Seller underpaid postage

TripleH

1. I've had this where the default postage cost is clearly unsuitable for the item both in terms ofcvalue of item and size. This is a seller error and up to them to correct, you may need to go via ebay if seller refuses to play ball.

2. Aren't stamps without a barcode invalid now? My brother sent my birthday card with an older non-bar code stamp and I ended up paying a surcharge, this was about this time last year.

martindow

TripleH said:

2. Aren't stamps without a barcode invalid now? My brother sent my birthday card with an older non-bar code stamp and I ended up paying a surcharge, this was about this time last year.

Some are.  Queen's head stamps for a specific value or marked !st or 2nd class need to be exchanged for barcode equivalents, but old pre-barcode picture stamps are still usable and shouldn't get surcharged.

This page shows examples

https://www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps

savergrant

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I think it's more likely with a thin cashmere jumper than a sweatshirt or bulkier knitted type, but yeah they still would probably struggle.  The way they're folded in piles in Primark (as an example, I haven't been out clothes shopping for yonks) might just about squeeze through for the thickness if it's a smaller size.

But no way someone who can't even get postage options right on their listing would be careful enough to get it to fit within those dimensions!

My daughter's doll clothes just about fit in large letter, basically a4 by 2.5cm thickness

savergrant

Emily_Joy said:

I bought an item on eBay and it was shipped, according to the tracking provided, two weeks ago. 

Last Saturday a paper note was delivered by a postman saying that there is a parcel for our address, with postage underpaid, and we should pay £3.50 for an item to be released to us. There was no tracking number on the note, so I had no idea what it was at this stage, but I just paid. The parcel arrived today and a Royal Mail note was attached to it saying that it was sent as a Large Letter but should have been sent as a small parcel, due to size/weight. The parcel contained the missing eBay item. I am a little annoyed as I paid £4 towards postage (via eBay). 

Do I have any chances to get my £3.50 back?

£4 seems quite steep for a large letter.
And the large letter size on eBay postage is designed as suitable for 'padded envelope such as a comic book or dvd'. Is the jumper the size of a dvd?
Maximum size is 35x25x2.5cm
What size was the package you received?

savergrant

Emily_Joy said:

Well, the seller has just informed me that they bought the postage via eBay and this was the option offered by eBay and they are waiting for eBay to get back to them, because the same problem occurred to several other items they've sold (a parcel definitely too large for a large letter is sent as a large letter). Nothing in their reply is suggesting that they appreciate they made a mistake... *sigh*

Ask ebay to 'step in' and refund you. If you have a receipt for the excess postage upload it with your request, and upload a photo of the packaging you received (which presumably has an "fee to pay" label on it)
Even when using 'simple delivery' where eBay handles the postage cost the seller chooses the size and weight, so the seller has presumably mismeasured. Ebay's size and weight guide is correct.
Ask the seller exactly why they think eBay are at fault?

savergrant

emmbrook said:

topcat105 said:

Buyer sent me this last week.
Nothing wrong with the stamp. I have used hundreds of them.

Are the stamps quite shiny? If so they are Chinese fakes.

Where did you get the stamps from?

Emily_Joy

Just to update: eventually, after several letters back and forth with the seller blaming eBay, I got a refund, after reminding the seller that it is their responsibility to set up listings, to weight and to measure items and to choose the correct postage. Phew.

savergrant

Thanks for coming back, hopefully the seller will have learned to be more careful when listing