Abusive eBay seller - should I follow through with purchase?

Yesterday I was the winning bidder on an eBay item.

While requesting the total from the I seller, I added a polite message asking if the the item could be posted in an AP Prepaid Satchel. The postage figure in the listing was $30 for standard postage + tracking, however the item only weighs 1kg and could easily fit into a 3kg satchel, which is still tracked.

Anyway, the seller later sends through the total without replying to my message, and the shipping is still $30.

Perhaps they didn't see my message, so I re-request the total, but also send a separate message mentioning the original note in the "total request", and adding that the shipping amount requested is double what it should cost, and suggesting $20 as more reasonable (which is still well over what it should cost, packaging included).

Seller sends through total again, postage is still $30, and they still haven't replied to anything I've written to them.

So I use the "contact seller" option, and write, "Do you always ignore messages from your buyers?"

Soon after I get two abusive messages from the the seller. The first describes me (and other buyers like me) as "so bloody difficult" and that postage was clearly stated so "bloody pay for it and if not ill file an unpaid item for on you and that's that"

The second says I'm a "pain in the ass with your fn rudeness"

Now I've bought and sold hundreds of items on eBay over more than a decade, I'm a good eBay citizen and only bid on items I intend to actually purchase, and if they'd replied with some reasonable explanation for the significantly higher postage (e.g. "I'm sending in a big strong box with lots of padding so it arrives safely") I'd happily pay and move on.

However to receive these sorts of messages from someone I'm now guessing is actually just trying to gouge some extra profit, I'm actually tempted to just not pay and take an unpaid item strike (my first!), just on principal.

Perhaps I'm overreacting though - would others here just pay up, or this unreasonable behaviour from the seller?

Cheers,
DM.


EDIT:
I seem to have not explained myself too well.

It's not the inflated postage cost I object to here - my maximum bid took the $30 postage figure into account, and I still won the auction for less than I was willing to pay.

I object to a seller first not bothering to reply to a polite request, and then abusing me when pulled up about it and being challenged about the postage fee.

Many private sellers I've purchased from have quoted a nominal "round figure" postage fee to cover all bases, and then adjust that depending on the postcode of the buyer's shipping address. Often I'll message before an auction to clarify this, sometimes it's after I've won an item that I've asked "could you update the shipping total for postcode XXXX". It's a fairly normal question for me to ask, and to the best of my recollection I've never had a seller a) ignore me or b) abuse me about it - this guy is the first.

I stumbled onto this auction a few minutes before it was due to end, and there wasn't time to check this details, so I put in a slightly lower bid in case the $30 was what he expected to be paid, but also mindful that this might be another case where a figure closer to the actual postage charge might be charged, as would be in keeping in line with eBay's policy on these things.

So don't go judging me for wanting to renege on a sale because of a high postage charge…no no no…I'm considering reneging on the sale because the seller has acted like an a** to a buyer trying to make a reasonable request and being ignored then abused in reply. There's a difference…

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  • +5

    lol, this whole post was hilarious and I especially liked OP's update

    … a buyer trying to make a reasonable request…

    Doesn't matter whether you like the postage options or not, once you've bid and won, YOU have to suck it up and take what you bought, however you bought it.

    I would have ignored you too and then been pissed at your demands. Reeks of the most spectacular entitlement! Wonderful!!

    • -2

      Thanks for taking the time to share.

      • +2

        pleasure. thanks for the entertainment.

  • Am I the only one who wants to know what you purchased from this rude seller?

    • Probably not, but that part is irrelevant in my mind - it's not something easily damaged that needs any special packaging.

  • +1

    I don't think the buyer did much wrong apart though I don't have access to his messages.

    A genuine seller (99% of people) puts the postage at the going rate.
    If I had overpriced it and the buyer told me I could send cheaper then I would have sent it cheaper and adjusted the price accordingly.
    The buyer asked a legitimate question and the seller kept ignoring them.

    There was nothing wrong with the buyer asking if he could lower his exorbitant postage cost and I would get the hump too if the seller kept conveniently ignoring me.

    Neg away but if this was a business doing this you would all want to boycott them.

  • +7

    Anyway, the seller later sends through the total without replying to my message, and the shipping is still $30.

    Seller sends through total again, postage is still $30, and they still haven't replied to anything I've written to them.

    Sounds like the seller replied to you, twice, by attaching the final price. Perhaps he just didn't feel the need explicitly address your concern because you were already wasting his time by asking the question? As so many people have pointed out, you should have asked the question before you purchased. If there wasn't much time left, you had the option of not buying it and losing the bid.

    Unfortunately for you, the seller doesn't have to come back with a "reasonable explanation for the significantly higher postage". If you don't like the price of postage, don't buy it. If you think the person is being being completely unreasonable, again, don't buy it, and report them.

    His "rudeness", after you've already committed to making the purchase is not an excuse to not follow through. You agreed to the terms and conditions when you bid, so follow through.

    • Completely agree.. seller replied twice, stipulating the price both times.

      • -2

        Respectfully disagree.

        • Why else would the seller send you the total price again twice?

          Why don't you show exactly what you said, and exactly what they replied.

  • +7

    Afte reading your case, comments and your replies to the people here; I say, you are a bloody difficult person mate. and yes, you're a pain in the ass with your fn rudeness on eBay and here as well.

    PS. please don't report me to eBay and/or ozmods.

    PPS. if you do, I'd like to get a refund for my comments. time is precious.

    • Perhaps, but I'm still more polite than you.

      • +1

        you're mistaking polite with passive-aggressive mate

        • -1

          No, you're mistaking relative with absolute.

        • +2

          All the best for your big day today, hope you win the election sir.

  • +1

    I've bought hundreds of items on eBay over more than a decade and I've never asked a seller to adjust their postage, unless they specifically state postage can be combined for more than one article.

    • -1

      Likewise I've bought hundreds of items over more than a decade, but have had many sellers happy to accomodate a change in the shipping method after being asked, and have certainly never had an issue with asking the question.

  • +1

    Either way, this topic the OP has posted has brought on such a lively discussion ;)

    • Indeed, fun for all!

      • @dm01 are you relishing the vitriol?

        • I'm surprised at the intensity of people's opinions either way. Apart from a couple of "ah well, you should probably still pay" type comments, either I'm the antichrist or the seller is. And some of those who support the sellers reaction, really want to hammer that point home!

        • @dm01: Hehehe yeah some interesting ones aren't there.

  • +6

    I think you need to make a decision and close this topic. It's not getting anywhere.

    I'll sum it up for you.

    • You bought item with minutes to spare.
    • You didn't have any time to ask the seller about postage, prior to the auction ending.
    • You bid, based on the $30 ph cost (so you made an informed decision about the total amount you were willing to pay).
    • After you won the bid, you asked the seller to consider charging you less for postage (twice, after you got no official response, except the unchanged invoice total)
    • When you didn't get any feedback, you were a bit rude to him.
    • He was more rude to you.
    • You're very offended now.

    Everyone's heard how you feel, gave you feedback and now you have to make your own decision about whether to proceed or not.
    If I were in your shoes, I would let this go, pay for the item, hope that the item arrives in good order. Otherwise, go through the process of a refund through PayPal.

    If you really want to settle a score, give negative feedback for a rude seller, but otherwise item was OK, i.e. be honest and objective.

    Stop being offended and stop defending yourself. You're not getting any additional benefit out of this.

    • Thanks for your thoughts, bdc. I'm not offended, and I'll defend my opinion as I see fit.

  • I think the OP has received plenty of feedback now. This thread is going in circles somewhat, comments closed.

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