has anyone ever had a seller add to the combined shipping charge to compensate for low auction bids?

[kcguerard]

I contacted a seller, who posted contact seller may not ship to Canada, to inquire if I bid on multiple items if I could have them shipped to Canada and if he would combine shipping in one box to save on shipping costs. He replied that that was good go ahead and bid. I won seven bids, for small rock or crystals, for a total of $37 US and requested shipping costs. The parcel weighed less than 4.5 lbs.with packaging and his shipping charge was $100 US.   I contacted him 4 times requesting any options that could lower the shipping costs and contacted eBay as well. eBay told me that because I had placed bids I must complete the transaction or have a strike against me.

He said that the items that  I had purchased where more than the purchase price so I should just accept that the items cost $100US and the shipping cost $33. I suggested that he was the seller and was responsible for setting the starting price of 1 cent US.

eBay suggested I request a tracking number and or request the actual cost of shipping, both of which I did, without any reply.

I paid the shipping.

I tried for 3 weeks to get help from eBay, filling in their very confined options, talking to reps that were disappointingly of no help only to be told that, by an email, that I had run out of time, three days after the box arrived.

The tracking number that the seller provided did not work and my local post office quoted me $24.38 Canadian to return.

I tried Pay Pal they contacted the seller and he offered me $25 US refund. I requested to speak to someone at Pay pal and refused the $25 refund.

Pay pal contacted me today my claim was placed incorrectly as wrong item shipped and was dropped. I lost no explanation.

I have 4 emails from the seller stating that the actual shipping charge is irrelevant. He feels that he deserves the extra money and I feel like a fool because I assumed that if I played by the rules that somehow this whole situation would be corrected!

Cynthia 

[momcqueen]

If this had happened to me, I would try to open an ebay Return request for Items Not as Described with the 'SNAD being shipping cost which was $75 more than actual cost' and wait to see what happened next. Going forward, it is probably better to nail down an actual shipping quote prior to bidding. Or not pay when presented with an amount that sends $75 to handling. Sellers aren't allowed to do that and you could probably have appealed the Unpaid Item Strike if you had chosen not to pay as a result of it. 

Sometimes pricey postage is actual cost and there isn't much that the seller or buyer can do about it. 

A $75 handling fee on a $12,000 item might make sense but not on a $33 purchase. It is the seller's responsibility to set their opening auction prices. 

[momcqueen]

Oh, and don't leave feedback until it's all settled and done. You have 60 days to work with here. The best feedback is calm and factual.

The Returns request has to be opened within 30 days to be eligible for Money Back Guarantee. You will get your purchase price and postage cost back (less any restocking fee noted in the listing) when the item is returned. It must be tracked. You may or may not be responsible for the cost of return shipping.

If other members have a better idea of how to resolve this now, they will wade into the discussion. Maybe wait until you have opinions from a few people before you plot your next move. Good luck.