roundvine
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posted on February 26, 2001 02:44:50 PM new
I recently won an auction for some copier toner. The seller has 100+ feedback, all positive. The auction listing said $4 shipping. Standard mail would have been about $4, so that's how I assumed it would be sent.
The toner came in a turned-inside-out UPS Next Day Air box, shipped media mail (book rate) with delivery confirmation, for $2.25 total. Toner, of course, shouldn't be sent media mail. I emailed the seller, asking whether this was deliberate or not. He said he had used Mailboxes Etc., and was going to look into what happened and get back to me.
How do you think I should react to this?
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unknown
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posted on February 26, 2001 02:49:01 PM new
React to what?
It said $4 and you paid $4 and got the item.
The only error was your assumption. Give yourself a negative.
As long as the S/H is quoted as a flat rate you have NO ROOM to argue.
If you think toner shouldn't be shipped media mail then file a complaint with the post office.
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dubyasdaman
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posted on February 26, 2001 03:19:48 PM new
How should you react? Email the seller ASAP and thank him for following his TOS to the letter (which you agreed to honor by bidding).
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rarriffle
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posted on February 26, 2001 03:32:09 PM new
IMHO a lot of us sellers, me included give a ballpark figure for shipping. Sometimes I have charged an extra quarter, but most of the time I am within a nickle or dime of being right on.
There are a lot of times that I underestimate and have actually lost more than $2.00 on a couple of items in shipping fees.
Should I ask buyer for more? No, because it was my mistake.
Should you ask for partial refund? NO, because you paid what you were told to pay. If shipping had been more, would you send him extra amount? Yeah, thought so!
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koto1
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posted on February 26, 2001 03:49:50 PM new
Roundvine - I guess I can see how what the seller did was a little shady, but that's their business, not yours. The auction stated $4, and that's what you paid. You shouldn't really care HOW it got there, as long as it got there, within a reasonable time in safe condition, and it didn't cost you anymore than stated.
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
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avmom
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posted on February 26, 2001 03:52:21 PM new
roundvine,
Is the seller blaming this on MBE?? It appears as though this seller cannot admit to being cheap, misusing USPS' media rate. Pretty low in my opinion.
It's hard for me to believe that these once stung customers would be a happy return customers. I'm sorry, but I don't operate a business that way. I have many happy return customers .... even outside eBay. This is how I make my money!
avmom
(not avmom on eBay)
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Pocono
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posted on February 26, 2001 03:55:39 PM new
The auction listing said $4 shipping. (and just how much over the $4. did he charge? zero!)
Standard mail would have been about $4, so that's how I assumed it would be sent.
one word will explain it all, I have bolded it for you above 
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dman3
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posted on February 26, 2001 03:58:26 PM new
I charge a fixed shipping rate to there is nothing shady about it.
$4.00 Fixed Shipping inside the usa if you wnat to insure Shipping add $1.10 to your total.
Fixed shipping will be USPS First class or parcel post depending on the weight of the packaged item .
I dont claim postage will be less or more then $4.00 that is my fixed rate.
There is nothing fishy or shady about it if you pay your bid price and the $4.00 fixed shipping you will get your Item.
if you add $1.10 extra your item will be insured 
I just love the buyer detective agency sheesh
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
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justbijou
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:36:24 PM new
Roundvine - Turn the seller into the Post office for abusing the Media Mail system. I hate it when people try to abuse the system.
Mailboxes Etc will package and ship for the customer but they also take packaged items in. Toner could not be packaged and shipped by Mailboxes Etc here for $4.00 so I would guess that the seller brought in his own prepackaged boxes for shipping. That would mean that the seller also said the item qualified for Media Mail in order to get cheaper shipping.
Turning new boxes (provided for free from UPS/USPS/FedEx) inside out in order to benefit from free materials and cheaper shipping is also another way to abuse the system. This kind of abuse contributes to the whole picture of abuse and is what causes rates to go up.
Dman3 - I just love being part of the buyer detective agency!
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roundvine
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:41:08 PM new
From your responses, it's clear that several of you are total jerks. What is the matter with you people?
Unknown: My assumption was that shipping would follow the rules of the post office. I *should* be able to assume that, correct? Drop dead.
dubyasdaman: Same to you about your sarcastic, totally pointless comment. Drop dead.
rarriffle: Charging $4 and sending the item for $2.25 is *not* a simple miscalculation, unless the seller is incompetent. And you know it. And let me tell you something: I am mostly a seller, and when I make a significant mistake in my favor, I refund the difference. If you could see my records you'd know that I am much more than fair with my buyers. Loved your sarcastic "Yeah, I thought so!" at the end. Drop dead.
Koto1: (Since you were polite, you don't get a "drop dead." First of all, I don't like to see cheaters have a competitive advantage over people who don't cheat. Do you? And when people violate USPS rules and ship things media mail when they shouldn't, buyers come to expect it. As a result I've had several buyers pretty much *demand* that I ship things media mail and cut them slack on the shipping cost. And tell me that they won't bid on my auctions because I won't.
Pocono: Thanks for bolding the word *assumed* for me. Now explain why I shouldn't expect people to follow USPS rules? Sheesh, do you teach those morals to your kids? Drop dead.
Now I'll sit back and watch while the moderator deletes my post or suspends me or whatever. And leaves you people alone because you're so freakin' ethical and civil.
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roundvine
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:41:57 PM new
[ edited by roundvine on Feb 26, 2001 04:43 PM ]
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sissyclarke
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:45:30 PM new
Roundvine - I don't understand, you bid knowing the mailing rate was $4.00.
Rarriffle - I too have lost money on shipping and not one buyer has offered to make up the difference. One buyer that I did mention a loss to said. "Well that happend to me to" and that was it.
Have a good day.
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mballai
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:46:31 PM new
MBE boxes usually have a local MBE return address. If the box didn't, and I suspect it didn't, the seller is quite suspect. However, the price quoted is decidedly not.
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joice
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:49:25 PM new
roundvine,
A few of your comments are insulting, I picked the first one:
From your responses, it's clear that several of you are total jerks. What is the matter with you people?
To insult another user or several users in a thread is a breach of the Community Guidelines. Your are on an informal warning.
Please review the guidelines before posting again.
Joice
Moderator.
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kraftdinner
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posted on February 26, 2001 04:57:10 PM new
Wow JoiceMod.....it seems like you really have your hands full tonite!
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tapatti
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posted on February 26, 2001 10:31:46 PM new
hmmm...my MBE can't ship media mail rate. I've asked them to and they said they don't have a rate table for it in their computer...only First Class. Sounds like he just made that up. I heard that if an item has an ISBN number it can qualify for Media Rate. I need to verify this with the PO though. A lot of items that are not books or music have ISBN's.
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magazine_guy
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posted on February 26, 2001 10:38:26 PM new
Wow! A drop dead thread! Just like the old days at AW....
Seems to me, roundvine, that you paid what you agreed to pay, and got what you expected to get, in satisfactory condition. So I'd let it go-- and if you're concerned about the box, or the seller's willingness to "recycle" boxes, just don't bid on his stuff anymore.
When you ask: "How do you think I should react to this?"... don't be surprised if the nasty folks around here tell you how they think you should react. Ya know?
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Pocono
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posted on February 27, 2001 12:04:02 AM new
me thinks that roundvine should "Drop Dead"
would be much more convienient then the rest of us all having to do it
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amy
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posted on February 27, 2001 12:19:28 AM new
Great Scott!
Either there is a full moon out tonight or an awful lot of AW posters are suffering from severe cases of cabin fever!!
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MichelleG
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posted on February 27, 2001 12:31:15 AM new
Pocono
Knock it off!
Michelle
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mivona
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posted on February 27, 2001 12:40:52 AM new
Ok, let me get this straight....
When a seller ships something media and saves money on the (dubious) posting of it, that's an ok thing to do and the buyer should just shut up and pay the inflated shipping cost.
When a buyer asked for a parcel to be sent as gift to save money, that is a terribly illegal thing to do and can result in someone being jailed, and the buyer is a horrible person for asking.
Uh-huh...
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brighid868
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posted on February 27, 2001 12:59:59 AM new
thanks, Mivona, for pointing out that little bit of hypocrisy so trenchantly....
why is it OK for sellers to be dishonest as long as everything turns out OK for the buyer?
it's NOT ok.
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magazine_guy
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posted on February 27, 2001 01:23:42 AM new
In this case, buyer and seller entered into an agreement, and seller met his obligation, He got the item to the buyer for the cost agreed upon.
The beef, if any, should be between the seller and UPS (or whatever shipping company he may be violating the rules of for improperly using supplies). The buyer has NO beef.
The other scenario has nothing to do with this issue. If a buyer asks the seller to improperly declare merchandise as a gift, seller is under no obligation to do so, and should properly decline.
No connection between the two events whatsoever.
(but nice attempt to obfuscate the issue)
[ edited by magazine_guy on Feb 27, 2001 01:26 AM ]
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mivona
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posted on February 27, 2001 01:56:42 AM new
Nope, MG, I don't buy it...
Sending something media that is not media is not following the rules. Ok, maybe the seller didn't get caught this time, but he broke the rules. But he broke the rules to benefit himself.
But sending something as a gift... that's breaking the rules to benefit the BUYER... no benefit to the seller, and not worth doing.
People who are saying that the buyer should just accept the charge, and let the seller get on with his own stuff are often the very people who say "Nope, that would be breaking the rules/law/my ethics/whatever" when faced with the gift scenario. THAT is the relevance and connectedness of these two issues.
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december3
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posted on February 27, 2001 04:14:53 AM new
I've never used Mailboxes Ect. Don't they charge for their services?
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abacaxi
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posted on February 27, 2001 04:41:40 AM new
roundvine -
Take the box to the USPS and let them know that the seller is abusing the mail system. They will probably send him a strongly worded cease and desist letter.
MBE would have charged $4 just to package the item!
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Pocono
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posted on February 27, 2001 07:05:05 AM new
yes, and while your out, stop at the FBI to report him for cutting the tags off of his mattress.
and Michelle? I had "assumed" that since the poster was permitted to tell "ALL" of us individually to "drop dead", that it was acceptable here
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pattaylor
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posted on February 27, 2001 07:12:06 AM new
Pocono,
The poster who made the "drop dead" comments was given a warning for the whole post, even though only part of it was quoted by joice.
But, I suspect you knew that.
Pat
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Pocono
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posted on February 27, 2001 07:25:18 AM new
yes Pat, I suppose your right...
Just being, how do they say? a feces?
or is it fececious?
oh well, same thing
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sulyn1950
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posted on February 27, 2001 07:40:04 AM new
Normally I just pass all the EXCESSIVE SHIPPING or SHIPPING RIPOFF/SCAM threads by.
This is an issue that is never going to be resolved to everyones satisfaction.
As a buyer, I prefer fixed shipping. I instantly know what an item will cost me if I win.
I hate having to email to ask what shipping will be!
I will not bid on an auction that says "shipping is exact-I charge no handling fees". Because even when I email, they "really can't give me a cost until it is packaged"! Yes, that is a response I received from a seller!
I do not compulse over whether a seller is making a buck or two off shipping!
I buy on auction sites because I have access to a sometimes overwhelming assortment of "goodies" at rock bottom prices! I have even felt guilty about getting something for the opening bid price, especially when that opening bid price was so low, it seemed pretty obvious the seller was hoping to "draw a crowd" and didn't!!!!!
I usually only buy from one category and I have paid shipping that ranged from $5.00-$10.00 for virtually the same weighted items in the same price range (because insurance varies with price). Because it was stated up front, I bid my max with the shipping in mind.
Perhaps it depends on what you are buying, but if $4.00-$10.00 on the final price for shipping is going to result in the item no longer being a good deal why bid on it in the first place?
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