ebay buyer is questioning postage price after i have sent the item, help!

jammiev

NeilJung wrote: »

Hugely excessive. However I'm guessing that your item sold for a quite low price, and the buyer must have been happy with the total cost. The high postage price may have put off other bidders, so in a sense your buyer is taking advantage of the situation (or trying to).

Some buyers would have been happy with the transaction if the overall price was fair, but you always get chancers, and you were kind of asking for it with the postage at that level above cost.

I've read stories on here of buyers demanding postage refunds on every penny over the stamp price, which really is nuts. When listing it's best to keep the postage costs reasonable and build in any other fees/costs into your starting price.

Your buyer is out of order for trying to blackmail you though in my opinion. If they have mentioned that they will leave negative feedback if you don't refund some postage in an ebay message you could probably use that as grounds to get the feedback removed, if not indeed get the person in quite a bit of trouble with ebay. Feedback extortion is not allowed, and buyers cannot put in a complaint about high postage after the auction.

If I were you, I'd seek further information on my last paragraph from one of the more informed users such as soolin if you want to take that angle, and work from there.

hi, thanks, yeh, the item did sell for a really really low price!

jammiev

sunnysea83 wrote: »

how much did the item sell for and how much would you say its worth?

Maybe meet them in the little, say that you will refund them x amount of the postage as although the actual postage was x you also had to give up your lunch hour in the post office, pay for packing materials etc.

The buyer at the end of the day agreed to the postage when they bid and was aware of the postage. I have never had this happen to me before but then i tend to only charge postage cost plus about 25p-50p. Only time i add a bit more on is when im using a courier as i havet he hassle of driving in to work and paying for parking so i can take the parcel to be collected and therefore include the parking cost and a small amount for petrol as i wouldnt normally be taking my car and going to that expense, also the buyer doesnt know how much i paid for the courier so it isnt soo obvious.

the only time i complain about postage is when ive paid for recorded and i get standard etc.

hi, it sold for £1 and its worth new about £20.

jammiev

NeilJung wrote: »

This link might be useful. Have a read and determine if the messages you have had from the buyer could be considered as feedback extortion. In my opinion it sounds very much like it could, as they were happy with the transaction and are now demanding money back on something after the fact that they were happy to pay at the time of auction.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/feedback-extortion.html

If they have emailed you these threats outside ebays message system though it is possible that it won't carry as much weight as if they emailed you independently. Ebay say you have to include the full headers of any emails you forward to them in order that they can determine the origin of them.

hi, thanks, they did e-mail me within the ebay mailing system

sunnysea83

I think the postage most have put others off, it would have me, but the buyer clearly got a bargain because of the postage cost you stated. I think they are trying it on.

Have you had further contact from them

jammiev

sunnysea83 wrote: »

I think the postage most have put others off, it would have me, but the buyer clearly got a bargain because of the postage cost you stated. I think they are trying it on.

Have you had further contact from them

hi, no not yet, the buyer paid by paypal then a few days later the first e-mail said ' is the postage price a typing error? i replied no

NeilJung

One thing not to do is tell them that you will report them for feedback extortion unless they leave positive, as that is (you guessed) feedback extortion!

If I was you, I think I'd be filling in that report now, and inform the buyer that you have reported them if you want. Keep all messages polite, factual and to the point, especially those to ebay.

Chances are if you go this route the buyer will get a slap and any neg they leave will be removed, but that is not guaranteed, and will very much depend on how they worded the message to you.

jamtart6

To be fair, although £12 on a £3 postage IS excessive, it is EXACTLY what was stated on the auction. It isn't "bid on the item and negotioate the p+p" if i don't like it.

I had the same problem with a buyer. She wanted multiple items for joint p+p. I knocked 10% off as a goodwill gesture as I state I don't combine, it was still over £20 (would have been about £14 to post) and she had a fit, so I refused to sell to her and reported her. She bidded on the price and the p+p so there is no room for negotiation afterwards in my book.

NeilJung

jammiev wrote: »

hi, no not yet, the buyer paid by paypal then a few days later the first e-mail said ' is the postage price a typing error? i replied no

Obviously not a typing error, because they saw it and agreed to it when they bid, then paid it!

jammiev

thanks all, advice is great, so how should i word my reply?

sunnysea83

what are you going to do?