BUYER BEWARE of SHIPPING OVERCHARGING!!

Oh my goodnes yes, of course, first I always check feedback, and then I check shipping, for instance I found a beautiful item I wanted to order for my grandchildren, and the item cost less that 2 dollars, however the shipping was..up to 15 dollars...or perhaps 10 dollars, or perhaps 8.95, very confusing but the page says 15 dollars shipping and after I wrote to the seller came back the other prices...

no I didn't purchase.

Read read read...

Always ask if you have any questions.

I think you've posted this example before..
I agree. If the shipping is displayed - the Buyer must decide
for themselves if the cost is worth it, among other factors..
Buyers need to be more educated and read more and not just blow
by a listing.. I think all this practice of sniping and getting
caught up in only the last Minute of an auction makes it worse.
Just my opinion.

Yes, you have to know what you are agreeing to, it is a contract, and no this example has never been posted by me, as it only happened to me last night, perhaps it is a common practice and others have written about it, it certainly didn't seem fair to me...at all.

Oh and this was..per item..even though it was a very small item, appox less than 3 inches, the shipping costs says 14.95, and like I said only after I asked the question did the other prices come back with no offer of shipping all together for a cheaper price, this was per item.

Did you call ups and ask them how much it would cost to ship (dont forget to ask them about how much the box is and how much for them to package it). the websites are not always right.

I don't know if the post person did, I didn't I would never do that for an item and argue with the seller about it, I will simply ask for a discount to ship together, and if they are "sure" that is the correct charge for shipping, there are a lot of sellers on eBay, I will only purchase from the ones I am comfortable with and treat me and others fairly, I am not into...checking out the prices myself...and then telling them they are not correct, I think it's up to them what they want to charge for shipping and it's up to the buyer if they want to pay that much, I choose not to.

I move on and purchase elsewhere.

Great post...I would NEVER over charge for shipping...For items shipped by UPS. Shipping is the actual cost PLUS a huge discount! I have added NO handling fees to any of my Jerky Direct products...All Coach purses are shipped out via USPS Priority mail with $1 handling fee...I would NEVER cheat my customers ever!

Take care and have a wonderful day!

CJC,
I did actually post something similar to this before, but it was pulled for violating TOS or something to that effect. Hence the notice that this is to be "understood" as being totally fictional and can in no way be read as to be associated with any specific ebay seller.


Thanks for the comments from the rest of you. I actually did check with UPS via phone and web (for my example).

Just a notice for people to beware. I know the line most people give is you read and you bid.. but I don't know that most new ebayers know to check and compare shipping costs with other like items or with actual shippers. It also never hurts to ask the seller. He or she may have just made a mistake, or they will have a lovely story about how their packaging is lined with silk and the tape is teflon based etc.

I just got overcharged last week. I paid for insurance...the seller never got insurance for the package. She was suppose to send it flat rate shipping...didn't send it that way. I have emailed her twice for a refund of the difference and I haven't heard back from her. I've also seen that there is nothing you can do and Ebay lets sellers do this to you.

What I find to be consistently disappointing are the obvious shipping markups that sellers use to boost their profit margins.

As a Canadian buyer, I am not always certain as to the exact cost of shipping from, say, the USA or the UK. I am obligated to trust that the seller's quoted costs are, in fact, accurate.

Routinely, however, they are not, being disproportionately inflated. For example, I received a tiny pin from the UK today. It weighed less than a coin. Seller had requested £3 shipping (aprox. $US 6.10). THis seemed high to me -- but the seller assured me that this price was, in fact, correct.

Well, six weeks later the pin arrives, in a plain envelope via surface post. The stamp said it all: 60p (about $US 1). The envelope came from a bulk box. I can only assume the rest I paid in shipping went straight to the seller's pocket as a 'bonus'.

Now, as this happens with some regularity, the undeserved costs start to add up -- and I have no recourse. When I leave neutral feedback noting the discrepancy, I get NEGATIVE feedback about what a stupid buyer I am.

Lovely!

But what can one do? You trust the seller is properly representing their costs, and you pay them courteously. I now realize, much of this time, this is a racket for channeling money through hidden fees.

Im sure there is alot of overcharging, But the buyer should not bid on a item, if thay think the shipping is unfair from the get-go, It is crazy to bid, win, and than get the item and figure out shipping was'nt fair, What is'nt fair is the cost of shipping to Canada, Or United kingdom and im not talking about seller's overchaging, Im saying the post office Charges Alot to ship out of the USA,.........jerry