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.

[gutterpunkz05]

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.

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You are drawing a long bow and are probably somewhat delusional if you believe that particular listing was designed for you.

7 day listing started 20/5   5 x  Old style Carboard blister packs,  3 different products with 1 x 3.  

This listing seems completely compatable with all of the sellers other items.

There is no indication that the sole bid, is anything other than legitimate, except in your mind.

[9647ian]

Come on! They are rare items and just happened to be the exact three that I requested, which he has ever sold in a group of three before! Delusional my foot! You are clearly just trolling for cheap kicks.

[9647ian]

You are the one telling porkies to suit your own biassed opinion. I can tell you are just trying to rile me to make me look bad, which is in fact a form of trolling. Not going to work bud!

This seller seems to get hostile to people if they 1) ask questions, 2) request combined postage, 3) bid on his items (clearly they did not bid the items high enough - he expected much, much more!), and 4) pay for his goods (they are ripping him off no matter how they pay, and poor fellow has to pay postage too because ebay and paypal have already taken him to the cleaners for giving him ad space). Poor fellow. He can't be pleased. Not sure what the go is with that, but good luck to him. I am shopping elsewhere from now on.

[9647ian]

tag team effort??? Not with you bud! Nthing like that will happen I assure you. More a case of "Avoid like the plague!" In fact, seem like I was the only one who didn't know about this seller!

[gutterpunkz05]

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@9647ian wrote:

Come on! They are rare items and just happened to be the exact three that I requested, which he has ever sold in a group of three before! Delusional my foot! You are clearly just trolling for cheap kicks.

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Thanks,  you have just 100% confirmed  the veracity of my posts.  The seller can  list his items in any ammount and combination he likes..  If that listing is supposedly  in response to your request,  then why add the other 2 items.  I would hardly think the seller would be out to do you any favours.  By the way being underhanded and getting freinds to ask the seller questions, is not a good look.

You obviously think the seller has nothing better to do with his time.  No wonder so many sellers dont even bother to answer..

By the way, if the seller was listing an item in response to your request, dont you think he would notify you, rather than you just

happening to see the listing some 3 days after it has commenced.

[9647ian]

Seems we have both come across a similar "type" of seller. This is the seller that is always feeling ripped off by the world and everybody in it. They constantly complain about things like postage costs, ebay fees, paypal fees etc. They are never grateful for high bids, no matter how high they go. Instead they are always rubbing their hands together at the thought of making more money out of any deal. So even if you bid their items up to the moon the seller will never thank you for bidding or be grateful. Instead they will try to get as much out of you for postage as they possibly can before letting you off their hook. Yes indeed, some sellers think buyers are the proverbial "milk cow". Buyers do not want to hear sellers whining about the costs even after they have gotten a good deal and you have paid them in full. I guess it is more their attitude of greed that puts buyers off them forever. It is like: "I alone have the goods you desire. You want them? Well expect to pay, and pay some more, and oh, while you're at it, pay me some more." Buyers who experience such an attitude generally never return. If a buyer is good enough to bid on ther products and ask reasonable questions in a polite manner, only to be met with hosility from a seller is not a pleasant shopping experience. It leaves buyers with a bad taste in the mouth. They never return.

[9647ian]

Go back to sleep! You clearly have not read my earlier posts.

[gutterpunkz05]

I have read every word,  perhaps you should re-read the thread, rather than berrating anyone who has had anything to say that did not

suit your purpose.  You have been caught out blatantly lying re this issue, now I dont care what you want to call me, as that seems to be your MO, but as you started this thread, I believe members have the right to know that you are far from truthful in your posts.

I see you wanted this thread closed, I wonder why.

[9647ian]

Sir, you are cherry picking from my comments in order to make out of context statements.

Secondly you are being disingenuous.

DUH! You are the one who asked why I keep commenting and walk away. So you are the one who wanted it closed. I wonder why.

<Insert ad to SpecSavers here!>

[9647ian · Accepted solution]

My only hope is that I at least have pointed out a problem with ebay. Sellers can combine postage at checkout, so buyers send them a request which the seller can choose to ignore, or they will demand you pay the same postage for each sale. My understanding is that if sellers choose not to combine postage, they can change their preferences to reflect this, and at checkout a buyer will get a clear message that they do not combine postage. Also they can (I think "should", though this is clearly not the case) state it clearly on their ads that they do not combine postage so buyers are totally aware from the outset. Otherwise sellers can state or imply that they combine postage in order to attract more bids, but then refuse to answer any questions about combined postage, thus leaving the buyer in the dark. Then they hit them with a nasty surprise that they must pay full postage on all the items they have won, even when the items are small packets that could easily be combined. Also in this case the seller did the wrong thing by requesting I pay by bank deposit instead of PayPal after the auction, just so he can combine postage and avoid PayPal's buyer protection and save a few bucks on fees, while pocketing the difference in postage. $13.95 on every additional sale must really add up for him over time, yet he is the one who is crying poor. That is the crux of the problem which I was highlighting, despite gutterpunkz tactics to derail the thread. I really must wonder why he was so antagonistic towards what is actually a reasonable problem that I wished to highlight and this person subsequently attempted to derail the topic by cherry picking my comments in order to make out of context statements in his attempt to paint me as the guilty party? For his information, not that it is any of his business anyway, I did purchase the items separately and paid for the separate postage by PayPal, which evidently annoyed the seller greatly. This was despite receiving no replies at all from the seller apart from his request that I pay him by bank deposit. And then gutterpunk tries to paint me as the villain. Laughable!!!

However I have been told many time before that nobody from ebay actually reads these forums! So what is the point of trying to highlight problems with ebay on here? Moreover, I find myself asking, what is the point of these community forums if nobody from ebay monitors or reads them??? Yet the forums are a part of their website, aren't they? Yet they have no control over them and do not care what is written? This is very odd and leads me to wonder, does ebay have a dedicated feedback forum, and if they do, does anybody actually monitor or read the suggestions sent in by buyers and sellers?