Stupid Ebay sellers ripping me off on shipping!!!!

[tarahsolazy]

ARGH! I won an auction for two old Boye needlemaster interchangeable knitting needle kits on ebay. The auction total was $20, which is great because these retail for $60 each, new. However, I was debating bidding on these, or buying another kit new for $34.95. That kit has plastic needles, the Boye has metal, I like plastic better. I figured for $20, I can get over the metal needles. Well, I just got the invoice, and the person charged me $8.55 for shipping, priority mail. I know that those things don't weigh enough to cost that much in shipping!!! Fricken Fracken Swindler that's what that seller is! Now, I could have bought the plastic needles for $5 more! (There are still more needles in what I'm getting, but still)

I'm never bidding on an auction where the shipping costs aren't specified again!

[AngelaS]

Yikes! That's outrageous! They didn't pay more than $4.30 TOPS to mail those to you via Priority and that's only if they paid for Delivery Confirmation.

I'd complain!! Tell them that you received the needles but that you're considering warning future buyers that their shipping rates are more than double what they really cost by leaving them a neutral feedback.

[wdland45]

I would email them and ask for a breakdown of shipping costs. I would also request parcel post instead of Priority Mail. Any honest ebay seller would be happy to comply to either request. Good luck.
Danielle, Mom to Alex, 12.03.01 and Brian, 7.27.03

[Marisa6826]

Jonathan got a cable from an Ebayer last week. It weighed less than a pound.

They guy charged $6 for shipping!!!

The postage was $0.80.

I hope he left negative input for the seller.

-m

[peasprout]

I think some sellers try to make up the low cost of their item by charging high shipping since eBay can't take a cut based on what they charge on shipping, only on the item. Make sense? Not that this is fair though. I always ask what shipping would cost to my zip code before I bid to avoid this.
JP

[JElaineB]

That sucks. I never bid unless I know the shipping. I will email the seller and ask if necessary. But that doesn't always protect you. I bought a VERY lightweight romper for DS a few months ago and the shipping was around $4.00 so I figured it would be sent Priority. Well it got shipped first class for about $1.50 or less. Even with the cost of the envelope the guy still pocketed an extra couple of dollars. I guess it might cost money to drive to the post office, so it could be justified, but I still didn't like it. I ended up not leaving any feedback.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[tarahsolazy]

When I paypal'd the seller, I sent her a message that I hoped she was charging actual shipping, because making money on shipping was bad ebay behavior. Evidently, I pissed her off, because she refunded my money, and said that the needles weighed over 2lbs. Well, I've hefted that kit in stores, no way it weighs that much. But anyway, I'm glad I got my money back, maybe I'll get the other needles.

[amazz]

Sounds to me like she knew what she had done was wrong and was just pissed she got caught. If the shipping was really that much I don't think she would have refunded your money! Good for you for standing up to her--maybe she will think twice about trying to rip her next customer off!!!


Angela
EDD 10/15/04

[stillplayswithbarbies]

eBay does allow sellers to recoup their packaging fees in the shipping/handling charge. So they are indeed allowed to charge you a fair price for whatever it costs them to buy the box, any packing materials, gas to the post office, their time to pack it up, etc.

The way I look at it is to compare it to what I am used to paying for shipping from online stores. If it's not too far out of line, then I figure it is fair. When I was selling on eBay, I was spending all day Saturday and Sunday packing up boxes. I had to buy tissue paper and bubble wrap and tape, etc.

I'd much rather pay for an item to be packaged carefully than to have it just stuffed in a paper grocery sack and closed up with masking tape. (I received a vintage Barbie packed that way once!)

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[llcoddington]

If someone says "buyer will pay actual shipping" I email them ahead of time and ask what they think shipping to my address will be. If they say $5 and then try to charge me $15, I can question that.

DH sells baseball cards on ebay and his policy is the following:
$3.85 for one card or as many as you want to buy. Basically, he is trying to keep people from buying 20 cent cards that are not worth his time of packing up and shipping. He is VERY particular about the way he ships- must be in a padded envelope, must be wrapped securely, etc. This does take time and does cost for the envelope, wrapping, etc.

Lana
mommy to Lauren 12/5/03

[pritchettzoo]

I just mailed a package priority mail which weighed 3.5 lbs and it was $7.05. With priority mail, the packaging is free. I checked UPS and Fed Ex, and they were right under USPS, so no way 2 lbs costs that much to ship! I'm glad you got your money back.

Anna

[tarahsolazy]

I don't mind paying a little extra, like $.50 for an envelope, bubble wrap, etc. But, like Anna said, 2lbs only costs $7.05, and the PO will provide free envelopes or even nice sturdy boxes for priority. I just don't like when its hidden costs. If the lister says, shipping is $8.55, using priority, or UPS, or whatever, that's fine, I can choose weather that's high enough that I should just go buy the item, or if its still a savings to buy on ebay. I do the same with regular on-line merchants, who have to disclose their shipping costs before you make a binding agreement to purchase. Ebay has no such rules, and this person coming out at the end with a shipping charge that was so high, I felt cheated. They could have just listed the cost in the listing, I always do when I sell on ebay. I just need to be careful to always email for actual shipping costs. FWIW, I did pay the seller, and my note wasn't nasty, just asking if that was the actual rate, since upcharging on shipping by a signifcant amount without prior disclosure was bad ebay behavior IMHO, but I'd have left positive feedback and everything, once I'd recieved the kit (and I told the seller that); after all, I made a binding agreement. I weighed a friend of mine's kit yesterday, just to see, on a gram scale at work, and it weighed just over 1lb, so the two pounds the seller quoted (was the same kit) was way overstated, or she uses a heck of a lot of packing peanuts.

[workaholic]

Here lately, I've been buying items on ebay for my sons room. It's cost me a fortune in shipping. I had one $2.00 item cost me over $10.00. I hate to question the seller because they can always back it up with the cost of "handling", which I think is a load of bull since USPS will pretty much provide everything for free and we shouldn't have to pay for anything more than a little effort on their part. It seems that the shipping has doubled everything that I paid on ebay. This is why I'm a fan for companies who use exact shipping cost and weigh their products.

You can report shipping issues but there is rarely anything eBay will do. I saw a company selling all products for $.01 and the shipping was $85.00. This is their way fo circumventing eBay fees and is not fair to other sellers. It should be reported if you have the time to track down the right forms to send it. Always ask about shipping cost and if it's to high, just avoid the auction.

Best of luck ebaying...it's a great market when it's used fairly.


Aimee Larsen
Momma to Cooper
Crossing fingers for another...
Owner: Ella-Bags
www.ella-bags.com