Many items on ebay "feature" outlandish shipping fees. Trading here implies a kinder, more ethical group of enthusiasts who are in it for the love of the game, not the pursuit of the almighty dollar. There are all kinds from all walks of life. The fact that you asked at all is a good thing. Remenber that in the scheme of things, shipping costs are but a fraction of the value of the goods and therefore should not bear too much on the deal, as long it is reasonable and fair to all. So I wouldn't fret too much, unless the buyer was taking issue. FWIW, I have acces to boxes and shipping materials here at work and don't charge for that, but it does take time to properly package an item, do the do on the shipper's website, and shuffle off to FedEx. Taking the time to do these things myself gives peace of mind, and assurance to the buyer.
OK, what's the protocol?
So, you provide an honest quote for shipping on an item and the actual cost is less. Are you:
A) Obligated to provide an unsolicited refund regardless of the overage
B) Obligated to provide a refund only if solicited regardless of the overage
C) Obligated to provide an unsolicited refund only if over a certain amount.
D) Obligated to provide a refund only if solicited AND over a certain amount
E) Never obligated to provide a refund under any circumstances
And by obligated, I mean obligated by the rules of decorum established here or by the values of a gentlemen whichever are more conservative.
A) Obligated to provide an unsolicited refund regardless of the overage
B) Obligated to provide a refund only if solicited regardless of the overage
C) Obligated to provide an unsolicited refund only if over a certain amount.
D) Obligated to provide a refund only if solicited AND over a certain amount
E) Never obligated to provide a refund under any circumstances
And by obligated, I mean obligated by the rules of decorum established here or by the values of a gentlemen whichever are more conservative.