eBay combined shipping issues
MCMLVTopps
Posts: 4,611 ✭✭✭✭✭
In a recent transaction of 6 cards, 2 were OBO, 4 were BINs. So, the seller and I agreed on the OBO, no problem. The 4 BINs were reasonable enough, but try as I might to request a total from the seller, it was no go. I clicked the 4 BINs, which, to me was a commitment to buy the cards...I go to my cart, all 6 cards are there, the 2 OBOs indicate I committed to buy them, no problem...the other 4 BINs said I had not yet committed...so, I click the "commit to buy and request total". Up comes a message in red no less, that the "seller is not offering combined discounts".
How can this be? I've already been back and forth with the seller, who, on his listings says "contact me for shipping discounts", which I did. He tell me that eBay won't allow shipping discounts on BINs.
NO way am I gonna pay $4++ per card on the 6 card total, when it should be maybe $6-$7 total. I've had many, many dealings with multiple sellers over a long period of time, and no problem getting shipping discounts for multiple purchases. I ended up paying for the 2 OBOs, and yes he reduced the shipping from $4.99 each to just $4.99 for the 2. I gave up on the other 4.
What am I missing???
Comments
I mostly buy, but sometimes sell on ebay.
The last sale I made of multiple items to the same buyer seemed to be different and more difficult. At one time the software was much easier to combine shipping. I got an invoice and was able to put in whatever I wanted for shipping. The last one didn't work that way.
I am not a big seller, so I might just be missing something. It sure seems like ebay is getting more and more irritating as time goes by.
I really haven't sold anything for over a year, but I had no issues back then. Also, I've been buying regularly from a few sellers who don't seem to have any problems with combined shipping.
I've gotten that also but seller can usually send a revised invoice or issue a partial refund on shipping after payment. Most sellers are reasonable though there are a handful that are not. You could always email them first. They may be able to update shipping charges on the listings, then, prior to payment, too.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I’ve mentioned this repeatedly. BINs for me require immediate payment. If I add to cart, I can usually request a total, but sometimes the items are considered “immediate payment required” and the system won’t let you request a total. In that case the only recourse is for the seller to agree to issue a partial refund.
I have no clue why eBay would make this so difficult. Must be a recent change. I've been in this game since 2004, never had a problem...now some genius decided to gum up the works.
All suggestions above require a certain faith in the seller to either send a refund, or list the cards as a lot (2 or more), and adjust the shipping with the new listing. The risk there is that someone snipes your deal and you are then screwed.
Crazy, crazy.
If the seller has BINs set to require immediate payment (couldn't find the setting for this, but know it used to be there), they must also configure a shipping Business Policy to accommodate combined shipping, with either no additional charge/item or a fixed amount for each additional. eBay has royally screwed up the adding multiple items to cart and requesting an invoice, making it progressively worse over the past year or so.
You are correct, the immediate payment requirement is the root cause of this problem. See my lengthy new post above on this topic.
I have always hated the immediate payment demand. A full week to pay was always the requirement.
A week is a bit long to wait, but unless you are offering overnight shipping, I don't think you need to require immediate payment.
I usually pay immediately, I just hate to be compelled to do so.
Ebay is getting less and less enjoyable.
I think it's to discourage those who hit the BIN and don't follow through. I have no issue with immediate payment. If you want to "buy it now" it is reasonable to "pay for it now" also, imo.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
That is not the issue Grote...the problem is if you BIN multiple, like 2 or more and then try to get combined shipping. I wholeheartedly agree if it's a single purchase, you BIN, you pay, no problem. For the slugs that cause problems, deal with it and block them. If a seller has 5 BINs up and it indicates shipping at $4 per, do you really think the buyer should pay $20 to ship the cards? Maybe $6, or $7, but not $20.
There appears to be a flaw in the eBay software that is causing the combined shipping problem even if it the seller indicates that he offers combined shipping. Two different sellers last night and I had problems with combining shipping, but even they couldn't figure out how to do it. One finally sold me a lot with free shipping...not fair to him, but good for me.
You can't get there from here.
No, I wasn't referring to multiple purchases. I was talking about the concept of requiring immediate payment for a BIN listing in general.
For multiple purchases, best to contact the seller ahead of time to work out a deal. I'd expect any reputable seller to work with you for such a purchase. It doesn't take much effort on the seller's part to do so. I've done this on several occasions as a seller in the past. In cases where a buyer paid each item with separate shipping, you can also send back a refund for the overage via Paypal.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
Yes, but what if the seller doesn't send the refund? And, why should the buyer have to go through all that back and forth, when in fact he is a ready, able, willing buyer who has complied with the BIN price....AND the listings say "contact seller for shipping discounts", he then says put them in your cart and request a total, which is where the problem begins, when eBay tells you you haven't committed to buying the items. Isn't that what BIN means?
There is something wrong with the system, either the immediate payment thing is the problem, or offering BO along with the BIN, to unlock the ability to get a total is the answer.
I've done this many times since 2004 and have never had a problem...now something has changed.
To solve my first purchase, the seller relisted the cards as a lot with free shipping to get the deal done. He should not have to take a loss on shipping. The other deal, the seller took down the Immediate payment, then added free shipping to 2 of the 3 cards in the deal, leaving one with shipping.
Point is, it shouldn't have to go this way, something is crazy with eBay.
I recently had several different Killebrew autographed 8x10's listed. A buyer contacted me asking to buy them all if I would combine shipping.
Not being a big seller, I couldn't figure out how to do it, so I cancelled the auctions and relisted them as BIN's with reduced shipping and notified the potential buyer.
He didn't buy them after all that and I did end up selling them to someone else, but it sure would be nice if ebay would make things a little easier.
For sellers, figure out which Shipping business policy the listings are using and modify the 'Each Additional' value (defaults to the same as 'Cost') and check the box under 'Combined shipping discounts' ...
There you go. Problem solved.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.