Seller asking for extra shipping cost after the auction has ended

[kt2je_d]

Hi,

I bid, won and paid for an item on ebay.  The seller marked it as shipped.  Then I got an email from her saying that she paid an extra $4.00 for the item to be posted and asking me to pay this to her account. 

I dont really agree on paying this since my basis on buying the item was the total amount indicated.  I've asked the live chat customer support and advised that I dont have to pay for this however couldnt link me where the policy indicated this.  I'd like to quote this to the seller.

I've made a few sells on ebay and a couple of times I miscalculated the postage and paid for this myself.

Advise would be greatly appreciated.  thanks

[animecat2]

No you don't need to pay more then what the auction stated as sellers cannot adjust the postage costs after the sale , but AP has just put their prices up and your seller may have been caught unaware.

That still doesn't mean you should pay but would it hurt to maybe go 1/2 way ? Was the item a bargain ? Has the seller been polite ?

Up to  you , I have in the past paid the extra or gone 1/2's but I was very happy with the purchases so to me I didn't mind doing it. .

[kopenhagen5]

This is the only link I could find -

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/listing-shipping.html

But some very good advice above, and if she is being nice about it, I would give her the benefit as Aust Post have made many changes in recent months.

[davewil1964]

It's up to sellers to keep abreast of postage charge increases. There is always plenty of warning. If the seller miscalculated postage because they didn't measure or weigh the item, I would be inclined to refuse any extra payment.

And if you only bought it at the price you did because of the total price, then I would also refuse. And if the seller leaves you positive feedback with a negative comment, you can get that removed.

[model.trains]

Hi everyone,

One side of this problem is that Ebay does not adjust their Postage Calculator when Australia Post puts their prices, Ebay usually take weeks to adjust their calculator, so it is often not the sellers fault at all.

If the item was reasonably priced I would at least meet the seller half way, treat people as you would want them to treat you.

[davewil1964]

Prices did not go up by $4 for anything as far as I'm aware. As a seller, I either wear the difference until the calculator is fixed, or increase my prices to cover it.

Either way, the OP has stated they bought based on the total advertised price, including advertised postage, so there is no reason for them to pay an extra $4 unless they wish to. And the seller has no right of recovery.

[phorum_junkie*]

Sounds more like the seller got it wrong rather than it being the postage calculator. Why a seller would risk putting a buyer off side for four bucks is beyond me.

[***super_nova***]

Actually eBay does update the calculator, however there is always problem because items are listed for different durations.  For instance; the charges go up on the 1st of a months.  If the calculator starts counting the new charge 10 days beforehand, that means items in stores listed for month will have the old charge quoted even if they are bought after the 1st.  Items listed for week or less that end before the 1st (are posted before the first) will have the new charge listed but will be posted for the old cost.  So, some people will complain because they were charged too much and some sellers will find out they have to cover few dollars.  It is up to sellers to know, and if they are listing items in the transition period, they can always adjust the charge with handling fees.

But in this case, it is obvious the seller messed up; their problem.  There is no way I would ever asked buyer to pay more.  If it was acceptable, everybody would underestimate their shipping costs ( and attract more buyers than their opposition) and then demand the extra later. 

[kt2je_d]

Thank you all for the reply!  You were all a big help.  I actually bought from the US and got it shipped to my father who lives there.  What I did was I sent the seller an email stating that I really dont agree paying more than what I thought would cost like I said since the basis of my purchase was the total cost plus I have coped the extra charges a few times.  However, I said as a show of good faith, I would ask my father first if he is happy with the item's condition and if she can provide me with a receipt that the shipping was extra $4, and I'll be willing to meet halfway.

She emailed back saying to forget it and that she didnt expect a lengthy response for such a few bucks...i thought why would she ask me to pay if it is such a few bucks.  Anyway, I chose not to reply back.  Thanks again for your responses!

[alice579]

hello, i have been selling items, mainly tools, when i  describe the item i also ask for the buyer to contact me for the postage costs,90% of the time they don,t and they pay ebays postage costs,i  have lost out quite a few times, i know it may be only a few dollars , but over a period of times the dollars mount up,why should the seller be the loser,if the buyer deposits and it doesn,t cover costs, i send them a copy of A,P costs and send item when money is sent,i had a buyer in W.A give me a negative feedback when i asked for the extra $14,he still bought the item,he knew he got it for a good price,it is not allways the seller that is wrong