While eBay will not prescribe exactly what a seller may or may not charge, eBay will rely on member reports and its own discretion to determine whether or not a seller’s postage, handling, packaging, and/or insurance charges are excessive. Postage and handling fees may not be listed as a percentage of the final sale price.
Sellers who want to be sure they are in compliance with this policy may charge actual postage costs plus actual packaging materials cost (or less).
In addition to the final listing price, sellers are permitted to charge:
Actual postage cost: This is the actual cost for posting the item.
Handling fee: Actual packaging materials costs may be charged. A handling fee in addition to actual postage cost may be charged if it is not excessive.
Insurance: Sellers offering insurance may only charge the actual fee for insurance. No additional amount may be added, such as “self-insurance”. Sellers who do not use a licensed third party insurance company may not require buyers to purchase insurance.
Tax: Only actual applicable country and equivalent taxes may be charged.
For cross border transactions, sellers may not collect tariffs and duties. However, buyers may be responsible for actual applicable tariffs, and duties as requested by respective country laws.
In the case of disagreements between buyers and sellers regarding postage charges, eBay encourages the parties to try to work the matter out.
Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.
Some Examples
Examples of violating listings:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (2001, DVD)
BIN: RM 2
Postage: RM 20 Expedited Mail Service
(Explanation: The actual cost to send this DVD should be less than RM 10 using the Expedited Mail Service. This seller is charging all costs for this item in the postage price, thus hiding the “true” cost for this item from buyers.) - New Pink Motorola L6 L 6 Unlocked Slvr GSM World Phone
BIN: RM 98.95
Postage: RM 115.85 DHL MidDay Express
(Explanation: The seller has clearly stated that DHL MidDay Express will be used to send this item, thus overall postage charges are inflated.) - Sony 2 GB Memory Stick Pro Card
BIN: RM 37.35
Postage: RM 26.99 Standard Postage Service
(Explanation: The seller states that the item will be shipped using “Standard Postage Service” and not an Overnight service. Given the small size/weight of this item, overall postage charges are inflated.)
Examples of listings in compliance:
- NEW SONY ERICSSON T237 GSM UNLOCKED COLOR PHONE * FEDEX
BIN: RM 36.95
Postage: RM 25 Standard Flat Rate Postage Service
(Explanation: The seller is posting this item via FedEx and states the actual flat rate cost in the listing.) - Creative Labs Zen Micro Photo 8GB Pink MP3 Player
BIN: RM 195
Postage: RM 12 Surface Mail
(Explanation: The seller is sending the item via a courier service and is charging actual postage prices plus a reasonable fee.) - SOLID STATE Abstract Art Painting Taylor HUGE
Painting measures 36” x 24” / canvas supported by panel
Starting bid: RM 20
Postage: RM 30 Expedited Mail Service
(Explanation: The postage charge is greater due to the size/bulk of the item being sent and custom packing.)
Why does eBay have this policy?
This policy reduces the potential for confusion among bidders about the full cost of an item. Listings that include excessive postage fees lead to a poor buying experience and create an uneven playing field by putting sellers who charge reasonable postage charges at a disadvantage. These listings undermine the trust and legitimacy of eBay’s marketplace.