Shipping service I received is not what I expected

[barely_tan_gerbil]

After an auction has ended and I have paid with the pay now button, can a seller swap the shipping service?  (I paid for Priority Mail).

At first the status simply told me my item had shipped, no tracking available.  I messaged the seller I would like the tracking please.

I saw the tracking number was available in my order history so I went there to set it up for updates to my email.  That's when I saw the seller used USPS Ground Advantage Retail.  

Is this allowed?  Thanks.

[femmefan1946 · Accepted solution]

No -- the seller needs the buyer's permission to change the shipping service advertised.

Most buyers don't object if the service is upgraded, but are upset if it is downgraded.

I gather the item is on its way.

You have a last estimated date for arrival.

If it arrives on time, but you are still annoyed, you can open a Not As Described claim.

The problem being the changed shipping service.

This is covered by the MONEY Back Guarantee.

It will give you a refund, but it will be after the seller has provided you with a Return Shipping Label, you have sent the purchase back, and they have received it.

Do you want that hassle?
If not , when the shipment arrives you have 60 days to leave appropriate calm feedback.

"Paid for Priority shipping of xx days. Seller shipped USPS Ground Advantage taking xxx days."

This allows you to keep the purchase, but warn future buyers.

[shire123]

For sellers I would think that it might be best to just state "standard shipping" rather than a specific type unless you really want to use a specific type

Much of what I sell is not heavy (>10#) but the packages are large.      In these cases priority mail is often close to $100 (especially to the coasts).    FedEx/UPS are more like $25.     When asked to ship something priority I just tell the buyer of the above instances.   

Just be sure to let the buyer know the circumstances.

[barely_tan_gerbil]

Hi  femmefan1946,

Thank you for your direct answer with clear instructions. 

Would it be appropriate to ask the seller to simply refund me the difference in shipping cost between what I paid and the downgraded shipping?  I have had zero replies via eBay messages to the seller, either during the auction or, so far, after.  Is that something they can do through eBay?  Do I just ask for this adjustment through regular contact seller link or do I need to open a case to request the difference in shipping?

Thank you for sharing knowledge from your experience with me, I'll use it, pass it on.

[12345jamesstamps]

No.

I would request a refund on shipping after item arrives in tip top shape...not before.

I do priority mail out of my own pocket sometimes...and it's because it's quicker usually.

[buyselljack2016]

@barely_tan_gerbil 

Seller should not, as has been posted, downgrade the shipping but often the difference between GA and Priority deliver time may be just a day or so.

Not knowing the item size/weight and to/from it is hard to know, but perhaps the seller did not set the listing up correctly and when getting to the "retail" counter found the actual cost waaaay beyond what they thought it would be. 

That is still the seller fault/error, but they could have been faced with ship GA or cancel.  If it were me, I would see what amount of time it takes, and also compare cost paid to cost shipped before I got to upset about it. YMMV

[jbbowers12012]

Hi,  No.  A seller is not supposed to change the shipping method after the sale.  I would not likely approach the seller for a refund or message the seller with questions.  But, if this bothers you - you are entitled to let your displeasure be known when leaving your feedback. Good Luck!!  (J.B.)

[campanaelia]

I personally wouldn't care if the listing states priority and they used GA instead. I never even pay attention to exact delivery dates. As long as what I purchased was shipped by the seller and arrives as described I see no reason to ask for partial refund unless the seller listed both shipping options and you chose to pay more for priority and they downgraded it.

I would just be glad they didn't use media mail which causes postage due for unauthorized items which causes more problems.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Tracking doesn't show GA or Priority, where did you get that info from? 

[campanaelia]

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@stainlessenginecovers wrote:

Tracking doesn't show GA or Priority, where did you get that info from? 

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@stainlessenginecovers 

On USPS tracking page scroll down to product information and open the drop down and it shows the service type there

[pastimpressions]

I think the general consensus on this amongst most sellers over most categories is that:

1. Free shipping upgrades as an added customer service/courtesy/thanks for repeat business etc. 👍

2. Undisclosed shipping downgrade when a specific service is billed & advertised. 👎

Best of Luck

[barely_tan_gerbil]

Hello campanaelia,

The listing was in a fixed format for an auction with no options to select from different shipping services. 

Priority Mail was promised in the terms of the listing. 

I found out today that my package is going to take 5 days longer than originally expected to get to me.

Faster shipping was within my sellers control.  If my package would get to me in the same amount of time then I see your point, why complain. 

I want to ask for a refund on the shipping but I'm not sure how to ask for just the refund on the shipping.  If my item gets here late but intact I want to keep it, so I don't want to request a return for full refund.  But I also want to keep my money for the shipping service which I didn't get.

Can you help me understand if I need to open a case for shipping service discrepancy resulting in a significant delay in delivery?  I think I might have to do something along those lines, since my seller is not responding to messaging .  Thank you for any help.

[barely_tan_gerbil]

Yes it does show it, on the USPS tracking page, under product information.  It's like a drop-down menu under the travel history of scanned events.

[barely_tan_gerbil]

I didn't see you'd already answered when I replied 🙂Thanks for doing it

[albertabrightalberta]

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@barely_tan_gerbil wrote:

The listing was in a fixed format for an auction with no options to select from different shipping services. 

Priority Mail was promised in the terms of the listing. 

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The seller should have shipped priority mail. (Just curious....how much did you pay for shipping? 

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@barely_tan_gerbil wrote:

I found out today that my package is going to take 5 days longer than originally expected to get to me.

Faster shipping was within my sellers control.  If my package would get to me in the same amount of time then I see your point, why complain. 

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If your package is taking 5 days longer than expected, it's more likely because the seller didn't ship within their handling time, not because of the shipping service they used. 

In my experience, I haven't seen any difference in the amount of time it takes for packages to reach their destinations based on whether they're shipped GA or priority mail. 

But again, with that said, the seller listed with priority and should NOT have downgraded. 

Personally, I don't recommend opening a case unless you want to return the item. Instead, I'd ask the seller for a partial refund of the difference between priority mail that you paid for and ground advantage that they used.