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OH MY GOD. There used to be seller support here. NOW?
While I continue to wait for a promised callback already over half an hour, I am posting this in the hope it helps someone else avoid the nightmare I just went through, or that eBay management might actually see how broken this has become.
I rarely sell here. I made a small sale with multiple small items from multiple listings. As sellers know, eBay does not make combining shipping easy or accurate. My buyer asked how to handle it, and I explained the only reliable method. Pay the listed shipping, then I refund the difference after I actually ship. She agreed and paid.
I just got back from the post office.
What should have taken minutes turned into an ordeal.
I rarely sell, so I admit I forget the maze involved in doing something as basic as entering a tracking number or issuing a partial shipping refund.
I started clicking around Orders, Seller Hub, and Help pages repeatedly. The options I was told to look for simply did not exist on my screen.
Eventually I called eBays phone number directly.
You can no longer reach a human. You get an AI bot that repeatedly asks what your issue is and then ignores the answer.
I clearly said I needed to issue a partial shipping refund to a buyer who just paid.
The bot responded with instructions on how to return an item and request my own refund, which has nothing to do with what I said. When I tried to correct it, I was told to go read help pages and then the call disconnected.
Back on the site, I eventually found where to manually enter tracking, only to be greeted by a red error banner stating there was an error retrieving the order and to try again later.
At this point tracking was entered but errored, and I still could not find any way to issue a partial refund.
I then tried Help and Contact Us.
Another major problem is that you are forced to choose from a very limited list of issues, none of which match this situation. There is no partial refund option and no category for seller tool errors.
Eventually I found the automated chat. It behaved the same way. I typed AGENT repeatedly until I was finally offered a callback.
Then the system glitched again repeatedly.
It then asked for my phone number, which eBay already has.
I walked away to cool off. When I returned it had finally found my number and confirmed a callback with a 29 minute wait.
That was about 45 minutes ago.
This entire process should have taken minutes. My buyer should already have their shipping overcharge refunded and confirmation that the items are on the way.
Instead I have accomplished neither.
Honestly I am very close to removing my remaining listings because this level of friction for a basic seller task is not worth it.
eastlaneave
Mentor9 months ago@artmakersworlds You can ask questions right here to get an answer for many questions. Just reply with the question or start a new topic with specific title.
Do you have the tracking number entered for all the items? If not please add that.
To send a partial refund
1) Go to your Sold order here: https://www.ebay.com/mys/sold
2) Select "Send Refund" from the drop-down list to the right.
3) You will be able to select the exact amount of the refund to send.
4) Confirm the refund
Lastly, you can set up your listings so that shipping will combine automatically.
My advice is to use something like $5 for the first item and $x for each additional
You can do that by using Shipping Rules, and applying the rule to each listing through bulk edit.
You can have:
- Flat rules: For example add $1.00 for each additional item
- Calculated rules: For example - add up all the weights (If you have large items, the SIZE will not adjust for oversize, so I don't recommend calculated rules except for small items)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is how to set up your combined shipping rules:
First, change your global settings here to allow combined payments and shipping
https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf
Set up the Shipping Rules:
A) Calculated shipping rule "edit"
Select rules for combining weights for purchases with calculated shipping
- Combine all weights
And/or
B) Flat shipping rule "edit" <--- my advice is to use this
Select rules for flat shipping costs on combined purchases
- Add x.00 per each additional
(You can have several of these rules.)
Next, you need to ADD the combined shipping rule to each listing you want it to apply to. (in your listing or by bulk edit)
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To add the Shipping Rules to your listing
Scroll to SHIPPING
(If it says "Shipping Policy" stop and come back to tell me)
Add the Shipping Rule you created before. ($ for each additional item)
TIP: This image from eBay's help pages will show you where the Shipping Rule is
https://export.ebay.com/ebayhub_media/original_images/Shipping_04.jpg
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You can use "Bulk Edit" to add your rules to many listings at once, rather than one by one. Let me know if you need help.
Examples:
This method will allow buyers to buy two items from listing A and pay $5 +$1
AND
This method will allow buyers to buy one item from listing A and one item from listing B and pay $5 +$1
It will be $1 for each additional for multiples
artmakersworlds
OP9 months agoYou don't understand. I spent TWO HOURS with the help of an AI no less to try and find how to refund. Don't you think I poked around every place I could think of in my sellers hub? I have done this before but my sales here are so rare I forget the maze. AI would give me a long line of instructions, go to orders do this do that, then something is missing. And we try again with a different path, repeat. I FOUND where to leave tracking during all this and when I did I got a big fat red error to "try again later." STILL could not locate the refund thing then AI suggested until it's marked shipped that won't show up??? IDK. And usually if I locate chat I can say AGENT and get a call back. NOT THIS ROUND. It was a nightmare. And again, THEIR AI here now answering the phone is STUPID.
"I need help with a shipping overcharge refund to my buyer." And it gives me instructions how to ASK for a refund as if I were the buyer. NO matter how I word it that was my reply. Cannot get an agent then it hangs up.
My half hour for a call back never happened. I even tried a second time and another half hour went by.
I checked my phone for something unrelated and noticed a missed call. Dialed the number back and it was ebay. Phone was right next to me this whole time and never rang.
Then it dawned on me to just contact my buyer and give HER the tracking number directly. And tell her the lousy 2.88 shipping overcharge I still owe her and will keep working on it. Before I could do that my phone rang and it was ebay.
Now after all this I have to say, once you DO get a human on the phone, she was very nice. It seems tracking actually DID go through, I had no clue but it showed as in route. And I tell ya now, if my life depended on it I could not repeat the roadmap she had me follow to find how to refund. And even after I DID.... 2.88 is what I TRIED to refund her but for some unknown reason ebay took a cut. THAT WAS A SHIPPING OVERCHARGE! Ebay has no right to that? But I'm not going to fight them for change.
Lastly, you can set up your listings so that shipping will combine automatically.
Yea except..... that only applies to ONE listing with multiple items in it. (Frankly I shop here a lot and HATE those. Many times the thing I wanted to see is out of stock. Make it all separate listings and that would never happen. But not here.) I make clay canes and have a TON OF THEM most not even listed here yet. (THIS whole saga is why they may never get listed here.) ALL separate listings and no, there is NO WAY to visit one seller, pick one of this two of that etc and have any form of automated system work. And even less possible to calculate shipping since I won't know weight until I know exactly what to pack. The ONLY way is to just put in my listings yes I combine shipping and yes if you buy a lot I can discount the whole thing, but then do all that manually contact me first. I use to sell on another platform and doing all this was simple. WHY it has to be such a maze here to do a simple thing boggles the mind. And buyers, a lot of them are impulse shoppers. Fiddling around contacting sellers and waiting for answers, one can lose sales that way.
Thinking back on this whole thing, I convinced my buyer to just pay and I'll refund the difference. But after all this? I'll just send the stupid invoice. Make a good guess on shipping and not have to deal with locating their well hidden refund button.
Honestly, I really need to revamp my own site and just start selling off that. Too much in my life right now to deal with code. So this flea market has to do. Along with all the grief over stuff that aught to be simple.
Thanks for the replies though. I will save the email notice with this thread for the next blue moon when I make a sale and refer back to the instructions you gave. Cheers.
eastlaneave
Mentor9 months agoThe instructions I gave you will help when a buyer buys one listing A, and one from listing B, etc. Shipping rules works across listings. Every listing with that rule will work.
And buyers, a lot of them are impulse shoppers. Fiddling around contacting sellers and waiting for answers, one can lose sales that way.
I agree, that's why I am explaining how to set up your rules so it calculated automatically. I sell a lot of small items that people buy multiples of. It works.
If you need further help understanding my instructions, I am happy to help.
I understand how frustrating the AI is. I am glad you got a call back.
artmakersworlds
OP9 months agoNot helping. I looked at the screenshot of something from their help pages. NOT helpful. I looked at their shipping rules, again not helpful. I DO NOT, AND EVEN WITH EBAY ON THE PHONE TRYING TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS understand HOW! For one thing until I know WHAT canes and how many of each someone picked I cannot even guess at weight. Granted these are small but plastic clay has weight and it adds up fast. So far I have not found ANY WAY to calculate shipping and have that be accurate, let alone combing items from multiple listings and even come close. I'm left with what I've been doing. Contact me for an invoice, (I do have a scale, I'd put everything in a box, weight it and call the PO for a rate.) or just pay the insane rate and I will refund the difference.
And again, all this totally useless frustration over something that should be much simpler, just isn't worth it for me to list much here. Not worth all the aggravation.
eastlaneave
Mentor9 months ago@artmakersworlds
If you want to work step by step with me, I can help you.
You don't need to look at the help pages. I can help you, if you let me.
If you don't want the help, that's ok, too.
Are most of your 2" canes a similar weight? Like under 8 oz or under 1 lb?
inceptions
Mentor9 months agoHI @artmakersworlds
In the dropdown next to the transaction in your Orders list (click the three dots to see the menu), select Send refund, enter the amount to refund, add a note of explanation, and submit.