Just after some friendly advice on this one.
Had item listed as Auction starting at $150 or BIN $200, local pick up only. After 3 days had around 12 watchers. Someone then purchased as BIN after 4 days. Before I could even send an invoice buyer paid via Paypal. Then I discover that she is in Qld. She then email and asked me to let her know the postage and she would send another payment.
The item is quite bulky, video game set with accessories, hence why I listed as pick up only, but did add at the bottom of description, “Pick up is preferred due to size, but could possibly post. Postage and handling charges are at buyers expense.”
I then purchased a 5m big long roll of bubble wrap and packing tape at a cost of around $20.
Because 2 of the pieces are quite long and wide (almost guitar shaped) I needed to find a box big enough for these as well as the other parts, which included a steering wheel, pedals, games etc. I used the box my microwave came in. Packed it all up and did AP online postage calculator which amounted to $94.00. Advised the buyer of this and said I would source couriers to see if it was much cheaper. Turns out it would cost around $88.00.
Then I thought if I can pack the console, games and steering wheel in a smaller box I could wrap the 2 long items together and send them as two separate items. Did this, took the smaller box to the PO this time and they quoted $38 for the box and $38 for the odd shaped parcel, and cubed both. The box weight was just over 7kg by 30 grm so asked them to quote as 6-7kg (I said I would remove 30g of packing material so that it brings the price down) not 7-8kg which they came back with $25. I then went to my PO near work the next day who quoted the box as $38 and the odd shape as $20 (this they didn’t cube but the box they did). So I then emailed the buyer and advised that postage would be $65 (small fee for the materials I had to purchase, reasonable I think since I used all of the bubble wrap and most of the tape, which didn't even cover half the expense I outlaid).
I also jumped online for qutie a few hours to find a courier and ended up with a quote which worked out to $59.
Emailed buyer with these 2 options. These are the emails she then sent me.
Email 1: “I am really sorry and embarrassed to say I cant afford that. my husband wont help out and unless i can have free postage I will have to ask for my $200 payment for the item back and find something cheaper for my husband for his 21st birthday. feel really bad but if i pay it without his concent he wants a divorce. sorry if i wasted your time. I really wanted to suprise him. a miricle right now would be such a blessing. is there any way u can pay for postage? really want this for him but i dont want to risk losing him in the process”
Email 2 : “under my purchase information for the item it says free postage. i think $200 should cover postage. i saw a very similar game package with free postage for $108”
So, she now wants a refund. I’m pretty peeved because of the time and expense that I’ve now wasted. I have 3 very disappointed children. This was their item which they saved their pocket money and did extra jobs for extra money to buy a new game player and now will have to wait. I can’t afford to pay the balance off for them at the moment, with all our bills coming in over the next few months.
I’m quite angry at the moment so haven’t replied to her emails yet, only got them yesterday.
Am I entitled to deduct $$ for the waste of money I’ve now spent, not to mention the time I’ve wasted bending overbackwards to make it cheaper for her. I’ve tried to provide good customer service but now just feel grrrrrr. I feel like just saying, “Your item is awaiting your collection”
I will offer to mutually cancel the transaction, but if she refuses, am I entitled to deduct the FV fees if she does refuse.I will refund but should I deduct my costs. Paid via Paypal, with local pick up as the postage, so she can’t raise a dispute.
Friendly ideas would be welcomed. Apologies for the long post but just wanted to include all the facts.
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