seller lying about express post

[dolly-and-hill]

So this is a slightly complicated story

Back in August I messaged a seller asking if she could send an item express. The item listed had a postage price of $8.55 for standard delivery.

Message 1 from me: If I pay now can you send it express tomorrow?

Message 1 from seller: Not with the current postage price (listed at $8.55). I will need to charge more.

Message 2 from me: Ok it's about $3 more. If I pay tonight can you send it express tomorrow?

Message 2 from seller: "I have updated my listing to include express post"        [Listing now shows $11.99 for standard delivery]

Message 3 from me: "Thanks! Do you think it can get to melbourne by friday though as I'm flying off that afternoon?"

NO FURTHER REPLY FROM SELLER (in Aug)

The listing now showed $11.99 for STANDARD delivery (and no $8.55 option).

I did not buy in Aug as she took too long to respond and did not confirm that it could have been sent the next day.

I have since bought the item which is $11.99 postage for listed STANDARD delivery and mistakenly thought she would still send it express as above. All her other items had $8.55 postage for standard.

I messaged her again to ask where it was as I had expected to receive it by now as I was going away and if received after friday, I won't be able to pick up at all.

Now she has just confirmed it was sent standard as that was what it was listed for

She then said "That message was from August. I didn’t hear from you again or received payment so I assumed that you were not interested. "  

--this is a clear lie as she never responded to message 3 from me above until this sale and I have proof I sent that message in my inbox. Also she had not made any edit to her listing since August either....so unsure why the offer of $11.99 for express post (listed as standard) would only be for the month of August. 

And  she told me to just wait a few days- I'm not sure what waiting a few days would do. I won't be physically around to pick it up (I made it clear I was leaving on fri, albeit after I had paid due to my assumptions around express post).

She also did not explain why I had to pay $11.99 for standard postage.

eBay can't refund as this item will appear as though it is awaiting collection in my suburb next week. I won't be able to collect it (and know nobody who can help). So have I just given the seller money for absolutely nothing

Did she intentionally aim to mislead me by saying "I've changed it to express" and change the price but not the type of shipment (always stated "standard shipping")? 

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

Stop wanting to buy things on such a tight time frame is the best advice I can give. Once an item is handed over to Aust Post the seller has no control over delivery times, even for Express Post. Any seller who guarantees a delivery date is dreaming.

What you call $11.99 standard delivery is not just postage, it includes the seller's handling charge.  DO NOT expect that the satchel or stamp cost will be $11.99 . . . it will probably be less.

[jellybirddesigns]

Postage rates just went up at the beginning of the month. A regular small satchel now costs $9.20 and many sellers will add the 10% shipping fee that Ebay charges them plus a handling fee into the price, so expect around $10-11 minimum.

As a seller, I would never guarantee delivery items of any item - I've seen Express items sometimes take up to 4 days.

Always remember, an emergency on the part of the buyer does not constitute an emergency for the seller - in other words, allow enough time to buy your items - you should have just bought it back in August.

[dolly-and-hill]

I am a seller too so I get that.

To clarify, my question to the seller was more about if they could post by x date. I am aware that auspost has taken 2 weeks to deliver an item just a 20 min drive away and that was completely out of my hands.

My only issue was that the seller had adjusted the price to be what they wanted to charge for express post, and then sent it standard.

I suppose it is a good scam. If you know a buyer is short of time, offer to send it express for a fee but don't change the postage type (keep it standard). An express post satchel was $11.55 but is now $12.20. Then when it comes to posting, pocket the $3 difference (standard small parcel is $9.20) and say...my listing stated "standard", even though that was not what was indicated in the message.

[dolly-and-hill]

What had changed for the seller to alter their price from $8.55 to $11.99 (apart from them saying it was for express)? I took screenshots of the listing that had it at $8.55 before I asked them if they could post express.

I paid for the item BEFORE the october changes. An express post satchel was $11.55 then if I remember correctly.

And I should have been clearer I was asking them when they could post it rather than when I would receive it, but that part of message 1 and 2 was never replied to in susbequent messages from her. Hence I asked it a different way (ie when I would likely receive it). Definitely no guarantees with auspost! 

[brerrabbit585]

She said she'd changed it to include express post so what the actual listing said isn't that important.  Thousands of listings just say standard postage but will be sent by another means.  Some are listed that way because it's too complicated to put the correct postage in - many times the correct 'type' of postage isn't even on the list of types to choose from. 

If the seller has business policies set up and doesn't have one for express postage, she could either over-ride the current policy and just change the amount showing but have it still show as standard postage, or she could spend half an hour setting up a special policy just for you - with no guarantee that you'll actually buy.  I know I'd just be changing the amount and leaving the rest as it was.

She may not have felt the need to reassure you that she'd post it the next day.  The fact that she changed it to express AFTER you asked could it be posted the next day is pretty much an indication that she expected to do just that.  She wouldn't have changed the listing if she couldn't post it then.  Calling her a liar just because she didn't confirm she'd post it the next day is unwarranted.  You didn't buy at the time so any seller would assume you weren't interested.

The fact that you didn't go ahead with it after her going to the effort of changing the listing for you probably peed her off so when you did eventually buy she may have decided to just send it as the standard postage that was in the listing.  Or, more likely, she didn't even remember it was you that asked the question previously and just sent it off as she normally would.

You have no details of when you bought but postage has just gone up so don't assume you paid enough to cover express post.  Making demands AFTER you pay doesn't put the seller under any obligation either.

[dolly-and-hill]

"Calling her a liar just because she didn't confirm she'd post it the next day is unwarranted."

I'm not calling her a liar for not confirming posting the next day.

I'm just saying her replying that I never messaged her back after she changed the postage price was a lie. I have proof that I thanked her and then asked again to see if she could post it in time. She then did not reply.

I just found it a bit weird she couldn't give an indication (back in Aug) when she could post it so I could be waiting as long as with standard postage hence I didn't go through. How many times do you ask the same question for it to be ignored to think something was suspicious.

She is obviously not under any obligation. I can see that this is my fault, just frustrating but I suppose she gets to keep the money and the item!

[brerrabbit585]

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@dolly-and-hill wrote:

What had changed for the seller to alter their price from $8.55 to $11.99 (apart from them saying it was for express)? I took screenshots of the listing that had it at $8.55 before I asked them if they could post express.

I paid for the item BEFORE the october changes. An express post satchel was $11.55 then if I remember correctly.

And I should have been clearer I was asking them when they could post it rather than when I would receive it, but that part of message 1 and 2 was never replied to in susbequent messages from her. Hence I asked it a different way (ie when I would likely receive it). Definitely no guarantees with auspost! 

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You think it's okay for you to be scant on details but you think sellers should spell everything out in minute detail for you?

[brerrabbit585]

You're really clutching at straws in your determination to accuse her of lying.  She probably considered that she'd already answered your question as to posting it the next day and didn't think it necessary to spell it out for you.  

If someone messaged me and then didn't buy until several weeks later I can't guarantee that I'd actually remember it was the same person.  I would probably just post it off the normal way without taking much notice of the postage amount either.  And she's right, any agreement from back in August can't be expected to stand indefinitely!

Oh, and you can GUARANTEE she received your message, can you?  Proof that you sent it doesn't constitute proof that she received it.

[lyndal1838]

If the item is not collected from the PO it will be returned to the seller who should either refundyou, less the postage, or ask if you want it resent at a further postage cost to you.

In view of the way you have mucked her around I suspect the refund may be the way she will go.