When do you mark down for postage?

Cuilean

I bought an item where P&P was £5.65, 1st class recorded. When it eventually turned up, on the last day of the delivery window, it had been posted in a black bin bag, and the label showed 2nd class, non recorded, £2.80 paid. They've effectively charged double on P&P and not used the service stated.

Personally, I do tend to round up about 30p when I post my sold items, although I explain this is to cover the extra packaging on the items I sell, which are easily broken, so I have no objection to people charging a reasonable amount on top of standard prices. I just think that doubling it takes the proverbial slightly.

Would it be worth deducting stars for this seller? I've never done so before, so I'm curious to know how others would react.

ballisticbrian

Don't forget 57p of that postage went to eBay's profit and something like 15p went to Paypal's profit before the seller got their hands on it.

soolin

Cuilean wrote: »

I bought an item where P&P was £5.65, 1st class recorded. When it eventually turned up, on the last day of the delivery window, it had been posted in a black bin bag, and the label showed 2nd class, non recorded, £2.80 paid. They've effectively charged double on P&P and not used the service stated.

Personally, I do tend to round up about 30p when I post my sold items, although I explain this is to cover the extra packaging on the items I sell, which are easily broken, so I have no objection to people charging a reasonable amount on top of standard prices. I just think that doubling it takes the proverbial slightly.

Would it be worth deducting stars for this seller? I've never done so before, so I'm curious to know how others would react.

In this instance I would contact the seller before doing anything - tell them you paid for 1st class signed for (no such thing as recorded anymore) and that is arrived 2nd class standard so you would like the difference refunded. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has sent someone to the PO with my items only to find they bought the wrong service.

Only worry about stars when they have had a chance to sort this out .

sportsarb

I would leave negative feedback.

It is for the seller to ensure that their items are posted in line with what they promised. There is a reasonable amount that people are prepared to accept being added on but 100% MU is ridiculous in the extreme.

POPPYOSCAR

soolin wrote: »

In this instance I would contact the seller before doing anything - tell them you paid for 1st class signed for (no such thing as recorded anymore) and that is arrived 2nd class standard so you would like the difference refunded. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has sent someone to the PO with my items only to find they bought the wrong service.

Only worry about stars when they have had a chance to sort this out .

I agree.


You did not receive the service you paid for. I would be asking for the difference back.

fishybusiness

I would leave negative feedback.

It is for the seller to ensure that their items are posted in line with what they promised. There is a reasonable amount that people are prepared to accept being added on but 100% MU is ridiculous in the extreme.

Yet the goods arrived on time - and we can assume in good condition.

Take off the 72p referred to above, consider any packaging costs and ask for the difference to be refunded.

BlueEyedGirl

Query it with the seller, if they do not respond or offer the difference back, I would mark down stars and leave negative feedback.

soolin

I'm surprised that people consider negative feedback for excessive postage ..low stars I can understand, but poor feedback seems excessive.

I'm so pleased I use inclusive postage.

ballisticbrian

I think it's bad advice from posters above to leave negative feedback. If you did this every time you weren't happy with the postage charged, when people click on your own page "feedback left for others" you will appear like a serial complainer, problem customer, or worse.

sportsarb

fishybusiness wrote: »

Yet the goods arrived on time - and we can assume in good condition.

Take off the 72p referred to above, consider any packaging costs and ask for the difference to be refunded.

It arrived in a black bin bag, that costs what? 11p? And they sent it different speed than had been promised. Fair enough Royal Mail got it there on time.

I'm not happy to accept excessive MU on postage as people intentionally use it to boost their sale price in a way that less observant buyers will not pick up on.

ballisticbrian wrote: »

I think it's bad advice from posters above to leave negative feedback. If you did this every time you weren't happy with the postage charged, when people click on your own page "feedback left for others" you will appear like a serial complainer, problem customer, or worse.

It's not every time you aren't happy with the postage charged. You make a decision on whether to accept postage charges before buying the item and have to live with that if you pay too much.

Where someone through deceit or mistake posts via a slower method that costs half the price than what they charged for, I think negative feedback is justified.

I'm not a long term trader but I have generally adopted the approach of undercharging if I am unsure. Given my experience of eBay I tend not to believe that it was an accident. When people get it wrong it's often by design.

ballisticbrian

It's not every time you aren't happy with the postage charged. You make a decision on whether to accept postage charges before buying the item and have to live with that if you pay too much.

Where someone through deceit or mistake posts via a slower method that costs half the price than what they charged for, I think negative feedback is justified.

I'm not a long term trader but I have generally adopted the approach of undercharging if I am unsure. Given my experience of eBay I tend not to believe that it was an accident. When people get it wrong it's often by design

What you are not considering is that the difference between 2nd class and 1st recorded does not equate to £2.85.

It is more likely closer to the difference between small parcel and medium parcel, i.e. the seller hasn't accurately measured item, doesn't pack until sold, or is hoping for sale of multiple items for which a medium parcel will be required. And that... is not by design, but due to sellers getting fingers burnt at the post office.