Originally Posted by
gridplan
I just bought a bike from an eBayer who quoted a shipping price of $75. His actual cost: $153 via FedEx. That seems REALLY high to me. That's half the cost of the bike! Now he's asking if I'd mind paying half the difference. 1) What should I tell the guy? 2) How much should one expect to pay these days to ship a bike from the West Coast to the Midwest?
If the bike has not shipped, ask him to find another way. If he has shipped it, he quoted you $75 in the auction. That is all you are obligated to pay. He had the opportunity to ship some other way via FedEx or even another carrier and he did not take it. I would not have the gall to even ask someone to pay for my own mistake. And that is exactly what it is; his mistake. It would be one of those lessons you learn for me. I have shipped my bike several times from Phoenix to St Louis for under $40. Of course I had the box already and did my own packing.