Getting a bit sick of this over charged postage.

[gogetafix]

The last few months I've been buying from ebay quite frequenty. On some small items I've bought the postage has been set on the listing at £3.20 (Second Class Small Parcel). When the items arrive they have been sent as a Large Letter for £0.96p. I do know that postage includes packing as well. The latest parcel that I had arrive was just a very cheap jiffy bag. No extra bubble wrap or anything. So not a lot of cost with the packing. 20p at most.
Knowing these boards I know some my cry "Well you were happy to pay the postage price" and yes this is true I was happy to pay the postage price because I presumed it would be sent as a small parcel. The items I buy aren't that flat so I presume they would be over 2.5cms in depth. Perhaps the sellers thinks the item will have to sent as a small parcel hence the £3.20 Second Class postage price. 
When these sellers post their parcels and find out it can be sent as a Large Letter and pay for that service they pocket that difference in cost and don't bother sending their buyer a message and say it was sent as a Large Letter and not a Small Parcel so here's a small refund. These people must think their buyers are stupid. 
I also know these sellers have fees to pay but keeping the cost of postage that wasn't paid is all a bit of a con in my opinion. If it were me I'd partially refund the buyer. 

[convivencia_hembra]

I'm sorry you've gotten this response. I think you're in the right. 

[*knight-rider*]

is`nt it odd, that we rarely, if ever, see anyone coming to these boards about sellers under-charging them and wonder just how many people message the seller asking how they can pay the difference, i bet not many, if any 🙂

[zoomingmouse]

If memory serves me well, didn't Ebay add the fee on postage because some sellers were avoiding fees by selling at a low price with overpriced postage?

Unable to, or not wanting to deal with the few, everyone had to suffer <including buyers>.

None of it really helps sales on here IMO, especially at the moment when so many are struggling.

People will just buy in the shops & avoid postage costs altogether.

[bennotbill]

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@zoomingmouse wrote:

If memory serves me well, didn't Ebay add the fee on postage because some sellers were avoiding fees by selling at a low price with overpriced postage?

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That was the reason given, for what is a nice not so little money earner. Which does nothing to keep postage prices down. It just means eBay now take their cut of high postage prices. And as a side effect meant that sellers have to put up postage prices to compensate for the fee.

[zoomingmouse]

Yes, I agree. 

I remember sellers selling brand new dresses at 99p, but with £20+ postage costs. Not only avoiding fees, but also getting better placement in the search.

As others have said, if sellers who like to do this gave free postage, buyers would only see the overall cost. The downside would be that they would not be lowest price of course.

[lazarus.art]

I totally agree with this. I now buy hundreds of items each month, mostly used Clothes, and I am regularaly getting over charged for Postage to the tune of £1-£3 on average which if I don't ask for a postage refund will cost me hundreds in over charging each year. 

There are a lot of TOXIC sellers who just ingore you when you ask for the refund or just lie on email and accuse me of 'Threatening' them as they know Ebays policy of feedback extortion !!

If you leave Negative feedback after being over charged Ebay usually just takes off your Feedback at the sellers request and Sellers know to request a feedback deletion to hide their bad practice !! 

This has to STOP and Ebay needs to get a grip of these Scammer Sellers who regularly and knowingly Over charge for postage. 

I know Royal Mail here in the UK is a complete Rip off now on their charges but that's nto buyers fault !!

[*madison]

I've never once looked at a package to see how much the seller paid for postage, I only know how much I paid. 

Perhaps it's a good idea not to look, it works for me.

[plpmr]

As I said on your thread on the subject -

"If you leave Negative feedback after being over charged Ebay usually just takes off your Feedback at the sellers request"

Of course it is removed as it's feedback abuse.

there cannot be any 'overcharge' as the P&P is in the listing as the sellers charge to get the item safety to you and by buying you are agreeing to the charge. 

your last neg still there can also be removed.

[geomacd_50]

I totally agree as i bought a small sticker of a bulldog that cost 3 dollars but as it was so cheap I didn't think of looking at the postage cost,when it arrived the total was 20 dollars, I think that ebay should be looking into this as this is just a con making out the item is so cheap only to get what they really want by charging over the top for postage, the item would not have registered on any scales on the planet, surely this must put a lot of people off buying from ebay and in quite a few occasions the postage is more than the item that's up for sale, its just pure greed, enough of my ranting, best wishes from george. 

[papso22]

Next time look at the postage!

[bennotbill]

Sounds more like it was through Global Shipping.

[nik_moore]

I know, it infuriates me. I often inform my sellers that there is a refund due, though I DO charge an extra 13 per cent on top of p+p as that's what ebay are also charging!

[nik_moore]

If I have been charged exces p+p I will query it with the seller first, to see if  Ican get a refund, but will then merely give them neutral feedback...they will soon change their methods!

[hill-walker]

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@nik_moore wrote:

 give them neutral feedback...they will soon change their methods!

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I don't feel that it's your place to dictate how sellers should or shouldn't sell their items.

It's up to YOU to decide if you feel the P&P  being charged is fair, before purchasing.

[nik_moore]

You don't think it's "my place"?

I agree, I will buy with what I consider reasonable p+p, but if I subsequently receive the item and it is considerably less, then I will politely request some refund, and can reflect the seller's overcharge for p+p in my feedback, if I wish.

[*help_no_brakes*]

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@nik_moore wrote:

You don't think it's "my place"?

I agree, I will buy with what I consider reasonable p+p, but if I subsequently receive the item and it is considerably less, then I will politely request some refund, and can reflect the seller's overcharge for p+p in my feedback, if I wish.

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You agreed to the total cost when you purchased the item.

You have no reason to complain.

The seller will be able to have your unwarranted feedback removed.

[papso22]

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@nik_moore wrote:

You don't think it's "my place"?

I agree, I will buy with what I consider reasonable p+p, but if I subsequently receive the item and it is considerably less, then I will politely request some refund, and can reflect the seller's overcharge for p+p in my feedback, if I wish.

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That would be a gross misuse of the feedback system.  You have not been 'overcharged' if the seller sent the goods for the agreed P&P and used the method on the listing.  You agreed to it, end of story. 

[moldosgifts]

Therefore I don't expect to be paying for bus fares or petrol.

Why not?

As a business seller a small% is added to all my royal mail invoices for exactly that fuel surcharge.

So sorry if i charge postage thats included in my postage price.

I charge if i need to £3.20 for a parcel but i do send as a parcel but having an account i pay a bit less than over counter prices. But there is VAT added and a fuel surcharge. 

Mostly my listings are deliovery included in the asking price. ( it's not free royal mail dont give it to me free ).

As already been said if full price is a good price your happy to pay then all is good more concerning is inadicuate packaging you have described.

[gallovidian]

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@nik_moore wrote:

If I have been charged exces p+p I will query it with the seller first, to see if  Ican get a refund, but will then merely give them neutral feedback...they will soon change their methods!

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I wouldn't quibble over a small amount. The seller, for example, can't always totally predict what the cost of packaging materials or the weight of the package will be. But ebay have already dictated that the P&P charge covers expenditure by the seller. You will nowhere find eBay permitting him any substantial unearned income from P&P.

You would, of course, be well advised - well, have been well advised - to read the listing carefully, and avoid those where the P&P charge seems excessive. But what happens if there is an item you badly need, or if receipt of the item reveals that it is smaller than expected, or the seller has risked its safety by skimping on the packaging it needed? You then have a just grievance.

We should consider when the policy violation of excessive P&P is committed. Logically it is in posting the listing, even if nobody ever buys. That is why you would be justified in giving feedback for an attempt to get a substantial amount of someone's money while doing nothing for it.You don't confer absolution by buying.

[kempseykate]

On the other side of the coin, although I have automatic combined postage set up on some listings, it's not an exact science, so someone buying multiples can still be 'overcharged'. When this happens I make part refunds back - as I do when someone buys multiple items that don't have auto discount set up.

How many of  these buyers thank me for the part refund, (which I don't have to make)? About  1 in 100 😞

I have also sometimes had to pay more than I charged on P&P (after packaging it went up a weight band!) 

So to all those moaning about being 'overcharged', leaving neutrals/negs for 'overcharged' P&P,  how many of you 1) thank the sellers that do make part refunds, and 2) would message a seller to say you notice postage was undercharged,  would they like the extra to cover it? I guess that would be 1 in 100 as well!