Can't Use Single Tracking Number for Multiple Purchases in One Packages

[ca_reibo]

I have a few customers outside the US who, for some reason (maybe limits on individual charges) buy 2 or 3 of the same item 3 times (within minutes of one another), instead of 6 or 9, respectively, at once. I offer free shipping.  I used to be able to buy a shipping label for one of the purchases (adjusted for the weight of all three), put them all in one package, and then "add tracking" to the other two, by copying and pasting the original tracking number. Finally, I would "mark item as shipped."

Today I had this situation, and along with the new packing slip design (which is hideous), I discovered that adding a tracking number and marking an item as shipped are now mutually exclusive.  I used the same tracking number for all three orders, since everything is in one package. Then I marked the two extra ones as shipped, since ebay can't figure out that an item with a tracking number has been shipped.  Well, after I did that, I found that the tracking number has disappeared and "add tracking" was back again. Moreover, if I did it in reverse (mark as shipped, then add tracking number), the tracking numbers remain, but the items are no longer marked as shipped, and I'm warned that I still need to ship them.

It always worked before. Why was it changed?

Going forward, I am not using ebay shipping for such purchases. It would be nice if ebay would  restore the functionality that existed before for this type of situation.

[wastingtime101]

When "add tracking" shows on an item to which you've already added tracking, what happens when you click on add tracking? Do you see the tracking number there or is the field blank?

If you see the tracking number there, then this is an intermittent glitch that pops up sometimes and you can just ignore it.

I never mark items shipped - the act of adding tracking generally shows it's shipped by default.

If there is tracking you can ignore prompts that item is awaiting shipment.

Having said all that, let's simplify this for your future sales. Next time use bulk shipping.

https://gslblui.ebay.com/gslblui/bulk

At the top of that bulk shipping page you'll see a message when it's possible to combine items into one package. Click the link and the tracking will automatically populate to every item in the combined shipment.