How to Respond to Post-Auction Request to Increase S&H on Ebay
70ToppsFanatic
Posts: 2,106 ✭✭✭✭
Wondering how people think I should respond to the following situation.
Over the past few days I've been the high bidder on 6 cards from 1 seller with total winning bids of around $800. The S&H
shown in each listing was:
"Shipping is $3.45 for the first card and $.50 for each add'l card up to $7.45 max." The shipping method listed was USPS First Class Mail.
So today I received the following email message:
Dave, I would highly recommend insurance on this lot. Is it ok for me to include it on your invoice? I want your cards to be safe. Thanks and thanks so much for the business!
I would think that if I pay via Paypal and anything goes wrong then I am protected. It is the sellers problem to get the cards to me in the stated condition, not the other way
around. Mind you, if it were me I would have included the insurance as part of the S&H I mentioned in the listings.
Just wondering what people here think of a seller who does this after the fact after making no mention of insurance in the listings?
Over the past few days I've been the high bidder on 6 cards from 1 seller with total winning bids of around $800. The S&H
shown in each listing was:
"Shipping is $3.45 for the first card and $.50 for each add'l card up to $7.45 max." The shipping method listed was USPS First Class Mail.
So today I received the following email message:
Dave, I would highly recommend insurance on this lot. Is it ok for me to include it on your invoice? I want your cards to be safe. Thanks and thanks so much for the business!
I would think that if I pay via Paypal and anything goes wrong then I am protected. It is the sellers problem to get the cards to me in the stated condition, not the other way
around. Mind you, if it were me I would have included the insurance as part of the S&H I mentioned in the listings.
Just wondering what people here think of a seller who does this after the fact after making no mention of insurance in the listings?
Dave
0
Comments
<< <i>Wondering how people think I should respond to the following situation.
Over the past few days I've been the high bidder on 6 cards from 1 seller with total winning bids of around $800. The S&H
shown in each listing was:
"Shipping is $3.45 for the first card and $.50 for each add'l card up to $7.45 max." The shipping method listed was USPS First Class Mail.
So today I received the following email message:
Dave, I would highly recommend insurance on this lot. Is it ok for me to include it on your invoice? I want your cards to be safe. Thanks and thanks so much for the business!
I would think that if I pay via Paypal and anything goes wrong then I am protected. It is the sellers problem to get the cards to me in the stated condition, not the other way
around. Mind you, if it were me I would have included the insurance as part of the S&H I mentioned in the listings.
Just wondering what people here think of a seller who does this after the fact after making no mention of insurance in the listings? >>
Just to be the first reply, I am going to say everything you said was correct. It is against eBay policy to make a buyer pay for insurance; the seller can lump it in with shipping fees, but it can't be a separate line item. Also, you are protected via Paypal, whether he uses insurance or not.
I have a longer response I will start working on.
Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
Working on the following: 1970 Baseball PSA, 1970-1976 Raw, World Series Subsets PSA, 1969 Expansion Teams PSA, Fleer World Series Sets, Texas Rangers Topps Run 1972-1989
----------------------
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I sold four Starting Lineups--not the crappy ones, but some regional issues from 1988 and 1989--to one buyer. I had $12 shipping and handling via Priority on each one, knowing that I would need a large box to make sure they got there safely, and I would need to insure them, so I lumped that in. The buyer had asked me before the items ended if I would combine shipping, and I told him that I would combine shipping "to the best of my ability" as I did not know how much a mulit-SLU order would cost to ship.
I had offered Priority mail on them singly because I knew they would cross the 13 oz threshold for First Class, and $12 shipping would cover one SLU via Priority mail with all the extra services. Well after he won four, I packaged them, and it turned out that because I needed a box large enough to fit all four, the dimensions made the package about $53 to ship via Priority mail--without DC and insurance. I called him and tried to explain this to him, but he was belligerent and argued with me that it should only cost $20 to ship, and he was very upset that I wouldn't give him a refund on shipping. I told him that if he was OK with UPS or USPS Parcel, it would be much cheaper and I could give him some money back, but he was insistent that I advertised Priority mail and I must ship them Priority mail. I told him I would eat the extra postage and ship them Priority, but he continued to insist that I was too high on shipping.
Well, I brought them to the Post Office, and shipping was somewhere around $50, plus signature confirmation and insurance, which brought the total to somewhere in the neighborhood of $55-$56. I scanned a copy of the receipt and emailed it to him to prove I wasn't exaggerating. Eventually the message got through to him and he left me a positive with good DSRs.
Anyway, the messages here are:
1. Lump all of your shipping fees into your shipping charge, do not charge extra later as this is a bait and switch that will piss buyers off.
2. If the shipping charge will not cover actual postage, you can try to talk the buyer into another method of shipment to bring the fees down as long as you promise them a refund so that there is something in it for them.
3. If #2 does not work, eat it and just ship it. Learn for later.
I don't split hairs over a few buck.. ins will likely be $5 I would eat it and avoid the tension..
advise it will be fine to add $5 to the invoice
Neil
<< <i>PM recieved !!!
Neil >>
"i" before "e" except after "c"!!
itz
Yeeeeeeee-Hawwwwwwwwwwwww
Or he can buy insurance if he really wants to.
Too many nickle and dime people in this world!
I would, as diplomatically as possible, respond that is against eBay rules to charge a buyer separately for insurance, and that eBay also puts the responsibility on the seller to make sure the item arrives as described. I'd also provide a link (like this one) to eBay's selling practices policy on shipping and handling costs where those specific rules are stated.
Really, on an $800 sale, it's pretty amazing that seller is trying to stick you for more S&H than what's stated in the listing. That's a great way to piss off a buyer.
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
<< <i>i" before "e" except after "c"!! >>
What about leisure and seizure??
Here's how I replied.
Hi XXX
If you'd like to insure the shipment to protect yourself that is your choice. Your listings mention nothing about the buyer being responsible for such charges, so you may not add them to my invoice if you choose to send with insurance (besides, the change in Ebay rules regarding S&H a few years back made this against their rules anyway).
For what its worth, I do sell items with values in the range of several hundred to several thousand dollars on Ebay pretty regularly and I always send with insurance. I build those costs into my S&H charge up front and if it goes higher than I expect then I pay the overage myself and am happy that the item(s) sold for more than I expected.
I'll have payment out later today for the cards I won plus shipping as specified in the listings.
Dave
Dave
Or, If I did, it would be a one word reply: NO
Hope you don't think I'm just getting feisty but I ain't got much respect for those who use weird grammar. It's not rocket science, those who fail to seize the opportunity to use proper english be they our heirs, neighbors, Americans or foreigners forfeit their right to be a part of decent society. Decent people who carry their weight, pull their share of the freight, work perhaps until eight at night and show respect for their deity are the backbone of our country. It's neither here nor there but those who fail to adhere to the rules of grammar may not be uneducated but perhaps overdosed on caffeine or codeine. OK now carry on but be using gooder english than you have.
http://www.unisquare.com/store/brick/
Ralph
<< <i>Why bother with insurance!? The seller should just send with signature confirmation and be done with it.
Or he can buy insurance if he really wants to.
Too many nickle and dime people in this world! >>
Too true- but thank God none of them are on this board!
<< <i>"i" before "e" except after "c"!!
Hope you don't think I'm just getting feisty but I ain't got much respect for those who use weird grammar. It's not rocket science, those who fail to seize the opportunity to use proper english be they our heirs, neighbors, Americans or foreigners forfeit their right to be a part of decent society. Decent people who carry their weight, pull their share of the freight, work perhaps until eight at night and show respect for their deity are the backbone of our country. It's neither here nor there but those who fail to adhere to the rules of grammar may not be uneducated but perhaps overdosed on caffeine or codeine. OK now carry on but be using gooder english than you have.
That's a comma splice between 'science' and 'those'. Just saying.
<< <i>First of all $3.45 more than covers shipping AND insurance. Secondly you're spending $800. >>
Please show me where $3.45 will cover $800 shipping and Insurance
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<< <i>
<< <i>First of all $3.45 more than covers shipping AND insurance. Secondly you're spending $800. >>
Please show me where $3.45 will cover $800 shipping and Insurance >>
Ya, plus packing supplies....
<< <i>Why is this a difficult situation? The guy is asking if you want to pay extra for insurance. Just say 'no' if you don't want to. You know you're covered if the cards never arrive or arrive damage; whether the seller knows or not is immaterial because you'll get your money back in the end if something happens. >>
+1
I would personally pay the extra to make sure the cards came safely. It's probably what $10 or so.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
wouldn't surprise me one bit if the seller was pulling that crap on all of his multi-win buyers and getting away with it, too.
some folks would rather take their lumps than fight it.
it's more than just brushing off someone who wants to thieve a few extra coins from your pocket. it's BS.
"Live everyday, don't throw it away"
<< <i>Why is this a difficult situation? The guy is asking if you want to pay extra for insurance. Just say 'no' if you don't want to. You know you're covered if the cards never arrive or arrive damage; whether the seller knows or not is immaterial because you'll get your money back in the end if something happens. >>
+2
ME:
No Thanks, if they don't show up I will just file a claim with Paypal, but if you are concerned about them getting lost or stolen you may want to protect yourself and pay the extra few dollars to have it insured...Peace of mind and all that.
Thanks for asking!
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The buyer has all the protection he needs.
In this case the seller is already getting 7.45 from the buyer.
I think for insurance to even work one would need to package
in a box? That's a small priority box@ 4.95? Seller now has
2.50 already towards bells and whistles. What are we talking about here?
5.00?
<< <i>
<< <i>Why is this a difficult situation? The guy is asking if you want to pay extra for insurance. Just say 'no' if you don't want to. You know you're covered if the cards never arrive or arrive damage; whether the seller knows or not is immaterial because you'll get your money back in the end if something happens. >>
+2
ME:
No Thanks, if they don't show up I will just file a claim with Paypal, but if you are concerned about them getting lost or stolen you may want to protect yourself and pay the extra few dollars to have it insured...Peace of mind and all that.
Thanks for asking! >>
How does insurance change ANYTHING from the buyer's perspective? IF it doesn't arrive in great shape, you SNAD and get your money back. Insurance doesn't help there at all, does it?
Working on the following: 1970 Baseball PSA, 1970-1976 Raw, World Series Subsets PSA, 1969 Expansion Teams PSA, Fleer World Series Sets, Texas Rangers Topps Run 1972-1989
----------------------
Successful deals to date: thedudeabides,gameusedhoop,golfcollector,tigerdean,treetop,bkritz, CapeMOGuy,WeekendHacker,jeff8877,backbidder,Salinas,milbroco,bbuckner22,VitoCo1972,ddfamf,gemint,K,fatty macs,waltersobchak,dboneesq
the auto insurance industry holds us hostage to the concept that either the other guy won't be covered or you won't be able to pay for your substantial damages if there's an accident.
the medical insurance industry holds us hostage to the concept that we won't be able to pay exorbitant rates out of pocket without some kind of secure backup plan.
the life insurance industry justs wants us to believe we might tip over and die at any moment. probably true.
we're programmed to fear loss. unless you're aware of your rights as a consumer, they'll just shove it further up your arse.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Why is this a difficult situation? The guy is asking if you want to pay extra for insurance. Just say 'no' if you don't want to. You know you're covered if the cards never arrive or arrive damage; whether the seller knows or not is immaterial because you'll get your money back in the end if something happens. >>
+2
ME:
No Thanks, if they don't show up I will just file a claim with Paypal, but if you are concerned about them getting lost or stolen you may want to protect yourself and pay the extra few dollars to have it insured...Peace of mind and all that.
Thanks for asking! >>
How does insurance change ANYTHING from the buyer's perspective? IF it doesn't arrive in great shape, you SNAD and get your money back. Insurance doesn't help there at all, does it? >>
I probably wasn't clear, but I was writing it as if I was responding to the seller. Your right if the cards get lost or stolen that is on the seller not the buyer.
If I sold a $800 dollar card not only would I pay for insurance, but I would also send it with sig. confirmation.
My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 2 (2003). My son was diagnosed with Type 1 when he was 17 on December 31, 2009. We were stunned that another child of ours had been diagnosed. Please, if you don't have a favorite charity, consider giving to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)
JDRF Donation
I think the overwhelming concensus is that the sellers actions in this case are wrong. If, through viewing of this
thread, any less experienced people learn how to deal with this kind of behavior then it will have been worth it.
Good input from all. I especially liked the following reply from Bunker:
<< <i>ME:
No Thanks, if they don't show up I will just file a claim with Paypal, but if you are concerned about them getting lost or stolen you may want to protect yourself and pay the extra few dollars to have it insured...Peace of mind and all that.
Thanks for asking!
>>
Dave
The perfect response.
<< <i>Why bother with insurance!? The seller should just send with signature confirmation and be done with it.
Or he can buy insurance if he really wants to.
Too many nickle and dime people in this world! >>
Signature confirmation is not enough-----what if the items are damaged? The seller needs insurance for protection.
<< <i>I had a situation that is somewhat analogous to this recently, but it isn't on the issue of insurance.
I sold four Starting Lineups--not the crappy ones, but some regional issues from 1988 and 1989--to one buyer. I had $12 shipping and handling via Priority on each one, knowing that I would need a large box to make sure they got there safely, and I would need to insure them, so I lumped that in. The buyer had asked me before the items ended if I would combine shipping, and I told him that I would combine shipping "to the best of my ability" as I did not know how much a mulit-SLU order would cost to ship.
I had offered Priority mail on them singly because I knew they would cross the 13 oz threshold for First Class, and $12 shipping would cover one SLU via Priority mail with all the extra services. Well after he won four, I packaged them, and it turned out that because I needed a box large enough to fit all four, the dimensions made the package about $53 to ship via Priority mail--without DC and insurance. I called him and tried to explain this to him, but he was belligerent and argued with me that it should only cost $20 to ship, and he was very upset that I wouldn't give him a refund on shipping. I told him that if he was OK with UPS or USPS Parcel, it would be much cheaper and I could give him some money back, but he was insistent that I advertised Priority mail and I must ship them Priority mail. I told him I would eat the extra postage and ship them Priority, but he continued to insist that I was too high on shipping.
Well, I brought them to the Post Office, and shipping was somewhere around $50, plus signature confirmation and insurance, which brought the total to somewhere in the neighborhood of $55-$56. I scanned a copy of the receipt and emailed it to him to prove I wasn't exaggerating. Eventually the message got through to him and he left me a positive with good DSRs.
Anyway, the messages here are:
1. Lump all of your shipping fees into your shipping charge, do not charge extra later as this is a bait and switch that will piss buyers off.
2. If the shipping charge will not cover actual postage, you can try to talk the buyer into another method of shipment to bring the fees down as long as you promise them a refund so that there is something in it for them.
3. If #2 does not work, eat it and just ship it. Learn for later. >>
Were these just the standard figures (not Stadium Star statues) from '88 and '89? How on earth did a box (even with padding, peanuts, bubblewrap) weigh enough to cost $50+? That doesn't seem right.
Reading the question on its face, I don't see anything threatening about it, and in fact, it's very polite and professionally written. Whether or not he knows that he is responsible for the insurance and is trying to get the buyer to pick up the tab is left to speculation. Personally, I would never have asked the buyer to do this after the sale. Assuming the best and not caring to expend the emotional energy to lecture the guy if my gut tells me it's the worst, I would have responded to it something like this, "Hi XXXX, Thanks for the recommendation; however, I don't need insurance. Regards, XXX."