eBay Question

[Brill Weave]

I recently purchased six small Mechwarrior figures from a seller. I was able to get all of them for a relatively cheap price and the total came to just under seven dollars(I was the only bidder.) Usually these items go for quite a bit more.

Here's the problem.

I asked the seller to provide me with an updated invoice for combined shipping. The S&H on each item was listed as 4.99. The seller stated he would combine the shipping but would NOT reduce the shipping rates(29.96 in S&H.)

He then admitted that he does this in order to avoid eBay seller fees. So he makes his auctions low and gouges people on shipping when they win multiple items. I asked him to cancel my bids as I am in now way shape or form paying thirty dollars for something that will cost him six dollars to send.

After going through the ToS, this looks like it could fall under Fees Avoidance. Has anyone had a situation like this? Is it reportable?

[Cream Soda]

I'd request to have each shipped to a different address, unless he reduced the price for grouped shipping (say each one is for a diff friend or something)

[Melena]

Yea you can report him. Make sure to include correspondences with him stating that he does this to circumvent ebay's own price gouging. Sadly this doesn't save him too much money as EBay also takes a cut from your shipping fee's as well.

[Brill Weave]

That's what I figured Melena. Just pissed me off.

[Emirii]

It's against Ebay ToS to try to avoid the seller fees. Also i'm fairly sure they charge on shipping rates now because of this anyway. He just want
s more money for the items. Don't pay and report him...

Also, not sure but be very careful when spending money for figures n stuff on ebay. Lots of china rip-offs (some even with US addresses listed)

[Brill Weave]

So an update. The guy refuses to cancel the sale. I told him to file an unpaid item claim on me and let the chips fall where they may. I also reported the guy for avoidance of eBay fees. So we'll see what happens.

[Salodin]

So an update. The guy refuses to cancel the sale. I told him to file an unpaid item claim on me and let the chips fall where they may. I also reported the guy for avoidance of eBay fees. So we'll see what happens.

I love stories like this. Keep us posted!

[Brill Weave]

Meh I'm going to get hit with an unpaid item claim, I'll appeal it. So far as I can tell that's pretty much going to be the end of it.

[Kaisha]

Also i'm fairly sure they charge on shipping rates now because of this anyway.

Is this the reason why shipping fees on most shit are ludicrous on ebay nowadays?

Some stuff ends up being cheaper for me to buy new off Amazon than the eBay sellers after S&H.

[Melena]

yup.

[Brill Weave]

Well, he filed the unpaid item claims against me this morning. I immediately hit him with 6 bad feedbacks. Called eBay customer support. They said that since I have never had any prior problems as a buyer or seller, once the four days pass for the claim I need to call back and they will remove the strikes. So that's good news as long as they follow through.

[Cream Soda]

how may non payment claims were you hit with?

[Brill Weave]

It was six total. And the eBay rep gave me a ticket number to use when I call in after the cases close. So that leads me to believe it's a done deal.

[Day]

this is interesting because I didn't realize you could force the combined shipping or whatever.. is it in the TOS they have to ship multiple items (auctions) to same buyer together?

[Xerlic]

this is interesting because I didn't realize you could force the combined shipping or whatever.. is it in the TOS they have to ship multiple items (auctions) to same buyer together?

Sellers aren't required to combine shipping in the ToS, though most sellers will offer to do this. However, it's also in the ToS that they can't charge unreasonable fees for shipping like in this case where this guy is charging 30 dollars to ship something when it only costs 6 or 7 bucks. They also can't use the shipping fees to account for paypal and ebay fees.

[Brill Weave]

I don't think it's a matter of forcing combined shipping. It saves him money to do it of his own volition. Hell even if he would have charged me a slightly higher rate I probably would have been ok with it. It would have cost him no more than eight dollars to ship this stuff out. Yet he's coming up with 29.96. I also checked with a guy that left him feedback on similar items that ended the same day. He purchased five and all of them sold for 3 - 6 dollars. And he DID give this guy a reduced rate for combined shipping. Because the auction made him more money.

[Cream Soda]

this is interesting because I didn't realize you could force the combined shipping or whatever.. is it in the TOS they have to ship multiple items (auctions) to same buyer together?

No, it's not in the TOS, but the guy was trying to ship them all together, but still charge Brill for individual shipping, from what I understood.

[Day]

Hmm. I don't know then, how is he shipping? UPS cause 4.99 is cheap for anything via UPS. I'm curious how this will play out to be honest. I recently sold some shit and had no idea how much shipping via UPS was privately (used to do it via the company I worked for). I got shafted about 7 bucks per shipment. Was my bad so I didn't try to charge the seller more after the fact.. but 1lb items in a fairly small box was 12+ bucks to residential.

[Day]

No, it's not in the TOS, but the guy was trying to ship them all together, but still charge Brill for individual shipping, from what I understood.

Ah yes this makes more sense.

So he should have just said no combined shipping in the auction and stuck to that, guess he would have lost money that way though.

[Brill Weave]

Cream has the right of it. Day using the USPS flat rate boxes has been a lifesaver anytime I ship things out. With the exception of games or movies(I ship those out in bubblewrap envelopes) I only use flat rate boxes.