over charged on ebay postage. can I please have some good advice?

poet123

ILW wrote: »

What makes you think a seller should charge delivery and packaging at cost only?
Most businesses need to charge a mark up on all items.
As long as you know what it is up front, then it is not an overcharge.

The fact that Ebay say so.
The fact that the designation is: P&P not P&P& any other charge you feel the need to add.
Mark up should be on product not transparent costs.

It is really silly to use that as a business model on Ebay when many buyers will punish you for it by low stars.

RFW

vacheron wrote: »

In the end it is my responsibility as the customer whether or not to pay a certain amount which is clearly stated at the time of ordering.

To argue the cost later based solely on the carrier charges is akin to me employing a courier service to deliver a parcel and then asking them to refund the difference later because I was somehow able to see what they paid the actual carrier!

This entire site is dedicated to getting the consumer a better deal and often telling them to complain after they have purchased something. Bank charges were clearly set out and many have had refunds, same for PPI charges and many other things. The days of the consumer being told what to pay and lumping it are long gone.

It's interesting that many people on here believe that those consumer rights (should) pass over when they become sellers on Ebay.

soolin

I'm just reposting what I asked yesterday as it has been lost in the circular argument:

Just to clarify are those people suggesting we sellers should add all our
costs, petrol etc into the p and p costs confident that this will still mean we
will not get poor stars because of it? Are you all finding that you can charge
what you want and still get 5* and that the people being restricted for having
too many lows are somehow mistaken or just unlucky?





In the last few months we have had posts from sellers both business and
private, who have suffered restrictions due to low stars (1 or 2 * in p and P),
are they mistaken then?





Otherwise this whole discussion is pointless, if charging to excess can mean
being restricted then why risk it?





I am worried that new sellers may feel that because all these random people
on an internet forum categorically state they can charge what they want they may
be less than impressed if it ultimately leads to a restriction and costs them
money by not being able to sell their unwanted goods on a private account, or
affect their fledgling business.

RFW

ILW wrote: »

What makes you think a seller should charge delivery and packaging at cost only?
Most businesses need to charge a mark up on all items.
As long as you know what it is up front, then it is not an overcharge.

Did you go to the Arthur Daley School of Business?

If everyone followed this it would put an end to all those Rogue Trader type programmes on TV....

"Yes little old lady, you may have paid ten grand to have your roof fixed and all I did was stick some sellotape on a tile, but you knew what you were paying upfront"

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

poet123 wrote: »

It is a category designated "postage and packing" and so that only those costs are included is an implicit term of the contract to buy. If any other component is factored in that term is void, and the contract is invalid.

That is why Ebay have the star system for buyers to rate whether they are satisfied with the transaction overall not just the product bought, and why P&P costs are included in that rating system.

When talking "legally" this isn't your opinion or eBay rules.

If I spend £20,000 on a new packing room and equipment which is expected to last for the next 6 years and I ship 10000 parcel a year then I can "legally" add 33p per parcel to postage and packing to cover this. A whole distribution centre would cost millions to build and a lot of money to run and regardless of opinion a business could "legally" class a contribution of these overheads towards P&P.

If you were to go to court over what is legally P&P the retailer could very easily come up with a load of stuff to justify their costs.

The only legally that comes into it is unfair trading and you'll have to go a very long way to demonstrate this.

I seem to recall have this same discussion with poet about a year ago and at the time I was thinking "I wish I could block restricted sellers". That's not to suggest poet is one but some get a few lows and go on a strop about it so start with over scrutinising others because they've now been affected so why shouldn't others be as well where as before they didn't care at all.

As I said before people like poet shouldn't have many complaints at all about P&P because by their own admission they can get it just right for their own customers so they must also have a very good judgement over postage when buying.

poet123

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

When talking "legally" this isn't your opinion or eBay rules.

If I spend £20,000 on a new packing room and equipment which is expected to last for the next 6 years and I ship 10000 parcel a year then I can "legally" add 33p per parcel to postage and packing to cover this. A whole distribution centre would cost millions to build and a lot of money to run and regardless of opinion a business could "legally" class a contribution of these overheads towards P&P. .

I doubt anyone would baulk at 33p. If you were to spend 200,000 and add £3.30 though they would.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

If you were to go to court over what is legally P&P the retailer could very easily come up with a load of stuff to justify their costs..

They would have to justify why those costs were considered by tham as legitimately part of the designation P&P. Your scenario above might cover it, but other add ons wouldn't.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

The only legally that comes into it is unfair trading and you'll have to go a very long way to demonstrate this. .

I disagree, but the reality is doesn't get to that, people vote with their feedback.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

I seem to recall have this same discussion with poet about a year ago and at the time I was thinking "I wish I could block restricted sellers". That's not to suggest poet is one but some get a few lows and go on a strop about it so start with over scrutinising others because they've now been affected so why shouldn't others be as well where as before they didn't care at all. .

I did not get into a strop I realised that I was not providing useful feedback if I did not mention an issue in the specific section designated for that (stars for P&P) which I had found wanting in a specific seller. I did learn that others value that feedback and that others leave stars which reflect that.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

As I said before people like poet shouldn't have many complaints at all about P&P because by their own admission they can get it just right for their own customers so they must also have a very good judgement over postage when buying.

I don't need to exercise good judgement, I expect postage to be reasonable and if it isn't I leave stars accordingly as directed by Ebay. They brought the system in I and others use it. End of.

As Soolin states those who charge what they feel they can "get away" with and exhort others to do the same are treading a dangerous path.

CCFC_80

Nerja wrote: »

You mean the sort of life where he/she spends their time on an internet forum telling other people to get a life?

I think you need to get a life.

I am a troll fowldy roll

fishforsale

postage & packaging

Comprende?

poet123

fishforsale wrote: »

postage & packaging

Comprende?

Yes, do you?

soolin

fishforsale wrote: »

postage & packaging

Comprende?

No one else is answering me- so can you state categorically then that I can charge what I want for my postage and packaging on ebay and not face any issues with low stars and restriction/suspension?

I keep asking- so all those sellers we have saying they have been restricted due to low stars for p and p are imaging it then are they?