Ebay seller asking for extra money to cover insurance - What should I do?

Sound of Silence

I recently purchased a laptop on Ebay. Yesterday I got a notification saying that the item had been dispatched. Now, today I got a new notification saying: 

[font=arial, sans-serif]We cant get this delivered to you insured for less than £26.60 via royal mail.[/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif]Our regular couriers are £50-60.[/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif]What would you like to do ? Pay the extra £17 or have a refund?[/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif](We do specify to contact us in terms and conditions. Its the same for all companies shipping across water)[/font]

As an aside, the seller is based in England and I live in Northern Ireland. I had always assumed that the seller covered the insurance and the buyer was covered by Ebay buyer protection. Should I pay the extra money?

my3cents

Sellers aren't covered for any insurance unless they include it in the price. This seller may have done that for UK prices but forgot to for NI or just didn't realise that NI would be more expensive for delivery.

Bottom line though is all you can do is either take the refund or pay the extra because the seller obviously isn't going to send for the quoted price. Either way its up to you but I'd leave negative feedback.

You could ask to the seller to deliver for the price quoted pointing out that its their fault they failed to differentiate between onshore and offshore UK addresses so should take the hit. However I don't think you'll get very far.

Sound of Silence

my3cents wrote: »

Sellers aren't covered for any insurance unless they include it in the price. This seller may have done that for UK prices but forgot to for NI or just didn't realise that NI would be more expensive for delivery.

Bottom line though is all you can do is either take the refund or pay the extra because the seller obviously isn't going to send for the quoted price. Either way its up to you but I'd leave negative feedback.

You could ask to the seller to deliver for the price quoted pointing out that its their fault they failed to differentiate between onshore and offshore UK addresses so should take the hit. However I don't think you'll get very far.

I contacted them and said that the most I would be willing to do would be to split the difference of the insurance, but they haven't responded back yet. Either way, I'm not impressed with how they've dealt with it!

rubadub

It is not clear to me what is going on here, have you a link to the auction or similar one.

Did the auction include the price to the UK (which includes NI)

From the sounds of it (our regular couriers) they are a business seller or experienced seller and should know this. Maybe they messed up their auction by not saying "mainland UK only" -which is their fault.

mgbgt1978

How much did you pay for the Laptop ?
It can be sent via Royal Mail for £19.28 if you only want Insurance for up to £300.

If they're being charged £50/60 by their regular couriers they are being fleeced.
Google "Courier parcel UK to NI" and there should be plenty of cheaper options.