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BAKfromVA
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:06 pm Post subject: Changing shipping fees |
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| I am a new member and I asked a seller a question about an item, received a quick reply and went right back to buy it but the shipping charge had been increased 50% from what it was when I sent my question and I was wondering if this is an acceptable practice. |
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acread
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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Did the shipping change after you logged in to the payment method (that is after you logged in to PayPal or Google Checkout)?
It might be that the seller had a shipping setting at PayPal or Google Checkout and doesn't realize that if they set that up the shipping will get added once at the store checkout and once during the payment process.
If the shipping was higher before you clicked on buy now button or before the procedure sent you to PayPal or Google Checkout login page, then the seller increased it.
In either case I would suggest you contact the seller to ask why the shipping was increased. Might reach a solution. |
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maggiethehousecat
Posts: 2457
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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Does the new shipping seem like a gouge?
The reason I ask is that shipping charges increase annually and they either increased the first of May or are increasing soon. Could be that when the seller looked at the listing to answer your question, they might have noticed the old shipping and changed it.
I have some shipping rates that are 3 years old. Hard as I try I can never get all the rates current. I have a lot of inventory and each one has to be edited individually.
If it was a hefty item and say the shipping went from $10 to $20, that might be extreme, but if it was something small and lightweight and the shipping went from $1-$2, that could just be catching up.
Generally I don't fix an obsolete shipping immediately if someone has asked about an item. If they buy, I eat the loss. If they don't buy within a couple of days, I then adjust it. But that is just me. (You can find a lot of shipping bargains in my stores right now.) |
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acread
moderator
Posts: 11986
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Ah I completely forgot about USPS rate increase at the beginning of May. Was the seller site saying USPS calculated for their shipping. If so that rate would be coming straight from the USPS site itself. So the rate increase is completely normal (in that case). |
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maggiethehousecat
Posts: 2457
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Double seems extreme for it to be USPS motivated. I lost $4 today on a package that had $14 shipping listed and it cost just shy of $18 priority. |
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BAKfromVA
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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The seller evidently changed the shipping charge today between the time I asked a question about the item, received their reply and logged in to buy it. I noticed the difference before actually agreeing to buy the item. Although the shipping amount is still within reason, I am hesitant to do business with somebody that would take advantage of a buyer this way. I have already contacted the seller but have not received a reply. If the shipping is changed back, I will still buy the item.
| ACRead wrote: | Did the shipping change after you logged in to the payment method (that is after you logged in to PayPal or Google Checkout)?
It might be that the seller had a shipping setting at PayPal or Google Checkout and doesn't realize that if they set that up the shipping will get added once at the store checkout and once during the payment process.
If the shipping was higher before you clicked on buy now button or before the procedure sent you to PayPal or Google Checkout login page, then the seller increased it.
In either case I would suggest you contact the seller to ask why the shipping was increased. Might reach a solution. |
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acread
moderator
Posts: 11986
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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When you say "logged in" do you mean to the internet or the checkout process. If it is the checkout process the only time you login is the payment of the money (which would mean what I mentioned above, the seller has an automatic shipping set up in the PayPal or Google Checkout account that automatically adds shipping makeing it twice.) If you meant internet then you are right the seller has changed the shipping.
I would still recommend you wait for the reply (for a reasonable length of time). Maybe it wasn't intentional.
And of course you are always free to look for another product from another seller. |
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Periwinkles
Posts: 2907
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| I have raised shipping if a buyer asks me about the item and I check and see the shipping is way to low. I mean I doesn't know if that person is going to purchase the item or not. I have had one person ask me a question and another person purchase the item before the first person can. Also I have many people ask me questions about my products and I answer them but they don't purchase the item. I have lost postage on many items because I can't get around to changing them all and I have to eat the difference. |
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zickit
Posts: 21857
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| Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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| BAKfromVA wrote: | | The seller evidently changed the shipping charge today between the time I asked a question about the item, received their reply and logged in to buy it. I noticed the difference before actually agreeing to buy the item. Although the shipping amount is still within reason, I am hesitant to do business with somebody that would take advantage of a buyer this way. I have already contacted the seller but have not received a reply. If the shipping is changed back, I will still buy the item. |
If could very well be that when you asked the question the seller pulled up the item and realized the shipping was incorrect and fixed it.
I dont' get what the issue is - you say it's within reason.
I have over 2000 items here. Many have been listed since 2004. I do not manually go to each item and change shipping every time the post office does a price change - I'd go insane even attempting to do that.
IF I am looking at a product and the shippign is too low then I correct it.
| Quote: | | I am hesitant to do business with somebody that would take advantage of a buyer this way. |
HOW is it taking advantage of the buyer if the shipping is within reason?
Sounds like a buyer taking advantage of the seller wanting shipping less then actual cost. Shipping cost is not just the price of a stamp either. |
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thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat
Posts: 10159
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 12:34 am Post subject: |
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| I am always amazed at how low some new sellers set their prices. I think some of them have not bought so much as a stamp since 1959. I also think some take their packages to their workplace and add them to the day's post. |
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SheilaDeesPostcards
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Posts: 4620
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| I'm wondering if it is possible that the seller is using calculated shipping and USPS timed out in which case the shipping would have been double the am't in the shipping matrix. If calculated shipping, the buyer would not know the amount of shipping until they went through the process of check-out. The OP said they did not see the increase until they "logged in" which sounds like PayPal or Google. |
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pegshandworkandstuff
Posts: 125
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| the new USPS prices start May 11th |
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blissfulnights
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 1:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like the seller made a mistake and changed it. You dont want them to have to pay extra, do you? Be realistic. |
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thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat
Posts: 10159
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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| blissfulnights wrote: | | Sounds like the seller made a mistake and changed it. You dont want them to have to pay extra, do you? Be realistic. |
Sellers' miscalculations or errors should not be charged to the buyer. That is just bad business practice. Eat it and learn from your mistakes. If you see an ad in the paper that is a real bargain for you, you don't let the retailer off the hook when they say it was a mistake, do you?
OP must mean the listing changed because Google won't let the seller up the total from when the buyer clicked on buy/Google. |
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zickit
Posts: 21857
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| Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Sellers' miscalculations or errors should not be charged to the buyer. That is just bad business practice. Eat it and learn from your mistakes. |
I agree -- IF the shopper already purchased the item.
BUT if as stated here the price of the shipping changed BEFORE the purchase there is nothing wrong with that. |
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