Old Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread • Page 5 • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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Old Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread
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Author

gvaughn1
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:20 pm

Doug Williams wrote:Are you really willing to go through all that trouble over a couple of bucks? Did you ever receive the item? Was it in the condition described? The seller *should* refund you the difference between $4.85 (Priority Mail) minus what he actually spent on first class postage. If he doesn't (and it seems he isn't going to), just neg him and be done with it, is my advice.

I agree. But if you neg a seller and he wants to be a jerk, he can just neg you back. How do you prevent that?

Mars
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:25 pm

Doug Williams wrote:If a seller states clearly that he is going to charge a certain amount for shipping, then the buyer has no cause to complain if the actual shipping costs are less than the stated amount, as long as the seller ships via the method he said he would, packs the items well, etc. If you don't like the shipping rate, then don't buy or bid on the item.

I completely disagree with this statement. This probably applies more for international shipping than domestic because of the higher costs. In general a buyer is not going to know how much a seller charges for a handling fee until the package arrives and they can compare what they paid vs the actual shipping cost. When you then find out the seller charged a $10+ handling fee, I think you are completely within your rights to ask for a partial refund. If they don't, I would completely neg him on the feedback. There is reasonable and there is ridiculous. $10 handling is my line between the two.

Sellers who try and hide a high handling fee within a flat rate shipping cost deserve what they get. If the seller wants to charge that much then he should state clearly in the auction what his handling fee is - but of course he won't because then no one would bid on his auction. So, he knows he is trying to deceive bidders. Neg him as a warning to others.

Mars
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:29 pm

benjoshua wrote: It's either everything or nothing, right?

This is what I believe. Paypal generally doesn't step in to decide if a handling fee is reasonable or not and won't make a judgement on condition, etc. As far as I know they only care if it can be proven to be delivered or not.

EDIT: if the guy is being a real jerk about it, file a claim that you didn't receive the item, get all your money back. Make the seller sweat about it and send him the payment back in the appropriate amount.

Last edited by Mars on Sat May 15, 2010 2:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Mars
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:29 pm

gvaughn1 wrote:I agree. But if you neg a seller and he wants to be a jerk, he can just neg you back. How do you prevent that?

Easy, under Ebay policy a seller cannot leave a negative for a buyer.

Mars
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:34 pm

Doug Williams wrote:Are you really willing to go through all that trouble over a couple of bucks?

Its funny you mention this. A seller's handling fee is something he is in complete control of and knows exactly what he is doing when he charges it and ships by a different method. His refusal to pay it and his excuse shows exactly what a muppet he is. He basically came out and said ya, I tricked you, you caught me, but I'm not giving you your money back anyway. Its people who treat you like crap like this that you want to get your few dollars back from.

When someone makes an honest mistake on condition or something that generally devalues an item by more than a couple of dollars, I am a lot more lenient and generally just suck it up.

ashmire13
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:38 pm

bit leftfield, but I know some of you are comic collectors too, so I am trying to pick up some cheap tidy Spiderman comics for my lad before his birthday.

I used to have a boxful 4ft square of Marvel comics from the 70-80's, but my parents ditched the lot when I moved out

and he is really into Marvel, but Spidey specifically.

I've just got the #1 1963 digitally for £1.19 from the Sony website, but I'd like to get him a few old school ones if they are a good price, otherwise we'll wait and get the new ones as they come out.

Anyone have a few going spare (preferably UK I guess due to postage)?

cheers

Rolls a '3'

"Did I hit.....?"

benjoshua
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:40 pm

Mars wrote:
This is what I believe. Paypal generally doesn't step in to decide if a handling fee is reasonable or not and won't make a judgement on condition, etc. As far as I know they only care if it can be proven to be delivered or not.

That's what I thought.

I am far too patient/persistent. I wrote him back:

You are basically saying other people do it and that you are charging for more than just actual postage.

EBay states; "Actual shipping cost: This is the amount for shipping the item. It should be what you paid the carrier."

And also states; " Related fees: Things like gas, mileage, time spent at a carrier, employee wages, or eBay and PayPal fees should not be added."

Please refund me the difference between what I paid for and received (or will receive, eventually). It's better for you if you don't go through the eBay resolution process.

He wrote back:

Sorry, but as I said, I don't give any sort of refund on shipping because it is "as is".

So now he's trying to pull some legalese on me.

I might just try what misterspock suggested, or I might just neg him. I'll think about it. It's likely not worth the hassle.

Thanks everyone for their input and advice. I appreciate all the help.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Mars
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:49 pm

benjoshua wrote:I might just try what misterspock suggested, or I might just neg him. I'll think about it. It's likely not worth the hassle.

I would neg him for sure and then think about filing a dispute of one kind or another through Paypal.

Its generally not worth your hassle - but that's why he continues to do it.

ashmire13
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:52 pm

benjoshua wrote:
So now he's trying to pull some legalese on me.

I might just try what misterspock suggested, or I might just neg him. I'll think about it. It's likely not worth the hassle.

Thanks everyone for their input and advice. I appreciate all the help.

yep, he is being an arse now, so neg him and file for over-charging. You may get nothing back, but at least it'll cause him agg and maybe start shipping in the manner he sells it as.

Rolls a '3'

"Did I hit.....?"

JasonZavoda
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 2:59 pm

ashmire13 wrote:
yep, he is being an arse now, so neg him and file for over-charging. You may get nothing back, but at least it'll cause him agg and maybe start shipping in the manner he sells it as.

If you neg him make sure to put him on your blocked buyers list. Some of these guys will then buy from you so they can leave a neg.

Doug Williams
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 3:39 pm

Mars wrote:I completely disagree with this statement. Sellers who try and hide a high handling fee within a flat rate shipping cost deserve what they get.

I disagree. As long as the seller states clearly within the auction text what the flat rate for shipping will be, the buyer has no cause to complain if the actual shipping costs the seller pays happen to be less. If you think the seller's stated flat rate for shipping is too expensive, don't bid. How hard is that? Take responsibility for your own choices.

Example: I click Buy It Now on an item that has a stated flat rate shipping cost of $20. When the package arrives, I see that the seller only paid the post office $15 to ship the package to me. The package was shipped quickly, well packed, and sent via Priority Mail, just like the seller stated he would do in the auction text. Do I neg him or ask for a refund of the $5? Uh, no. If you do you are an asshole, IMO.

Example 2: I see an item listed for $20 Buy It Now, with a flat rate shipping charge of $40, when I know good and well it will only actually cost about $10 to ship the item. Do I buy the item? No, I'm not an idiot.

benjoshua
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 3:48 pm

JasonZavoda wrote:
If you neg him make sure to put him on your blocked buyers list. Some of these guys will then buy from you so they can leave a neg.

Done.

Doug Williams wrote:
I disagree. As long as the seller states clearly within the auction text what the flat rate for shipping will be, the buyer has no cause to complain if the actual shipping costs the seller pays happen to be less. If you think the seller's stated flat rate for shipping is too expensive, don't bid. How hard is that? Take responsibility for your own choices.

Example: I click Buy It Now on an item that has a stated flat rate shipping cost of $20. When the package arrives, I see that the seller only paid the post office $15 to ship the package to me. The package was shipped quickly, well packed, and sent via Priority Mail, just like the seller stated he would do in the auction text. Do I neg him or ask for a refund of the $5? Uh, no. If you do you are an asshole, IMO.

Example 2: I see an item listed for $20 Buy It Now, with a flat rate shipping charge of $40, when I know good and well it will only actually cost about $10 to ship the item. Do I buy the item? No, I'm not an idiot.

I agree with this, but in my case, the seller didn't offer a flat-rate shipping option but only Priority Mail shipping option. I tried before I bid and after I bid to see if he was interested in offering me a First Class shipping option where he would make more legal profit. That might seem like belligerence, but those two offers were about three days apart.

Anyway, I'm trying to just move along.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Doug Williams
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 4:24 pm

benjoshua wrote:I agree with this, but in my case...

Oh yes, I agree with you completely. But now Mars and I seem to disagree. ;-)

FormCritic
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 4:42 pm

Doug Williams wrote:Example 2: I see an item listed for $20 Buy It Now, with a flat rate shipping charge of $40, when I know good and well it will only actually cost about $10 to ship the item. Do I buy the item?

No:

1) I check to see if the seller has other items with the same scam.

2) I report all those items as listing violations...avoiding Ebay fees...excessive shipping.

3) The seller immediately has all his listings pulled and gets warned by Ebay not to do it again.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

Doug Williams
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 5:24 pm

Completely your choice, Forum Critic. I wouldn't waste my time with him at all. I prefer to let natural selection run its course.

"There's a sucker born every minute."

-P.T. Barnum

FormCritic
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 5:34 pm

What annoys me about con men is that they seriously think they're smarter than the average person.

It's the arrogance that bothers me.

I always report them.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

Doug Williams
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 6:20 pm

Good enough. I respect that.

JasonZavoda
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Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 7:13 pm

FormCritic wrote:What annoys me about con men is that they seriously think they're smarter than the average person.

It's the arrogance that bothers me.

I always report them.

Those arent con men. Con men leave you with a feeling that you outsmarted them.

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