why EBay taking fees on postal charges which are not actually made due to combined postage deal

[jasonsdad]

I sell individual Lego models at low prices and the majority of buyers tend to buy multiple items as I advertise combined postal charges.  As an example my postal charge is £1.15 per item, but often I can sell 6 to 8 cheaper items and put all into same envelope and still charge total of £1.15.   However as each item was sold separately 8 items would attract a total postal charge of £9.20.before I adjust via the invoice.  This is the amount E Bay levy their fees on,  so 92p.  However the customer pays just £1.15 in total so I am overcharged on fees week in and week out and I do sell a lot of combined items.   If this a fair and/or correct practice ?

   Thanks              Brian

[vijorey · Accepted solution]

If you send an invoice with adjusted postage that is all ebays fees are based on..

have you looked on your account to see the exact fees that you have been charged?

the only thing I can see as being unfair/ incorrect practice is that you are an unregistered business seller and trading illegally on eBay. 

you need to upgrade your account with urgency 

[rusticrye]

You're actually underpaying on fees, Brian, as you're illegally trading on a private account and therefore defrauding Ebay of listing fees. Anyone who makes, grows, refurbishes, or buys in (new or used) items to sell, is a business and must be registered as such. Not only an Ebay requirement, but the law. For confirmation, go to Ebay's Seller Centre (link at foot of any page). For full information, go to the government's website. And note that there is no such as a 'hobby seller' in this country, and how much or how little you sell or make is totally irrelevant.

Note too that consumer law states that a buyer can return an item to an illegally-trading seller for any reason at all, and in any condition at all, for a full refund of the whole of their original payement, for up to 1 full year and 30 days. And the trader has to pay their return costs too if they want the item back. The law doesn't reward those who break it.

You've been extremely fortunate not to have been caught by now, so I'd advise you to upgrade your account as a matter of urgency, before you find yourself in hot water with Ebay and Trading Standards.

@jasonsdad 

[jasonsdad]

You seem to not have answered the question, it's ok if you don't know the answer,. However best to not get involved in that case. As for your advice on the other items you digressed onto, I have no interest in your advice on topics I didn't request advice on.

Cheers Brian

[tara*teller]

You really need to state in your description that you will combine postage on multiple wins and give an idea what that will be ie £1 extra per item or whatever and ask that the buyer waits for a combined invoice from you before paying if they buy two or more items.

You only pay a fee on what the buyer actually pays so once you send a combined invoice and they pay that reduced price that's the one you'll get charged the fees on - if you see what I mean.

[pixiesen2012]

you are only charged 10% of the P&P the buyer actually pays,

if you send a revised invoice the charge is made once the buyer pays your invoice