seller does not respond to emails regarding combining invoice. how to cancel order

[countessalmirena]

❝Hi and thanks for your reply. Purchased in Feb I think, They offered free postage so I ordered 2 cables that they stated would be sent Parcel Post but they posted them in an envelope which Aus Post picked up and charged me an extra $8.95 which is a bummer as the cables were around $17 for 2 so adding on another $8.95 means I could have purchased them cheaper elsewhere. Aust Post reckon that it has become very common lately causing many angry eBayers.

Cheers
Paul
P.S. I have emailed the seller and advised him that I am not happy and that he should send me another cable free of charge to make up for my extra cost.❞

With this additional information in mind, ignore my previous reply. It isn't relevant to your particular situation.

Have all of the relevant information ready (by which I mean PDF scan of any proof of your paying Australia Post for underpaid postage), and contact eBay Live Chat tomorrow. (I would first of all contact the seller again as I explain below, though.)

When contacting eBay CS Live Chat

Explain that you received the items in an envelope and were charged by Australia Post for the underpaid postage.

Point out that on eBay's Help page Postage rates for buyers, it explicitly states:

❝Increased postage rates after a purchase

Sellers can't increase their postage rates after you've bought an item without asking your permission to do so. If the seller makes a change that you don't agree with, and you can't resolve the issue directly with them, contact us and we'll step in to help.❞

Point out that by the seller underpaying postage, they have effectively increased the postage rate as you were forced to pay Australia Post the correct postage amount in place of the seller who failed to do so.

Provide proof that you were required to pay / paid this postage amount.

Ask to be refunded.

Stay polite.

Don't even go with your suggestion that the seller should send you another cable. A seller who deliberately posts in an envelope, knowing that this is an evasion of Australia Post fees for postage of this sort of item, is hardly likely to agree to give you that sort of remedy.

You may want to ask the seller to refund you the $8.95, but if you do, don't mention feedback as that could be taken as feedback extortion. Rather, just politely and calmly say that the seller is responsible for the postage costs, that the seller is responsible for packing the items in accordance with AP requirements, and that the seller is responsible for the underpaid postage cost. Explain that you are an unhappy buyer at presence, but would be glad to see the seller remedy the situation.

In fact, sending a message along those lines (prior to contacting eBay CS) will show a reasonable approach from you and may help you if you do need to contact eBay CS.

[countessalmirena]

@acoustic_foundry,

Did you request a combined invoice from the seller before buying?

Unless you did so, it is quite possible that the seller is not able to do that post-sale. The time to sort out this sort of thing is before purchasing; buyers cannot assume that their requests will be seen after the sale has gone through. In some instances, with the larger sellers, sale information goes straight to one department, where the item will be taken from the warehouse or similar and then prepared for posting.

Of course, it's frustrating not to receive a reply, and perhaps the seller is deliberately ignoring your messages. In my view, the best sellers do reply to customer requests - but keep in mind that it's the weekend, which means your seller is probably not available right now!

Also consider... there is a terrible weather system causing havoc in NSW at present, set to impact other parts of Australia's east this week. If your seller in NSW, that may be a factor.

Can a buyer cancel their purchase?

No. Once you commit to buy by placing a bid (auction) or clicking Buy Now, you have bought the item. As stated by eBay on their Cancel an order Help page:

❝If it's been less than an hour since your purchase, and the seller hasn't sent the item yet, you can cancel your order yourself. Otherwise, you'll need to contact the seller and ask them to cancel it for you.❞

You've been attempting to contact the seller to request a cancellation, hence I have my doubts that your seller either can or will cancel the order for you.

You have a few options.

• If your attempts to contact the seller have only been recent (over the last 2 days, for instance), then I think it's too early to start worrying about the seller not replying. You can wait for the seller to reply to you tomorrow... or try contacting the seller again either tomorrow afternoon or on Tuesday (because you wouldn't want to inundate the seller with messages!).
  
  
• If you don't want to go ahead with the purchase, you can simply not pay. Unless you have a lot of unpaid items, it's not likely to affect you. If it does, you can always appeal an Unpaid Item strike. You may want to point to the messages you have sent to show that you have a good reason for not proceeding with payment, if all reasonable attempts at contacting the seller fail. (Remember that word reasonable, though.)
  
  
• If you don't want to risk an Unpaid Item strike, then pay for the purchase, and if it doesn't arrive by the Estimated Delivery Date, you can open an INR dispute for full refund. If it does arrive, and if the seller's return policy allows you to return for "change of mind", return it to receive your refund.

[twyngwyn]

Do they offer combined postage?

When did you agree to purchase?

It is Sunday....not everyone is on their computer 24/7....do you need to be patient or has this been going on for a while?

[acoustic_foundry]

Hi and thanks for your reply. Purchased in Feb I think, They offered free postage so I ordered 2 cables that they stated would be sent Parcel Post but they posted them in an envelope which Aus Post picked up and charged me an extra $8.95 which is a bummer as the cables were around $17 for 2 so adding on another $8.95 means I could have purchased them cheaper elsewhere. Aust Post reckon that it has become very common lately causing many angry eBayers.

Cheers
Paul
P.S. I have emailed the seller and advised him that I am not happy and that he should send me another cable free of charge to make up for my extra cost.

[kopenhagen5]

I would insist on the seller refunding the extra charge and that you are not interested in another cable.
Their error, they should wear it.

[lyndal1838]

The P.S. will tell you exactly why the seller is ignoring you.....you have the items!!!