Buyer asking for postage refund

KLB

Hi all,
I recently sold a load of clothes on ebay and it's the first time I've done it this year, so I wasn't aware of the changes in Royal Mail's pricing.
I sold a jumper and put £3.50 postage. When I took it to the Post Office, it ended up being slim enough to be a large letter and cost £1.20.
Now the buyer has emailed me asking for a refund on the extra postage. I'm not sure what to do, tbh I usually estimate my postage, sometimes I'm over and more often than not I underestimate. I wouldn't dream of asking a buyer for extra money on the occasions I understimate, so I think it's quite rude for the buyer to ask for a refund, at the end of the day they were willing to pay that postage when they bid for the item.
By the same token I suppose I don't mind giving a couple of quid back but I just wondered what your thoughts were?
Thanks.

geri1965_2

I would refund. It's not worth getting bad feedback or your stars marked down for the sake of a few quid.

Flyonthewall

Refund the difference in postage. As already said, it's not worth the bad feedback. You shouldn't estimate postage. The Royal Mail site tells you exactly what it's going to cost and, as you can see, it can lead to problems when you just guess.

celestius

I would refund.
Don't estimate postage, it's so easy to weigh the item on kitchen scales. Then you won't be out of pocket and your buyers will be happy!

I find this site very easy and quick to use! http://www.seajays.org.uk/postage/

campdave

You overcharged £2.20. Either refund, or suffer the feedback and DSR.

While you're at it, stop guessing at postage. You're either going to get low DSR if you continue doing what you're doing, or end up paying extra because you didn't charge enough in the first place.

soolin

It is unfortunate that you guessed the postage as you will have paid FVFs on it which will not be refunded if you refund.

However, as above it is not worth risking your stars for and so I would give a refund of the difference less a little kept back for packing and possibly the additional 15p or so for fees (I am sure that will annoy some people, but these fees have been paid already and need to be factored in now to postage costs.)

Ralph-y

on Ebay because buyers can now bully / scam / threaten you into refunds of as little a £1-2

and it is sad that know body especially Ebay is interested .

If you really want to keep selling then you will have to consider free P&P as a way to stop some of the petty minded buyers from causing you grief.

Ralph:cool:

hollydays

It's rather daft to say sometimes you underestimate, what does that matter to this buyer?
I estimate too and while it's swings and roundabouts for me, if I've badly overestimated I refund the buyer without being asked. I write the postage I've charged where the stamp goes so when I get to the post office I can see which items are over, and make a note.

The way I see it, the buyer is assuming you've overestimated and she shouldn't have to ask, when she bid the assumed this was the price for the weight of the item, but as you later discovered, it wasn't.

martindow

hollydays wrote: »

It's rather daft to say sometimes you underestimate, what does that matter to this buyer?
I estimate too and while it's swings and roundabouts for me, if I've badly overestimated I refund the buyer without being asked. I write the postage I've charged where the stamp goes so when I get to the post office I can see which items are over, and make a note.

The way I see it, the buyer is assuming you've overestimated and she shouldn't have to ask, when she bid the assumed this was the price for the weight of the item, but as you later discovered, it wasn't.

No one should be estimating. With a pair of scales and a tape measure you can get the postage right.

If it is 'swings and roundabouts' but you are refunding on occasions when it costs less than your guess, you must be losing out over all as you are taking a hit when it costs more than you quoted.

hollydays

When I sell a lot I can usually guess, thanks, but it's up to me..

Voyager2002

I only use Ebay to buy, but accept that the charge for P and P is not simply for the stamp, but covers packaging material and the seller's time. I take note of the charge for P and P, and if it seems excessive then I buy from someone else, or message the seller to ask if they could use a less expensive method of delivery.

So I think that you OUGHT to stand your ground, and if they 'neg' you then reply. Otherwise, give whatever refund you choose in order to keep this person happy, or else give them something like 1.50 since the 3.50 they paid has to cover more than the cost of postage.