I bought an item and shipping was stated as $55.00, when it arrived I noticed that shipping was less then $19.00. Do I have the right to ask

[waldonman]

As stated above....Do I have the right to ask for the extra money that was charged for shipping....$36.00 above what it cost for actual shipping seems a little high...

[leb17]

Hi... sorry to say...NO, reason.... once you placed a bid you agreed to the TOS (Terms Of Sale) thats on the listing.

Its always best to ask ALL questions BEFORE placing a bid.

[heidilynn0_3]

Hi waldonman.. As leb17 states you did agree. Its best to not look at shipping in isolation but rather the total paid for the item.

If i had purchased that limited edition item , i think i would feel it was a good deal at the total paid.

[heidilynn0_3]

PS .. can always ask but seller is under no obligation to do a partial refund.

[scifan57]

Before you found out what the actual shipping cost was, we're you happy with the total price you paid? That's the only thing that really matters. If the total price paid was reasonable, it shouln't matter what the actual cost of shipping was.

[Anonymous]

Padding to absorb ebay fees. It happened to me a lot. If there is a big difference and I can prove the postage amount from the package, I claim the difference - usually the seller coughs up!

[dmil8030]

Hello 'waldonman',

Are you asking if you have the right to ask for the extra money, - or if you have a right to expect reimbursement? 🙂

You have the right to ask, most certainly you do.  And you have good reason to ask, too.  But you cannot expect to get the money returned, - you can only hope.  In my view, overcharging like that is really hideous.  But then, I'm prickly about honesty and truth, and find it utterly distasteful to have a seller 'pretend' to be asking a reasonable item price, and even if the shipping is high and pinches a little we think postal rates are usurious and not the seller's fault.  Ebay does not like dishonesty either, - have a look at the policy on Shipping and Handling costs:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-practices.html

It clearly states, <<It's against our rules ... to charge unreasonable fees for shipping and related services.>>  Ebay is sensitive about creating an environment in which buyers feel good about their experiences.  Ebay does not want a reputation for providing a venue to sneaks and cheats who swindle trusting people out of more money than they are due.  Hence, what a seller is not allowed to charge for: <<Things like gas, mileage, time spent at a carrier, employee wages, or eBay and PayPal fees shouldn't be added.>>

[dmil8030]

Dang! Whenever I hit 'enter' this stupid computer thinks I mean 'send'.

Anyway, 'waldonman', because ebay does not condone the overcharging for shipping fees, - after all, an 'honest' environment demands that sellers charge fair item prices and realistic shipping fees, - you have the right to express your dissatisfaction in feedback and DSRs.  According to ebay, leaving low DSRs for shipping and handling charges is perfectly acceptable, and ebay would like to know <<Did the seller:  Charge more than the actual costs for mailing, packaging and handling.>>

No need to be all negative about it, - you can leave a pretty green circle saying the item was nice but the shipping charge was nearly 3 times the mailing cost.  And who knows, as 'stopchick' says, maybe the seller will agree and refund the difference.  Not because he thinks he was wrong, mind you, but because he fears a negative.  So if he does refund you some of that back, make sure you are just as nice to him in turn.

Good luck with that. 🙂

[ok_so_im_50]

I do not know if this is available in Canada but in the US, sellers can do online labels that would not show the postage cost. So, if your seller had used an online label, you would not have seen the $19.

If it of any consolation to you, sellers overcharging on shipping to avoid ebay fees is what prompted ebay to start charging sellers a fee on the shipping rather than just on the final winning bid. Because the seller charged $55 for shipping, their final value fee would be based on the $55 they charged and the $19 they paid.