Excessive Postage Costs?

[cactusfever01]

Interested in the general consensus; seller is selling a motorcycle part (headlight) for $220.

Postage is $60 (I believe this to be excessive considering the size and weight of the item.

I asked if pick up was okay; seller responded in the affirmative but the total cost would be $260.

Can a seller include the postage cost in the item price?

[countessalmirena]

@cactusfever01,

Without knowing the size and weight of the item, and how it is to be packed for safe postage, and whether the item is to be cubed, etc., it's hard to say if the postage cost is excessive. At any rate, the seller can charge $60, and you as the potential buyer can decide whether or not you are happy to pay this.

If you request something not included on the listing - i.e., pick-up - I think the seller has the right to let you know that there will be a cost involved in obliging with that request. For instance, the seller may have to stay home when he/she has work to do or appointments to keep; the seller may have to unpack the already packaged item; and so on. It could be that the seller really doesn't like the idea of offering pick-up for whatever reason it may be - privacy, anxiety with strangers, past experience of buyers mucking him/her about and not turning up at the agreed time, etc.

eBay does allow sellers to charge a handling charge when selecting calculated postage, hence eBay obviously views handling charges as sometimes being appropriate. eBay also state ❝You can include reasonable charges for postage and handling❞ and add that sellers ❝need to make sure that any charges such as these are clearly stated in [their] listing❞, but by what you've posted, the seller has not actually included local pick-up in the listing, hence the requirement to state a charge (for a service not offered!) doesn't apply. It's a bit of a tricky question, as this isn't specifically covered in any eBay policy page so I can't quote any relevant section. If one searches for an item that is listed with local pick-up, eBay shows it as ❝Free local pick-up❞, so it's clear that eBay don't allow sellers to charge a handling fee or any other cost if they list the item with local pick-up. However, if the seller doesn't list it with local pick-up, and the buyer requests this as an extra service, I can't see that eBay can prevent the seller from stating that this extra service (and it is an extra service, not included in the original listing) will incur an additional charge.

(Charging $40 as the pick-up fee may strike me as rather high, but the seller has the right to value his/her time at a certain dollar figure. The seller doesn't have to agree to offer pick-up at all.)

But as I've said, this is the view I've come to after looking through the various options.

The ball is in your court really. If you've not actually purchased yet, then you can choose whether or not to buy based on the seller's response and/or total cost. If you have already purchased, then you purchased in the knowledge that the total price was going to be $280 with no pick-up option, and in that case it's only post-sale that you asked about the option of pickup up the item instead.

[enigmabear]

What is the size and weight of the item and where is it being sent from/going to

What packing materials will be required to comply with Australia Post recommendations ?

Without knowing any of these, it is hard to say if I think $60 is over the top 

[springyzone]

The postage cost of $60 sounds high but may be reasonable once you factor in packing plus the actual postage charges. I have been unpleasantly surprised myself a couple of times lately about just how expensive it has been to post off a few (very light!) parcels. 

But you could always go on the Aust post website to calculate a rough estimate, add extra for boxes etc & see then if it is in the ball park.

However, I believe charging $40 as a pick up fee is unreasonable.

I'm well aware that time is valuable for all of us, including the seller & it can be a pain waiting around for someone to pick up.

But I feel I have learnt a few things in the years I have been reading these boards-mainly the views from both sides of the fence, I guess, and if i were the seller, I'd have jacked up the price of the helmet by eg $20, made postage $40 & if it didn't suit me to allow pick up, just said no, sorry, it is not available.

The seller is in the position of power when it comes to a query like this as they can (nicely) dictate the terms & times of pick up. For instance, they can give 2 or 3 narrow time/date ranges it will be available for pick up & state that if it is not picked up then, it will need to be posted. They do not have to agree to sitting around all day to wait.

And again, they can always say no to pick up.

The expectation of just about every buyer on ebay is that if they pick up, they won't have to pay postage costs. I'm guessing if a seller gave a good reason for some extra charge eg they had already wrapped the item & boxed a parcel and needed reimbursement for the box etc, then a buyer might be happy enough to cover the costs for those. But an extra $40? No.

That's the fast track to bad feeling & lukewarm feedback I would say.

And bingo, you're feeling like this is a rip off, you're feeling resentful, aren't you! Predictable you would. I would too.

You don't have to bid though.

Do you have to pay extra for pick up?

I don't know if ebay covers this scenario exactly but it may allow sellers to charge a bit extra as countessa says.

But forget ebay for a second. In practical terms, if you go to the seller's home & won't pay over the price he asks, he won't hand you the helmet, so yes, you'll have to pay the extra if you want it.

[eol-products]

$60 is way to high for an item that must be close enough to be able to pick up. My guess is they have factored in the fees for the item into the postage rate.

When buying you need to look at the total price as some sellers will always try and cover costs in the postage component instead of the item price and you either pay the total or go to someone else. If another seller has one you could always try and use the price and see if they will better theres.

[springyzone]

On re-reading your post, I now think the seller is mad.

He is selling a headlight ie item with lots of glass in it, and he isn't jumping at the offer of pick up by a buyer?

I'd be doing the happy dance, myself. Too much room for ebay claims or scams with this one, much safer with pick up I would say.

[eol-products]

Don't forget a cash payment, so zero chance for disputes.

[digital*ghost]

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@cactusfever01 wrote:

Can a seller include the postage cost in the item price?

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A seller can charge for pick up.

eBay do provide an option for this when a seller chooses to offer pick-up (see screencap below from the eBay listing form).

If it's not agreeable, just say no.

[gutterpunkz05]

Its pretty simple, rather than whining about how a seller sets their prices, is the item worth $280.00  (to You) delivered to your door.

If yes, be happy and buy it.

If Not, forget it or make an offer.

[springyzone]

That might be logical, gutterpunz, but it flies in the face of human nature.

People don't like feeling they may have been overcharged on postage & they are always going to whinge about it, so sellers need to be a bit more cunning how they set their prices. 

Time after time I see sellers here saying-it's the total price that counts, not how much postage you get charged etc and while that is correct, buyer perception doesn't work that way.