Grays Online freight charges

[madcapmagician]

I used Grays Online for the first time recently. Actually, I used them twice - first and last times combined.

A little background - I have been buying and selling online for years. Over 1,600 transactions completed. I stopped counting long ago because online shopping is just so normal these days, right? WRONG! Anyway, I've been shipping and receiving stuff to and from all over Australia and the world for years and years. I also worked in IT for close to 15 years. Enough background.

I bid on a 'delivery only' auction on Grays Online and knowing what I was buying, knowing prices and knowing ESPECIALLY knowing freight, I read the terms and conditions, I saw the link to click on their "shipping calculator" but secure in my knowledge and experience, I didn't click the calculator because I just figured well, freight will be freight. They will add a bit on for packing and handling, insurance for a sub-$500 item and maybe a bit of extra profit - shouldn't come to more than $60.00 to ship it from Sydney to me. Right? WRONG!!

Gotcha! $279.00

Yes, you read it right. I have an account with one of Australia's biggest, oldest and most well known freight companies. Their name is a bit 'explosive' if you get my drift. I checked up with them and I can get the same item shipped on their slowest road freight service (equivalent to the Australia Post e-Parcel service Grays are using) for $32.00 inc GST and including insurance. I checked an online vendor in Melbourne who was offering the identical printer for sale, obviously brand new so price is irrelevant, but their shipping calculator said $42.00 insured to send one from MELBOURNE to me - further away than Sydney.

So, have I been ripped off with this monstrous freight charge? I mean, yes, I walked right in to it - it's my own stupid fault for not checking, but why should I need to check? For goodness sake, every online store these days has a shipping calculator - they're everywhere. After a while you get to know what freight costs and what a reasonable variation in cost is.

Grays Online is charging close to double what the freight cost would be if they used Australia Post's Platinum same-day express delivery service and I know they aren't using that. It's not even express road freight. Its just regular old snail-mail parcel post.

As I type this, I have contacted Grays Online and am awaiting a response from their management. I will update this post as soon as I have more details available.

[computerflyer]

> but why should I need to check?

You answered your own question via this gripe.

Assumptions cost dollars or satisfaction, and business practices vary widely as you painfully learned.

[Thing]

I've been shopping online for only a few years and realise that freight is a must check item.
Some sellers advertise their items quite cheap as they have increased the freight charges obviously to gouge further profit using this.
I don't understand why you would not check it, it only takes seconds - just a few clicks of the mouse
If you click agreeing to their freight charges without actually reading them

[madcapmagician]

Ok - here's an update...

After I put my complaint to the management representative who was assigned to my case, I was dealt with very politely and professionally. I was not rude or accusatory, just stated my belief that their freight charges were totally out of this world. Once it was made clear that I did not wish to cancel my bid and was not seeking a full refund but that I wanted to negotiate a fair and reasonable freight price and that I had instructed my credit card provider to begin charge-back proceedings against that transaction and therefore a speedy response to my complaint was desired, wheels turned reasonably quickly. A phone call was made to me to say that the matter had been referred to the appropriate people in the shipping department and that it was being considered. Next day, an email offering me a refund of 50% of the freight charge which I accepted.

My advice to anyone is like the other replies have said - always check the freight calculator and if you are not happy with the price, simply don't bid.

Re Graysonline's freight charges, they are astronomical and even with a 50% reduction it is still very expensive. My next step is to write to the hardware vendor who is trying to move product through Graysonline and make sure they know why they may be missing out on a significant number of sales.

[Tamara E]

I also have used Grays Online for awhile but havent used the company in about 12 months. I made the same mistake as the other complainer. I use shipping and freight approximately 40-60 times per day and know the costs for regular, express and same day deliveries.

Imagine my shock with the costs of the Grays shipping!

I contacted Grays and got the line "we have a contract with AP and this is how much we are charged". So i ask him to reasonably explain to me (using AP calculator online) how I could send ONE package cheaper than a company with a contract could send thousands of packages per week? As expected there was no reasonable response to this. Later it was explained this was HANDLING fees. Isnt that the 15% we pay to Grays covering this? If not what is?

I then asked for package size and weight of my packages to take the information to consumer affairs after all you can not claim almost double and triple in some cases for postage. An example of this is I am receiving packages from Lidcombe to Sydney central.. $30.00 for one package and $48.00 for another.

The company could not provide this information. Mind you they waited until the packages had been sent before sending me an email telling me that they couldn't provide the information.

In all I found the customer complaint section lacking in any resolution skills. I admit to being polite and courteous until the last which was today with the kicker to my story. I lost it. I wish the Australian Consumer Complaints Department would review this Company. I have lodged a complaint and I await to see what happens now.

Now here is the kicker to the whole story. The business I work at doesn't open until 9.30am. They attempted delivery at 9.06am and now i have to go pick up the items at the post office. Three parcels, $126.00 and I have to go pick the items up.

To everyone out there DO NOT USE GRAYSONLINE. Use Ebay, the items are cheaper, postage is REASONABLE and resolutions are sought.

EXTREMELY dissatisfied customer and likely NEVER to use again

[dusty_rusty_2000]

I purchase wine from Graysonline and always make sure I factor in the freight charges plus the 15% buyers premium. It still works out cheaper and far more convenient for me to buy from Graysonline. I'm really enjoying the cheap Kiwi Sauv Blanc at the moment ($38.00 a carton plus 15% plus $15.00 freight - $4.89 a bottle). Cheers!

[LarryConsumer]

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Grays is conducting a systematic screw over policy when it comes to delivery. Like everyone else, I was not aware that I would be prevented from arranging my own delivery on a purchased item. In my case I purchased an item for $300 only to cop a $125 delivery fee plus the 15% buyers premium bring the total impost to 55% of the original purchase price. I visited Grays to make the pick up and advised them not to send the item or bill me for it. They refused due to "OH&S issues".

Grays knows there is a problem with the system however it continues this outrageous practice.

The Office of Fair Trading NSW claims it has no powers to do anything about the problem and advised seeking legal advice which is totally impractical. The NSW consumer is being purposely screwed over by Grays and the Government are doing nothing to stop it.

[greatgats]

Does this fall into the kickbacks area ie worth a call to the ACCC? If enough people.....

[rosswilson1977]

I recently bought a laptop from graysonline, something went wrong with it so i called HP, they talked me through checking the Bios, then i started following their instructions and it turned out the Bios was locked, HP said return to seller, Grays initially didnt want anything to do with it but i kept calling and eventually they issued an authority to return it so they could check it, 3 weeks later no word... i had to call and see if they even received it, i was told they decided it was corrupted so i would get a refund in around 2 weeks. So in the end it worked out well but it was a hell of a long slog to get there!!

[[email protected]]

Whilst reading comments on your website regarding the freight charges applied to good purchased at auction. Even though I purchase continually through Graysonline I ALWAYS now check the freight charges after being stung about two years ago. I purchased a babies bouncy seat - every one should know the type I am referring to - sold everywhere. Complimenting my self on a bargain for around $28 which was about $20 cheaper than major retailers I nearly need reviving when I received the invoice - the freight for delivery from Homebush to Glebe was $90!!
I complained to Grays who were totally unsympathetic and told me I should have checked the freight calculator.
It still sticks in my craw and after reading some of the other complaints on this webpage I would like to state:
NOT GOOD ENOUGH - GRAYSONLINE

[reggie12yak]

Check freight charges always. Even if you have bought a similar item before. Grays do overcharge for freight and packaging but if you are buying the product cheap enough and you calculate it into your overall cost then sometimes its ok.

I almost bid on some bicycle pumps similar to some I had purchased before. The previous freight was $2.80 per item and $15.00 standard charge.

This time it was $33 plus $15 standard charge per item.

I questioned Grays about it on two occasions and both times the response was grays do not make mistakes and to go away.

I was only trying to help them. They were not very helpful at all.

I consider myself a reasonable grays customer having purchased from them for 4 or 5 years and purchased over 1000 items through them.