Buyer wants postage refund- how much?

soolin

jon81uk wrote: »

As a new seller they may also need to think about the effect a neg would have on feedback percentage. If they only have a feedback score of 9 (for example) then the one negative would push it down to 80%. As a buyer a low percentage can be quite off putting.

Very true and applies to stars as well. The same 9 sales with 8 x 5 * and a single 1* for p and p is going to give a worrying overall percentage when the stars go Libreville after 10 lots of feedback.

ToThePoint

I had to reply to this thread!!!!!

So postage and packing. Do you realise that what that means? It isn't there to abuse and rip off the buyers.

It's POSTAGE AND PACKING. Not to pay your fees and fuels costs etc.

If I pay £7 postage, I expect it to be around £5+. Not £1.20 and expect me to be ok with that. After all I'm paying for that, not the seller!

When I do sell. I always refund the buyer if it's cheaper! So I do practice what I preach!

Lioness_Twinkletoes

I'd not refund and start offering free P&P henceforth, but I am an occasional seller that can take the hit of poor feedback. Her message sounds like extortion to me. P&P is what it is. Buy the item or don't, but don't buy it and then demand a refund.

Sheesh.

juicygirl

Many thanks to all those who took the time to answer, especially the people who were nice about it!

In the end I decided to refund the full £2.19, it wasn't worth the argument and the negative feedback to me. Live and learn!

To those who offer free P&P - does this mean you put on a minimum bid? I have no idea what half the stuff people have mentioned means. I am strictly an amateur Ebay newbie!

Pierre_De_Grenoble

IMHO the only reason that ebay are losing DSR's on post/packing is because they know that sellers have to include their 10% postage grab in the postage /packing charge.

juicygirl

SpammyTheSpammer wrote: »

If you do not refund, you are almost certain to get a Negative and probably 1 star across the board from this stroppy buyer.

So, is it worth refunding £2 to prevent a Neg and poor stars ?

Frankly, I agree with King_Nothing, offering P&P instead of "FREE POST AND PACKAGING" is now a choice of fools:-

• The P&P portion is assessed in the FVF
• "FREE" P&P gets you automatic 5*
• It's one less thing for the buyer to moan about

Frankly, you gambled & lost on the buyer not challenging your inflated P&P in an effort to get another £2 - I fail to understand why people persist with this.....

Many thanks for the useful first part of your reply. To your last sentence: I didn't 'gamble' with my 'inflated' p&p, it was a genuine error, I have otherwise been very fair, and I don't 'persist' on anything. I am new to Ebay and didn't know about the free P&P thing people are doing, I'm still learning!

juicygirl

ToThePoint wrote: »

I had to reply to this thread!!!!!

So postage and packing. Do you realise that what that means? It isn't there to abuse and rip off the buyers.

It's POSTAGE AND PACKING. Not to pay your fees and fuels costs etc.

If I pay £7 postage, I expect it to be around £5+. Not £1.20 and expect me to be ok with that. After all I'm paying for that, not the seller!

When I do sell. I always refund the buyer if it's cheaper! So I do practice what I preach!

Many thanks for using your first post to be so critical. I am well aware what postage and packing is. Hence my original question- to refund everything in excess of the postage charge or keep something back for the packaging. I made a mistake. I wasn't trying to 'pay my fees and fuel costs', at no point did I mention them.

You always refund the buyer? So do you do this without them asking or only when they do???

I am new to Ebay, wanted to do the right thing and hence asked for advice. I think 'abuse and rip off buyers' was a very strong term and you'd be better rethinking your words before you post to 'help' someone again! Or maybe you're done now you've hot that off your chest!

rockin_plumber

The old postage and packing debate surfaces again...


Personally I would refund about £1.80...
If I had overcharged I would have refunded the difference as soon as I realised the mistake, and sent the buyer a message letting them know of my error.


Using a low start price but high postage wont gain anything as eBay charge fees on both now.


I know you didn't do this intentionally, but it is better working out the postage and adding on your packing costs before listing, worst case is you could lose out if it goes the other way, and you cant really ask for more for postage after the auction ends.


Listening to the "if I start my auction low but hike the p&p to keep up my profits brigade" will only annoy your buyers.

soolin

Lioness_Twinkletoes wrote: »

I'd not refund and start offering free P&P henceforth, but I am an occasional seller that can take the hit of poor feedback. Her message sounds like extortion to me. P&P is what it is. Buy the item or don't, but don't buy it and then demand a refund.

Sheesh.

Actually, an occasional seller is the worst person to take any hit on feedback or stars. A larger seller can take a neg or a low star without much impact. A small seller might easily drop to 80% feedback on a years assessment if they rarely received feedback and got a neg.

Same as stars, getting a 1* on post and packing in say 10 feedback where All the other stars were 5* would still see the percentage drop to 4.6 which might put buyers off entirely.

ToThePoint

juicygirl wrote: »

Many thanks for using your first post to be so critical. I am well aware what postage and packing is. Hence my original question- to refund everything in excess of the postage charge or keep something back for the packaging. I made a mistake. I wasn't trying to 'pay my fees and fuel costs', at no point did I mention them.

You always refund the buyer? So do you do this without them asking or only when they do???

I am new to Ebay, wanted to do the right thing and hence asked for advice. I think 'abuse and rip off buyers' was a very strong term and you'd be better rethinking your words before you post to 'help' someone again! Or maybe you're done now you've hot that off your chest!

Sorry, didn't mean that directly at you. As I saw you didn't mean to purposely overcharge. It was directed at the people who think it's 'fair' to rip buyers off on postage!

I always refund the buyer yes. I always put in the listing as-well, to say if it's cheaper, there be refunded the different straight away. (I don't sell a-lot, as I buy more, but when I do sell. I like to treat the buyer how I expect to be treated)

As I said, didn't mean you offend you. Was just meant to the posters who think it's fair to inflate postage and packaging for there own gain. Which is abused by a-lot of sellers.