A different question on shipping charges.

[shadroch]

I recently bought a couple of lots of a new seller on ebay. He was charging $5 a lot for shipping but, after being asked,agreed to ship all three for $5. Books arrived and I noticed shipping was ,in fact,$7.75.

Now I recieve an emil looking for an addtional $4 to cover the shipping and cost of boxes,ect.

Do you pay?

Do you mention this in feedback?

Do you chalk it up to ebay inexperiance and ignore it?

Do you do something else?

[joe_collector]

Pay the $4.

[wrcomics]

It's a question of courtesy. Since the seller agreed to ship the lots to you for $5, you have no legal obligation to pay anymore than that amount. If you'd like to be a nice guy (or gal), pay the four dollars extra to cover your seller's time, materials, and additional postage. If we're talking a lot of books here, what's the extra couple dollars gonna hurt?

[Darthdiesel]

I'd pay the $4 - right thing to do and it is reasonable; had it been a request for $10 - $15 extra, I tell him to FOAD. I'd also advise the seller that not everyone would acquiesce to such a request as readily and that he should, in the future, get a better estimate of of shipping charges or inform the buyer that there may be additional charges if initial shipping charge falls short.

 

When I first started, I had this problem with foreign packages. I thought I could get it under 4 lbs and gave my buyer a generous shipping quote. However, I packed and found there was no way to get it under 4 lbs without compromising the protection of the goods, so I wrote back and explained it to the buyer. I gave them options of going with the slower but cheaper rate or sending me about $10 more to afford the agreed-upon shipping rate. I didn't get any pushback, but I had left myself open to losing a new customer by looking inexperienced. If it was just a few bucks more, I'd eat the expense, especially if my other sales were going well. the moment it cuts into my profit is when I start pennypinching

 

I wouldn't mention it in the feedback unless there was something wrong with the quality of goods. No need to poop where you eat...or whatever the saying is...

[shadroch]

Would you have asked for a refund if the seller had charged $10 and the shipping was $7.75? I wouldn't have.

[Darthdiesel]

Would you have asked for a refund if the seller had charged $10 and the shipping was $7.75? I wouldn't have.

 

Nah, I wouldn't have either...but this falls more into the realm of reasonable handling charges added. If packed well and had hard carton "sandwiches", foam peanuts, bubble wrap, $2.25 is reasonable handling charge to me.

 

like I said I would have eaten it, but if this guy really needed the money to cover sending it to you, he should ask for it.

[awe4one]

I'd pay it....

 

Jim

[shadroch]

I already paid it. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I wrote him a fairly long,mostly polite email explaining my disdain and distaste for his actions.As he already has one negative (for an entirely different reason),I'd think he would be bending over backwards to increase his 66% feedback rating.

[FFB]

What he said.

 

Pay the $4.

[Rickdogg]

Pay the $4.

[tilleycs]

I already paid it. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I wrote him a fairly long,mostly polite email explaining my disdain and distaste for his actions.

 

I would have done the same thing. The issue isn't the amount that he asked after he agreed to the previous charge, it's the principal of the thing. I wouldn't deal with him every again, and I'd make a point to tell him so. By squeezing that extra little $4 out of you, he probably cost himself a LOT of future sales to you. He cost himself a lot of money with that extra $4. Too many other good places/people to buy from.

[mcd-migration]

it's the principal of the thing.

 

Geez people, the "principle of the thing" is that after winning the 3 auctions that stated $5 each on shipping the guy had no problem in agreeing to only charge $5 for them all instead of the agreed upon $15. After shipping he realized it cost him more to ship than he charged & asked the buyer to reimburse the extra charges. Much in the same way the buyer had asked him to ship for a 3rd of the agreed upon price, he asked the buyer to do the reasonable thing. What's to be upset at?

[wrcomics]

Exactamundo!

[Red Hook]

Yeah, Shad, figure you did a mitzvah, and set a new seller off on the right road. Maybe he won't end up mean and surly because of your action.

[musicmeta]

You are under no obligation to pay the extra $4.00 since it was agreed upon by both parties to pay just $5.00 for the books. The seller should be more informed of shipping charges and IMO should not even bother asking you for extra money.

It's happened to me a couple times and I just ate the extra costs and chaulked it up to a shipping learning experience. If he's a nice person and you don't mind helping him out, then send him the $4.00.

[tilleycs]

You are under no obligation to pay the extra $4.00 since it was agreed upon by both parties to pay just $5.00 for the books. The seller should be more informed of shipping charges and IMO should not even bother asking you for extra money. It's happened to me a couple times and I just ate the extra costs and chaulked it up to a shipping learning experience.

 

Exactly. Asking someone else to pay for YOUR mistakes is NOT a smart way to do business with people.

[OldSchoolTerry]

You are under no obligation to pay the extra $4.00 since it was agreed upon by both parties to pay just $5.00 for the books. The seller should be more informed of shipping charges and IMO should not even bother asking you for extra money. It's happened to me a couple times and I just ate the extra costs and chaulked it up to a shipping learning experience.

 

Exactly. Asking someone else to pay for YOUR mistakes is NOT a smart way to do business with people.

 

If we won't help out the ignorant and/or stupid in the world, who will?.......

[ghoulaid]

Exactly. Asking someone else to pay for YOUR mistakes is NOT a smart way to do business with people.

 

It may not be a smart way to do business but he's got $4.00 more than if he hadn't asked. He did a favor by reducing the listed shipping charges and Shadroch returned the favor.

[Timely]

Tell the seller you'll catch him the next time around.

 

Timely

[TLC55555]

You are under no obligation to pay the extra $4.00 since it was agreed upon by both parties to pay just $5.00 for the books. The seller should be more informed of shipping charges and IMO should not even bother asking you for extra money.

It's happened to me a couple times and I just ate the extra costs and chaulked it up to a shipping learning experience. If he's a nice person and you don't mind helping him out, then send him the $4.00.

 

Get a grip folks!! The seller was kind enough to combine shipping. Did he have to? NO! Even though his auctions specifically stated $5 shipping in each auction, he compromised. He did it to promote a good relationship between buyer and seller. Why is it such a problem to return his request as he did yours? At the very least, his request provides no reason to be upset, write a lengthy letter complaining and consider leaving negative feedback. Wow! Hopefully, I don't ever have to deal with a buyer like this.