GRRR.....so frustrated with a buyer......she keeps harrassing me over shipping costs

[lkw8595]

I had a listing for 2 womens tops....both for 8.99 which is a good deal.  They are long tops and a heavy polyester/spandex, so the weight of the package is 2-3 pounds

I get a message from a buyer that she would like to bid but doesn't want to pay what the calculated shipping will be to her in Florida from me near Chicago.

I used the Ebay calculator, from my zip to hers in FL for a 2-3 pound package, Priority Mail is about 12.00.

I explain to her that I didn't make up the number but it is based on weight and zip.  So, about 1 hour before the auction ends, she bids and wins for 8.99.

Fine...I send the invoice.  Now I get another message from her asking for a recalculated invoice with a better shipping rate.  So I re-invoiced and again, the calculator says about 12.00.  

So I messaged her and said, Sorry but when i try to print out the mailing label that is just about what it is costing me to ship.  I finally told her that if she doesn't want to pay the shipping just cancel the sale

IMHO, if she didn't like the shipping, then don't bid, especially after I explain it to you.  Instead, she keeps saying how much she likes them and wants them, but now AFTER the sale, is demanding that I come down on shipping.  I'm NOT going to lose money to ship to her.  I'm so frustrated.

[ittybitnot]

Oh, this gives me an idea. You could also tell the buyer that..

Why?   Shipping was shown prior to the bid. Negotiating after the sale is total nonsense.  They pay or they don't.   No need for additional communication,  If I have a listing for $199 and $20 shipping, it is not a freaking surprise....it is there for all to see.  Bid/Bin or don't....complaining later is useless.

When the listing is over, too late to negotiate.   Pay or don't.  

[ersatz_sobriquet]

The buyer was flat out wrong to bid and not accept your postage cost. 

In a similar situation, I didn't buy something because I asked the seller if she could reduce to fit in a flat rate padded, she said yes it would fit, but then she didn't adjust the postage on the listing. I bought the same thing from somebody else. 

[the_fancy_fox]

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@lkw8595 wrote:
No they wouldn't fit at all. I wish they would.

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How about the padded mailer?

[moo*cow*corner]

And what if the OP doesn't have a PFRE or RRA available right now? Those have to be ordered online, and are not generally available at PO's to be picked up. If she wants to consider these options for future sales and order some, that's great. I agree it might help future sales.

The buyer needs to pay the stated shipping on the listing as bid upon. Period.

[ittybitnot]

How about the padded mailer?

How about you just pay for the item as listed?  You bid or Bin.  There are no surprises.   

[gabbycockatiel]

I assumed the seller's goal was to have a successful transaction which doesn't end in nonpayment, a return, and/or negative fb. And in my very first reply in this thread I said that the buyer shouldn't have bought if she wasn't happy with the shipping charges. But hey, if you all would prefer to take a hard line and lose a sale rather than going to a minimal amount of effort to save a sale, that's your right. I'm just posting suggestions based on what I would do and have done as a seller. I like making sales and earning money and having happy customers. Especially when using a cheaper shipping method saves the buyer money without cutting into the seller's profits.

[gabbycockatiel]

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@moo*cow*corner wrote:
And what if the OP doesn't have a PFRE or RRA available right now? Those have to be ordered online, and are not generally available at PO's to be picked up. If she wants to consider these options for future sales and order some, that's great. I agree it might help future sales.

The buyer needs to pay the stated shipping on the listing as bid upon. Period.

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My local PO has them, I just have to ask an employee as they aren't sitting out in the lobby. Not all POs may have them, though, of course.

[sharingtheland]

A buyer with 5000+ feedback?  She knows exactly what she's doing which is trying to chisel the price down.

If OP says the items don't fit in a PFRE, the items don't fit in a PFRE.   

[copper.boom]

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@gabbycockatiel wrote:

I assumed the seller's goal was to have a successful transaction which doesn't end in nonpayment, a return, and/or negative fb. And in my very first reply in this thread I said that the buyer shouldn't have bought if she wasn't happy with the shipping charges. But hey, if you all would prefer to take a hard line and lose a sale rather than going to a minimal amount of effort to save a sale, that's your right. I'm just posting suggestions based on what I would do and have done as a seller. I like making sales and earning money and having happy customers. Especially when using a cheaper shipping method saves the buyer money without cutting into the seller's profits.

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Hi Gabby,

Generally speaking I agree with you.

In this specific case however, I don't think it will make a difference if the OP uses a less expensive shipping method. The buyer specifically asked about shipping before she bid. She received a quote and bid anyway. Now she is refusing to pay unless seller lowers shipping below the quote received prior to bidding. This buyer has revealed themselves to be problematic and even if shipping was lowered, there is a good chance this buyer will continue to negotiate after they receive the item.. possibly file SNAD as well. Lowering shipping at this point won't change that.

So while I do agree with your above sentiments for many other transactions, I don't think it would make any difference in this type of case & this buyer's level of happiness. This is the type of buyer who immediately earns a spot on sellers' BBLs by pulling something like this - there is no pleasing them until they get something for nothing.

I think OP can benefit from other shipping methods for future transactions though which is why I encouraged it upthread.

[moo*cow*corner]

If a buyer has questions before they buy, all's well and good.

To ask ahead of bidding, then demand a reduction after winning...I'd absolutely stand my ground.

[copper.boom]

P.S. I'm not pickin' on ya @gabbycockatiel. I love that you have a positive attitude in your posts! It's my many years of eBay experience that tell me this case is very unlikely to benefit from giving in to the buyer's demands.

[castlemagicmemories]

@lkw8595

And buyers wonder why they are blocked!

[ymeagainlord]

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@gabbycockatiel wrote:

Okay, so obviously the buyer should not have purchased the items if she didn't agree to the shipping charge. But it also sounds like you don't actually KNOW the best shipping charge, as you keep saying the package weighs "2-3 pounds." You should package the two tops and then weigh the package, then use the actual weight to find the lowest-cost shipping method. I honestly can't imagine two polyester/spandex tops, even in a thick fabric, weighing two pounds or more. If they actually do weigh that much, though, there are flat-rate options that are likely cheaper.

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Considering that anything over a pound has to go either PM or PS, and usps charges by the "part of a pound" 2-3lbs IS correct. Knowing the "exact to the ounce" weight makes no difference.

I can believe it - I've had active wear tops that were at least a pound each.

[vintagecraze50]

You need to be firm about your shipping cost. This is a fair shipping cost to the buyer and tell her that. I would ask Ebay here what they might be able to do to prevent a defect as the buyer is clearly violating some rule here as to what is expected of them after they have agreed to the terms of the sale. I am sure someone at Ebay coud help, Right TRITON. Where are you on this one.

[vintagecraze50]

Clarifying something here--you can see if you can cancel this transaction and ask if the defect can be removed if you do this on this one.