Ebay postage question/query

too_much_debt · 13 March 2017 at 9:03AM

Hi

I bought an item for £10 a while ago, decided I no longer wanted it so listed it on Ebay starting bid 99p with £2.85 postage. Listing ended over the weekend and sold for £49.00. I specified 1st Class post.

As it's gone for a lot more than expected (I thought about £15-20) should I send 1st class still or should I send 1st Class Recorded? I am unsure as I think if it goes missing anyway they will only refund me what I paid for the item (£10), not the £49 it sold for.

Does anyone have any advice on what I should do please? Thanks in advance.

TMD

November2 · 13 March 2017 at 9:33AM

Not quite sure why you're deliberating as recorded delivery isn't expensive. So, yes definitely send recorded delivery that way buyer can't pretend they've not received it. If you send by just 1st class buyer can just open a not received case and you would automatically lose.

Norman_Castle · 13 March 2017 at 9:44AM

I think if it goes missing anyway they will only refund me what I paid for the item (£10), not the £49 it sold for.

Its worth what it sold for. How would they know what you paid for it?
For a £49 item I would pay the extra few pounds for signed for.

soolin · 13 March 2017 at 9:49AM

The sticky postage thread covers this issue, as a private seller on ebay (I assume) you would expect to be covered by the ebay selling price)

Recorded has been replaced by signed for which is an additional £1.10. It is not really suitable for paypal as in many areas it never shows as delivered, but it is useful in that it increases the 'insurance' on lost items from £20-£50 .

too_much_debt · 13 March 2017 at 10:21AM

November2 wrote: »

Not quite sure why you're deliberating as recorded delivery isn't expensive. So, yes definitely send recorded delivery that way buyer can't pretend they've not received it. If you send by just 1st class buyer can just open a not received case and you would automatically lose.

Thanks for your reply! I am not querying the cost, I am querying the fact that I specified 1st Class and if I send Recorded and they are not in they will have to go and collect it from their sorting office (it might be an inconvenience).

As a buyer would you leave neg/neutral feedback to a seller sending something by a different postage method? Although really I am just upgrading.

Thanks!

TMD

too_much_debt · 13 March 2017 at 10:25AM

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Its worth what it sold for. How would they know what you paid for it?
For a £49 item I would pay the extra few pounds for signed for.

Thanks for your reply. I am not querying the cost, just wondering if the buyer would be annoyed if they were not in and had to go and collect it and whether they would leave neutral/neg feedback for it. I know buyers would not be happy if a listing specified 1st class and it was send 2nd class so wondered if the same applied for 1st class being send 1st Recorded.

I am sure when I claimed once before the form asked for evidence of what I paid for it but that might have been on my old business account, can't remember now as I stopped selling as a business over 6 years ago.

Thanks.

TMD

too_much_debt · 13 March 2017 at 10:27AM

soolin wrote: »

The sticky postage thread covers this issue, as a private seller on ebay (I assume) you would expect to be covered by the ebay selling price)

Recorded has been replaced by signed for which is an additional £1.10. It is not really suitable for paypal as in many areas it never shows as delivered, but it is useful in that it increases the 'insurance' on lost items from £20-£50 .

Thanks Soolin! Will read the sticky on postage.

mrcol1000 · 13 March 2017 at 10:31AM

too_much_debt wrote: »

Thanks for your reply! I am not querying the cost, I am querying the fact that I specified 1st Class and if I send Recorded and they are not in they will have to go and collect it from their sorting office (it might be an inconvenience).

As a buyer would you leave neg/neutral feedback to a seller sending something by a different postage method? Although really I am just upgrading.

Thanks!

TMD

I think you need to look at it this way. Would you rather send it recorded when you said 1st? Or send it 1st and lose £49 because it got lost in the post? I think you are worrying over nothing because it is still going by the service specified. I think you would be crazy to send something worth £50 by a service that you have no chance of knowing if it got there or not. Personally I'd be considering Special Delivery or a courier as recorded is not that reliable tracking wise.

soolin · 13 March 2017 at 10:36AM

too_much_debt wrote: »

Thanks for your reply! I am not querying the cost, I am querying the fact that I specified 1st Class and if I send Recorded and they are not in they will have to go and collect it from their sorting office (it might be an inconvenience).

As a buyer would you leave neg/neutral feedback to a seller sending something by a different postage method? Although really I am just upgrading.

Thanks!

TMD

That's a point actually, we have had buyers on here state they would leave poor feedback for someone who changed the postage method on them. However, I think that's rare and would perhaps would decide depending on the size of the item.

If it is small enough to go through a letter box then I might not upgrade on the basis it might force a buyer to go to the Mail Centre to collect it. If however the buyer already needed to be in to accept a large parcel then I might risk upgrading.

ballisticbrian · 13 March 2017 at 10:37AM

Thanks for your reply! I am not querying the cost, I am querying the fact that I specified 1st Class and if I send Recorded and they are not in they will have to go and collect it from their sorting office (it might be an inconvenience).

eBay's policy is to send it at least signed for or tracked. End of story. There are some people noses put out if you charge for "postage and PACKING" and the packaging is used. It takes all sorts.

Norman_Castle · 13 March 2017 at 11:10AM

too_much_debt wrote: »

I am not querying the cost, just wondering if the buyer would be annoyed if they were not in and had to go and collect it and whether they would leave neutral/neg feedback for it. I know buyers would not be happy if a listing specified 1st class and it was send 2nd class so wondered if the same applied for 1st class being send 1st Recorded.

I've added signed for to items listed without it and never had a complaint. I've also received items where this has been added and although it might be a minor inconvenience I've never thought the seller was wrong to add it.
Since my sorting office moved to a distant location with very poor parking I arrange re-delivery online. If a customer does complain about collecting the item suggest this as an option.

Ebay postage question/query

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