Ebay Shipping Charges

[Lewisc]

The seller charged about $12.50 plus a $2.0 mandatory charge for insurance. Actual shipping charges were $7.60 and THE SELLLER DIDN'T BOTHER insuring the item.

The item was a $20 underwater camera. I'm sure the seller made more money on the shipping markup than on the camera.

Should I complain to the seller, leave negative feedback or is this type of markup SOP for E-Bay?

The item was shipped via priority mail using a priority mail box and priority mail package tape. No extra shipping supplies were used (or needed).

I am an E-Bay novice and I'm not sure if I'm right to feel ripped off.

 

[ceecee]

I once had a lady charge me insurance (not optional) at $2.00! When I asked her why it was not $1.30 (for a $30.00 item) she said she "self insures" also shipping was $6.00 and it actually cost her $2.45 to mail (silly me..assuming it would go priority!) From now on I don't even bid unless I know in advance what the shipping and handling fee is.

 

[C.Ann]

I've heard about this "self-insuring" before but I don't use it myself - I always use the insurance through the PO so the buyer can see that it was insured for the amount that I charged them..

As for the rest of the shipping charges - considering it was sent PM - with PM supplies - it does seem a bit high to me.. However, there are those who would say the seller may live 20 miles from the PO; may have to hire someone to help them with their orders; may have to factor in the rising cost of gas; etc..

I would not have charged that much, but that's just me..

However, buyers also have an obligation to know - or ask - what the shipping & handling charges are before they bid and if you didn't do that, I don't really think it would be fair to leave a negative feedback. If you were to ask this question over on the eBay Community Board I'm sure you would get the same response..

I'm sorry your transaction left you unhappy though..

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by C.Ann

However, buyers also have an obligation to know - or ask - what the shipping & handling charges are before they bid and if you didn't do that, I don't really think it would be fair to leave a negative feedback. If you were to ask this question over on the eBay Community Board I'm sure you would get the same response..

I'm sorry your transaction left you unhappy though..

The shipping and insurance charges were part of the sellers description. My questions relate to:

1) Being charged for insurnace when no insurance was needed or purchased.

2) Since I didn't know the weight of the item I didn't realize how much the shipping charge was being marked up.

My complaint and/or negative feedback would be on the issue of charging for insurance that wasn't purchased.

 

[CajunDixie]

Should I complain to the seller, leave negative feedback or is this type of markup SOP for E-Bay?

I do not see how you can leave a negative or complain. It's your job as the buyer to read all the details and know the shipping, handling and insurance prices before bidding. If they are not listed you should always email the seller asking for these details and if they are not provided then do not bid. As for the insurance... they may have used a different way of insuring other than the PO's insurance. You should also always read back a few pages of their feedback to see if any other bidders have had a problem.

1) Being charged for insurnace when no insurance was needed or purchased.

Saying the insurance was not needed is not up to the buyer......it is the seller that will have to either replace the item or refund the money paid if something happens to the package. And saying it was not purchased may not be true either....you just have not seen the PO's proof on the package.

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by CajunDixie
...... And saying it was not purchased may not be true either....you just have not seen the PO's proof on the package.

The amount of postage on the box does not include insurance. I looked up the priority mail postage between the 2 zip codes. The postage only includes priority mail and delivery confirmation. A post office sticker/postage meter is the method of postage.

The box doesn't have any of the required notices indicating that the shipment was insured. YES I'M SURE THE PACKAGE WASN'T INSURED.

I was told insurance was required. I paid for insurance.

I'm reasonable. Where else could the seller have bought the insurance from?

MARKING UP THE SHIPPING CHARGE an additional $2.0 for insurance that isn't purchased seems wrong to me.

 

[imsayin]

I had a similar postage issue with ebay. I bought something knowing the rate. I thought it was being shipped priority, but was shipped cheaper. I didn't leave negative feedback since the postage was clearly stated up front in the auction, but I did send an email to the seller telling them what I thought about it.

 

[ceecee]

I did forget to insure a pkg once and had to refund the $ she paid for it. Did you contact the seller to ask why it wasn't insured?

 

[DD2Disney]

Originally posted by ceecee
I did forget to insure a pkg once and had to refund the $ she paid for it. Did you contact the seller to ask why it wasn't insured?

I did this once too. I also refunded the insurance.

I would definately email seller with concerns before every leaving negative feedback.

 

[C.Ann]

Again, "self-insuring" or other methods of insuring a package are possible without there being any "evidence" of it on the package itself..

Also, my understanding of "self-insuring" is that if there is a problem, the seller will refund all monies involved (the same as if it were insured in any other manner or by the PO) and if there is no problem, the seller keeps the insurance money, just like the Post Office does.. I also believe that this is within eBay and Paypal guidelines, but I can't say for 100% sure because I always use the PO insurance..

 

[maggiew]

While I feel your pain, the shipping cost and insurance cost were listed in the auction and you knew about them ahead of time. So, I do not think you can leave a negative feedback because of that. If the seller self-insured (which many seem to do), she would have been responsible to replace the item if something happened. That was the chance she took. You were covered regardless of whether it was the PO insurance or the seller's self-insurance.

Maggie

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by maggiew
While I feel your pain, the shipping cost and insurance cost were listed in the auction and you knew about them ahead of time. So, I do not think you can leave a negative feedback because of that. If the seller self-insured (which many seem to do), she would have been responsible to replace the item if something happened. That was the chance she took. You were covered regardless of whether it was the PO insurance or the seller's self-insurance.

Maggie

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That's what I was trying to say, but you did it SOOOOO much better! LOL

 

[Lewisc]

How about I rephrase the question. For the E-Bay sellers, how many of you require insurance? Do you buy the insurance or pocket the money? If no additional packaging is required how much do you mark up the actual shipping costs?

Let's clear something up. A person who choses not to pay for insurance and pays for claims out of pocket is self insuring. Business self insure all the time. Once you charge a premium you're not self insuring, you're functioning as an insurance company and are subject to your state's requirements.

The purpose of insurance is to shift the risk to a third party, paying an additional fee to the seller does nothing to shift the risk.

 

[DizneyDogs]

It's against ebay policies to charge excessive shipping costs. If you bought insurance and the seller didn't insure the item then you have a valid complaint and I would ask for your money back and leave the appropriate feedback if they refuse to do so. Charging a few bucks for handling isn't a problem but when I pay $50 for shipping and it's actually $20 then I have a big issue with that. I too also ask before bidding what the shipping charges are going to be and if it's not the actual costs what the break down is of the other costs so there are no surprises when I get the invoice. It's also against ebay policies to charge extra for shipping to pay for their ebay fees.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by maggiew
the shipping cost and insurance cost were listed in the auction and you knew about them ahead of time.B]

But Maggie, if the auction stated shipping and insurance would be $14.50 and then the package arrives with only $7.60 in actual postage, that's a problem. I would certainly feel I had been ripped off if I was in the same situation. There is no point in a seller listing their shipping charge if it isn't accurate.

LewisC - If it were me, I would e-mail the seller and ask her to explain the discrepancy. If she gives some reasonable explanation (though I can't imagine what would justify a $7 extra fee), then let it go. But if she doesn't give a good explanation, then request that she refund the overcharged amount. If she won't, then I might consider negative feedback depending on how she handles your inquiry.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Lewisc
How about I rephrase the question. For the E-Bay sellers, how many of you require insurance? Do you buy the insurance or pocket the money? If no additional packaging is required how much do you mark up the actual shipping costs?

I have had a mail order business since 1986. I've been selling on ebay since 1997. So I've got some experience here.

I require insurance if the item is fragile and/or the item costs more than $10. Anything under $10 I'll just eat the cost if it gets lost or damaged. And yes, I do buy the insurance through the post office if I charge the customer for it.

I do not charge a "handling" fee for any item. I also do not charge extra for packing materials. Those fees are worked into the prices of the merchandise. I only charge the customer the actual USPS postage cost.

 

[momm2four]

I do not require insurance as a common practice. The only thing have required it on lately was a set of Spode Christmas wine glasses. I have never heard of self-insuring. If I saw "insurance required" with a fee listed, I would assume it was being purchased through the PO. I would write and ask her about the insurance charge. If no satisfactory answer is given, I would maybe give a neutral w/an explanation so that other buyers would know what to expect.

I definitely think you were overcharged for shipping, but unless she stated one amount and charged another, I hate to say, you really don't have a case for posting a neg. for that. Tough lesson learned. I have learned to NEVER bid on something if there is a question about shipping costs. In the future, I would write and ask for a shipping quote or for the weight and zip, and then I would still get a shipping quote.

Some people try to squeeze every last single cent out a sale that they can, even if it means making it on the shipping by making their shipping info vague and then overcharging.

Sorry about your experience, but don't let that stop you. On to the next bargain!

Lori P.

 

[C.Ann]

I only require insurance on items over a certain dollar amount - or those that are extremely fragile.. On other auctions I either don't offer it at all - or I offer the "option" and leave it up to the buyer.. I charge the exact amount of insurance based on the value of the item per the Post Office guidelines and the insurance is purchased at the PO at the time of shipping.. I have never "pocketed" insurance money and would not feel comfortable "self-insuring" as so many sellers now seem to do..

You really should pose this question over on the eBay Community Board - or just look under the "Shipping & Handling" discussion area - and you will see exactly what eBay allows and how both buyers and sellers feel about these types of situations..

While I agree that the amount of shipping you paid was higher than it perhaps needed to be (or at least what I personally would have charged) I still don't see where this seller violated any of ebays rules or tried to pull one over on you.. You have stated that you knew ahead of time what the costs involved would be so I'm really confused as to why you think this seller deserves a negative feedback..

 

[Lewisc]

Originally posted by C.Ann
I'm really confused as to why you think this seller deserves a negative feedback..

1) Charging me for insurance and failing to purchase same. There is no such thing as charging a premium for self-insurance. Self-insurance means you're absorbing the risk.

2) Unreasonable mark-up of shipping costs. Since the weight of the item wasn't disclosed it wasn't apparant that the seller was significantly marking up the shipping costs.

Disneysteve did a good job summarizing my issues.

I was curious what E-Bay sellers here do. I'll probably e-mail the seller and take it from there.

Do the sellers pay an E-Bay commission on the shipping charges? Is this a scheme to reduce E-Bay charges?

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by Lewisc
Do the sellers pay an E-Bay commission on the shipping charges? Is this a scheme to reduce E-Bay charges?

Sellers do not pay a commission on shipping charges. So yes, some sellers will undercharge on the item and overcharge on shipping to reduce their ebay fees.