eBay

swift1max · ‎10-15-2023

Hi All,

Somehow, the item I was selling was listed at the wrong weight and dimensions. Buyer paid about 6 for shipping but it will cost me more than the cost of the item to ship. What are my options.

Sold for $50

Buyer paid $6

Actual cost of shipping is going to be like $90

Thanks,

ebooksdiva · ‎10-15-2023

Your only option is to bite the bullet and pay shipping out of your pocket. You’ll be taking a loss of course, but when you file your taxes you can write it off as a loss.
The other option is to cancel the sale, but you can only cancel for out of stock, doing so will give you a defect on your seller account. You really want to avoid that.

swift1max · ‎10-15-2023

Thanks. I am offering the buyer the option to use a different service. Hopefully they will be OK with that.

ebooksdiva · ‎10-15-2023

That’s fine. I hope you know you can’t ask the buyer to pay more than stated in the listing. It’s against eBay policy.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎10-15-2023

@swift1max wrote:
Thanks. I am offering the buyer the option to use a different service. Hopefully they will be OK with that.

I hope they're OK with that, too.

Keep in mind that for packages above 1 cubic foot (1728 cubic inches) the price is based on package volume rather than on actual weight, so if you can safely reduce the package size by even a couple of inches, that could make a huge difference in the postage cost. Also, USPS has surcharges for packages above 22 inches and a higher surcharge for over 30 inches, so you might try to stay below those thresholds (I have no idea about the size of your item).

simba6 · ‎10-15-2023

To stay within eBay's rules your options are very limited.

You ship the item to the buyer. Can't ask for more money. Just take care to not let that happen again.

kitschy*loot · ‎10-15-2023

The buyer may be agreeable, but a lot of people wouldn't want to pay a significant increase when they know they don't have to. If they aren't agreeable you will either pay what it actually costs to ship via whichever service or cancel and take the defect if you go with a reason that falls on you.

This is looking too far ahead but if the buyer wanted to return the item for being not as described; you would be responsible for shipping both ways. I don't know how that would work if the shipping was only listed as $6 but costs many times more to ship.

4pawsup* · ‎10-15-2023

I do not see why the buyer would care who you use to ship as long as you ship. If the service offered by different shippers is the same you go with the cheapest. It stinks you end up eating that much money but i would think that is better than canceling.

nursenstore · ‎10-15-2023

If the mistake was you choose (Express shipping) and you selected for only $6 to be charged, then I would contact the buyer and ask if they would mind if I ship whatever the least expensive route available. But since it was a mistake, they may demand you uphold the deal.

Keep in mind you can't charge them any additional shipping now, so if they are cool with you shipping it ground advantage (for example) it might save you some money when you purchase the label.

janet9988 · ‎10-15-2023

@4pawsup* wrote:
I do not see why the buyer would care who you use to ship as long as you ship. If the service offered by different shippers is the same you go with the cheapest. It stinks you end up eating that much money but i would think that is better than canceling.

Some buyers MAY care.

Some buyers may be using a PO box an can not have items shipped FedEx or UPS.

Some buyers may not have had a good experience with certain carriers.

It is always a good idea to confirm the change with the buyer.

Lift your left leg at midnight to start off on the right foot. Happy new Year!