posted on March 12, 2004 04:01:41 PM new
I'm kinda in semi-shock after reading an e-mail I just received. I won an auction for a 3pc luggage set. The terms were very clear that shipping in the USA was $30.00, plus $2.00 for optional insurance. Ok fine, I won and instantly paid the entire requested amount due including the optional insurance. Heres the kicker, in the e-mail I just received the seller writes to first of all say she put all three pieces of luggage in one box so the box its going to be VERY HEAVY FOR ME TO LIFT----OH Ok I guess I can deal with that? But then she goes on to say that UPS Ground ended up costing her $60.00, and wanted to know if I would go straight away to PayPal and reimburse her for her out of pocket additional expense!! OMG!! I cannot believe the gall of this seller who clearly made an error in judgment in her shipping quote, but then asks me to cover her loss!!
Simply put in a word, my reply back to her was a big fat NO . The chutzpah of this seller absolutely amazes me. Oh yeah its not like she's a newbie seller either, she has over 3,000+ feedback . Now I am wondering, since she already told me the box is going to be very heavy for me to lift---IF I HURT MYSELF, Can I ask her to pay my Chiropractic adjustment bill??? DUH!
posted on March 12, 2004 04:12:30 PM new
That is pretty crazy to ask for that much more shipping. I have to admit that I have from time to time underestimated shipping because I was either over-confident or lazy, but I always eat the difference because it is not right to ask for more! I hope you paid with a way where you can get a refund easily (i.e. chargeback on a credit card) in case they decide to keep your money and your luggage.
posted on March 12, 2004 04:18:46 PM new
What happened is she weighed each piece before the auction, added it up and then added a couple pounds for packing materials. She went to UPS and calculated the shipping which would have been $30.00. Every one of us does that when we want to post a fixed shipping price in the auction. Where she screwed up is she failed to take into consideraation the size of the box it would go in and she got hit for an oversize charge (FedEx calls it dimensional weight). A 10 lb item will be rated at either 30 or 60 lbs, depending on the actual size of the box. I've had this happen to me a couple of times, but no way would I ever ask a buyer to subsidize my mistake. I just gritted my teeth, paid and learned from the experience, which is what she should do.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 12, 2004 04:26:18 PM new
OMG!! This is really unreal. What in helz are these made of? Lead? 3 empity pieces of luggage in a cardboard box should not weigh more than 30 lbs. I can ship by FedEx Home delivery anywhere in thnbe USA for $22.00 or less. That is the maximum charge for Zone 8. Me thinks this is a rip off. I would tell her ship at your expense or refund my payment.
[ edited by sanmar on Mar 12, 2004 04:27 PM ]
posted on March 12, 2004 04:39:01 PM new
DIMENSIONAL SIZE!!!!!!!!!
i would ask her to ship USPS.
oh,but then it would be so heavy it would hurt her back taking them to the post office.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
posted on March 12, 2004 06:21:11 PM new
Glass,,, What if it's a LOUIE VUITTON? hahahaha..........just slap a tag on it and,,,,,,,hahahha,poof! $3000.00. in luggage. Gee, it must have got off in Maine in the middle of the night when all the passengers were grabbing baggage.
Nope, this seller needs to eat some dust. can't be tacking on MORE after the auction ends. Carved it in stone and THAT'S the shipping. Otherwise shipping is determined AFTER the auction ends to the buyers ZIP Code.
posted on March 12, 2004 06:27:35 PM new
See if she will give you the weight and dimensions of that box. Let me know , along with the zip codes and I can look up the FedEx Ground rates. I can ship a 90 lb box from Calif to N.Y. for a little over $50.00. Even a 75 lb box (max weight for FedEx Home Delivery) is only $38.00.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 12, 2004 06:51:38 PM new
Sparkz,,et al,,,,,From Cal. I use 04401. That IS as FAR as anyone can go till everyone drops off in the Atlantic Ocean. I base these PRE SET rates using That Zip,,,,I don't care if they end up across the RR tracks. That's the rate. AND,,,,,NO! You cannot,,,just come on over and pick it up. Handling is where the MONEY is on E bay. Took me close to three years to tell myself it was O.K. I lost a TON of Money NOT charging those HANDLING fees. Those fees are NOW Clearly stated in my auctions. Tape, boxes, paper, gas, labor, celophane, T/M. A 200 pound roll of brown wrapping paper is NOT cheap! 3 months,,,,,,gone....New roll.....rolls and rolls and rolls of tape,,,,,$40.00 per case. a few months poof,,,,,,MORE Tape.....It all cost money.....And!!!!! I also Pay an employee.....each shipment. Using UPS.
posted on March 12, 2004 07:17:30 PM new
For futher clarification I did pay via PayPal. In her e-mail where she asked me for more money, she also gave me my UPS tracking number,so for the helluvit I just now decided to look it up on UPS site. The number she gave me is not in the system! So now I am wondering if she's just not yet shipped in hopes of me coming through with more moola. Now that I'd already sent her back an e-mail expressing that I do not feel obligated to pay more due to her lack of judgment, I wonder if she will complete the transaction. As it stands now she has my money, and I have a defunct tracking number. So I e-mailed her again to please advise me on whether this box has shipped or not. No response yet to my first e-mail reply, nor to my 2nd email asking if luggage is heading my way yet. She is in Virginia, I am in California and yes the luggage is high quality stuff, not as spendy as Louis Vuitton
but very nice French luggage just the same, and I do want the set. If it boils down to her playing hard ball over the extra cost she had to put out, then she can take the set and stick it where the sun don't shine and refund back my money. Also I went back to the auction and reviewed the bids & bidders, when I submitted my snipe bid the auction currently was 110.00 less then I actually won it for, and once my bid hit I won, which meant to me had I never bid the bidder who had bid $110.00 less then me would have won auction-cause there was never another bid but mine-- seller really would have had something to moan about then. I pointed this out to her in my email reply, and said she should count her lucky stars that I even bid and won. Thiis was a no reserve auction.
Also, I have to say I looked more closely at her feedback. She actually has over 4,000+ and out of that 3,900 are unique users, not to mention shes a "Power Seller" so like I stated earlier, no newbie seller screw up here. Id like to ask her what the weight and dimensions are, but right now I'd just like her to reply in regards to that defunct tracking number. Wish me luck ~ I think I'm gonna need it.
posted on March 12, 2004 07:30:52 PM new
Hey guys and gals both buyers and sellers hate to lose a few bucks for a mistake they make. Over the years I have had a lot of buyers make a mistake in bidding or payment. It does no good beating up on a buyer or seller over a mistake just move on. I would just email this seller and say I paid your asking price and that is all I agreed to pay. Sorry for your mistake and I will be watching for my package. End of story.
posted on March 12, 2004 07:37:20 PM new
This sounds like more than a mistake. Sounds to me like she's a Power-scammer.....who's come up with her own way to beat the system and make money on Ebay....ethical or not. Excessive shipping plus possible shill bidding. I would insist that she ship at the original quoted price.....or else. I'd report her to Ebay in any case after receipt of the luggage.
posted on March 12, 2004 07:46:59 PM new
Sometimes it takes a little while for the tracking number to show up in the system. Mine usually show up at around 7:00 p.m. the day I ship, because they don't get scanned into the system until they reach the Fresno terminal. If I drop off a package on Sat morning, it will sit at this terminal until Monday and get entered into the system Monday evening. If it's not in the system by tomorrow, you might try giving UPS a call on their 800 number. They will have the preliminary information that never shows up on their public tracking web page and will verify whether or not it's a valid number.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 12, 2004 08:43:43 PM new
For all the posters that stated the UPS site may have delay in tracking #'s appearing were right on the money--I just looked again and yes she shipped luggage, which is due to arrive @ my home on the 19th So Yippie Skippie I'm a happy camper now. Glad I vented here about the transaction, if nothing else I learned stuff about Dimensional weight, zip codes that are ready to drop into the atlantic ocean -- SIZE MATTERS "lol" etc Still will never get over the gall that seller had in asking for more money though, but hey what did she have to lose, worst case scenario I'd say NO
And I did
End Of Story
posted on March 12, 2004 09:17:41 PM new
Yes SIZE does count, when it comes to shipping. Just remember this thread before you list a lifesize styrofoam statue of Santa Clause or a steamer trunk and put a shipping charge of $5.00 in the description
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 12, 2004 09:56:40 PM new
If you have a UPS account and use their software, your tracking number will show up as soon as you generate it. It will show as not in the system yet, but will recognize the tracking number. If it is not a valid tracking number, it will state that.
