Extra shipping charges on a Buy It Now item

[bigfella0765]

Hi there,

Earlier today I purchased a new car radio with all the bells and whistles.  It was a "Buy It Now" item with "Free Shipping" banners all over the listing and the seller had even thought to mention the areas that were exluded fron the free shipping "zone".

As is usual, I payed for the item immediately through PayPal.

Now I have an email from the seller saying that TNT have told them that my area (Mount Gambier, SA) is a remote region and area asking for an additional 15 bucks to ship the thing to me.

Mount Gambier is South Australia's second largest city and I have never heard anyone classify it as remote.  I receive frieght from all over the country daily here at work and have never paid a "remote location" surcharge.

The seller has said that they won't send the item until I have paid the extra "shipping" charge

They have also given me a "hotmail" email address to repsond to rather than thru ebay.

Do I really have to make this exra payment?  Sounds dodgy as.....

[trishreid88]

I am no ebay expert but as far as I know, No you do not need to pay the extra.
Mind you the seller does NOT have to send you the item and can give you a refund instead.

I am sure others will be along to give you more expert advise.
Seller is a PITA.

[lyndal1838]

Have you checked with TNT as to whether this is correct.  Some companies do have surcharges for remote areas.

Just as you do not have to pay any extra, so the seller does not have to send it either.  Is the item still a good buy if you do pay the extra?

[zenremix777]

In the seller's description, was your area included or excluded in the Free Post section?

[phorum_junkie*]

If an item is advertised with free postage in the payment and postage tab then the seller cannot qualify that in the listing to add more for any reason although I would have checked with the seller first before buying if they did say that in the description.

You can either pay the extra or you can tell the seller you are not prepared to pay any more and they should send your item or refund your payment.

[bigfella0765]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Just to answer some of the questions raised, I contacted TNT Express (the seller mentioned them in an email to me) and they told me that Mount Gambier is definitely a regional area and not considered remote at all.

I forgot to mention that the listing specified "Free Shipping to Australia and New Zealand" and I even keyed my postcode into the postage and handling calculator on the listing and the result it gave me was "Free Postage"

Really, I'm not particularly phased by the $15.00 additional charge, but I am slightly doubting the integrity of the seller and the warranty.  If they are deceitful in the listing, the warranty probably won't be honoured either.

I'm just a little disappointed with this seller I guess.  I have been buying off ebay for over ten years and this is my first little hiccup.

Cheers!

[aussieseller24682468]

Im afraid your not in a metro suburban area of Adelaide'  your in a country town based on the border of South Australia & Victoria.

And all courier companys will charge extra to sellers once its deemed outside the radius or beyond the metropolitan suburbs around Adelaide etc...  I know because im also a seller and get hit with anything from $15 -$50 on remote area charges..Someone has to pay unfortunitely.. Personally i pay it just to keep the peace and sale of item..

[maranock]

They probably worked it out in the last four years, lol