Fighting for My Edge of Sanity Vinyl

[Gunstar9]

There is a tremendous problem on Ebay. Ebay has had a flat-rate shipping cap on media items shipped within or coming into the US for a few years now. While this cap isn't often the most fair thing in the world it is to protect buyers from "shipping rape" that got way out of control on the site.

Unfortunately, a new problem rose out of all this. Sellers started listing shipping on auctions for free or at the maximum media cap (often $3 or $4 depending on the item). When an individual sees an item listed like this and clicks on it for further information on the item usually there will be a big surprise: "I'm a seller from so-and-so country and shipping will actually be $expensive". Ebay policy prohibits sellers from listing one shipping price and requiring additional shipping purchases in the item description.

Recently there were a number of Edge of Sanity LPs on Ebay with free shipping. I was excited to see them so I immediately set my sights on them all. I read the descriptions of each to find the annoying international shipping bait-and-switch thing going on. I went out of my way to inform the seller that via Ebay policy he is not allowed to list one shipping price and request more in the situation. The seller responded saying he would quickly fix the problem, however, he never did.

I ended up winning 2 of the LPs - a Crimson I/II set and The Spectral Sorrows. I paid for the items at the end of the auction. A few days later I had the seller respond requesting $27 more than my payment. I informed him that he is not allowed to charge me additional shipping. He is complaining that his description said shipping would be more regardless of the listing (an Ebay policy violation) and he wants me to agree to a refund. I do not want a refund, I want my LPs, and I want the free shipping originally advertised to me. I have not agreed to a refund and he is trying to pressure me into one and also saying that he went ahead and withdrew the money from his Paypal to his bank account and it will be a week before he is able to issue a refund.

You can view the auctions here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Edge-of-sanity-...ewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item2c53f32726

http://cgi.ebay.com/Edge-of-sanity-...ewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item2c53f320d4

Thoughts?

 

[AnTz0r]

why here? post this on the ebay forum?

 

[Gunstar9]

Why here? Because this is Swano related. Others (including myself) have posted here about Swano related items on Ebay before.

 

[AnTz0r]

yeah, but i meant to say that i think you'll have a higher chance of getting some useful insight at the ebay boards

 

[Nefilim]

Get the refund, then ask around on this forum if someone wants to sell you the vinyls for a better price and a fair deal. Maybe even Dan himself knows if these vinyls are available somewhere? The Black Mark Shop only lists Unorthodox as still in stock, but who knows, maybe there are other shops who carry the other vinyls?

http://www.blackmark.net/eng/list.asp?ID=324

Cheers and good luck!

 

[fireangel]

There is a tremendous problem on Ebay. Ebay has had a flat-rate shipping cap on media items shipped within or coming into the US for a few years now. While this cap isn't often the most fair thing in the world it is to protect buyers from "shipping rape" that got way out of control on the site.

Unfortunately, a new problem rose out of all this. Sellers started listing shipping on auctions for free or at the maximum media cap (often $3 or $4 depending on the item). When an individual sees an item listed like this and clicks on it for further information on the item usually there will be a big surprise: "I'm a seller from so-and-so country and shipping will actually be ". Ebay policy prohibits sellers from listing one shipping price and requiring additional shipping purchases in the item description.

Recently there were a number of Edge of Sanity LPs on Ebay with free shipping. I was excited to see them so I immediately set my sights on them all. I read the descriptions of each to find the annoying international shipping bait-and-switch thing going on. I went out of my way to inform the seller that via Ebay policy he is not allowed to list one shipping price and request more in the situation. The seller responded saying he would quickly fix the problem, however, he never did.

I ended up winning 2 of the LPs - a Crimson I/II set and The Spectral Sorrows. I paid for the items at the end of the auction. A few days later I had the seller respond requesting $27 more than my payment. I informed him that he is not allowed to charge me additional shipping. He is complaining that his description said shipping would be more regardless of the listing (an Ebay policy violation) and he wants me to agree to a refund. I do not want a refund, I want my LPs, and I want the free shipping originally advertised to me. I have not agreed to a refund and he is trying to pressure me into one and also saying that he went ahead and withdrew the money from his Paypal to his bank account and it will be a week before he is able to issue a refund.

You can view the auctions here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Edge-of-sanity-the-spectral-sorrows-new-unplayed_W0QQitemZ190387005222QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item2c53f32726

http://cgi.ebay.com/Edge-of-sanity-crimson-I-II-new-unplayed-2xLP_W0QQitemZ190387003604QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_on_Vinyl?hash=item2c53f320d4

Thoughts?

The capped shipping prices and being forced to offer free shipping are annoying things of ebay. Of course people should not be ripped off inflated shipping prices, but also sellers should not be forced to ship for free when it´s not possible because of the format of the piece.
That btw is not just a US-thing, the shipping prices are also limited in Ebay of other countries.


In theory it's true that shipping can't be priced afterwards and in case of tried betrayings of course people should get out of the deal.

However, in this case you saw the problem beforehand, and you even talked to the seller about it. He explained his reasons to you and they are obvious and clear. Also the shipping costs are listed in the description!

The better (legally correct) solution would have been to include the shipping prices in the mininum auction price, but that would be unfair if the buyer was not abroad, and then that person would have to pay also the shipping prices for foreign shipping included in his auction bid.

So you see, either way it's not going to work and be fair to everyone.
You are aware that the seller can't ship the stuff to you for free without a huge loss. Also you knew that there were shipping costs to come. Would you buy from a store, you also had shipping costs anyway.

In this case I think that people did not want to rip you off, it are real costs for them but Ebay does not permit them to put these costs into the calculation. You put the seller into a difficult situation, too (maybe he should not offer worldwide-shipping anymore then, it might be wiser).

I think you could decide between two things: take the refund and look for another seller (maybe within your country) or accept that the seller is also betrayed by Ebay because he can't list the real shipping costs into his auction, because Ebay does not always distinguish between true rip-off and actual shipping costs, and pay for them, too.

 

[Gunstar9]

"Now there's no more oak oppression,
For they passed a noble law,
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet, axe, and saw."

 

[isolation_years]

i don't see how you didn't see trouble coming.


you tried to take advantage of the system just as he did


good luck though

 

[ajntorinj]

If every buyer were like you, then there would be no overseas sellers on eBay supplying CDs to the US.

If you can't act like a gentleman, please don't spoil it for the rest of us who can.

 

[Gunstar9]

If every buyer were like you, then there would be no overseas sellers on eBay supplying CDs to the US.

If you can't act like a gentleman, please don't spoil it for the rest of us who can.

See, there are two sides to that, as I'm a seller myself. When people do this it sort of thing with shipping it creates a bait-and-switch which artificially makes things look cheaper than what the seller wants or has to charge for them. This drives people away from the Ebay marketplace. I've had to follow Ebay policy myself as a seller and some unfair things have happened but I just deal with it.

I'd say if sellers refuse to set a higher starting price to reflect what the actual cost of an item is (as is what Ebay recommends to do) then those sellers are NOT welcome on Ebay.

If you can't deal with Ebay policy, please don't spoil it for the other sellers who do deal with it.

 

[Gunstar9]

Finally:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250865842574&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT