eBay

13entley7 · ‎05-09-2020

I purchased an item from a new seller, at time of purchase had 0 reviews, currently has 2.

Item was listed at $85.99 and free shipping. All is well, seller shipped the item, USPS tracking said it was coming earlier than expected, then I get a notice in my mailbox that the item is available to pick up and postage is due, $30.35.

I contact the seller, let them know (with a photo of the slip) and they respond with

“I paid for shipping on this product already. Unless its a delivery fee they are charging, which they shouldn't be, I don't understand. If you're able to pick it up, there shouldn't be a charge.”

I went to the post office today to figure out what the problem was, I only had to pay $21.70 to get the item (still a good deal for the item). I let the seller know and asked how we can rectify this (provided a photo of the receipt, Included tracking number, as well as the package) and they told me to refuse the package.

Anyone have any experience with this and what are my options?

rebell45 · ‎05-09-2020

Since you paid the postage due ans are fairly happy with the deal, there's probably not much you can do at this point. You could politely ask for a partial refund from the seller, but they aren't obligated to do so. Since it was suppose to be free shipping, ebay will automatically give them 5 stars for shipping cost. You could mention it in their feedback, either neutral or negative, but don't threaten them with negative feedback.

____________________________________________________________
Never sell anything on eBay that you can't afford to lose.

georgestobbard · ‎05-09-2020

If you paid the seller's asking price, then you shouldn't have to pay anything extra to receive the package, and he or she ought to reimburse you for $21.70. Please see to it that you're reimbursed, and if that doesn't happen, file a complaint with eBay. And just think, even if you were to send the package back to the seller unopened, with a handwritten note that says, "Return to sender," that seller would still ethically owe you $21.70 for your trouble, plus a full refund for the returned item.

It seems that the seller either didn't weigh the package correctly, or there was some other problem with the way the postage was set up, which caused the "postage due" notification.

You say that even with the $85.99 item price plus the $21.70 postage due, it's still a good deal, but that doesn't make it okay, so don't feel shy about asserting yourself. No buyer should have to pay postage to receive an item, but when it happens due to an error on the part of the seller, reimbursement is definitely the right thing to do.

georgestobbard · ‎05-09-2020

P.S. I once had to go to the post office to pick up an eBay package that had postage due. I paid the bill, then sent the seller some photos just like you did to prove what happened. She immediately reimbursed me. It was a very friendly interaction. She was apologetic, and I didn't leave her bad feedback over what happened since it was an honest mistake and she took care of the problem for me right away.

The really interesting thing I learned from the postal employee was this: if a seller weighs the package at home and prints a shipping label off the computer, if there is any "postage due," it will be calculated at the over-the-counter rate. And as any eBay seller knows, there can be a big difference in price between the online postage rate and the over-the-counter rate.

So if the eBay seller wants to know why the fee for postage was so high, it's probably because of that.

kensgiftshop · ‎05-09-2020

@13entley7 wrote:

Anyone have any experience with this and what are my options?

If you paid for the order through Pay Pal, you can file a claim there for the extra postage you had to pay.

Have a great day.

paradiso*bella*a*venire · ‎05-09-2020

@kensgiftshop

Great to know! Thanks for that info! 👍🏻

Judge not others by your own limitations

13entley7 · ‎05-11-2020

The seller has not replied back to me, and is offering no resolution.

The amount due was because it weighed 13 pounds, and she only paid for 8.

I have a feeling I will have to open a case with eBay. I messaged her again this morning, after no reply in 48 hours. Tomorrow morning I plan on opening a case if there’s no resolution by then.

thanks!

7606dennis · ‎05-11-2020

Items coming postage due is one of the legitimate reasons accepted by eBay for a buyer to refuse delivery and still be able to receive a refund. Of course, that doesn't help if one wants the item.

"It is an intelligent man that is aware of his own ignorance."

stuff4divas · ‎05-11-2020

@13entley7 wrote:
The seller has not replied back to me, and is offering no resolution.

The amount due was because it weighed 13 pounds, and she only paid for 8.

I have a feeling I will have to open a case with eBay. I messaged her again this morning, after no reply in 48 hours. Tomorrow morning I plan on opening a case if there’s no resolution by then.

thanks!

@13entley7

did u c @kensgiftshop post re PayPal refunds on paying extra shipping charges?