topic Re: Combined postage too high. in Buying

Combined postage too high.

ekrabappel — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 21:17:38 GMT

I recently purchased 5 items (coins). The seller had $8.90 postage per item. I messaged and asked if he would do combined postage to which he replied yes. I just got the invoice and he wants $24 postage. Considering all 5 items would easily fit in a 5kg parcel or satchel with tracking for a flat rate of $10 I find $25 to be excessive. Even adding some extra $ for time and materials would not make it $25. I purchase lots of coins and this is the first time someone has charged such an amount for combined shipping. They are not valuable coins (less than $100) so wouldn't be paying for insurance. Has anyone else had this experience.

Thanks

Re: Combined postage too high.

lyndal1838 — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 22:47:11 GMT

I think you have done pretty well on the combined postage.

If you had to pay full postage for the 5 items it would have been well in excess of $40.

Sellers can do combined postage without discounting at all so do not look a gift horse in the mouth.

Re: Combined postage too high.

paper-jack — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 22:51:11 GMT

I'd be considering a carefully worded email to the seller. You could suggest that you'd be prepared to post the seller a prepaid self addressed Australia Post Satchel if they could let you know the size of the package.

Good luck.

Re: Combined postage too high.

austfox — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 23:36:17 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
I think you have done pretty well on the combined postage.
If you had to pay full postage for the 5 items it would have been well in excess of $40.

I don't think that it is fair at all. It's a lot of work for the seller if 5 different people were to buy each one of those coins. It is so much easier to package 5 coins in 1 satchel than in 5 different satchels, and of course only 1 trip to the post office. I would also have assumed an $8.95 combined postage rate, especially since the insurance on a single satchel is $100 by default.

Cancel the sale, or simply don't pay, and I guess next time get the combined postage rate specifically mentioned (ie how much would combined postage be on 5 coins).

Re: Combined postage too high.

gutterpunkz05 — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 02:22:13 GMT

In future be more specific when asking questions, you apparently asked for combined shipping and that is what you got, No one here has any idea how the seller calculates postage or what expenses they incurr on top of the actual postage cost. Are they paying someone to pack and post the items, who knows. Anyway after ebay takes their cut the seller is only charging a bit over $3.00 per additional item, which seems reasonable.

If you don't like the price dont pay, or you can contact the seller to see if they are prepared to reduce the postage any further.

Re: Combined postage too high.

gutterpunkz05 — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 02:25:34 GMT

@paper-jack wrote:
I'd be considering a carefully worded email to the seller. You could suggest that you'd be prepared to post the seller a prepaid self addressed Australia Post Satchel if they could let you know the size of the package.
Good luck.

Yes you could do that, and the seller could also charge you a $20.00 handling fee, I would not try to P...SS them off if I actually want the items.

Are you aware that sellers can even charge you to pick the item up yourself.

Re: Combined postage too high.

imastawka — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 02:40:26 GMT

@gutterpunkz05 wrote:
In future be more specific when asking questions, you apparently asked for combined shipping and that is what you got, No one here has any idea how the seller calculates postage or what expenses they incurr on top of the actual postage cost. Are they paying someone to pack and post the items, who knows. Anyway after ebay takes their cut the seller is only charging a bit over $3.00 per additional item, which seems reasonable.
If you don't like the price dont pay, or you can contact the seller to see if they are prepared to reduce the postage any further.

And then the seller can open 5 UPI cases.

Re: Combined postage too high.

gumardee_coins_and_banknotes — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 03:37:16 GMT

For 5 coins $24 is way too much if posting cheap coins in Australia. I always combine postage. $3.5 is good tracked letter or $10 for a parcel.

Re: Combined postage too high.

shoppingbag* — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 05:52:33 GMT

@ekrabappel wrote:
Hi

I recently purchased 5 items (coins). The seller had $8.90 postage per item. I messaged and asked if he would do combined postage to which he replied yes. I just got the invoice and he wants $24 postage. Considering all 5 items would easily fit in a 5kg parcel or satchel with tracking for a flat rate of $10 I find $25 to be excessive. Even adding some extra $ for time and materials would not make it $25. I purchase lots of coins and this is the first time someone has charged such an amount for combined shipping. They are not valuable coins (less than $100) so wouldn't be paying for insurance. Has anyone else had this experience.

Thanks

I agree the amount they are asking is outrageous. I would tell them so and ask them to cancel the sale. I had one just like this a few years back, and that is what I did. They will most likely agree to a cancellation rather than risk getting a negative feedback from you. However, do not mention anything about a negative feedback, as this is regarded as blackmail and not allowed under eBay rules.

Re: Combined postage too high.

4channel — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 23:43:20 GMT

@ekrabappel wrote:

Hi

I recently purchased 5 items (coins). The seller had $8.90 postage per item. I messaged and asked if he would do combined postage to which he replied yes. I just got the invoice and he wants $24 postage. Considering all 5 items would easily fit in a 5kg parcel or satchel with tracking for a flat rate of $10 I find $25 to be excessive. Even adding some extra $ for time and materials would not make it $25. I purchase lots of coins and this is the first time someone has charged such an amount for combined shipping. They are not valuable coins (less than $100) so wouldn't be paying for insurance. Has anyone else had this experience.

Thanks

Still too much to pay. The seller can do better than that. I would write a very polite message to the seller asking that they please send them in the satchel and that you would like to deal with them again when you can afford it as they do have some nifty items.

Re: Combined postage too high.

springyzone — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 00:28:44 GMT

@ekrabappel wrote:
Hi

I recently purchased 5 items (coins). The seller had $8.90 postage per item. I messaged and asked if he would do combined postage to which he replied yes. I just got the invoice and he wants $24 postage. Considering all 5 items would easily fit in a 5kg parcel or satchel with tracking for a flat rate of $10 I find $25 to be excessive. Even adding some extra $ for time and materials would not make it $25. I purchase lots of coins and this is the first time someone has charged such an amount for combined shipping. They are not valuable coins (less than $100) so wouldn't be paying for insurance. Has anyone else had this experience.

Thanks

I think it is excessive. I can understand for one coin it would be $8.90 as the seller may well be sending it in a small box or with padding etc in a special bag. But I am convinced 5 little flat coins could be sent together cheaper, even allowing extra for wrapping, trip to the post office etc.

In your situation, I would probably just pay up, although you could try a very polite message and ask if the seller would be willing to send a cheaper way. But they may not wish to and I think you have to respect their wishes. Your other option would be to ask for cancellations although it is a big ask really, to hope that a seller will cancel 5 sales after he had agreed to your request & given you a postage discount.

If you do decide to buy & pay though, I would be very cautious buying from this seller again as you know now he doesn't give a great discount on postage for mulitiple items. I think if you ever wish to buy a few items from any seller again, always check specifically with them first for what the postage would be if you bought x,y and z etc