Sellers stick me with high shipping cost when combining multiple listings into a single package.
Summary: vintage-apex expresses frustration with pre-authorized buyer payments leading to excessive shipping costs when purchasing multiple items from the same seller on an auction platform. They suggest clearer visibility of combined shipping rules and allowing post-auction consolidation without automatic charges. redmodelt clarifies that the forum isn't monitored by the platform and offers personal insights, mentioning that sellers might not be equipped for combined shipping. monroe67 recommends contacting sellers directly to inquire about shipping rules before bidding. mudshark61369 provides a workaround by suggesting that engaging with sellers to educate them on setting their shipping preferences might help.
I am writing to express my strong frustration as a frequent buyer of vintage collectible items with the current implementation of pre-authorized buyer payments on auctions and best offers.
The primary issue is that most small, casual, or inexperienced sellers do not know how to set up automated combined shipping rules in their preferences, nor do they understand how to turn off the buyer pre-authorization setting. As a result, when winning multiple listings from the same seller, your system automatically and instantly charges individual full-price shipping for every single item.
As a buyer, there is currently no reliable way on a listing page to determine whether a seller has combined shipping rules active or whether they will honor combined shipping prior to placing bids. This forces buyers into an unacceptable position:
Pay outrageously inflated shipping costs upfront and hope an inexperienced seller knows how to issue a manual partial refund later, or
Refrain from bidding on secondary items entirely, which directly harms both seller sales volumes and eBay’s fee revenues.
Requested Changes:
Clear Buyer Visibility: Clearly display on the listing/bidding screen whether a seller has an automated combined shipping rule active for that item before a bid is placed.
Default Post-Auction Consolidation: Allow buyers a default 24-hour window after winning their first auction from a seller to group subsequent wins into a single invoice before any automatic card charge is triggered.
Simplified Seller Setup: Make combined shipping discount tables the default opt-in standard for multi-listing sellers rather than hiding them deep within administrative shipping preferences.
This friction actively discourages buyers from participating in multiple auctions from single sellers. Please escalate this feedback to your platform user experience and checkout engineering teams.
roastedsaurus
·2 weeks agoQuite frankly eBays system for combined shipping is very clunky and really only works if you have items that are very consistent in size, weight, etc.
You can always do a "request invoice", though it may not work under all circumstances. Better to ask before you buy to confirm the seller's policy if its not stated in the listing.
I put it in the description that I combine shipping. I still get messages asking if I combine shipping, which is OK.
7198dave
·2 weeks agowhen I buy, I like to buy multiple items from one seller, all items same size. But ebay removed the link that showed what a seller charged for each additional item. Well, first it was broken and they didn't bother to fix it for several years, then they just removed the whole thing. I don't like asking sellers what they charge because sometimes I don't get a clear answer from them. That's when I give up and forget about buying anything.
mudshark61369
·2 weeks ago@vintage-apex ,
"Clear Buyer Visibility: Clearly display on the listing/bidding screen whether a seller has an automated combined shipping rule active for that item before a bid is placed".
All you have to do to see if autopay is active on a Listing or Offer is to click on the Bid or Make offer buttons, if you see the messages that say your payment source will be charged if your offer is accepted, or win the Auction, the seller has auto pay set up.
"The primary issue is that most small, casual, or inexperienced sellers do not know how to set up automated combined shipping rules in their preferences, nor do they understand how to turn off the buyer pre-authorization setting".
Maybe it would be too much trouble for you, but if a casual or inexperienced seller has several items you want to purchase/bid on or send offers for, and auto pay enabled,
Try messaging them and tell them to do searches for "How do I set up combined shipping, ebay" also tell them to look up Buyer Management, ebay and to look at the buyer rules to uncheck immediate payment. You may want to suggest them changing the number of items bought in the "Block buyers who are currently winning or have bought 1 v items in the last [ 10 ] days..." raise the number bought by clicking on the down arrow, and possibly the number of days.
I've been thanked for doing that many times, by new/inexperienced sellers.
monroe67
·2 weeks ago · Edited"As a buyer, there is currently no reliable way on a listing page to determine whether a seller has combined shipping rules active or whether they will honor combined shipping prior to placing bids."
Unfortunately, that is true; it is an unfortunate "feature" of eBay. Or lack of feature.
However: there is a button or hyperlink on each listing that allows potential buyers to contact the seller. You can ask the seller about whether he/she will combine shipping.
Or anything about the item.
"This forces buyers into an unacceptable position:
Pay outrageously inflated shipping costs upfront and hope an inexperienced seller knows how to issue a manual partial refund later, or
Refrain from bidding on secondary items entirely, which directly harms both seller sales volumes and eBay’s fee revenues."
With those two unacceptable options, the only reasonable response for any buyer is to walk away. Or, online, to hit the "back" button.
redmodelt
·2 weeks agoThe teams here are other buyers and sellers not eBay employees so your suggestions cannot be escalated. eBay does not run the forums and for the most part, do not read these posts. There may be a few categories they do/may monitor because of the nature of those categories.
Not everything sold can be shipped together as a combined shipment and if it can be combined into one shipment, good sellers might issue a refund for the postage overage.
If sellers don't indicate they combine shipping, take it at face value that they don't and may not be setup to do so. Many sellers on eBay are not business, they are mom/pop operations selling extra stuff.
For me personally, it is very very rare that I buy more than one item from a seller and when I have, the ones I have bought from issue a refund on postage overs.