Seller seems a bit dodgy - Can I avoid paying?

*cake* · 16 May 2013 at 8:40PM

Hi,

I was wondering if I could get some advice on this situation.

I won a couple of DVDs from a seller today (with 100% positive feedback, but only a few sales, and none recently). I requested a combined invoice and asked if they would combined shipping. I received no reply, but an invoice with the full, non-combined shipping PLUS an "additional charge" of the same amount as the whole order+shipping on top of that! So pretty much 2 DVDs £5.50 + Shipping £4 + Additional charge £9.50.

I sent a message politely pointing out that they seemed to have messed up the invoice and could they send a new one, and would they combined shipping? I just received a new invoice without that additional charge. But no message explaining the situation or replying to my question about postage..

So I'm feeling a bit uneasy about it, not sure if they tried to scam me or just messed up. Don't understand how you'd add an extra charge by mistake though? Also weird that they're not replying to my message about combined shipping.. Maybe I'm just being overly suspicious?

Feeling a bit uneasy about it, not sure if I want to pay even if I want the DVDs. But I don't want an unpaid strike from eBay either..

*sigh*

soolin · 16 May 2013 at 8:45PM

No, you have no way of getting out of this sale.

I would be surprised if combining p and p is possible as DVds fit comfortably into the large letter size at £1.20 1st class each, but combining them into a parcel would cost £3.

butler_helen · 16 May 2013 at 8:55PM

I wouldn't worry about the extra £9.50 on the first invoice. I have had that before and for much later amounts! I just don't pay via invoice and pay via the listing/phone app.

One lady told me she hadn't realised and didn't know how it'd happened, so I guess it's possibly something easy to get wrong? (Albeit I've never done it!).

*cake* · 16 May 2013 at 9:11PM

Soolin >> Thanks for your reply. Yes, I thought that might be the case, that there's not much I can do about it.

123>> I have absolutely no problem paying the full shipping cost that was stated in the auction (never in my life have I not paid for auctions I've won), but it never hurts to ask if they will combine, because most sellers do, and I would always combine shipping myself wherever possible if a buyer wins several of my auctions. I find it odd that they didn't respond to my message - obviously they have read it and are sitting by their PC/smartphone as they are sending me invoices. And the fact that they sent me an invoice totaling £19 instead of the correct amount of £9.50 is the reason I'm feeling uneasy about the seller, which was the issue I raised in my post, not the cost of the shipping. Like I said, I'm not sure how it's possible to add an extra charge "by mistake", but perhaps it is, which is why I'm turning here for advice - not some strange accusation of "I bet you just want to get out of the auction because you're not getting combined shipping" from you. Odd indeed. You must have misunderstood my original post, because at no point in it am I saying that I'm not willing to pay the full shipping cost. Like I said, I accept that people are not willing to combine shipping, but that is not the issue here.

butler_helen>> Thanks for your reply and putting my mind to rest. I've never had it happen to me before either, which made me suspicious, I'm not sure how it's possible either. Guess I'll just have to cross my fingers that it was an honest mistake and the seller is honest.

zerog · 16 May 2013 at 10:04PM

Just leave low stars for p&p if they do send it as one package which is cheaper than 2 packages would have cost.

techspec · 16 May 2013 at 10:15PM

Or you could just pay the agreed price, and stop trying to squeeze every last penny out of sellers.

Discounts should be agreed BEFORE bidding!

soolin · 16 May 2013 at 10:16PM

zerog wrote: »

Just leave low stars for p&p if they do send it as one package which is cheaper than 2 packages would have cost.

These are DVDs so a single parcel will be £3 1st class as opposed to 2 lots of £1.20 if sent as two lots of large letter

*cake* · 16 May 2013 at 10:40PM

:doh:*sigh* What's going on here? This thread is not about postage, I don't care about the postage cost, I was just mentioning it because I was explaining what the situation was like. The thread/issue is about the seller sending a dodgy invoice with an additional charge of about £10 out of nowhere on top of the original listing+postage price, and then not replying to my message asking about it.

soolin · 17 May 2013 at 8:16AM

*cake* wrote: »

:doh:*sigh* What's going on here? This thread is not about postage, I don't care about the postage cost, I was just mentioning it because I was explaining what the situation was like. The thread/issue is about the seller sending a dodgy invoice with an additional charge of about £10 out of nowhere on top of the original listing+postage price, and then not replying to my message asking about it.

As a seller many of us have been faced with the peculiar way ebay do their invoices, so we probably take it almost as normal. If for any reason he thought he had to add the postage, that would show up double, also any attempt to change an invoice would be thwarted as ebay have a big 'recalculate' button- which does the complete opposite.

I am more inclined to think it is a seller who has got flustered, if you are really unhappy then delay payment and pay if he opens an NPB on you as at least you know that means he is paying attention.

ballisticbrian · 17 May 2013 at 9:45AM

-1 to zerog. Have you used a post office lately? :think:

Obviously_the_best · 17 May 2013 at 11:12PM

I'd just ignore the invoice and pay from the listing page, problem solved.

Just to point out that its good eBay etiquette to ask about combined postage before the end of the auction, because as proved by this thread, a lot if sellers don't like being asked afterwards.

Seller seems a bit dodgy - Can I avoid paying?

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