topic Re: excessive postage in Buying

excessive postage

vwonline2002 — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 08:29:32 GMT

Bought an item today at the cost of 20c and I pretty damn sure the listing was free postage. However I am now being charged $21.84. It is a quite small and light item there is no way it is going to cost that to post even from the US. Do I have any recourse other than to suck it up, pay and leave scathing feedback??

Re: excessive postage

nevillesdaughter — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 08:34:37 GMT

Can you tell use the item number please?

Re: excessive postage

vwonline2002 — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 08:58:46 GMT

here you are 161641552322. I just cant get how I could miss that amount of postage

Re: excessive postage

nevillesdaughter — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:05:27 GMT

When I pull up the listing it shows postage as US$21.85 - were you using a smartphone or iPad as I believe there are some glitches with them?

Marina.

Re: excessive postage

twyngwyn — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:25:42 GMT

showing as $21.84....I'm in Adelaide

Re: excessive postage

bakeandfry — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:26:08 GMT

I ran item number on mobile web and the app postage comes up at us$21.85. And it being done by gps.

Re: excessive postage

i-love-my-sheep — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:31:47 GMT

The postage cost is so high due to the seller using the Global Shipping Program. It always costs far more than sending First Class Internation via USPS. Expect it to take quite awhile to arrive too, they are not known for their speed.

Edited to add: you can't leave scathing feedback about costs or speed relating to the Global Shipping Program. EBay will remove it.

Re: excessive postage

chezzy — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:43:14 GMT

I am looking at the seller's listings on the ebay.com (not au) site and there is one item that says Free Shipping (nothing at all about GSP) and says ships to United States....maybe seller has a mixture of GSP and non-GSP listings. The listing the OP refers to definitely has the GSP and an amount of US $21.84 to Australia.

Re: excessive postage

i-love-my-sheep — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:49:32 GMT

I was actually just about to leave a reply saying that the $21.84 postage cost was in US$, so glad you mentioned it. At the moment, that is approximately $27.75AU (according to the conversion on the phone app).

I could only see 2 listings on eBay AU and both of those are posted using GSP. There was a third on the eBay US that didn't post to Australia. Given they are coupons, it would be pointless offering international postage on those ones.

Re: excessive postage

chezzy — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:49:54 GMT

If I change the country to United States it says $3.99 NOT free

Re: excessive postage

i-love-my-sheep — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 09:54:50 GMT

The coupons show free postage for me if I change the country to US. The t-shirt says $3.99 and the Uniden thing comes up as $9. I better remember to change it back to Australia, else I'll wonder why I'm suddenly seeing obscenely high postage for local deliveries!

Re: excessive postage

chezzy — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:03:04 GMT

I have to wonder if the OP has been browsing via the ebay.com site rather than au because if you jump onto ebay.com and look at some of the seller's completed listings quite a few say free shipping in the results. Here is one completed one, tell me what you other guys 'see'. I am seeing 'Free Economy Shipping' and 'ships to' - worldwide

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Long-Sleeve-Twerk-Hi-Lo-Knit-Top-MEDIUM-/161641553327

hmmm

But then if you scroll to Shipping and Payments and then select Change Country (Australia) the amount changes - note that this is not a GSP listing though. A top is going to be a lot heavier than a headband and the top is only costing US$14.90 via USPS First Class (airmail). Food for thought.....

Re: excessive postage

chezzy — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:11:45 GMT

Perhaps the OP can contact the seller with a screen shot of the listing and ask if they are willing to

ship via the USPS. It should only cost a few dollars to ship, depending on how they pack it. I have

already shown an example of a listing where it seemed USPS First Class was the shipping option

so maybe they can do that with the headband too....

As for 'scathing feedback' are you aware that sometimes sellers are opted in to this GSP thing, the seller may

not even be aware what is showing your end. Have you given them a chance to consider what has happened?

Re: excessive postage

i-love-my-sheep — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:14:00 GMT

For that one I get free shipping for US residents and $US14.90 for Australia. THat would be about right for First Class International. It's the GSP that really bumps the cost up significantly.

Interestingly, the listing that the OP bought, in the completed items it's showing as $US17.64 postage, but when you click on the listing, it changes to the GSP rate.

Re: excessive postage

robinsonmarineparts — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:17:43 GMT

@vwonline2002 wrote:
. Do I have any recourse other than to suck it up, pay and leave scathing feedback??

Wow, and you want to blame the seller because of your mistake.

Postage:

US $21.84 (approx. AU $27.75) International Priority Shipping to Australia help icon for Postage - opens a layer | See details

Item location:

Winter Garden, Florida, United States

Posts to:

United States and many other countries | See details

I hate feedback because of these type of buyers.

Re: excessive postage

chezzy — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:24:26 GMT

Maybe it is just me but if I saw an item listed for 20 cents (20 cents) and there was something/anything that suggested free shipping I would immediately have doubts and be double checking, especially as I am overseas and the item is in the US not China........

Re: excessive postage

cherry*135 — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:40:17 GMT

@vwonline2002 wrote:
Bought an item today at the cost of 20c and I pretty damn sure the listing was free postage. However I am now being charged $21.84. It is a quite small and light item there is no way it is going to cost that to post even from the US. Do I have any recourse other than to suck it up, pay and leave scathing feedback??

You could ask the seller to cancel the sale. The seller isn't going to make any money from the sale, in fact they will lose money paying eBay & Paypal fees on $22.04.

The item you bought probably isn't flat enough to go at letter rate. The listing states: Includes international tracking.

To send the same item from Aust to US with tracking at parcel rate would be more than $20. maybe as much as $34.

Re: excessive postage

digital*ghost — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:48:08 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
You could ask the seller to cancel the sale. The seller isn't going to make any money from the sale, in fact they will lose money paying eBay & Paypal fees on $22.04.

I probably would, but the seller won't pay FVF on postage if it's $0 to the US, as FVF on postage over there is only on what the first domestic rate is, but they still won't make any money, as they'd get 20c if the P&H within the US is $0. Pitney Bowes will get the postage component, and the seller will still pay eBay / PayPal fees on the 20c, so yes - all told a loss, but that part is the seller's fault as they set the auction start price.

EDIT: Just saw they only have 26 FB - they may not even realise they're offering international postage (many don't seem to know their item has been opted into the GSP). They might actually really appreciate a bit of understanding and guidance, if they're new to selling.

Re: excessive postage

vwonline2002 — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:20:39 GMT

Just talked with the seller and you are correct. Have suggested cancelling and will wait and see. Otherwise I will pay and try to be more observant in future

Re: excessive postage

i-love-my-sheep — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:24:20 GMT

Do you do your buying on a computer, or via the eBay app?