Why do seller OFFER listings allow them to change for example "free postage" to no longer included?

[karatelollypop]

I have made an offer for this luminance meter only to find out after the fact that postage and handling no longer is included in the deal. I have encountered this type of change of contract sale on other ebay sellers web pages and have had to cancel or retract my offers. I thought this practice is not allowed. I wish to clarify this? Thanks.

[rjm6572]

the listing does state

Free postage to Australia

[digital*ghost]

It's not a change of contract, and it applies to all listings with the Make An Offer feature enabled. 

When you make an offer, eBay simply state up front that your offer is for the item price only, which is really only relevant to items with postage stated separately. In other words, it's saying postage - be it $0 or $50 - is non-negotiable.

It's also intended to help stop people from offering "postage included" prices, for example, say I'm looking at an item that's $50 with $20 postage, send the seller an offer of $45 and put something like 'plus free postage' in the message when I make the offer. The seller sees the offer of $45 and thinks I've simply offered them $5 less than their asking price so accepts, missing the 'free postage' bit I put in there until it's too late.

[karatelollypop]

My only solution to the no longer free postage issue during make an offer terms was resolved by RETRACTING the offer. This allows the buyer the only out because the terms of sale have changed. It is one of the selectable and acceptable reason available.. . This was accepted by the selller.

[digital*ghost]

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@karatelollypop wrote:

My only solution to the no longer free postage issue during make an offer terms was resolved by RETRACTING the offer. This allows the buyer the only out because the terms of sale have changed. It is one of the selectable and acceptable reason available.. . This was accepted by the selller.

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I'm not sure I understand, so I'm hoping you can help clarify...

If you've been able to retract your offer, I can only presume the seller hasn't accepted the offer, so it wouldn't be an issue of the seller accepting your offer and then invoicing you with postage added on to the total cost, so I am wondering exactly when and how the sellers are saying that it won't be free postage if you make an offer? I'm also presuming it's not via a counter-offer because then you can't retract your offer, only ignore theirs.

On the off-chance you're referring to this message that appears when you make an offer, which I have highlighted in blue, then you may be misunderstanding what it means:

As I said in my previous message, postage is not included in your offer because postage is non-negotiable via Best Offer - if a listing says $20 or best offer, plus $10 postage, then your offer is only on the $20 and no matter what the final item price is, the postage is going to be $10. That holds true if the item is $20 plus $0 postage - no matter what item price is offered / accepted, postage is going to be $0.

[magentabreeze]

thanks for bringing this topic up. I added best offer to my current listing and got an offer from an interested buyer. I was about to send a counter offer when they retracted their offer. I did notice the thing about postage not being included but as I was offering free postage anyway (and the part about postage not included in this offer is not added by the seller) I am wondering if that is why the buyer changed their minds. Ebay needs to clarify this statement as it looks like we as sellers are now not including free postage in accepting offers.