eBay

thingsoldandnew10 · ‎12-17-2018

When a guest makes a purchase, e$bay assigns a unique user ID. If the guest then makes another purchase, e$bay then assigns another unique ID to the same guest. The ending result is the same individual has ordered two of the same item in two different colors. These shipments could be easily combined into one shipment and the shipment upgraded to a faster service; but, since the guest was assigned two different unique IDS, the shipments are not showing as being able to be combined ("Shipments elgible to be combined" selection).

I'm thinking the guest SHOULD HAVE used the shopping cart and selected both items and then paid; but, evidently the buyer purchased and paid for one and then purchased and paid for another. Sellers have no way of influencing a buyer as to how they purchase.

WE wanty to combine the shipments and we can go into either transaction and change the shipping service and get a label to ship both items together in one package. NO PROBLEM THERE. BUT WHAT HAPPENS when we need to add the same tracking number into the 2nd transaction - WILL IT ALLOW?

We had an experience years ago when there was a glitch where orders were combined into one order but a glitch occured and the tracking number did not get auto posted into all the individual transactions within the combined order. When attempting to add manually we received an error message "Tracking number has already been used." We do not want that happening with this order since not having a tracking number within both transactions would possibly cause a defective transaction when it comes to shipping. Does anyone know if our way of combining both of these orders will be accepted as far as being able to add the identicial tracking number into the second order - remember the tracking number would only be automatically entered on the one transaction we would use to generate a shipping label to ship both orders/transactions.

nobody*s_perfect · ‎12-17-2018

The two guest IDs would probably be treated the same as any two different IDs, so you would not be able to enter the same tracking number for both transactions.

thingsoldandnew10 · ‎12-17-2018

I can see the point of not allowing the same tracking number into transactions involving two differnt e$bay IDS - sellers would be dishonest and use various tracking numbers to commit fraud in shipping items. But in our case e$bay generated the user IDS for a guest who has exactly the same e-mail address. E$bay wants great customer service but itself prevents it from happening in this case.

We could have combined both of the customer's purchases into one shipment and shipped it via Priority mail rather than ship two individual shipments via First Class mail. Now the only thing we can do is hope and pray USPS will deliver both shipments before December 24 th.

E$bay needs to either explain to a guest user how to purchase multiple items and have there orders capable of being combined or use a buyer's e-mail address as the key into combining purchases. Sadly e$bay is lacking in this aspect.

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
The two guest IDs would probably be treated the same as any two different IDs, so you would not be able to enter the same tracking number for both transactions.

rdj831 · ‎12-17-2018

Sometimes the buyer goes back a few minutes later and decides to purchase another. Yes, they could have saved the shipping charge but it is what it is. An online business can't cover every single option a customer might come up with. Too much fraud out there.

Kudos for trying to save the buyer money though.

castlemagicmemories · ‎12-17-2018

Using the cart might have helped but you don't know what the circumstances were. Sometimes that moment in time to use the cart really doesn't come into play. The buyer may have had the idea to buy something else after the first purchase was made, they can't go back in time and undo that.

Your concern is great, but just ship separately. And congratulations on the sales!

thingsoldandnew10 · ‎12-17-2018

I see why a guest buyer could possibly end up with what was encountered with our guest buyer. Does anyone know if e$bay keeps the same guest buyer's ID for the entire time they log on to e$bay or is the unique buyer ID generated only when they purchase? My thinking is a guest buyer doesn't formally log in due to them not having a e$bay user ID. Would it be worth any effoet to alert e$Bay and ask if they could key of of a guest buyer's e-mail to possibly allow transaction combination?

@castlemagicmemories wrote:
Using the cart might have helped but you don't know what the circumstances were. Sometimes that moment in time to use the cart really doesn't come into play. The buyer may have had the idea to buy something else after the first purchase was made, they can't go back in time and undo that.

Your concern is great, but just ship separately. And congratulations on the sales!

bigdeals.etc · ‎12-17-2018

I didn't read your OP, but I'm guessing you are asking if there is a way to do this. I get this issue alot and I haven't found a way to do it. I called CS and complained to them, and they admit there is no way to do it.

So I've always just combined the shipping and failed to upload tracking for the 2nd transaction (thus getting a late shipment defect penalty for it) and put my trust in the buyer. So far it's been fine, none of the buyers have caused any trouble in regards to INR for "un-uploaded" item.

pjcdn2005 · ‎12-17-2018

That's what I would do as well. In most cases, it doesn't make sense to me to penalize a buyer by charging more for 2 packages just because I can't enter a tracking number on the second transaction.

mam98031 · ‎12-17-2018

My guess is because it is two separate transactions. Even if it is with the same seller. I think you are right, if they had used the shopping cart it probably would have been fine. I have had guest purchase multiple items on one payment / ID. So I assume they did use the cart.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

adkhighker · ‎12-17-2018

"When a guest makes a purchase, e$bay assigns a unique user ID. If the guest then makes another purchase, e$bay then assigns another unique ID to the same guest. The ending result is the same individual has ordered two of the same item in two different colors."

Maybe they bought two of the same item, each with a different color, because they weren't sure of which color would look best. Get ready for a return on the one with the color that didn't look so good to them when they got it home, especially if it was clothing.

ame4548 · ‎12-17-2018

It is possible to combine and add the tracking number to both if you add the tracking to the second order through PayPal. Copying and pasting the tracking number into the PayPal transaction auto-populates the number back to the eBay order without any error messages or shipping metric dings. This has worked for me several times. Good luck!

mam98031 · ‎12-17-2018

@ame4548 wrote:
It is possible to combine and add the tracking number to both if you add the tracking to the second order through PayPal. Copying and pasting the tracking number into the PayPal transaction auto-populates the number back to the eBay order without any error messages or shipping metric dings. This has worked for me several times. Good luck!

Are you sure about that. Ebay usually frowns upon the same tracking number used for different Buyer IDs. It give the appearance of using a fake tracking number. I am not at all sure of my statement. It really is more of a question than anything else.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

ame4548 · ‎12-18-2018

I am sure insofar as it has worked for me in the past (several times in the last year) with no negative ramifications. I usually do it utilizing stamps.com for eBay sellers, which allows the combining of orders with the same address and auto-populates the tracking back to eBay. Very occasionally I have gotten an error from stamps.com, but if that happens I upload the tracking in PayPal and it works fine. I think I first read of this tip (about PayPal) on the Shipping & Returns board, but I could be mistaken, I just know it was somewhere on the boards.

mam98031 · ‎12-18-2018

@ame4548 wrote:
I am sure insofar as it has worked for me in the past (several times in the last year) with no negative ramifications. I usually do it utilizing stamps.com for eBay sellers, which allows the combining of orders with the same address and auto-populates the tracking back to eBay. Very occasionally I have gotten an error from stamps.com, but if that happens I upload the tracking in PayPal and it works fine. I think I first read of this tip (about PayPal) on the Shipping & Returns board, but I could be mistaken, I just know it was somewhere on the boards.

Well thank you for sharing. I find your advice very helpful and something I will try to remember if I ever run across this problem.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

thingsoldandnew10 · ‎12-18-2018

Ten to one the buyer is purchasing their items for two of their kids or relatives kids as gifts. Could be we'll get a return but we strongly doubt it - the items were bat kites (one black and one yellow).

@adkhighker wrote:
"When a guest makes a purchase, e$bay assigns a unique user ID. If the guest then makes another purchase, e$bay then assigns another unique ID to the same guest. The ending result is the same individual has ordered two of the same item in two different colors."

Maybe they bought two of the same item, each with a different color, because they weren't sure of which color would look best. Get ready for a return on the one with the color that didn't look so good to them when they got it home, especially if it was clothing.