Shipping scam?

[dgo]

I bought 10 items (mini nintendo g&w) of this guy for 0.99 GBP each. In the auction it says: If you win multiple items, you will save on shipping costs...

 

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...me=STRK:MEWN:IT

 

Now this guy charges me GBP 40 pounds for shipping! (actual shipping will not be more that 10 GBP max)

 

This is not reasonable! Any suggestions what to do as I sure as hell won't pay 40 pounds (about $75) for items worth only 10!!

[Mindfield]

It sounds to me like he's charging you full price for each item. If he did indeed tell you that he will combine items to save on shipping costs, then I would bring this to his attention and ask him what's up, referring to the earlier E-Mail where he said so.

 

Sadly, though, even if he ends up charging you £35 for shipping, you're sort of stuck with it for having not asked whether or not he combined multiple items to save on shipping and/or what his combined shipping rate was (or what the discount on multiple wins was). I've gotten stung with that before, and it wasn't pleasant. I won 50+ carts from one seller under a different eBay alias about a year ago, most of 'em at $0.01. He stated $4 per item and he combined shipping on multiple wins. Well, his combined rate, unbeknownst to me, was $3 for every other item beyond the first, and he ended up charging me the rediculous total of $140 for shipping, or about $120 more than it would actually cost from his location. I did as you and asked about it and was told the same thing: I didn't ask, so it's my bad. (I was an "eBabe" newbie at the time, so it hadn't even occurred to me yet that people would so blatantly and horribly rip people off on shipping, so obviously it never occurred to me to ask such questions)

 

Much as I hate to say it, beyond bringing up his prior assertion that he does offer a cheaper combined rate, you're pretty much stuck with whatever that rate might be.

[highinfidelity]

Agree with Mendon, as I do alarmingly often lately : first make sure he/she really understood that you're combining shipping. Even the original 4 pounds per item seem a total scam to me, but anyway...

 

Then, I would try to understand what the actual shipping costs are, and eventually report him if he's way out. There is some undefined upper limit even for shipping overcharge on eBay, I would try that road. No way I would pay 40 pounds for such LIGHT items to be shipped inside the same country!

 

Okay, now let's hear the same'ol good souls who think every shipping scam is legitimate on eBay, as usual...

[highinfidelity]

^mindfield^

 

(That edit button...)

[highinfidelity]

Gee, here again... My bad!

 

Didn't notice the auction was in UK (the dutch translation got me confused), so 4 pounds each may be quite correct - royal mail is expensive as hell. No way 40 pounds is correct for a combined shipping, though!

[Atari-dj]

royal mail is expensive as hell. No way 40 pounds is correct for a combined shipping' date=' though![/quote']

 

Ain't that the truth

 

I just had a packaged weighed destination Italy full of Amiga games --- Weighed in at 3.8 kg --- Total cost for shipping £26.00

I ended up splitting the parcel into two smaller boxes so each weighed in under 2kg -- total for posting both boxes to the same place in Italy was now reduced to £19.50.

Parcels over 2kg seem to attract higher fees...

[highinfidelity]

Anyway, in case you can't force him to lower the cost, I would give him 10 addresses of parents grands and relatives, and would pretend him to send 10 single packets to 10 different destinations. At least you'd have some revenge, and he won't enjoy your cash.

[dgo]

Thanks all for replying...

 

The response I got:

 

The items are shipped from Hong Kong, his HK partner could ship for 30 pounds instead of 40... In his ad was stated 'reduction', which he offers, from 4 pounds to 3... so it's my fault. and no, he's not trying to rip me off (his partner is )

 

 

So, like some of you said: It IS partly my fault not asking upfront about combined shipping... you're right.

 

But still: these items weigh max 90 grams each, times 10 equals 900 grams... 30 pounds is still a rip off, no more no less.

 

 

Anyway, I offered him to pay 25 pounds for the lot... which seems more than reasonable I think..

[dgo]

Anyway' date=' in case you can't force him to lower the cost, I would give him 10 addresses of parents grands and relatives, and would pretend him to send 10 single packets to 10 different destinations. At least you'd have some revenge, and he won't enjoy your cash. [/quote']

 

[Corrupted]

I think you can send a complaint to ebay for shipping scams. But I don't think they do anything with complaints, I've send many about people selling fake/bootleg produtcs, and they're still selling...