Am I being ripped off ?

PJSim · #1 03-24-2013, 03:01 PM

Earlier this week I bought a guitar-kit and some pickups on a website .
Today I got a paypal invoice for an additional 60$ shipping.
I asked seller why this did not show in the checkout when I paid and the reply was " It is a mistake in the website. "

Would you pay the extra shipping invoice ?

To be fair to the seller I noticed the shipping price was low ,
but the " mistake " is not mine . . .

tplyons · #2 03-24-2013, 03:10 PM

If it wasn't part of the website, it's not part of the deal.

Tell the seller to honor the deal or cancel your order.

hbarcat · #3 03-24-2013, 03:25 PM

This would seem to fit into the category of mistakes beyond control of the merchant, sort of like a typographical error in a newspaper ad. If you feel this was truly an honest mistake and the seller is simply restoring the proper shipping charge, then the only question remaining is is it worth it to you to pay the higher price? If not, then you can always try bargaining with him, with the understanding that if you both can't mutually agree on a fair price then the sale is off.

Indiana Mike · #4 03-24-2013, 04:55 PM

Im not sure how far it shipped ,but the dollar amount seems high to me . About half that may still be too much.

You could always dispute it with PayPal .

I'm confused ,is it an invoice and he won't ship unless you pay the $60? Has he shipped and now he's billing you an extra $60?

Did the site say anything about free shipping?

I would want to be fair as a seller and as a buyer, but the shippib charge seems exaggerated to me.

Pilgrim · #5 03-24-2013, 05:01 PM

If this was domestic US shipping, that sounds very high. You might check the label on the package and see if it tells you what the actual shipping cost was. I personally would feel obligated to pay fair shipping cost, but no more.

Simo98 · #6 03-24-2013, 05:51 PM

Quite possibly that it was a mistake, however as it wasn't a part of the original transaction you agreed to during the purchase, I don't believe you have any obligation to go through with the transaction.

Depends if it's still worth it to you. If it's blown the budget above what you were willing to spend, tell him you'd like to cancel the transaction for that reason.

Also, that shipping charge does seem fairly high, presuming you are continental US? Fairly standard for a guitar here in Australia though.

As a retailer who also operates an online shop, websites can be a pain, especially when it comes to shipping. We actually offer free shipping on orders over $50 mostly because it's not worth the headache getting shipping calculators working accurately. But if we ever have an error in shipping with a customers order or even an item that was priced wrong, which does happen occasionally, we generally try to honour the order at that price so long as we aren't going to lose money on it, otherwise we contact the customer with an apology and let them know what the extra charge would be like if they want to go through with the transaction, or give them the option of a full refund.

NYCbassist · #7 03-24-2013, 06:22 PM

Sounds messed up to me. He made you wait thinking your Kit was on the way and days later asks for More Money? Not Cool.

No Neck Shrek · #8 03-24-2013, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJSim

Earlier this week I bought a guitar-kit and some pickups on a website .
Today I got a paypal invoice for an additional 60$ shipping.
I asked seller why this did not show in the checkout when I paid and the reply was " It is a mistake in the website. "

Would you pay the extra shipping invoice ?

To be fair to the seller I noticed the shipping price was low ,
but the " mistake " is not mine . . .

The mistake was on the web site, its not your responsibility to proof read his ad. If you go to a retail store and the price on the shelf is incorrect(lower), you still get it for that price.

hover · #9 03-24-2013, 07:57 PM

Yeah, cancel the transaction if he won't honor the original terms. 60 bucks domestic shipment? I've sent basses in hardcases, insured, for much less than that.

PJSim · #10 03-25-2013, 04:45 AM

Forgot to mention its a u.s to europe transaction , so the shipping price is not unfair .

The shipping price on the original invoice was 20$ , and it did not change what ever country you selected.

Seller has put the order on hold until I pay the additional invoice.
I paid through paypal so I can always get my money back, but I think its still worth it even with the extra $$.

The sellers reply about the mistake on the website came just minutes after I asked , so I wonder if its a "mistake" they know about

Just dont like additional fees to a deal ...

i_got_a_mohawk · #11 03-25-2013, 05:11 AM

It sounds like a fair mistake if the shipping cost didn't change between Domestic and International. Though it still isn't your fault so you could probably try and work something out with the seller.

DwaynieAD · #12 03-25-2013, 06:07 AM

it may be a "fair" mistake, but i'd still cancel the order for shady business practices.

i_got_a_mohawk · #13 03-25-2013, 07:16 AM

Not what I'd put down as shady business practices.

Maybe should have given a more detailed email along with the invoice regarding the issue, but not exactly shady (at this stage of the game, as the transfer was via Paypal, the OP can easily cancel the order).

i_got_a_mohawk · #14 03-25-2013, 07:22 AM

Out of interest, OP, is it a well known supplier you're using?

What kind of guitar kit was it you looked at? If it's one of the cheaper generic type kits, they can be picked up within Europe, Thomann sell a few and they're all <100 euro:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir....=8&y=9&gk=&bn=

DwaynieAD · #15 03-25-2013, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Not what I'd put down as shady business practices.

Maybe should have given a more detailed email along with the invoice regarding the issue, but not exactly shady (at this stage of the game, as the transfer was via Paypal, the OP can easily cancel the order).

the seller is holding a bought and paid for item hostage and demanding a ransom. the op has completed his contract with the seller as he has paid the agreed upon amount. what isn't shady about that?

sloasdaylight · #16 03-25-2013, 08:06 AM

Here's my question to the OP, how was the original shipping price determined? Did you fill out your address and then did the system spit out your shipping invoice, or was it more a "Shipping to this area will cost you this much, that area that much" sort of thing?

i_got_a_mohawk · #17 03-25-2013, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DwaynieAD

the seller is holding a bought and paid for item hostage and demanding a ransom. the op has completed his contract with the seller as he has paid the agreed upon amount. what isn't shady about that?

There's been an error with the original contract which the merchant is trying to correct, the OP isn't bound to fufil the contract and can easily get a refund of what he has already paid.

When the OP noticed the shipping price was low he probably should have contacted the seller to verify the cost, if something's too good to be true and all that.

warnergt · #18 03-25-2013, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Not what I'd put down as shady business practices.

I agree. If it were a domestic sale, the $60 shipping cost would
be much too high and I'd believe that the deal was shady.
However, given that this is an international sale, I'm inclined to
give the seller the benefit of the doubt. International shipping
can be challenging for any merchant. The price is probably
reasonable.

DwaynieAD · #19 03-25-2013, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

There's been an error with the original contract which the merchant is trying to correct, the OP isn't bound to fufil the contract and can easily get a refund of what he has already paid.

When the OP noticed the shipping price was low he probably should have contacted the seller to verify the cost, if something's too good to be true and all that.

The seller presented the contract and the OP agreed to it as it stood. by sending payment the OP has already fulfilled the contract the seller is now in breach as he has reneged on the terms that he himself initially put forth. The OP isn't bound to fulfilled the contract is out of place as the OP already has fulfilled his end of the contract. the seller is refusing to fulfill his end of the contract without additional compensation outside the agreed upon terms. the OP has already met the terms of the contract.

PJSim · #20 03-25-2013, 03:07 PM

Got my money back , got a mail from paypal like 10 minutes after i asked seller for a refund

Thank you for the input ( and the link )