"You can't request a total because the seller has already offered a discount for these items."

[47acc_37]

SO WHAT?

I'm supposed to overpay on shipping because the seller has a discount?

Ebay needs to fix this & get combined shipping working or I am to other websites exclusively. As it stands the 2 items I wanted from this seller will NOT be purchased because I am not getting ripped off. This, along with that "we hid half the results because we felt they are not relevant", plus that incident where eBay employees threatened critical bloggers, makes me think this site is run by people who aren't qualified.

Anyone defending eBay policies, you're not only part of the problem, you will never work for them regardless if all the white-knighting.

[fab_finds4u]

How do you figure you are overpaying shipping? If there is a shipping and handling cost that you see before buying you are not overpaying. If you think it's  too high don't bid, buy or make offers.

Unless the seller had a shipping cost for addition items in the shipping details  or they say they combine shipping then don't  automatically assume they combine shipping costs for their items. 

And your crack about anyone defending is part of the problem is seriously ridiculous. So shooting the messenger is your style???  And to tell people defending they will never work for eBay----well, I have no idea where that's coming from.  I defend their policies all day long and I don't ever expect to work for them. Volunteering in here is not part of any employment requirement that I know of. Volunteers don't expect to be paid. We just like helping people if they have a problem. 

Your problem is you think combined shipping is your right--that you have a right to combined shipping but you don't. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

Setting up COMBINED SHIPPING is an 'individual seller' thing that has to be done in THEIR preferences and has NOTHING to do with this site. 

Not sure what you are looking to buy, but the more it weighs and the larger the package is, the 'more $$' that has to be paid.

The seller may have it set up so there is NO OTHER DISCOUNTS on the items that that seller has 'on sale'. 

Again, each seller sets it up differently.

If these are 2 items that you believe would be the same price shipped as 1 item, or a substantial discount over twice the shipping cost- you need to simply CONTACT THE SELLER. 

[woodland_gnome]

That means that the discount for combined shipping is ALREADY included in the calculation of what you owe the seller for price and s/h because the seller has set it up that way.  

[house*of*paws]

Hi @47acc_37 

You've opened this identical discussion multiple times ... and received pretty much the same answers each time.  Yet you continue to rail against sellers who don't combine shipping ... and to threaten to boycott those sellers and/or to leave eBay entirely.

We get that you feel entitled to receive discounted combined shipping from all sellers ... but multiple sellers disagree with you.  eBay does NOT have any policies for or against combining shipping.  It is up to individual sellers to set their own shipping policies ... and for buyers to choose who to buy from.  I'm not sure how many times you need to be told that ... but here it is once again:  Aside from occasional glitches, nothing is broken.  There is nothing to 'fix'.  Please shop wherever you wish.  🙂

[monster-deals]

No seller HAS to combine shipping for you.

You either want the items and pay or you don't. There isn't any conspiracy there.

Take the unpaid strikes and go find someone that offers cheaper shipping.

[mudshark61369]

@47acc_37,

"Anyone defending eBay policies, you're not only part of the problem, you will never work for them regardless if all the white-knighting".

Do not mistake quoting ebay policies with defending them. Most of those who have responded have criticized ebay over many of their policies. We object to occasionally being accused of being ebay employees.   As for wanting to work for them I don't think any of us would want to.

You have posted 3 topics about combined shipping on 3 different boards in the last 2 days.  As far as I can tell from reading them the reason why you cannot request a total for some items is twofold.

1) You accept an offer from a seller which freezes the shipping total so you cannot request a combined shipping total from a seller and they cannot revise the invoice you receive.

Before accepting multiple offers from a seller, you need to read their listings to see if they state they will combine shipping.  If they do not mention it in a listing you need to ask them about combined shipping in advance of accepting the offers. 

2) It seems you are making offers where before you can send them you have to fill in a payment option, and you are immediately charged for the item and its shipping cost.

In this case because of immediate payment required (IPR), you cannot request a total.  This is a problem ebay created by not telling sellers they were opted into the IPR on offers.  They do know that because of the IPR buyers cannot request a total if a seller accepts multiple offers.    Again all you can do is message the seller in advance of making offers to see if they will refund the difference in actual shipping cost from the individual total of each item. 

Some sellers do know they have IPR on their listings but will not change it because of too many past unpaid for offers.

In one of your replies you wrote that sellers have told you.

"I already offer free shipping". Good for you. It's a sales gimmick. No courier has a free service. You can bundle & discount a bit on the postage. It's not hard. I have actually back-talked sellers who give me this excuse & refused to buy from them". 

Have you considered asking sellers who have Free shipping if they will discount the purchase price of multiple purchases by $ X.00 off of the total order, before making the purchases? 

[tigercatt-16]

If I read a listing that does not specifically state that they combine shipping then I don’t assume that they do. 
If it’s that important to you then message and ask, accept the answer, and proceed accordingly. Either buy or don’t buy.

They’ll have other buyers who will happily purchase the item.

Throwing a fit and berating helpful experienced volunteer members here is not necessary especially since you dropped the ball in not being an informed, proactive buyer.

Before you overreact I will also make the disclaimer that I’m strictly a buyer, not a seller. 

[spiritbeadlady]

I think the problem being described is a glitch in the system. I am having this problem myself. If the seller offers any discount on an item, then you can't request combined shipping. If all the items you add to your cart are regular price, then you can request combined shipping. I tried to explain this problem to customer service and they say it is an individual seller's problem. But it happens with every seller whose items I put in my cart. If one of their items is on sale, then I get the notice that you can't request combined shipping. If all items are regular price, you can. It is a glitch in the system!

[toomuchstuffagain35]

It's because, for whatever reason, ebay can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that just because a seller is giving a discount on an ITEM, this does NOT mean they aren't also willing to offer a discount for combined shipping.

[richard1rst]

Well I see that you are not a seller so you wouldn’t know this.

There are numerous instances where putting 2 items into the same box can actually costs MORE to ship than shipping them individually. As such no discount is possible.

I could give you examples but it is obvious by your comments that you are not interesting in leaning only ranting. Which, of course, is why you will be perpetually unhappy.

Pointing out and explaining your error is not “defending eBay” any more than telling you to never grab a moving saw blade is meant to defend Skilsaw.

[richard1rst]

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@mudshark61369 wrote:

@47acc_37,

In one of your replies you wrote that sellers have told you.

"I already offer free shipping". Good for you. It's a sales gimmick. No courier has a free service. You can bundle & discount a bit on the postage. It's not hard. I have actually back-talked sellers who give me this excuse & refused to buy from them". 

Actually that is wrong too. For free sellers offering a discount the shipping is automatically being discounted too.

Let’s say the seller has something selling for $20.00 plus $10.00 shipping and offers a 10% discount. That will reduce the price by $2.00.

But if the seller is selling it for $30.00 with free shipping and offers a 10% discount then the discount is $3.00. That would be $2 towards the item AND an additional $1 towards the shipping.

So a free shipping seller with as discount is potentially a better discount deal that an item plus shipping seller.