could/should you make a charge if buyer wants to collect instead of P&p?

plzhelpmesave!

thanks for the replies - gosh you lot have been busy on this board today!

think what i will do in future is to only offer P&P on smaller items with option to collect more bulky items. I think the issue is more timing than anything else - waiting for people to turn up etc, at least with posting out, i'm a bit more in control!

thanks again guys

POSSETTE

how about saying they can pick it up,agree a time zone of half hour (ie 2-230) and stress that if they are late then neutral/neg feedback will be left??.sounds like a threat but you could say you have been left hanging around before and will not accept it again.or even charge a £1 for each hour they are late!

webbie

I usually agree to collection if someone asks - and find they are willing to bid slightly more for the convenience of collecting - and they are often more serious as they will have thought about when & how to collect before they bid.
I have sold some items for surprising prices - and the "collector" doesn't always win - but they have helped increase the price as an interested party!!

bryanb

Brooker_Dave wrote: »

Illegal to profit from post???

How do you suppose all those parcel companies make a living??

I believe they are delivery/courier companies not postal organisations. If I am corrrect you could charge for delivery but not for Post.

meester

it looks p ikey to charge. Just say postage only.

Brooker_Dave

bryanb wrote: »

I believe they are delivery/courier companies not postal organisations. If I am corrrect you could charge for delivery but not for Post.

Plenty of other companies offer postal services in the UK.

Stripping RM of all the profitable business post should be illegal, but it isn't....

brownbake

In a word NO. Just start the listing nearer your wanted price or say postage only. You could always say it was at a different location - how are they to know? If someone tried to charge me for collection they would lose the sale.

mogwai

If you are going to package the item e.g. box or bubble wrap then YES, charge, and a small charge for your time in packaging the item is also allowed.

sheraz2

make sure you have cash on collection and not paypal

chardonnay_2

it would depend on the item, for example, will you need to package it for the buyer to be able to collect it safely?

we have always had problems with items that need collected - we only allow it rarely for heavy stuff etc. buyers have changed plans at last minute, not let us know they will be late etc.

we sold a dishwasher with collection only, explaining we lived in a flat so they would need 2 strong people to carry it out. girl & her elderly father turned up - meaning my hubby felt obliged to help her dad carry it out

we recently sold an item that weighed 20k & a woman was wanting to collect by bus to save on postage. we would've had to parcel it as it had a few parts and there was no way she could've carried it to the bus stop a good few streets away & i had visions of my hubby ending up carrying it for her so we declined.