Potential eBay problem.

[soundoc03]

I won a pair of replacement grills for my DQ-10s recently and well before the close of the auction requested a shipping quote. The seller gave me an exact amount including insurance. I subseqently place my bid accordingly and actually ended up winning at my highest bid level.

The seller only accepts MOs so I so I planned on going to the PO and purchasing a MO for the bid amount plus the shipping charge he had given me.
The seller however just emailed me to say that he had badly "miscalculated" the shipping quote and now that the grills are packed and weighed the charge will be about double the original quote.

Should the seller be held to the original quote or must I pay what he is now asking? Had I known beforehand that the shipping was so high, I certainly would have adjusted my upper bid limit.

First time this is ever happened to me as a buyer. I once underquoted a shipping charge for a receiver to a buyer because I didn't realize he wanted it shipped to Hawaii. I ate the difference without further discussion. What is the best way to handle this? The guy has near perfect FB.

 

[skibjr]

Negotiate. If he's a reasonable man, I don't think he would object to splitting the difference with you. It was, afterall, his miscalculation, not yours - why should you shoulder the entire consequence? Hope it works out for you...

 

[markthefixer]

I ate extra shipping when the box I used was just over the dimensional limit for a weight penalty. I now watch for that. Ask him the specific dimensions and weights and double check him. Full size speaker grills may just hit that dimensional penalty.

After double checking, I would negotiate...... If he's making a "killing" on the original auction, and he's the one selling it, I'd lean just a little harder. If he has to eat the difference for a friend or customer, well.. it's up to you.

 

[bookasan]

Ask him what the total weight really is and go online and get a quote from whatever service he is using to ship it. When you get the package, check the weight. If everything adds up and the auction said buyer pays actual shipping, I think it would be fair to pay the actual cost.

 

[soundoc03]

Only problem is I paid top dollar based on the provided quote. I would not have bid as much had I known the shipping was going to be more. If the seller didn't want to commit to a quote before the end of the auction why quess? Either provide a shipping calculator or tell the buyer to wait until the item is packaged and weighed. I even asked whether he would ship Greyhound as I assumed that they were "oversized" for the regular carriers. He did not answer that in his reply but rather gave me an amount for shipping and insurance via USPS.

 

[gyusher]

Should the seller be held to the original quote or must I pay what he is now asking? Had I known beforehand that the shipping was so high, I certainly would have adjusted my upper bid limit.

.

If it is legit pay him but if he is gouging screw him. . . I don't remember you telling us how much he is charging. . .

 

[technut]

Only problem is I paid top dollar based on the provided quote. I would not have bid as much had I known the shipping was going to be more. If the seller didn't want to commit to a quote before the end of the auction why quess? Either provide a shipping calculator or tell the buyer to wait until the item is packaged and weighed. I even asked whether he would ship Greyhound as I assumed that they were "oversized" for the regular carriers. He did not answer that in his reply but rather gave me an amount for shipping and insurance via USPS.

Negotiate with him and tell him what you have told us, that you would not have spent so much for them if you knew the true shipping cost. If he has made a reasonable profit on these he should be a little flexible. If doesn't like it let him offer them to the next highest bidder. How much money are we talking about here?

 

[Manitoulin]

If the seller has 100% feedback and high numbers, he is probably honest. If his feedback rating is less than stellar, he may be trying to screw you.

As we do not know the cost to ship, it is hard to advise perfectly. If the grilles were top dollar price, ask the seller to split the difference.

My 2¢

Joe

 

[Surfacetension]

Email the seller and Mention that you DO NOT want to get involved in Neg. feedback if he has a perfect feedback rating I would doubt he would want to risk it on a mistake he made. ask him if you can work something out. . if not then ask him to cancell the sale and both go your seperate ways, with no feedback given

 

[ARguy]

I agree with Surfacetension. Since he made a mistake on shipping and you based your bid on that mistake maybe you should both agree to walk away. He can always go to the second highest bidder if he wants. All depends on how badly you want these grills.
Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Don C]

Feedback extortion is not the path that I would suggest. Maybe if we knew what the real numbers were, it would be easier to figure out what to do at this point.

 

[Sansui Louie]

Go bowling.

 

[Nat]

There isn't anything mysterious about DQ 10 grills -- you could make a pair without great difficulty, and you could probably pay to have a pair made and still come out ahead. I think I would walk away from it, myself.
But for somepeople its worth paying for the correct original item, and if you are one of those people, anything else would not satisfy, so it might be worth biting the bullet. But it depends what the sums are.

 

[outlawmws]

I vote for getting shipping dims and weight and checking his quote. There is also the FedEx option which is usually 30% lower in my experiance than the other well known shippers...

Fed Ex bought Kinko's so getting to them is usually not any more difficult than a PO in any major metropoiton area

 

[soundoc03]

Thanks for the input all. These are a back up set in black that I don't have to have but wanted if I could get them at a good price. I never get into bidding wars on eBay. I place my highest bid that I am willing to pay for an item and then step back. If I win I win, lose I lose etc. I still think in principle the seller's orignal quote of $19.85 should hold because it was offered by him pre-sale. Many times I see a seller quote either an unreasonably high or low fixed shipping fee which I prospectively take into consideration when I bid. Because I contacted the seller before the close and asked specifically about choice and cost of shipping, I believe he should honor his quote.
eBay transactions should not be complex and IMO retroactive or implied agreements often lead to disputes and FB retribution. I think I will walk from this deal unless he honors his quote. Others may disagree but when the situation was reversed I took the loss so atleast I am consistent.

 

[Dean P]

I vote for getting shipping dims and weight and checking his quote. There is also the FedEx option which is usually 30% lower in my experiance than the other well known shippers...

Fed Ex bought Kinko's so getting to them is usually not any more difficult than a PO in any major metropoiton area

Just a heads up on Fed-Ex, they use USPS for their long haul shipping. That is why they are fast & cheaper.

 

[gyusher]

eBay vs Walmart

If I find an item that has the wrong price tag on it at a place like Walmart I might not mention it especially if it is kinda close by the same token if I buy something from an individual who is struggling like I am and he makes an honest mistake I will bend over backwards to make it right.

There are big volume screw you sellers on eBay who remind me of what I just said and by the same token there are sellers that are just trying to put a few bucks in their pockets and try to give you something for your money regardless of the final price.

If one of those sellers makes a mistake on shipping charges and he is not gouging me I will bend over for him as well. I know from experience that sometimes I get the zip codes turned around and there is a big difference between shipping to someone on the east coast and then going all the way to the west coast.

Honest mistake from an honest seller he wins and I pay but just let that scammer with the FB numbers in the tens of thousands try it and I might put up a fight. . . Human nature. . . .

Still honesty is the best policy regardless. I really dont want it if I have to screw the seller to get it. Not saying you are just saying. . . .

 

[soundoc03]

If one of those sellers makes a mistake on shipping charges and he is not gouging me I will bend over for him as well. I know from experience that sometimes I get the zip codes turned around and there is a big difference between shipping to someone on the east coast and then going all the way to the west coast.

Honest mistake from an honest seller he wins and I pay but just let that scammer with the FB numbers in the tens of thousands try it and I might put up a fight. . . Human nature. . . .

Still honesty is the best policy regardless. I really dont want it if I have to screw the seller to get it. Not saying you are just saying. . . .

Valid points but on eBay there are generally no returns and both parties are held to certain rules. The buyer is at the inherent disadvantage in that he is bidding to buy something that he cannot see and examine up close beforehand. He must trust that the sellers information is true and that the price one agrees to bid is a fair price to pay for what is represented. If you win the auction there is no backing out, no customer service following the sale. If these grills were worth $100 to me based on the combined cost of the pre-sale shipping quote and my upper limit bid, why should I be presented with the unpleasant surprise after the auction that the shipping quote was a mistake and I now must pay more than I had intended. Again if this was a store and the clerk pointed out at the check out counter that the item was really mismarked and should be 25% higher you would of course have the option to not buy it. On eBay no such safeguard applies as both parties are obliged to honor their commitments.

I guess the arguement comes down to one's perspective as either a buyer or a seller. As an aside, I have yet to hear back from him.