Item listed as FREE shipping, but I had to pay shipping fee due to Amazon drop shipment!

[thndrrdge]

I recently purchased an item that was listed as having FREE shipping. The item took a long time to arrive to my local post office and tracking had multiple updates regarding the item being FORWARDED to different locations within the postal system. When I went to retrieve the item from my local post office there was an $11.45 'Posted Due' fee on the item. All of the packaging was labeled as having come from an Amazon Fulfillment Center. This was news to me, as the seller didn't disclose that the item would be drop shipped via Amazon. If I had wanted to utilize Amazon I would have and exercised the FREE shipping associated with my PRIME account. This prompted me to investigate the sellers feedback and this wasn't the first time they had done this...and with the NEGATIVE feedback to prove it. What recourse do I have? The seller is the only one enjoying the FREE shipping! On face, this seems an absolute deception on the seller's part and that eBay should step in and mandate that the shipping fee I paid to receive my item be reimbursed by the seller. Based on the prior NEGATIVE feedback left for this seller, there has been no consequence for their deception. Please advise...

Thank you,

TR

[shipscript]

Open a return request using the reason "not as described" due to having to pay postage upon arrival. The listing was for FREE shipping, but you were required to pay Postage Due in the amount of $11.45.

If you have the receipt, upload an image to the return request.

The seller will be obligated to either send a return label or refund the excess postage. If they are smart, they will refund the postage due.  If the seller sends a return label instead, that will not cover your out of pocket expense, so "ask eBay to step in" when you can (after 3 days).

Some sellers have their own inventory stored at Amazon warehouses and will use FBA (fulfillment by Amazon) to ship from there, which is allowed by both eBay and Amazon. However, sellers are not allowed to purchase from some other Amazon seller and drop ship to you, which is a violation of both Amazon and eBay rules.

[thndrrdge]

Thank you for all of that! It all makes sense. I just initiated a return per your advice. I'm hoping the seller will just reimburse my out of pocket expense for the postage due, but if not, I made them aware that I would be seeking further assistance from eBay to make me whole. I learned of the seller's poor feedback after the fact. This isn't the first time they've done the very same thing. I was in a hurry to get this item and didn't follow my usual protocol for making purchases...

Best regards, TR