Seller refuses to combine postage - profiteering on postage?

[9647ian]

So I am quite prepared to pay the $80 to a seller on two separate sales. The sales are for some spare parts that would fit into the palm of my hand when combined, but he wants $13.80 postage for each sale. That makes an incredible $27.60 postage on items that he will be able to post for half that cost.

And how much do you want to bet, he will post the two sales together in one envelope?

I have told him that if he intends to charge me two lots of postage then I will expect two separate envelopes.

I almost made the mistake of bidding on a third ad of his for another $40. That would have made a combined postage of $41.40 on small items that could be posted for less than half that amount.

Why are some sellers so unreasonable when it comes to combining postage? Are they profiteering on postage? Seems so.

[9647ian]

You cannot read. I stated clearly that the seller did reply, but only to tell me to use direct deposit rather than PayPal. All of my other questions and requests have been ignored.

[9647ian]

How much you wanna bet he will post them all together using standard postage, thus saving himself a bundle and pocketing the difference? I've been doing my homework since first posting and word around the hobby group in which I am involved is that this guy is a known shark.

[9647ian]

enigmabear, I have watched your posts to others. You always appear to side with the seller and patronize the buyer. Like clockwork! It sometimes appears as though you have a slight axe to grind against buyers??? Just saying! Have a grand old day!

[9647ian]

I only hope the poor seller does not strain his back lifting that massive "3 KG weight", being a packet of 5 circlips, into the plastic post bag. Could give himself a hernia at the very least!!

[4channel]

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@9647ian wrote:

So I am quite prepared to pay the $80 to a seller on two separate sales. The sales are for some spare parts that would fit into the palm of my hand when combined, but he wants $13.80 postage for each sale. That makes an incredible $27.60 postage on items that he will be able to post for half that cost.

And how much do you want to bet, he will post the two sales together in one envelope?

I have told him that if he intends to charge me two lots of postage then I will expect two separate envelopes.

I almost made the mistake of bidding on a third ad of his for another $40. That would have made a combined postage of $41.40 on small items that could be posted for less than half that amount.

Why are some sellers so unreasonable when it comes to combining postage? Are they profiteering on postage? Seems so.

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Hi 9647ian , while it's best to give the seller the benefit of the doubt, it is important to be alert to the behaviour and attitude of a minority of sellers. Sooner or later we are all bound to come across one. From what you have stated here, it would seem that the seller is after extra money.

Now I know I will cop some flack for this but I'll say it anyway. There is a feeling of "aboveness" with some sellers. By asking them even politely if they can combine, you have in their minds told them what to do. Heck with me, when I was selling, I would do the best I could do to make things easy for the buyer and I would sometimes (When they sent cash) refund them in postage stamps right down the the last 5 cents. This reminds me that there is a buyer who from years ago I need to refund  US $10 because of my miscalculation.

9647ian , some sellers are just difficult to deal with. I hope you get this sorted to the best of your satisfaction as you have every right.

BTW: when I have time later, I'll give a couple of examples of wierd experiences I have had with sellers.

[*tippy*toes*]

How badly do you need the circlips? I'm guessing as you bought them online, they aren't super urgent? If your buying record is blemish free, then I'd just not pay. If he opens a non paying dispute and closes it, you'll get a strike. No one can see that except for eBay. Providing you don't get another one inside 12 months, it won't affect your account at all. In 12 months it will be gone and forgotten about. The other option is to ring eBay, get them to look at the messages between you and the seller and they'll probably remove the strike for you.

If you do still decide to go ahead with the purchase, regardless of the postage, DO NOT under any circumstances pay via bank deposit. I know others have already said that, I'm just trying to ram it home. If the seller refunds your payment and insists you pay via bank deposit, pay via PayPal again. Each time he refunds he loses 30 cents. After a few goes, report him to eBay. He will get a policy violation against his name.

Something else to consider for future purchases (it doesn't apply to this one as you've bought and not paid yet). Some sellers, myself included, have been forced by eBay into immediate payment. I have never selected that option, and I still don't, but eBay has forced it. That means that unless my buyers know to add items to the cart, they will be forced to pay each one when they buy it. That means if they buy 10 items, that's 10 lots of $8.20 postage. That's a big whack I have to refund and a lot of fees, that to get back, I have to ring eBay. They are relying on sellers thinking "I can't be bothered ringing for 82c". It soon adds up into a nice tide profit for them.

[9647ian]

The seller has just put his own foot in his mouth. He sends me a message yesterday to let me know that he did not receive any messages from me AT ALL concerning combined postage. So he says I will just have to wear the costs now.

This is hilarious, for two reasons. Firstly, how would he have known I asked him to combine the postage if he did not receive any messages from me? This speaks for itself. LOL!

Secondly, I asked him in one of my messages (which he says he did not receive) if he would have another three pairs of a certain item and, if so, could he please make up a special ad for them. He did not reply, but yesterday I noticed he had made up a special ad with three pairs of the items that I had requested. Coincidence? I think not. Of course he had put an exorbitant amount on them and an exorbitant postage cost. Yet he claims he has received no communications from me. LOL!

The other funny thing is there was a bid placed on this ad almost immediately, so clearly if I was to start bidding (which I won't!) I will then become a victim of shill bidding. He must think I was born yesterday and under the cabbage patch.

Seller is clearly lying through his teeth. He is also clearly very annoyed that I did not pay him by bank deposit. As I paid with PayPal he has to send me the items separately. He was no doubt hoping I would fall int the trap of paying by bank deposit, then I would have no buyer protection through PayPal and he could just throw everything in one packet and send the cheapest possible way. He won't be able to pocket the additional postage and this is what he is REALLY annoyed about. Yet he got top dollar for the spare parts as I was the one who bid on and won his auction. Yet he is still crying poor! Some sellers are ungrateful, greedy, and also impossible to please.

[9647ian]

I just wanted to get the wording right. Here is the exact message I received from the seller yesterday.

"You never sent me question about combining post and thats why your... stuck with it!"

It is clear from the tone of this message that he DID receive my requests for combined postage (I sent him three in total, including one as a separate message) and he is now quite annoyed because I paid by PayPal and not bank deposit. As I said before, how would he have known anything about me asking for combined postage if, as he claims, he did receive any communication from me about combining postage? He has caught himself out at his own game. Too funny for words!!!

[collect247]

All I see here is that a seller that obviously doesn't combine postage and they don't have to, being attacked by you because you never got the combined postage that you were after.

So are you out to get this seller because of this issue?

As I said before why did you buy from a seller with high postage costs for such a small item?

You need to find out about these things before you buy.

Sellers do not have to give you combined postage so if you're not happy with this then just move on and stop making trouble for the seller.

Who cares if they received your request for combined post,they don't have to give it to you,you either pay or you don't and then mark the stars down for postage cost simple as that and lesson learned.

[digital*ghost]

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@9647ian wrote:

As I paid with PayPal he has to send me the items separately. 

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This is a common belief that is not actually true. 

If you made one payment for both items, there's absolutely nothing that would stop the seller from sending the items in a single package. If you made two payments but had them sent to the same address, there's no policy in place that dictates the seller must send them separately - the seller would be putting themselves at a little more risk if they still combined, but generally only from dishonest buyers (I do it all the time as a seller - combine separately purchased items, I mean - as almost every day I get at least one buyer purchasing more than one item but making individual payments for each; I refund excess postage regardless, though). 

If you made two separate payments and had them sent to two different addresses, that's the only circumstance in which the seller would have to send them separately. 

Personally, I'd be asking them the question of why they messaged me saying I didn't ask about combined postage - the chances of them having seen your public forum post are pretty low, but not impossible, and although I have experienced instances where eBay messages failed to go through to the recipient, it generally doesn't happen 3 times in a row.