eBay conundrum concerning combined shipping
MWallace
Posts: 4,306 ✭✭✭✭✭
Am I missing something? The exact same thing has happened to me twice on two different transactions recently. I purchased two items from one seller using "Buy It Now". The seller stated that shipping would be combined if multiple items were purchased. However, when using BIN, the only way (that I see) to complete the transaction and remove it from being offered for sale is to complete the transaction and pay for them, including full postage for each. Certainly I could sent the seller a message asking him how to proceed to get combined shipping, but in the meantime one or both items could sell to someone else, especially if the seller doesn't get back to me for a couple of days.
I know that when more than one auction is won the buyer just waits for the seller to send an invoice, but that doesn't work with BIN.
Comments
What about when you are tax exempt and file all the paperwork with ebay and you buy a BIN and they add the tax.
message them and tell them they require payment now before you could get a combined shipping invoice. ask for a partial refund if shipping should be lower.
I considered that.
Buggy system. Tax may show on the invoice from seller (because they do not know buyers tax status) but when invoice goes to the tax exempt buyer the tax computation should be removed automatically.
Key word: should
Can you add the items to your cart and do a single checkout? I only have experience from the auction side of things, but I will say that combined shipping can be the bane of my existence. There are too many variables for me to come up with a blanket $X for the first item and $Y for each additional, so I just ask buyers to wait for a combined invoice. Inevitably, someone pays quickly (thank you) and then gets annoyed that I "charged" them $36 for shipping a few coins. Yes I refund them, but it's more annoying than having the correct payment come in the first time.
Either way, in this case if there's no other option, I'd buy and pay for both and then email the seller what happened and ask for the shipment to be combined. eBay can make it difficult to combine items that have already been paid individually (I once shipped two items paid separately together and eBay rejected the tracking number for one of them because I already used it with the other item), but the seller may be able to do it. As a seller, I wouldn't be as annoyed here if you explain that you tried.
Just one more thing made complicated by eBay not having enough options to make the system as robust as it needs to be...
ya try the cart route
Isn’t there an option about the cart to allow or not allow combined payments?
I did use the cart in my second transaction. Saw no options to combine shipping. Still had to pay to get item removed from sale.
I have had the same issue....
Not sure if the cart thing works...let me know if it does.
On occasion I have gotten a partial refund from the seller. Just the other day I messaged a seller about a suspected overpayment for postage and they refunded it with no complaint.
The cart thing didn't work.
I both of my cases, the sellers shipped items together in one package with one tracking number.
You can request an invoice rather than pay.
Like I said, the problem with that is the items aren't removed from sale with a "Buy IT Now" until they're paid for. No way to know how long before the seller responds. I didn't want to chance someone else buying them. Paying extra postage was worth not risking losing them.
eBay used to give you the option to combine shipments that were paid for individually, but that doesn't seem to happen anymore. I have, however, used the tracking number for the first item on the second one with no problem.
...or when you start selling on Ebay and the FVF is $35 on a $2000 coin and a few years later the fee soars to $125.
The cart approach has worked for me.
Unless the seller (or buyer) does not allow combine in cart. I faintly recall there are settings somewhere for the cart.
Or maybe it’s in business PP?
And the winner is------------THIS!
I do this quite often. When my buyer buys multiples I just go the first purchase and click invoice and all of their purchases pop up and there ya go.
DiggerJim
BST transactions - mach1ne - Ronyahski - pitboss (x2) - Bigbuck1975 (x2) - jimineez1 - nk1nk - bidask - WaterSport - logger7 - SurfinxHI (x2) - Smittys - Bennybravo - Proofcollector
No you can't. Not an option in the cart with BIN.
Not purchased in BIN until paid.
Only with auction listings. Not with BIN.
I’ve only used it for BIN.
I looked and looked but could not find it. Ugh.
The seller can set the listing for immediate pmt and if they do (and it may he the default) then you can't request an invoice.
All I can say is I do it frequently and all I do is BIN. I’ve never done one auction.
DiggerJim
BST transactions - mach1ne - Ronyahski - pitboss (x2) - Bigbuck1975 (x2) - jimineez1 - nk1nk - bidask - WaterSport - logger7 - SurfinxHI (x2) - Smittys - Bennybravo - Proofcollector
I love deals, Ebaybucks best offers and combined shipping , I have been known to spend so much time looking for deals...its in my blood
Here is the one thing I have learned tho , and Ive heard it time and time again by winners in this business
I've learned that we can leave so much money on the table worrying about money lost OR shopping for deals, worrying about ebaybucks or shipping costs. Money has literally slipped thru my fingers ... FOCUS on the positive and making money, not losing or saving money or focusing on negative things that will consume you. There are deals everywhere, I currently have a modern batch 3k or so selling 20% back Ebay retail. There are many deals like this out there, is what Im saying. OPPORTUNITY instead of counting coupons elsewhere
RAD#306
That assumes the buyer doesn't require immediate payment, which I've found most do.
A partial refund can be a little tricky for a seller because if you then return the item, they have to remember the refund or may get burned. Still, I think most decent sellers would accomodate the request. Your best option is to try the 'add to cart' method.
Aercus Numismatics - Certified coins for sale
I routinely do this as a seller, and require immediate payment on a buy it now.
I have words in the listings that I will combine shipping and refund the overage that is more than my total costs.
So if they buy it now item A and B, totally shipping paid is $35.65, and my total costs are $22, I just refund the extra $13.65.
But what about the 10% ebay pings for shipping? A whipping $1.35? (Paypal refunds their charge anyway)
My world can accommodate the "losing" a $1.35 because I figure I made a lot more than the $1.35 in getting a second sale as a buy it now instead of taking an offer.
If you are concerned about returns, then you can pro rata the refund between multiple items.
I found it annoying that a buyer emailed me five times over the weekend asking for combined shipping on two cheap items. Sorry I was away and don’t get to answer him til this morning. I didn’t offer combined shipping in the auctions and while in normally would have taken a few dollars off. It really annoyed me.
I know it won't work for everybody, but you could offer free shipping and include the cost of shipping in the item price. Everybody likes free stuff, I hear.
Hmmmm, For combined shipping on Buy it now's there used to be a link in the cart where you could request a total. It was pretty obscure...anyone know if it's still there? The downside is if it's something you think will sell fast best to try for a refund after the purchase. I used to do it all the time back in the day before I went the free shipping route. Easy Peasy!
Sorry, but being deceitful is not the person I want to deal with. It is not free, the cost is in the price. Say shipping included, or something, but not free.
So if a person buys 17 different items, all with "free" shipping, and they go in one box, NO REFUND required, since the shipping was "Free" ?
If a person picks it up in person, NO REFUND as shipping is free ?
eBay's the ones who puts "free" in my listings, I don't say anything about shipping costs. I give you a price for an item delivered to you, what you see is what you pay. If that's deceitful, well- so be it.
This is much more on eBay than the seller. eBay makes you define a shipping cost. If it's more than $0, then buyers will see it rack up and expect a discount as they buy multiple items. eBay wants you to offer free shipping so the initial price someone sees is what they pay. Free shipping just means you don't pay extra. Yes, the seller saves money by putting more items in the same package, but that's what the buyer signed up for--there's no distinct shipping cost to deduct. Just the same, if there's a refund for a return where the seller wasn't at fault, the refund must be the full amount--including the shipping cost the seller can't get back from the USPS, whereas if a coin were sold with a shipping cost, the refund could exclude it.
Maybe this pads the sellers pocket when all goes well, but it's by no means deceitful. Deceit is when trickery causes you to get something other than what you paid for. Here you get exactly what you paid for. Amazon doesn't give you a discount because you spent $500 instead of $25 to get your free shipping, or because you bought a light item instead of a heavy one.
It's just like the airlines, in fact. People complained that they were paying for services they didn't use (such as a checked bag), so the airlines made them optional for a fee. Now people complain about the fee. Here, buyers demanded free shipping. So they got it, but it is, of course, baked into the price. But since it's baked in, it doesn't get pulled out on its own and adjusted the way it easily can be when there is a separate cost for the items and the shipping. Buyers asked for it, and they got it...
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I purchased them. As I said there were two separate transactions. All four coins are in PCGS slabs. One transaction had a total postage of $10.62 ($5.31 ea.) and the other was $7.00 ($3.50 ea.).
Glad you didn't miss them
I really like the coins and wasn't about to risk losing them over a few dollars of extra postage.
Here is one of the pair I bought.
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1024021/two-colorful-newps-warning-modern-crap