lodgers declaration? australia

bwatt00

Just won an item on australia ebay and seller has hit me with this extra payment that was not mentioned a few days ago and i have not heard of before as i was there myself last year travelling and sent several boxes back home.
He asks lodgers declaration: $10.00 anyone know where i can find info on this and what it is about.
He says its required if an item is sent over 2kg?

Al_Mac

Ask what it is and why wasn't it advertised?:beer:

Murtle

never heard of it, but google found this (although the comment is from Aus to US, it might be the same thing???_

http://forums.ebay.com.au/thread.jspa?threadID=100030798&tstart=680&mod=1092609756713

HOWEVER, I have been looking on this and can't find it mentioned anywhere

http://www.auspost.com.au/

and if you look at sending stuff to the UK from AUS it doesn't mention it either....sorry....

photoman_3

Don't pay it. If the seller didn't specify it in the auction, you shouldn't be asked to pay it now. I would also assume that since the seller is prepared to send stuff international, then they would have found out the appropriate rates, including any additional charges. It's like me selling something, and then asking the buyer for another fiver to cover my costs of driving to the Post Office.

cosmokramer2004

photoman wrote:

Don't pay it. If the seller didn't specify it in the auction, you shouldn't be asked to pay it now. I would also assume that since the seller is prepared to send stuff international, then they would have found out the appropriate rates, including any additional charges. It's like me selling something, and then asking the buyer for another fiver to cover my costs of driving to the Post Office.

The seller is allowed to change the postal costs at his/her discretion when selling internationally. It's not a requirement to state the full international postal costs.

angelcake

I would perhaps email royal mail I am sure they would kow something about it! or I would't pay it!

bwatt00

Well i have not found any info about it myself and seller has not replied to me after i emailed asking what it was for and where i can find info on it.
It maybe that the item sold very cheap and they are trying to get a little more for it by telling me about this charge as the shipping cost is going to cost me 7 times the price of the item i am buying because of its weight which i knew about when buying and am happy to pay but this other charges has only just came up and also a extra amount for packing.
They did not have to sell to me as it was not up for auction as international only australia but i wanted it and asked if ok to bid and they had no problem.
But i am trying to find out this charge they ask for as i sent boxes back home from oz last year when travelling and did not here of this.

Tojo_Ralph

bwatt00 wrote:

This other charges has only just came up and also a extra amount for packing.

The seller wants extra costs not listed for one thing and now extra for packing? ..... I think it's time to say nite nite on this one!!

If you have friends/family out that way, depending on how much you need the item, you could of course ship it to them, and worry about getting it back to the UK later.

photoman_3

cosmokramer2004 wrote:

The seller is allowed to change the postal costs at his/her discretion when selling internationally. It's not a requirement to state the full international postal costs.

I somehow don't think that 'discretion' entitles them to throw in extra charges that were not declared in the auction. If the seller was prepared to send international, then they should have been aware of how much it was likely to cost, including any extras, and should have had this included in the overall postage costs. Whenever I set a fee for postage, it stays set. If it turns out that it costs me an extra pound to send it because I got my sums wrong, it's my fault. I'm not going to go back to the buyer and ask for another pound for postage.

With regards to the 'lodgers declaration', the only thing I can find anything remotely like it on the Australia mail service website is a declaration about dangerous goods. However, even if this is what the seller is talking about, I don't see why it should cost $10.00, and as I said above, they should have been aware of this and factored the cost in.

hawfannybaws

I've lived in Brisbane for over 5 years and sent several packages back to the UK and to the US. The only thing I can think of that could be described as a "Lodgers Declaration" might be the little green sticker that you apply to a parcel that declares what the item is and what it is worth to the Australian customs. On no occassion have I had to pay any costs other than the postage and packing.

photoman_3

bwatt00 - Out of curiosity I emailed Australia mail and asked them about this lodgers declaration. The response I got back was 'I am not familiar with the term "lodgers declaration". It is not an Australia Post term'. That should make you mind up about paying.