and the hits just keep on coming and ebay is well aware of this and does nothing

[quicksilverdiecast]

Now before you all chime in about store settings and everything else that may be on my end it is NOT. My store settings have been checked numerous times by high level ebay techs and they find no issues.

I have 87 cases documented of buyers having issues in complete detail SO FAR concerning the cart. Plus the one I do not know about!

It is however ebay.s shopping cart that does not work properly by not allowing buyers to request a new total, either the button is not there(phone apps) or if the button is present it forces buyer to commit and make payment before being able to do anything else, which would make requesting a new total AFTER the fact that the buyer was forced into paying for it and exercise in stupidity. It violates one of ebays other policies that blocks both buyer and seller from making any changes....so tell me ebay how does one give the buyer good customer service AND buyer experience when you throw up road blocks that hinder sales.

Below is the message (much like many I get in this regard)

So lets break this down and take a good look at the issue.

#1 The fact that the buyer actually sent me a message regarding this issue.

Now if the buyer would not have sent me a message I, the seller, would have no idea that a buyer is trying to purchase items from my store, why? Because ebay will not notify sellers, even the button in the overview columns where it says Items eligible for combine shipping, never once have I seen it indicate any yet. but have had 100's of combined orders. Most buyers would see the 105.25 for shipping and run for the hills(amazon does NOT have this issue, nor does any other platform, ONLY ebay) And the way ebay does things always leaves the seller hanging out there to dry by letting the buyer think it is the seller who is gouging them. The bottom line here is that the way ebay's platform works if I have this issue all of you do as well. Taking it a step further since the cart does not work properly AND you the seller are not notified by ebay that you have a buyer trying to purchase items for you, that IF the buyer does not message you and simply thinks you are crazy and walks away to go buy what he needs somewhere else...AND YOU ARE NONE THE WISER that you just lost a sale(s) and chances are that potential buyer most likely never be back to you store...nor recommend you to others~! Wonder why sales are down?! Ebay is shooting itself in the foot here, they fail to realize that by not fixing the cart they are losing sales which mean they get zero fees as well, take it a step farther as a collective whole across the entire platform and just imagine the amount of fees ebay has lost in just one day! I bet enough that they should not have to keep raising fees on the sellers!

Many of you out here may not recall at how shipping worked before the cart...it was almost problem free. Very simple for both buyer and seller. Then some rocket scientist comes along and says I have a better idea to fix something that is not broke....and the rest of the tin foil hats nod in approval and stick the cart in there and have it so screwed up now that even 90% of the phone techs cannot figure it either and just write and IT ticket and send it up to the rocket scientist to figure out and fix and after 2 going on 3 years ZERO has happened, But more and more of you are learning of this and calling in putting pressure where it is needed.

"Hello, I would like to buy 5 items from you. Unfortunately combined shipping does not work in the shopping cart. I can't find a solution either. The 5 items are supposed to cost $37.15, but shipping is a whopping $105.25."

[kensgiftshop]

The cart works fine, you just can't request a total using the app.

Tell the buyer to use a browser.

Why they don't have the option in the app yet is a good question.

[quicksilverdiecast]

no the cart does not work fine, even the high level techs agreed after following it step by step. If it worked fine there would be zero issues, that is not the case. One would assume that cart works, BUT how do you know for sure if ebay never notifies you? And if the buyer never messages you and goes away...you will not know, and assume all is fine....now you know....Plus the 1st question I ask when messaged is are you using a phone app or desk top, about 30% are phone apps and the rest not thru a phone. Why the phone app does not work is because ebay was in to big of hurry pushing the phone apps to keep up with amazon that they did not fully test it and just tossed it against the wall and hoped it works, well it does not with the phone app. 

[spark-chaser1]

Definitely annoying for sure... It shouldn't have to be necessary to shell out for a new browser when people can do ninety- nine percent of every other function on this and every other site with a phone alone. It is not possible that this issue is unknown to the cadre... It hasn't been fixed for a reason, and that reason is known to them. This is the largest issue I've had as a buyer.

I am happy shopping here, but this one issue persists and serves to  put a dent in my overall experience.

[12345jamesstamps]

As there are International Buyers....combined shipping is a huge problem that should be fixed as soon as possible. To tell someone who doesn't speak or read or write English being from another country to not use a iPhone app is not the solution. And then there are those International shoppers who get frustrated and just say "forget it".

In the meantime, International Buyers are charged shipping for each item individually if they use an iPhone app. Yes, we can refund buyers for excessive shipping.

But, but as each payment is made there is that .30 fee. If I have 12 items paid individually...I refund the shipping excess ...does eBay refund that .30 X 11 items fees back to the seller?  

[retrogames10000]

I put the first three items I saw from your store in my cart.

I would agree that it does not appear to be combining shipping.

If I recall correctly, there are two places to check to allow combined shipping one is in business policies and the other in seller preferences.  

[retrogames10000]

Please review the image

[ed8108]

Yes, It's not only the economy that is to blame for declining sales.

Since ebay doesn't care enough to address the issue in a timely manner, 

accept the situation & move on.

Your future is in your hands.

[stuff4divas]

@quicksilverdiecast   maybe this link will help>  https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/sending-invoices-buyers?id=4139&st=12&pos=1&query=Sen...

[lonebuck-books]

Actually no, the shopping cart does not work correctly.  I have had several buyers ask about combined shipping because the total that eBay comes up with is vastly wrong.  It will take all 4 items individual shipping totals and add them up as the total for the order, not take the four weights and recalculate for a new total.  It is an eBay problem, not a settings problem.  eBay knows about it and doesn't care to fix it.  I just let buyers know to make the order and I will refund the overage.  Some trust me and do it, others don't and I can't blame them.  I just had one that I packed up for shipment today that is like this.  Fortunately the buyer believed me and I refunded the nearly $20 overage that she paid.  

[spark-chaser1]

I have actually turned down many purchasing opportunities because I not only want to avoid paying individual shipping for a bulk purchase of multiple items, but I also don’t want the seller to deal with it either.

I had  made several purchases in the past  where the seller refunded me for huge overages, or created a seperate listing so I could purchase-and I felt bad enough to just avoid doing so ever again. 

It may make sense to the bigwigs who create the policy, but to a buyer it is just another brick in the wall ( thanks Pink Floyd).

[tsme35]

Wondered that too, only been asking for it for over 5 yrs now to be put on the app. No worries ebay's is working on it, yea right.

[pjcdn2005]

@lonebuck-books 

Are you saying that it doesn’t combine shipping by weight even though that is how you have set up your combined shipping rule as shown in post 7?  

As you probably know, eBay doesn’t combine the weights unless your listing is set up to do so as not every seller wants it done that way.

[reallynicestamps]

But, but as each payment is made there is that .30 fee. If I have 12 items paid individually...I refund the shipping excess ...does eBay refund that .30 X 11 items fees back to the seller?

Can you set the amount of the refund?

If the shipping was $1.00 and eBay's fee is 30c, do you refund $1.00 or do you refund 70c?

[ittybitnot · Accepted solution]

@quicksilverdiecast 

As a buyer, I can tell you that the cart does not work.  Ever since eBay removed the option to "commit to buy and continue shopping with this seller" in favor of the cart system 90% of the time it is nothing but drama.  

There are many reasons the 'cart' won't work.  Of course, mobile users, after many years don't have the option to "request a total".  Computer users may or may not see the "request total" button, and even if displayed it often does not work.   If selected it may throw an error message for a variety of reasons some of which are:

If one or more of the items were 'on sale'

if some are auction wins and others are fixed price

If any are of a different shipping class

If there are too many items

etc.

etc. 

etc. 

In general, buyers are NOT requiring that it be done automatically by eBay in the cart, but rather they be allowed to ask the seller to put all the stuff in one box, weigh it up, and send an invoice for the total SHIPPING.  It can't be that hard to put a bookmark, necklace, shotglass, and a pair of socks in one box, put it on the scale and weigh it up and send the bill.  That's it.....that is what needs to be allowed by having the REQUEST TOTAL button actually send the message to the seller instead of acting like a malfunctioning robot that says "Sorry, we can't do that, pay  now."  

I have multiple auction wins from the same seller today.  They are nine pieces of jewelry with an individual shipping cost of $5.50 each.  This seller combines shipping for a lower price.  I have purchased from this seller before and they always combine shipping for a lower price.  Today, the "request total" button says "This seller does not allow combined shipping, pay now".   The seller says, they are getting the error message "Its not you, its US" garbage and has been getting it all day when trying to send invoices.     The items are still in my cart.  I really don't feel like paying $49.50  + tax  in shipping alone for a 5 ounce parcel. 

The ID I was using is NOT forced into auto-pay punishment  camp yet in order to bid which prevents combined orders altogether, so that is not the problem.    The "New improved checkout"  system has sellers thinking buyers are stupid and don't know how to use the cart when each auction win is paid separately.  Sellers have been saying for a long time buyers are stupid and don't know how to use the cart in general.   

It is not ME, it is not my seller, and eBay has proclaimed for years the cart is "working as intended".