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.

[digital*ghost]

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 wrote:

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Seller should just add cost of the post bag, postage cost and nothing more. Clever sellers recycle and also find thrown out freebie padded bags.  Making money by adding exras is uncool.

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Should? The only time the word "should" is appropriate when a someone is talking about how someone else runs their business, is if they are A) an investor with enough clout to make suggestions and / or changes to business practices, or B) talking about practices that need to be in accordance with laws or policies.

The things you've mentioned are called personal preferences. Many people have sound reason and justification for their personal preferences, many don't, and it seems all too few these days recognise that personal preferences don't get to become mandates for how other people run their business. (I will mention here that despite everything, I also have a personal preference for reasonable postage costs, not too high in excess of actual costs. But I also recognise it for what it is). 

There are costs associated with postage above and beyond stamp price and the packaging, if a seller has all of those costs in the item price instead of postage, then anyone who purchases 2+ items is paying those costs 2+ times, so who is profiteering then? Why should your preferences for what makes up the postage amount charged, result in many other buyers paying a lot more for their orders? 

There was a thread just the other week where more than one person mentioned they will not buy from a seller again if they have used recycled packaging, so again what you view as cleverness, others will view as cheap and stingy, so not only are personal preferences just that, there are a great many that are wholly contradictory between individual people, and many times a seller will choose their practices based on what their own preferences are (which they have every right to do), or what works best for them, knowing full well there will be buyers out there that won't like it...but so what? Can't be everybody's ideal, when everyone's ideal is different. 

If a seller's practices lose them custom, then they will be the ultimate losers. If they don't, the personal preferences of a few matter not. 

[9647ian]

Insert ad here for SpecSavers!

[9647ian]

Facts? What facts??? You only presented your own insinuations based on what you had mis-read.

As for leaving the seller negatives, I will not be leaving him any feedback.

[9647ian]

Wow, you should be a politican. Only they can come up with that sort of reasoning and expect people to swallow it!

[9647ian]

Wow you jump to SO many conclusions, to the point that I am now the worst buyer and seller you have ever come across. LOL!!! And you have the nerve to call me delusional!!! Hilarious!

[davewil1964]

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@9647ian wrote:

Insert ad here for SpecSavers!

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Indeed. Except Lyndal is probably not the one who needs to avail herself of the service.

If you had spent half the time and energy at a job as you have here, you would have already covered what you consider to be excess costs. Noting, once again, that it is entirely the BUYER'S (you) choice to purchase or not. And that the time to ask questions is BEFORE purchase.

[gutterpunkz05]

As for leaving the seller negatives, I will not be leaving him any feedback.

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Checkmate.  My work is done

But I am really hoping you change your mind, so others can see for themselves

[9647ian]

Wow people really cannot read what it is written can they?

1) I have stated many times already that I DID ask the seller for combined postage prior to bidding. HE DID NOT REPLY. The thing is I would have gladly paid the seller for the two lots of postage if he had told me this is what he expects, but he DID NOT reply. But of course I would not have bid on more than one sale if I had known this back then. I did not know because the seller would not reply.

2) I never heard from the seller for two days so decided to bid because the auction was getting close to ending. After winning the bids I went straight to checkout and noticed it showed combined postage there, so I clicked on the "Request total from seller" option. He never replied.

3) I waited a day and sent a second combined postage request. He never replied.

4) Later I sent him a personal message through the ebay contact form requesting combined postage. I also asked if he would have three of a certain item and if he would mind putting them together as a single ad. He never replied.

5) Next thng the seller sends me a message which just says "please pay by direct deposit, not paypal" and he provides his bank account details. I asked him why he did not respond to my requests to combine postage. He replies this time, but denies receiving any messages from me about combined postage.

6) He did not send any further replies so I decided to just pay him. I realized paying him by bank deposit could cause problems with buyer protection so I paid him with PayPal not bank deposit. He gets rude and nasty and sends me a message: "You want to pay this way then you are... stuck with it!" I send him a reply asking why he has combined shipping on his checkout but does not honour it. He replies that if I don't like it I should take it up with ebay.

7) Seller shoots himself in the foot because he proves to me that he must have received my earlier messages requesting combined postage. I noticed he had just put up a new ad with the very three items that I had asked him about. Definitely not a coincidence because they are rare items that he never normally sells in this way. He clearly made up this ad in response to my message. Sellers own greed caught him out. Moreover a bid shows up on this new ad almost as fast as it was put up. Not mine I assure you! I have decided not to bid on the ad for obvious reasons.

😎 Parcel arrived with the goods under one cover. He combined postage, but only to his own advantage!

[9647ian]

Gutter punk, it has been a pleasure!

[collect247]

How rude calling me a troll I'm far from it lol but hey what ever jiggles your marbles.