P&P question

Moglex

If you saw an auction which was one of a series where the seller was selling items that it was very likely people would want to buy together, and they had not specified a p&p price, but only a list of airmail charges against weight, would you expect that they would add the weights of the items invoiced together as packaged and charge that?

I ordered 7 items and the resulting invoice had a p&p charge that was nearly twice as much as sending each item singly by registered airmail!

I've written back to the seller asking for an explanation, but I'd be interested in your opinions.

soolin

As the seller did not actually specify a post and packign rate there is nothing you can do. Many US sellers show weights, I don't know why but this does not include their packing materials, packing and handling charges, all of which they are allowed to add onto the final costs.

If you had wanted an exact post and packign charge you needed to have asked the seller before bidding.

Moglex

soolin wrote:

As the seller did not actually specify a post and packign rate there is nothing you can do. Many US sellers show weights, I don't know why but this does not include their packing materials, packing and handling charges, all of which they are allowed to add onto the final costs.

If you had wanted an exact post and packign charge you needed to have asked the seller before bidding.

I hear what you're saying, but I disagree completely.

I didn't want an exact cost, but where a seller does not state anything other than a price per gram, I expect to pay what they specify.

I certainly don't expect an invoice for over 6 times the calculable shipping based on the charges the specified.

Just out of interest, why do you think that a seller should be allowed to specify a method of calculating charges and then charge something completely different (by a factor of 6)? Seems like a rip-off merchant's charter :eek:

Their exact words were: "The costs for shipping and handling are dependant on the weight:", and then a table of weight/costs.

As far as I'm concerned that was a concrete and unambiguous statement of the shipping costs, and those are what I expect to be charged.

FloFlo

I think that Ebay states the seller can change postage costs but both have to agree. Perhaps its different for US sellers, I would try a polite query and wait for their response.

soolin

FloFlo wrote:

I think that Ebay states the seller can change postage costs but both have to agree. Perhaps its different for US sellers, I would try a polite query and wait for their response.

The seller chooses the post and packing costs, the buyer either agrees by bidding, or disagrees by not bidding.

Ebay US sellers often show the weight of items, but I've never taken it to mean that they charge postage only, I have always taken it to mean that they charge postage 'based on' but not exactly the same as that shown. A seller is entitled to add on all handling charges.

Unless the exact post and packing charge is shown without ambaguity I would think it always safer to check first.

Soo

hjb123

To be honest I agree with Soolin here.

I would have requested an estimate of the total price and postage charges before I bid if the exact postage wasnt mentioned - I know they said price per gram or whatever but when multiple items it doesnt just mean that the items will cost the same as they would have if they were parcelled seperately - they may be bigger and therefore have an extra charge.

Have you contacted the seller to see what he says as to why he has charged so much?

Were the items heavy or valuable?

Can you maybe post a link to the auction?

If you disagree with the postage why not ask to pay for all the items seperately because the postage is cheaper?

Moglex

Well, it seems that the seller is in my camp, and it was just a misunderstanding.

I'm extremely surprised that anyone would find anything ambiguous in what I quoted:

"The costs for shipping and handling are dependant on the weight:", and then a table of weight/costs.

If you want to suggest that that does not provide an unambiguous statement of the cost (when the weight is specified), what more do you want?

The cost of shipping and handling depends on the weight.

For this weight, this is the cost.

cannot yield any meaning other than that the cost of shipping for the given item will be what is specified.

Please explain where the ambiguity lies, because I cannot see any.