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?

[*crikey*mate*]

but hang on, he is charging you 12 pounds for post, right?

and those links up there say that post is 10.05 for 250g and 12.90 for 500g

even if they're sent at the 10.05 rate, he's still only charging 1.95 for packaging and handling.

What am I missing?

[2106greencat]

Not missing much crikey - I can't see any 'rip off' in postage here.

I do like it though, when buyers come here with problems, rather than a seller compalining about a buyer.

This way, the 'buyers' ID is freely visible to all (IYKWIM)

[2eternalhell]

i'm requesting the standard international post without tracking and he refuses, so I'm paying close to GBP 7.00 in unwanted fees that I have not agreed to for the shipping method. that is close to $10 australian (depending on actual price of the package for standard international post without tracking) that I'm overpaying, Understand? wish I could explain better via hand signal or puppets but alas this is the internet...

[gillians_gallery]

Why should he post it without tracking? You're asking him to send it to you with no paypal protection at all. No seller in their right mind would do that, especially overseas and after accusing him of overcharging when he clearly did not.

[b3llag1na]

As a seller, if a buyer TELLS me they don't want tracking on their item, I make doubly sure I put it on! 

The SELLER is the one who takes the risk that your item will not arrive - I am dead set sure that if you didn't receive these items you would be onto paypal faster than you can blink, and then the SELLER will be out of pocket for the original price of these collectables, and also his postage costs. So the SELLER is the one who decides which type of postage to use - and one with signature on delivery would (for me at least) be the one to use, as each ebay country has their own rules and regulations for sellers. (The ones that apply here are not the same as those in the UK, the USA etc.)

[*crikey*mate*]

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@2eternalhell wrote:

i'm requesting the standard international post without tracking and he refuses,

So would I! I want every guarantee i can get that my customer is going to receive the goods that i send them, and even if you say now that you won't hold the seller respobnsible, and no doubt you really mean that, but there have been many examples where buyers go back on their word and stiff an honest seller. He dopesn't know you from Adam. He is being a sensible and smart businessman IMO.

so I'm paying close to GBP 7.00 in unwanted fees that I have not agreed to for the shipping method.

Sorry, but tough - this should have been clarified before purchase, not afterwards. They are his terms and conditions, you need to check things like this before you enter into the contract and agree to buy.

that is close to $10 australian (depending on actual price of the package for standard international post without tracking) that I'm overpaying, Understand? wish I could explain better via hand signal or puppets but alas this is the internet...

---

sorry, but you are blaming a seller here for your assumptions and poor trading practices.

Just because one seller is prepared to take risks, does not mean we all have to.

You made a mistake. You assumed. You need to pay what this seller is asking.

And if he supplies a service commensurate with the charges he applies, (so the tracking and SDOD and packaging or whatever it is in that price up there for minimum $10.05) and you inturn trash his stars or feedback because he wouldn't cave in to your unreasonable demands that he post without protection for either you or himself, then I hope he squeals like a stuck pig to ebay about it

[*crikey*mate*]

and OP, may i express my sincere apologies that none of us gave you the answers that you wanted to hear.

[phorum_junkie*]

While I am in the UK from April to November I no longer sell on the Au site purely because of the prohibitive cost of posting from the UK to Aus with a postal service that gives Paypal protection.

If I did then a buyer specifically asking for a non qualifying service would make me more likely, not less, of using a fully on-line trackable service with on-line proof of delivery.

[i-once-was-bump]

2eternalhell you have this in your OP

asked him via message how much he'd be willing to sell without ebay

yet you seem to be denying that happened.

Yes you did want to deal off ebay and yes it is against ebay policy.

On ebay the seller sets the postage policy not the buyer and whether you agree with that or not that is how it happens here.

Your request to have the item sent without any tracking probably has the seller thinking you are going to try to scam him so there you are accsuing the seller of trying to scam you and the seller trying to cover themselves against any scams.

Your insistence on rewriting the postage policy does make you look bad. It might be your lack of knowledge that is causing you to try to justify what you want but it also looks like a scam in the making.

Why don't you want the seller to use tracking?

And saving money is not an answer.

[dzz666uk]

greetings from the uk i am the seller concerned this post has been brought to my attention by another contributor

so in the name of fairness and balance its only right i should have a say

these items have been listed 3 or 4 times and each time 2etrnalhell has asked about postage.

this was listed to be posted within the uk but i was asked for a quote and i gave him/her one

i dont know about the airlines or the australian postal service but having worked in customer service for the uk post office  i know only to well how much is lost/stolen or damaged every year.

the price quoted was for a fully tracked service requiring a signiture upon delivery its not going up the road its going to the other side of the world requiring secure safe packaging.

500 grammes = £12.90  leaving me to pay for packaging but hey i wasnt complaining about a couple of pounds !!

im sure you are all aware of the scammers paying through paypal then claiming non reciept or damage they are refunded leaving the seller out of pocket in some cases many hundreds of pounds

i dont send my items out without tracking its an important safeguard that protects both seller and buyer

i really am sick of arguing over such a petty amount it really is so pointless

i have offered 2eternalhell (how apt) a straight forward choice  £12 fully tracked/signiture .  £9 normal airmail (shut yer eyes and hope for the best) .the lower rate is only on the understanding that i recieve via ebay message a declaration waiving his/her right to any refund/compensation due to loss or damage of any kind.

i have offered him a third choice to cancel the auction via ebay this has been refused

my feedback is important to me especially when negative comments are so easily left by a buyer

i am encouraged that the general tone of comments disagree with the buyer

thank you all for letting me have a say