Seller wants to send Invoice through Paypal not EBay

[time4david5d28]

Yesterday I completed a number of auctions with the same Seller.   Seller informs me that they want to Invoice me through Paypal because EBay's system won't allow them to Invoice me.  Is this a scam?   Is this a real transaction but they want to somehow avoid paying EBay fees as a seller?   Am I obligated to complete the transactions through Paypal and not through EBay?

Details:   I won 5 separate auctions for some silver coins in each auction.   To avoid shipping costs on each auction, I've asked the seller for combined shipping.   Seller says they can't invoice through EBay, asked for my email address, in order to invoice through paypal.   So far, I have not received an Invoice.

[ohnojoey]

The seller would pay ebay fees if it was listed on ebay.

I have read other posts that are saying there are problems with invoicing multiple purchases on ebay, for one, not being able to offer the shipping discounts. Maybe that's why?

[myangelandmyprincess]

The seller would still pay fees on the item cost but not the shipping costs.  

I don’t know of any invoicing issues going on I’ve heard there is an issue with fixed prices and cart combining but not end of auction.  

I would be weary of the sellers request.  And eBay won’t let you share email addresses in messages 

[time4david5d28]

The issue with shipping costs is that EBay's system is asking I pay for all auctions and the shipping costs associated with each item.  That triggered me to asked the seller to combine shipping to only pay for one shipping cost.  However, I notice that if I pay for each item individually, the shipping cost shows as FREE Shipping.    That would mean that if I pay individually for each item, the Seller received no shipping compensation.   So, I don't know what to do.  

I'm not going to pay for 5 individual shipping costs.   On the other hand, getting free shipping when free shipping was not part of the auction is also wrong.   I do not feel that getting an invoice through PayPal is ok with me as I'm not too sure if I have EBay return guarantee.    The Seller listing says NO RETURNS.   If I only have Paypal returns, then I am obligated to pay for return shipping.   

Since I want the EBay Guarantee Can I reject an Invoice from Paypal and only accept an invoice from EBay?   Am I required to pay for items even if no invoice for combined shipping is generated?

[missjen831]

You are required to pay for all 5 auctions whether you get an invoice with combined shipping or not. 

FWIW sellers aren’t required to give a combined shipping discount. Your seller said he would so he does need to honor it. Send him this link https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/sending-invoices-buyers?id=4139 it has instructed on how to send a combined invoice 

[hafoster]

Your seller cannot send you an eBay invoice with a combined shipping discount:

Each of the 5 item prices already includes free shipping.

eBay does not allow that price reduced further --

so your seller is sending a PayPal invoice --

to charge you a lower combined total.

Sorry, we're not very bright today.

[richard1rst]

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@time4david5d28 wrote:

 However, I notice that if I pay for each item individually, the shipping cost shows as FREE Shipping.    That would mean that if I pay individually for each item, the Seller received no shipping compensation. 

I'm not going to pay for 5 individual shipping costs.

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If they are listed as free shipping then there is no shipping cost advantage to combining the invoices.  And you will not pay 5 individual shipping costs if they are free shipping.

[femmefan1946]

the shipping cost shows as FREE Shipping.    That would mean that if I pay individually for each item, the Seller received no shipping compensation. 

Free shipping is marketing talk for "the cost of shipping is included in the price of the item".

Which is cheaper?

A $10 item with $5 shipping?

A $15 item with Free Shipping?

To me, the offer of a PP invoice sounds like an attempt by the seller to give you a combined shipping discount.

Your five $15 items (using the above example) would cost you $75.

But the actual shipping for five items may be only $10 not the $25 that 'Free' shipping would cost you.

The simplest way to do this would be for the seller to bill you through eBay for all the items, which makes you feel less nervous.

Then use your PP payment to refund you the difference in shipping cost between what was hidden by 'free' shipping and her actual costs (including her fees to eBay and Paypal).

This requires a lot of trust and goodwill.

[fossil_diver]

@time4david5d28

Did you ask for reduced shipping costs before you made the purchases? Asking after you make the purchase trying to haggle will earn you well deserved non pay strikes and a place on the sellers blocked bidder list.

This is ebay and not the Marrakech Bazaar. 

[smabrouk]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:

the shipping cost shows as FREE Shipping.    That would mean that if I pay individually for each item, the Seller received no shipping compensation. 

Free shipping is marketing talk for "the cost of shipping is included in the price of the item".

Which is cheaper?

A $10 item with $5 shipping?

A $15 item with Free Shipping?

To me, the offer of a PP invoice sounds like an attempt by the seller to give you a combined shipping discount.

Your five $15 items (using the above example) would cost you $75.

But the actual shipping for five items may be only $10 not the $25 that 'Free' shipping would cost you.

The simplest way to do this would be for the seller to bill you through eBay for all the items, which makes you feel less nervous.

Then use your PP payment to refund you the difference in shipping cost between what was hidden by 'free' shipping and her actual costs (including her fees to eBay and Paypal).

This requires a lot of trust and goodwill.

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As @femmefan1946 states, the simplest way for this invoice to be processed is through eBay with seller sending you any refund for the difference in shipping cost through PayPal.  

Keeping the transaction on eBay is in accordance with the eBay Money Back Guarantee — buy and pay through the eBay system with PayPal used as the method of payment.  Invoicing through PayPal could be viewed as taking the transaction off eBay and, thus, void your protection through the eBay Money Back Guarantee.

[castlemagicmemories]

Seller can do a partial refund of the over payment. You can pay on Ebay.  HOWEVER, if the items say FREE SHIPPING, there is NOTHING TO COMBINE.  You need to just pay for the items.

You are required to pay for the items regardless.

No returns means for buyer's remorse. If you properly vetted the listing and the seller, knew what you were buying, and made a firm decision, then that should not affect you.  If the item is not as described, you are covered under the Ebay MBG.  Have you noticed the Ebay MBG logo on almost every page? Get the item you ordered or your money back? Includes purchase price and original shipping?

You are protected. You might want to research how Buyer Protection works, for your own protection. Good Luck.

[femmefan1946]

HOWEVER, if the items say FREE SHIPPING, there is NOTHING TO COMBINE. 

No .

There is a shipping cost. And the buyer is paying it.

It is just part of the selling price.

If  a seller has five items with $5 shipping in the price of the item ('free' shipping) then the shipping charge is $25.

It's just not a line item.

Which is why Free Shipping is a money maker for those who tend to get multiple orders.

Like the Chinese sellers so many US sellers condemn.

They are sending their ten item sale, burying 25 yuan ($3.85) shipping charges in the $10 (150yuan) price and actually paying 10 yuan ($1.50) to China Post.

That's a $2.25 (15 yuan) profit.

Free Shipping is not free.

It is marketing.

[fossil_diver]

Am I understanding this correctly?

The OP purchased items that were all listed with free shipping but the OP wants to pay even less than the stated price? That can't be right? I know buyers are hung up on free shipping but asking for even less than free is ridiculous. I must be reading the OPs post wrong. I know that cant be what they are saying.

[page3auc]

I understood it as the buyer  won five autions with free shipping.
The seller sent an invoice and in doing so, eBay somehow charged $5+ shipping for each item.  
The seller attempted to change it back to free shipping and could not so he offered to send the invoice through PayPal.  

I think...  There is so much going on in this thread.

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@time4david5d28 wrote:

The issue with shipping costs is that EBay's system is asking I pay for all auctions and the shipping costs associated with each item.  That triggered me to asked the seller to combine shipping to only pay for one shipping cost.  However, I notice that if I pay for each item individually, the shipping cost shows as FREE Shipping.    That would mean that if I pay individually for each item, the Seller received no shipping compensation.   So, I don't know what to do.  

I'm not going to pay for 5 individual shipping costs.   On the other hand, getting free shipping when free shipping was not part of the auction is also wrong.   I do not feel that getting an invoice through PayPal is ok with me as I'm not too sure if I have EBay return guarantee.    The Seller listing says NO RETURNS.   If I only have Paypal returns, then I am obligated to pay for return shipping.   

Since I want the EBay Guarantee Can I reject an Invoice from Paypal and only accept an invoice from EBay?   Am I required to pay for items even if no invoice for combined shipping is generated?

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Based off this post it sounds to me like there was a shipping cost listed in the listings that the op wants combined.  The combined shipping of all those right now shows the full cost of each shipping not a combined price yet.  But for some reason the lndividual listings now show free shipping even though they weren't free 

the op wants a combined discount of less then what each listing was originally on shipping but doesn't want to cheat the seller by paying each individual  listing that now shows free when they had a cost originally