Shipping Fees ???

[meme6253]

I would like to know, when you list an item & you estimate the shipping to be say $10 & after you pack it the cost is $8, where does that extra $2 go, If you don't refund it to the buyer??, Larger amounts, I refund the customer, But smaller amounts I don't.

[dbfolks166mt]

NEVER refund a dime. You would be hurting over 20 million sellers here doing that. The buyer paid the asking price you keep it and spend it as you please.

     If eBay offered additional shipping options I might consider not refunding since the price the buyer paid for shipping and the actual label costs would be closer. However, I am not going to take advantage of a buyer simply because eBay has limited options. I also figure the refund gesture may be good for additional sales in the future. I have had previous customers that I have issued shipping discounts to message me on other listings to see if there was/is a cheaper way to ship other than the options eBay limits me to. 

[coolections]

You can do what you want. I but giving money back to buyers is a very bad mistake and sets a bad precedent  for future sellers. The buyer knew the cost when they hit the BIN button.

[dbfolks166mt]

You can do what you want. I but giving money back to buyers is a very bad mistake and sets a bad precedent  for future sellers. The buyer knew the cost when they hit the BIN button.

     Yes  they did and I also provided them with several options. I just refunded a buyer $8 out of the $18 they paid for shipping. I was able to purchase the shipping label off of Pirate Ship for a 6" x 6" x 6" box weighing 15 pounds using Ground Advantage Cubic. Even after factoring in the fees and packing materials into the actual shipping cost I was still able to issue the refund. 

     It establishes good customer relations and the potential for repeat buyers. 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

I most do free shipping, or doing a guesstimate. If I have to worry about refunding, ask eBay to not charge fees on shipping.

     Curious if eBay did not charge fees on shipping would you still offer free shipping and bake the shipping cost into your price or would you change everything over to calculated shipping if eBay was not charging fees on the separate shipping cost? 

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If ebay didn't charge fees on shipping (as was the case years ago), many sellers would sell a $100 item for $10 plus $90 shipping.

[soh.maryl]

The final value fee is calculated on the total paid the seller by the buyer.

The buyer paid the seller $10 for shipping? The FVF was calculated on the item price, the $20 shipping and the state sales tax if any.  

[ebeths_eclectic_collectibles]

A little overage is a plus as it balances out the (oops) underage shipping errors and items that need more shipping supplies.

[bill.purvis2012]

You keep it. Consider your time, supplies, trips to P O. You don't owe it to the buyer. You don't owe them the discount you get in postage rates when you buy on Ebay shipping labels. Same, if I charge $5.00 shipping and it costs me $7.00, I lose.  Not the buyer.  

If buyer buys several items, I do refund excessive amounts when I combine the shipping. 

[ladyindecadence]

Sell an item for $50 with free shipping and the label costs $7 or sell the same item for $38 plus $12 shipping and the label costs $7 would you refund the shipping overage on the one and not the other situation? The buyer agreed on the total price shown at checkout.  So there is really no difference in cost to the buyer just a more detailed invoice shown to the buyer.

[dbfolks166mt]

@dbfolks166mt wrote:

I most do free shipping, or doing a guesstimate. If I have to worry about refunding, ask eBay to not charge fees on shipping.

     Curious if eBay did not charge fees on shipping would you still offer free shipping and bake the shipping cost into your price or would you change everything over to calculated shipping if eBay was not charging fees on the separate shipping cost? 

If ebay didn't charge fees on shipping (as was the case years ago), many sellers would sell a $100 item for $10 plus $90 shipping.

     I realize that some sellers may revert to that old tactic if eBay ceased charging FVF on shipping but given that 75% of the listings on eBay offer free shipping I was more curious about those buyers that would not game the system and whether they would still offer free shipping if eBay stopped charging FVF on shipping. Would that 75% statistic plunge rapidly downward. 

[collectfest]

No one knows, in your example, that $2 extra exist, only my accountant knows. Shipping costs are know and clear. As a buyer, I would not purchase an item if I didn't agree with the terms. In your example, if I only said shipping $10 and ended up being $20, do you ask buyer for the $10 shortfall?