Seller from UK trying to overcharge on postage to AU on auction won.

[2eternalhell]

Hello, I have a story to tell if those want to read it.  There is a collectible that I've been looking to purchase from a seller in the UK thats only available in the uk, I saw an auction & asked offline if he would ship to AU he said yes.  The auction had a listing of GBP10.00 with a buy it now of GBP 20.00 postage extra.  I had missed out on bidding on the auction however asked him via message how much he'd be willing to sell without ebay. he said GBP 25.00 and wouldn't budge on the price, fair enough.  I told him Id try to bid for a lesser price & he tried to get me to buy now to not waste time bidding on item, Even sending paypal address so that I would send payment right away. 

He relisted & with the same starting price & buy it now, I bid on it and won for GBP 10.00.  I receive an invoice for a grand total of GBP 22.00 which is GBP 12.00 for postage to AU more then the actual items i bid on.  Bare in mind I have purchased many items from the UK to AU, some same size figures only more (i'm buying just 2 of these figures) in quantity for GBP 5.00+.  I even purchased a construct a bot wall-e in a box for GBP 8.10.  I brought this up to him and he begins to get testy with me giving me all kinds of reasons and excuses for why the price is GBP 12.00 even requesting I cancel transaction & bringing up that the offer he gave me outside of ebay was how much postage was going to be.  Also tells me cost of box, bubble wrap even the post office he sending it to.  I know for a fact that something that small doesn't cost the amount he's requesting yet he insists that either I pay it or he won't deal with me.  I had been willing to offer as much as GBP 7.50 which should be sufficient enough for postage & refuses.  I know I'm being overcharged for postage & he even knows yet he refuses to admit to it. I know he's just looking to get as much money for his figures as possible.

I find it very disrespectful of his practices & I would cancel transaction but I want the items I bid on.  I just hate being taken for a fool and being overcharged. As a seller I know that getting to the post office & whatever you use to ship item(s) out is your responsibility, anything extra should be told to the buyer if he wants to pay more, a seller shouldn't expect buyer to pay more because of the hassle the seller goes thru, you list it on ebay KNOWING all the things you must do to ship/sell so it shouldn't be a surprise. He claims tracking & signature are a reason too & said he doesn't want to ship on the cheap.  I told him it should be MY choice to ship certain way as they would be my figures once paid. He doesn't acknowledge that either.

I'm not sure what to do, he sounds like a smug scammer & automatically expects buyers to pay what he says based on his word.  I want the items I just would feel like a moron accepting to pay his outrageous postage fee.  I feel that if I do accept to pay his price that I should demand proof be sent along or be seen on the package & if the total amount doesn't equal the amount he asked me to pay then I should take the appropriate actions on him.  Thoughts?

[cherry*135]

My £££ key is on the No.3 because it  is an English netbook.

What is happening with this sale... been cancelled? or buyer still wanting (demanding) proof of postage costs before she/he  agrees to the sellers postage costs?

[davewil1964]

Who knows?

I seem to recall that the seller is not going to post, regardless. I don't think the buyer has paid. As they require proof of postage cost before they pay that would be a big ask.

[2eternalhell]

this is all pure gold.  Glad I'm on your minds, glad that I can bring some entertainment to your "community" lives.  I have never demanded a thing, if the amount he's charging is on the postage or close to I'll apologize for ever questioning him. Although EVERY uk seller I've dealt with I have asked about postage & even they have expressed it is excessive what the seller wants for something so small. 

I only wanted what was fair & for sellers to be honest.  I should've done some things before bidding and that was my mistake however the seller hasn't really done the following:

Charging reasonable postage and handling costs
Responding to buyers' questions promptly
Being professional throughout the transaction

One can argue that I have broken buyer policies however they can be debated as:

Asking to use one of the alternative shipping options specified in the listing.  (which is allowed but wasn't specified)

Demanding a change to the shipping method or delivery location, other than those specified in the listing.  (isn't allowed but wasn't demanding he change it only offer a cheaper method but again could be debated as it wasn't specified in the listing).

The only time he ever offered to work with me regarding shipping is when I posted here & I paid for the item he refused it because he (like everyone on this board likes to assume) believes I was trying to pull one over on him & a bad person.  He could've waited for check to clear before sending item(s) I would've been fine with that.  

THEN I offered to pay what he wanted & refused to follow through on the transaction.  He marked the unpaid item case he had opened that I paid so that he can get away from me & not have to deal with me. But I have the emails from paypal & screenshots from my account that show he refused/returned payment & is refusing to complete the transaction. 

Of all the people on here only 1 & the person I spoke to on the phone from ebay themselves believe that what I was doing wasn't wrong.  They advised me that since the seller is unfulfilling his end that I can leave the appropriate feedback.  I don't want to, I even stated that I wouldn't (that was before he pulled the disappearing act & refusing to communicate with me nor fulfilling the transaction).  I feel i have no choice but to.  You all don't know me but i am a person of my word that when I state something I mean it, you can look several months down and see that sellers account is negative free from me if he completed the transaction.  Some of you will probably see that as threatening but it's not, I was advised by ebay themselves to do so.  If you have a problem with it go take it up with them.

I offered to complete the transaction and go our seperate ways & learn from this, to be the bigger person.  Just doesn't look like that's going to happen. 

Everyone has a right to question the price of shipping being charged by the sellers, especially if both buyer/seller did not discuss that prior to any transaction.

If a construct-a-bot wall-e in box that I purchased that has non-magnetic ball bearing joints weighs in at 181 grams with dimensions of 22 x 19.8 x 7.8 cm, that was shipped bubble wrapped AND in a big box that i'm sure put the weight of it even more cost £8.15 to ship here for standard international rate & arrived just fine, yet I fail to believe that the "2 small 2 inch pieces of plastic" weighs 500 grams & costs a whopping £12.00 or £10.  It just doesn't add up but was willing to finally pay just to finish transaction and move on.

I've made every attempt to try to come to some understanding to complete the transaction & every attempt is being refused. I've tried to not to stoop to the level the majority of this community have done by trying to bully me, **bleep**ize me, even meddling in the transaction all while the seller stoops to calling me names now.  If that's the way you all talk to and do things in your life then I say Thank You for putting me on your block lists. 

[*crikey*mate*]

The horse is dead.

He has been turned over many times now.

It is time to put the stick down and move on.

The seller does NOT want to send an item without tracking.

Other sellers may have been prepared to do that for you ihn the past, but this seller is not.

You have been supplied the postage rates as either 10.05 or 12.90. Yet you come to these boards accusing the seller of ripping you off.

Even if he sends at the 10.05 rate, 1.95 IS NOT an excessive handlung and packaging fee

If he uses the 12. 90 method, he has infact provided you with a .90 discount and as such is wearing, not only some of the postage costs, but also the packaging and handling costs.

Put the stick down.

It is time to move on

I hope that you are able to find the items you are after from another seller that will post in the manner that you desire. But this one won't. He wants protection for both himself and you, and THAT is his prerogative

[mini*lindy]

for Crikey

[gillians_gallery]

Love this bit "yet I fail to believe that the "2 small 2 inch pieces of plastic" weighs 500 grams & costs a whopping £12.00 or £10". Look up stubborn in the dictionary,  there's a picture of you. You can clearly see the price on the uk post website, yet still don't believe it, ok then.

[mini*lindy]

http://s22.photobucket.com/user/putney32/media/Greetings%20eBay/deadhorse.jpg.html

[mini*lindy]

one for crikey, knew I'd copy it right eventually ! LOL

[2eternalhell · Accepted solution]

The gawds must be on my side today, as This is my final case in point.  I just got this in the mail a few minutes ago.  Those who want to argue that I'm crazy for thinking I'm being overcharged can just look at the pictures and tell me otherwise.  So tell me again everyone and dzz666 how 2 small sackboy superstars at 2 inches cost £12.90 (23.16 AUD) to ship here when I received 5, not 2 but FIVE of these figures for £5.05 (9.07 AUD) must be the way it's packaged right? Nuff' said

*name and address blocked for obvious reasons & no flash on last picture to show how much postage actually was*

[lyndal1838]

All that shows is that you have dealt with a seller who is prepared to send the items without signature or tracking.  The seller we have been talking about is not prepared to do that.

Royal Mail extra services such as Signature and tracking cost money which does not show on the postage sticker.   Your seller was only asking for the exact cost of postage + signature + tracking as charged by RM.

Get over it and move on....and look for sellers who are prepared to accede to your demands even if they lose all preotection.  They are obviously out there.