Getting ripped off with shipping?

[Unprocessed1]

I ordered a few things online and ordered $43 overnight shipping via UPS.

The seller finally sent me the tracking number, and on UPS's site is says the service is GROUND.

That means that the seller made over $30 by changing the shipping rate, which is RIDICULOUS. I already emailed him and demanded a refund for the shipping cost difference.

Is this ethical? And is there anything I could do to remedy the situation if the seller refuses to refund the money? If it makes a difference, their website has a E-Commerce by Yahoo logo on their website (don't even know what that does or signifies)

I also paid with my Bank of America Card, but I doubt they could or would do anything.

 

[ikermalli]

You should have checked before you bought it.

Once you agree to the cost the seller does not have to do anything for you, you agreed and that's what he can charge you legally, if he charged you 1¢ over what you agreed to then you could demand a refund... for your 1¢

 

[jmann]

If the seller told you overnight shipping, and didn't give it to you then you deserve a full refund for the difference. He isn't following through with what you agreed to. You have every right to want the $30.

 

[Unprocessed1]

You should have checked before you bought it.

Once you agree to the cost the seller does not have to do anything for you, you agreed and that's what he can charge you legally, if he charged you 1¢ over what you agreed to then you could demand a refund... for your 1¢

What are you talking about?

 

[parapup]

It happens and it is anything but ethical. Some people especially on auction sites keep the asking price low to lure people and play games with shipping charges to make up the cost.

I think you did the right thing by demanding the refund of difference. Now a days Fedex for example is holding the package at their location if sender paid for 3 day and package actually got there a day or two earlier - which means if you were expecting 1 day shipping and seller shipped 3 day - you can be pretty sure you are not getting what was promised.

 

[ZachsMacDaddy]

You should have checked before you bought it.

Once you agree to the cost the seller does not have to do anything for you, you agreed and that's what he can charge you legally, if he charged you 1¢ over what you agreed to then you could demand a refund... for your 1¢

He said he "ordered $43 overnight shipping via UPS." So it sounds like he had an option for overnight service and took it, and the seller either screwed up or intentionally sent it the cheap way. Either way, if he was offered overnight and paid for it, he is entitled to it. He should get the shipping cost back.

 

[nobunaga209]

If you did indeed pay for overnight and it's sent ground you have a case to argue. Where did you buy from? I'm assuming eBay or Amazon...??

 

[Unprocessed1]

And to add insult to injury, UPS didn't even try to deliver it today, even though their website claims no one was "available" to sign for it.

To be fair ground was probably only going to take a day to get here anyways, but it's dishonest and almost fraudulent for the seller to capitalize on that and make a huge profit on the shipping...

If the seller is going to refuse to refund the shipping, I'm going to spend $35 and file a small claims case. The loss of money is worth it for principle.

 

[Unprocessed1]

If you did indeed pay for overnight and it's sent ground you have a case to argue. Where did you buy from? I'm assuming eBay or Amazon...??

It was a private online store, however they are also a physical store located in PA.

 

[ikermalli]

Oops missed the overnight thing. I'm just a little bit tired right now

 

[aethelbert]

The seller probably did have mailed it overnight. UPS will classify it as a ground shipment in their systems, though, if it will arrive the next day. There's no point in giving it huge priority over everything else when it will arrive at the same time via ground service. I've paid for stuff to be shipped 2nd day, and it was handled as a ground shipment because it would have taken two days anyway (I didn't know where the item would ship from).

If there was a delivery time promised, though, as there is with some overnight services, then you may be entitled to a refund if the attempted delivery today was after that time.

 

[Unprocessed1]

The seller probably did have mailed it overnight. UPS will classify it as a ground shipment in their systems, though, if it will arrive the next day. There's no point in giving it huge priority over everything else when it will arrive at the same time via ground service. I've paid for stuff to be shipped 2nd day, and it was handled as a ground shipment because it would have taken two days anyway (I didn't know where the item would ship from).

If there was a delivery time promised, though, as there is with some overnight services, then you may be entitled to a refund if the attempted delivery today was after that time.

Errr, now I hope they were dishonest about my shipping. I already sent them a loaded email suggesting they were dishonest about my shipping rate and demanded a refund. FML.

How rude of UPS then to not even try to deliver an OVERNIGHT package. Seriously, how lazy are some of the drivers? I've always preferred USPS for a reason.

 

[aethelbert]

Errr, now I hope they were dishonest about my shipping. I already sent them a loaded email suggesting they were dishonest about my shipping rate and demanded a refund. FML.

For future reference, UPS offers maps for ground service when you enter the origin zip code. If you can find out where a seller ships his or her items, you can enter their location and see how long an item will be in transit with ground shipping. With that, you can determine the true value of priority services. UPS and FedEx ground logistics are still clockwork, and I don't see much value to the expedited services unless you're shipping international, coast to coast, or to Alaska, Hawaii, or territories.

I think that you can also make maps for the time in transit to your zip code with your location being the center rather than that of a sends, but they can be different depending on schedules and your proximity to a hub.

 

[Unprocessed1]

For future reference, UPS offers maps for ground service when you enter the origin zip code. If you can find out where a seller ships his or her items, you can enter their location and see how long an item will be in transit with ground shipping. With that, you can determine the true value of priority services. UPS and FedEx ground logistics are still clockwork, and I don't see much value to the expedited services unless you're shipping international, coast to coast, or to Alaska, Hawaii, or territories.

I figured the UPS driver would have respected the delivery more if I shipped it overnight, but boy was I wrong. I know this is a widespread problem for the company...the drivers want an early weekend on Friday. Ridiculous. I was home during the "delivery attempt".

I guess I'll send an apology to the owner after the possibly awkward email response from him (if he did in fact order next day shipping) if it was in fact the shipping I paid for.

EDIT: UPS also rescheduled the delivery for MONDAY. They're supposed to reschedule it for saturday if it was next day shipping...

 

[Unprocessed1]

UPDATE: Called UPS, they say the package is ground, hence the reason it's not delivered on Saturday...

Still no response from the seller either.

 

[yg17]

The seller probably did have mailed it overnight. UPS will classify it as a ground shipment in their systems, though, if it will arrive the next day. There's no point in giving it huge priority over everything else when it will arrive at the same time via ground service. I've paid for stuff to be shipped 2nd day, and it was handled as a ground shipment because it would have taken two days anyway (I didn't know where the item would ship from).

If there was a delivery time promised, though, as there is with some overnight services, then you may be entitled to a refund if the attempted delivery today was after that time.

In my experience, something shipped ground from Chicago to me in St. Louis gets here the next day and is marked ground on tracking, but if it's shipped overnight from Chicago, it shows up as next day.

I believe there is a difference though. Even though both packages go on a truck (next day air isn't always air if it's close enough) and probably the same truck, and are delivered the next day, UPS does give higher priority to the overnight package. While UPS's map may say that ground package would get here the next day, that's not a guarantee, whereas with next day, it is. So if something happened, say a truck broke down, all the drivers went on strike, the weather turns to crap, whatever, they will make every effort to get the next day package delivered the next day, but with the ground package, they can sit on it for a couple days if needed.

Of course, all of those scenarios are very rare, and I don't think I've had a ground package shipped to me from Chicago, Kansas City, Memphis or Indianapolis ever take more than one day.

And FWIW, not all overnight packages are delivered on Saturday. I believe you have to pay extra for that.

 

[Unprocessed1]

In my experience, something shipped ground from Chicago to me in St. Louis gets here the next day and is marked ground on tracking, but if it's shipped overnight from Chicago, it shows up as next day.

I believe there is a difference though. Even though both packages go on a truck (next day air isn't always air if it's close enough) and probably the same truck, and are delivered the next day, UPS does give higher priority to the overnight package. While UPS's map may say that ground package would get here the next day, that's not a guarantee, whereas with next day, it is. So if something happened, say a truck broke down, all the drivers went on strike, the weather turns to crap, whatever, they will make every effort to get the next day package delivered the next day, but with the ground package, they can sit on it for a couple days if needed.

Of course, all of those scenarios are very rare, and I don't think I've had a ground package shipped to me from Chicago, Kansas City, Memphis or Indianapolis ever take more than one day.

And FWIW, not all overnight packages are delivered on Saturday. I believe you have to pay extra for that.

the UPS website claims the shipping I "ordered" qualifies for a Saturday delivery. I also called UPS and they said I ordered GROUND shipping, not next-day.

I bet the seller has already seen my email but chose not to respond.

What steps should I take to get back my shipping costs?

 

[Keebler]

I think a bunch of online sellers jack up the shipping rates. The few times i've sold something online, i've always put the shipping rate exactly what I paid...no mark up.

wait and see what the seller says. not much you can do until monday. try to give the benefit of the doubt that it's an honest mistake.

I knew a guy who shipped quite a bit through his website and he always marked up the shipping - he even joked about it one day about how much extra he was making per shipment and then I snapped and said, "Don't you feel bad about ripping people off? It doesn't take that long to put your items in a box and call a number for fedex to pick it up?"

of course, he didn't answer me.

then months later, I watched him bring his gf to his house repeatedly and I then I finally stood in the street and stared them down as he drove into his garage. a week later, he finally told his wife about the affair so you know where his ethics and morals sit.