Overcharged on P&P

the_tired_one

I'm with the OP on.

She agreed to the p&p which INCLUDED recorded delivery. Sure its only 68p, but had the item got lost / damaged - then that 68p is worth alot more.

I recently made a purchase - £150+ and happily payed £17 next day courier fees as it clearly staed INSDURED DELIVERY.

Had it been sent via 2nd Class Royal Mail (Standard Post) Insured for only £30, I would not have been happy!!!

MSE is fast turning into a 'save money' and then 'rip someone else fast' kind of place!

Sugar_Coated_Owl

the_tired_one wrote:

She agreed to the p&p which INCLUDED recorded delivery. Sure its only 68p, but had the item got lost / damaged - then that 68p is worth alot more.

Not really. Recorded delivery has a maximum compensation of £32 which is the same as if you had just got a certificate of posting.

Sybarite

razorbladekisses wrote: »

I don't really see the problem. You knew the p&p costs. You bid, won, paid and now you're moaning!

I would perhaps mention to the seller that you weren't happy that it wasn't sent by Recorded delivery.

Ummm there does seem to be a bit of distinction between buyers and sellers. I do a bit of both (in a small way) and don't think I've ever doubled/tripled the actual postage cost.

Less of a moan (I have emailed the seller btw) I simply wondered if anyone bothers to question P&P charges or indeed if there's a reasonable excess above the actual postage - as I stated I don't mind a quid or two.

frivolous_fay

'Reasonable' is whatever ebay consider not to be fee avoidance.

But then ebay have been known to pull auctions for heavy hardback books because they considered £5 'excessive'

aqueoushumour01

Sybarite wrote: »

Ummm there does seem to be a bit of distinction between buyers and sellers. I do a bit of both (in a small way) and don't think I've ever doubled/tripled the actual postage cost.

Less of a moan (I have emailed the seller btw) I simply wondered if anyone bothers to question P&P charges or indeed if there's a reasonable excess above the actual postage - as I stated I don't mind a quid or two.

I don't think that you quite understand that sellers do this not to mislead customers about P&P but to reduce the fee they have to pay ebay (so misleading ebay about the final price of their item). I don't do it myself but if the P&P charge reflects the actual cost then typically the price of the item will end higher than if P&P costs are exaggerated, so the buyer pays about the same but the seller makes more profit as their fees are lower.

As an extreme example to hammer it home, say an item which can be bought in the shops for £20 is selling on ebay as a buy it now auction for £0.01 + £15. When it comes through the door and postage paid is £2.00, have you been ripped off by paying £15 postage? No. This was clearly stated and therefore the cost to the buyer (£15.01) was known and this was deemed acceptable and a purchase decision was therefore made. Seller could quite easily have listed the item for £15 + £0.01 P&P but would pay higher fees. Cost to the buyer is the same so why should they complain? Too many buyers consider the price and P&P as two distinct items. To save myself the stress, i only consider to sum of these two parts and look solely at the total price. If that's acceptable i buy, if it's too high i don't.

smashed

Can we please make a sticky about this problem,, its getting tiresome

If you dont like the excessive P&P, dont agree to it and dont bid on the auction.

Some sellers take the mick, so leave them alone if you dont agree with it.

I dont buy an item for £110, then find its for sale in Comet for £80, and THEN complain that I have been overcharged.

Do your research before you buy.

Sybarite

On an associated point, if P&P is higher than what would be categoried as 'reasonable cost' ie it's fee avoidance and sellers are leaving themselves open to having their auctions pulled by Ebay if there's a complaint, doesn't his simply make them more vulnerable to disgruntled buyers? I can register a complaint, they have their listings pulled, have to forfeit their listing fees & possibly be suspended (I understand Ebay really doesn't like fee avoidance).

greenstreetprince

littlekitten wrote: »

Hi ,

I sell things on ebay and I work out my postage and pacaging as follows :

e.g Say for a light weight clothing item say a babies t shirt.

Mail -lite bubble envelope : 72 pence (my cost not inflated)
Labels x 2 : 4 pence
Petrol to post office (5 miles away 10 mile round trip) : 89 pence ( 500 miles per tank 50 litre tank - 1 litre does about 10 miles)
RM signed for delivery : £1.10

Thus my P& P on the example would be : £2.79 although the stamp was only £1.10.

Do you think my p & p is un reasonable?????

xx

No, but you paying too much for your envelopes love

get down to a poundshop such as poundland or 99p stores and pick up 6 large bubble lined envelopes for a quid :beer:

Sybarite

Personally I wouldn't bother with the sticky labels, I print to paper and then use a bit of clear wide packing tape - but then I assume it depends if you're running a business or simply selling a few odds and ends.

spinning_hamster_wheel

littlekitten wrote: »

Hi ,

I sell things on ebay and I work out my postage and pacaging as follows :

e.g Say for a light weight clothing item say a babies t shirt.

Mail -lite bubble envelope : 72 pence (my cost not inflated)
Labels x 2 : 4 pence
Petrol to post office (5 miles away 10 mile round trip) : 89 pence ( 500 miles per tank 50 litre tank - 1 litre does about 10 miles)
RM signed for delivery : £1.10

Thus my P& P on the example would be : £2.79 although the stamp was only £1.10.

Do you think my p & p is un reasonable?????

xx

I wouldn't say "unreasonable" but as a good MSE'er I wouldn't be buying used baby clothing for £2.79 P&P + winning bid when I can get a brand new pack of tops from ASDA/Tesco/Primark for £3.