Quake1028

So, I won an auction, and the shipping was listed as (no other shipping options at all):

Shipping costs: US $15.00
Shipping Method: UPS Ground

I e-mailed the guy about 5 days after payment for a tracking number, to which he responded that he sold it for a friend, and didn't have a tracking number. He also said he didn't know which method was used. I waited a few more days for him to talk to his friend, and e-mailed and again asked for the info. I got no answer. Today I get my item....by USPS Parcel Post....total cost: $3.24 . Now, I'm not one to complain about sellers making a few bucks on shipping and handling, but I think this is a bit ridiculous (both due to the price and the shipping method). Am I wrong?

sracer

It is common practice to pad the winning bid with inflated shipping costs. Sellers will justify it by saying that they count the time it takes to get to the post office, the cost of the packaging material (even if it is just wadded up newspaper), and the cost of lunch on the way to ship the item.

Preacher

You're not wrong in feeling taken a bit Quake. But that's the name of the game.
Choose before you bid. And leave a Neutral rating if you feel taken a bit.

Quake1028

As I said, I don't really have a problem so much with the price. But, don't say UPS Ground and then ship it with what amounts to media mail. That's my main problem.

Preacher

It's a problem. Can you see if the seller will refund some $?

Quake1028

I already e-mailed him. Who knows if he will respond.

Preacher

I have found the Neutral to be a good short-term statement to someone.

NotThatGuy

I'd give him a nuetral for obviously shorting you on shipping. If I paid for FedEx 2 day, and got 5-7 day ground from a retailer, i'd be pissed.

-p

Preacher

Freakin Auspicious Generalship.

SeekOnce

Contact eBay and report it. Here's their policy on excessive shipping:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...-shipping.html

But since the price isn't the issue for you, you can probably state that the auction wasn't completed as described and do it that way.

bunkaroo

That's a neg in my book.

BobDole42

I would contact him first and ask for some of the money back. A few bucks extra to cover packing expenses (box, bubble wrap, tape, etc.) is fine. But, stating an item will ship via UPS ground and then sending it parcel postis not.

I would email and politely request some of the money back, since you paid for UPS ground but the item was sent USPS. To figure out how much you should get back, find out how much it would cost via UPS and subtrat that amount from the $15 fee. Then compare to the media mail rate.

For example: if UPS ground were $11: $15 - $11 = $4 (assume these are reasonable expenses that you wouldn't mind paying if the item had indeed arrived via UPS).

$4 + $3.24 = $7.24. You paid $15, so you're don back about $8

If he refuses, I would definitely neg him.

Quake1028

Thanks for all of the responses guys. I am waiting on a response still. Doesn't look promising.

tonyc3742

I wonder if shipping via a method not listed in the auction falls under 'misrepresentation'? You paid for UPS shipping. You got Parcel Post. He lied.
If you paid 15.00 bucks for UPS shipping "and handling", and the UPS box on your doorstep said "3.45", that's one thing. You got what you paid for. I do think lots of cheapasses [in the bad way] using S&H as a way to stint on ebay fees [oh no! ebay would get 55 cents more, and all I got was exposure to billions of people on one of the worlds biggest websites!], but I don't mind a 'reasonable' handling fee bundled in.
I do report 'excessive shipping' auctions I find [anything more than, say, 6 bucks for a single video game or dvd], but in this case, I'd push the "didn't get what was advertised" angle. And I'd be pissed as well.

Quake1028

One of the main reasons I am pretty pissed is because this was a high value item (over $300), and I took some solace in the fact that it was being shipped by UPS, which meant I would have a tracking number. Then it arrives with no tracking, just shoved into an old box. Guy has perfect feedback too.

NotThatGuy

fixed

-p

resinrats

Well not to state the obvious but the shipping price was in the auction. You knew it was $15 when you bid. He didn't tell you after the auction was over the price was $15 when he knew it wasn't. How close is he to you? The $15 could be there to be sure to cover the cost to where ever the winner was. So for you it might be close and a low cost but if the winner was on the other side of the country, the cost would be closer to $15.

kilcher

Just be happy you got your item and leave appropriate feedback.

See post #4.

I'm surprised eBay hasn't cracked down on sellers selling (for example) 99 cent iPods with $200 shipping. As far as I know eBay's percentage of the final sales price does not include shipping.

turborobb

can I ask what you bought? I mean if you bought say a DVD, you should have known better than to bid on something listed with $15 postage.

Quake1028

It was an ipod. $15 is still a bit high, but for UPS ground I was willing to deal with it, especially since the auction ended at a nice price.

ukywyldcat

Leave a negative. Neutrals are for wusses.

Shoveler

Demand that $11.76 be refunded. If the seller is entitled to some pad for his time and supplies, you are similarly entitled to some pad for your time in seeking the tracking number (a reasonable request based on the advertised shipping method) and in trying to resolve this situation. If you get a refund, leave neutral feedback. If you don't get a refund, report to eBay based on fraudulent shipping charges (don't try to prove whether the charges were reasonable, focus on the bait and switch), and then leave negative feedback. Whatever type of feedback you leave, wait until the last possible minute to leave any feedback to avoide retaliation.

Above all, have fun with it, and don't expect anything. If it becomes frustrating, drop it, it's not worth it.

gimmepilotwings

Will not happen. The fact that you can charge shipping and handling, (which includes package materials, time it takes to go to the post office, etc) and there is no way that eBay does nothing about this. If you did not like the $15 shipping, you did not have to bid on that item.

In fact, If I were to sell something that costs $4 to ship, I may very well charge $10 for shipping and handling. Going to the post office usually takes about an hour for me, and I should be paid for my time. The buyer is lucky that I do not charge them what I make per hour.

Sometimes it sucks, but factor in the seller's shipping price before buying the item. It's pretty simple.

Goldblum

Which is why shoveler said focus on the "bait & switch", not the reasonableness of the cost.

grrrah

I would ask for the difference between UPS Ground and $3.24 back.

Similar happened to me where I got charged $15 for $3.50 shipping, but he didn't specifically list UPS Ground. I was a bit peeved, but knew the guy technically was going by the rules.

I left positive feedback, but with a message stating "Everything was perfect except shipping was slightly high".

he got mad at me and said he would have given some $$ back if I had asked first, and he wasnt sure what the actually shipping would be before the auction. He didnt use the "handling" excuse. oh well.