller had the item listed as ">insert item< - shipping fee separate". I got that part and i was fine with that.
However the listing itself with the eBay description underneath said "import fees - this is included in your purchase cost and you will not be charged extra".
2 days later seller contacts me saying "we are ready to ship your item once the final payment is complete" with ANOTHER eBay link. Mind you they're implying they won't send my item without me buying this extra thing, and I already paid in full.
There I had to buy the shipping as if it were it's own item and pay more. There was no quote of this when I bought the item, so I'm a bit miffed. Especially since they're charging 20 USD.
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Again, I was fine if shipping was going to be added on after. I just think the way they do it is shady and against the eBay rules or whatever. Let me know what you think.
lacemaker3
·5 months ago@kj_502730,
You knew exactly what was happening when you made that purchase. You agreed to pay the separate shipping costs, and you knew that the seller would make another listing for you to purchase, to accomplish this. It was clearly explained in the first listing you bought.
It would be a completely bleepty thing to do, if you try to get out of it now, or get the seller into trouble. If you were not OK with this, you should not have purchased from a foreign seller in the first place.
Technically, eBay doesn't allow this. But the seller in Kora is stuck in an impossible situation, and they were completely open and honest about how they were trying to deal with it. Their problem is that they need to ship the items through the post office (air mail), and the import fees have to be paid when they purchase the shipping label, so that the shipping carrier can send the import fees to US Customs on YOUR BEHALF.
eBay has refused repeatedly, for months, to provide any real solution for foreign sellers who are stuck with this.
I don't know exactly which item you purchased (presumably it was purchased on May 29, if your timeline is accurate). But this is what the seller's listings say about shipping:
So you confirmed to the seller that you were OK with this method of paying for the shipping and import fees, and then you purchased the shipping listing they set up for you:
kj_502730
OP5 months agoAgreed. Not trying to get out of the costs at all and I didn't report them since I know US shipping is pretty much a crappy thing rn.
And I did read the item description about shipping cost. Was moreso questioning the method they used. All in all just happy to eventually be getting the item - never wanted a refund for it.
Thanks for your perspective if anyone comes across this thread in the future.
lacemaker3
·5 months ago@kj_502730
Thanks for confirming that you weren't trying to get out of it, and you're not trying to get the seller into trouble.
FWIW, I don't advise this method to foreign sellers, even though it is actually the most fair and honest way to deal with a lousy situation, when foreign shippers are forced to pay import fees that should be paid by the buyer in the US. But it's dangerous for the seller.
The seller can't determine what the total shipping plus import fees will be, until they purchase the shipping and pay for all of it. The import fees (including tariffs) can change from day to day with no warning. The safest way for the seller would be to over-estimate the cost, to be sure that the buyer pays enough to cover the total cost. Then they could refund the difference, if any. But that would mean that the buyer has to overpay, and then trust and wait for a refund, and most buyers would not like that, either.
powell-collectibles
·5 months agoNot common, but not terribly rare on eBay to see this happen. You can see all sorts of listings for shipping charges. My guess is that the seller put something in the description indicating that shipping is extra, it needs to be paid for with a separate but related order. It doesn’t necessarily make it right, but it is not unheard of.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoStill confused about shipping being "added on after". When a buyer finds something he wants to buy, he sees the item price he will pay in the listing and sees the shipping fee. There is nothing "added on after".
Sorry, I may be missing something in your message, but found it terribly confusing.
kalyoth
·5 months agoI would have replied that you paid in full for the transaction already. If they choose to not accept ebay rules & attempt to extort you for fees they did not factor into the listing, the seller needs to refund the transaction.
I would report the buyer for the practice myself. You could also report the item that you did not receive, the second charge, once the delivery date range passes. You might get a refund on it from ebay.
reallynicestamps
·5 months agoYou bought.
You paid.
You have not received.
What is the last estimated date for delivery?
If that date passes, open an Item Not Received claim and get your refund.
Since the new invoice was for a completely different item, it is possible that the seller made a mistake in the customer it was being sent to.
You could send the seller a question. It might be helpful to use Google Translate to put it into Korean as well and English.
kj_502730
OP5 months agoThank you for the advice.
Unfortunately I know it's intentional and meant for me since it has the specific item # of my previous order as well as my username in the item name for the "shipping" cost.
I will probably be reporting the seller after I get the item - not for a refund but so that they change their practices.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoAre there TWO different purchases involved here?
At one point, you mention having received an item and now you say you will report the seller after you receive the item.
Frankly, with each of your successive posts, it seems more and more confusing. But maybe that's just me.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoWhat is the item #? Don't think I've ever heard of a shipping fee or any other fee that's charged after the buyer has paid.
kj_502730
OP5 months agoFor the item i bought:
18-14420-93167
For the shipping:
15-14433-19960
monica-sells
·5 months agoI am not sure what is happening with you, but, in general, once you "checkout", that is the final sale. I am not familiar with "...sending a link for additional payments...."
That sounds a little suspect to me...can you provide the item number and where are you located (country) in relation to the seller....
kj_502730
OP5 months agoSeller is in Korea and I'm in the US.
The link was to a completely different "item" sell. Same interface as if looking at an item to buy. That's why I thought it was shady practice
soh.maryl
·5 months agoIt seems like what you're referring to is actually tariffs. eBay does not impose those, does not receive them and has no control over them whatsoever.
kj_502730
OP5 months agoI would understand tariffs.
But the seller was selling it as a whole different item and listing. Like the item name was "order number shipping cost" and I had to buy the "item". It wasn't a price tag added on upon checkout or slightly after checkout. Seriously, whole different item purchase.
They claim it's import fees but the listing according to eBay's rules was specifically mentioned covered import fees.
I'm not saying I shouldn't pay shipping, to be clear. I'm questioning if how they're charging it is in "compliance" with eBay rules. I'm happy I got my item just concerned on the process.
soh.maryl
·5 months agoYou are happy that you received your item?
How about starting at the beginning of your story:
You bought an item and paid for it.
Seller evidently shipped it if you received it, right?
Charges cannot be added after checkout and certainly after the buyer has received his purchase.
So, if you want advice or help, feel free to return and give ALL the relevant details.
a_c_green
·5 months agoI am a little confused here. You say that you got your item? Did you have to pay that additional charge (and link to a different product, you said) in order to receive your item? It's not clear to me what the order of events was. Either there was a tariff to pay, or the seller is simply sending you a link to another item that they have for sale and think that you might be interested in buying.