Multiple Sale Item Purchases - Checkout System Fails to Generate Combined Invoice

[mysticmountainlapidary]

Since Ebay changed their Seller Hub and updated their checkout system a couple of years ago all my customers who are attempting to purchase multiple sale items are finding that they cannot ask me for a combined invoice.  Some have reported to me that the message they are receiving is something like this - "Seller does not offer further discounts" and they are unable to generate a request for me to combine their items.  This has been an ongoing problem since Ebay updated their system a couple of years ago.  It takes multiple communications via email system to explain to them that they must pay for each item plus the estimated postage on each item upfront and then I have to refund them their overage paid for excess postage.   Every customer finds this very inconvenient and frustrating and no doubt I have lost many potential sales due to this inability on their part to get a request for combined shipping to me.  Undoubtedly I have lost potential sales as many do not want to pay $50-60 dollars in postage upfront when the shipping would most likely be $13.50 for a Medium Flat Rate Shipper.  I am not a programmer, but it seems to me that eBay's checkout system needs to have language written into it that will enable a combined invoice to be generated on multiple sale items.

[apantiq]

I agree, customers get frustrated, in addition we dont get ebay and now paypal fees refunded on partial refunds

[hurryagain]

Hello @mysticmountainlapidary 

Can you see if your "require immediate payment with buy it now" box is checked on your listings?

When I clicked onto your BIN button, it immediately took me to the checkout which usually indicates that the "require immediate payment with buy it now" box is checked.

If you un-check that box in your listings, your customer should see a "commit to buy" option that allows them to continue shopping with you and at the end of their shopping, they then can then request a total from their purchase history page.

I hope this does the trick for you.

[mysticmountainlapidary]

Thank you for your reply.  I just purchased multiple items from another dealer last week and ran into the same problem in his store.  All his items were on sale and I was not allowed by eBay's checkout system to ask seller for a combined invoice.  That seller has been on Ebay four or five years longer than I have been, and we never used to have that problem in our dealings together.  He wrote to me to inform me that he was losing $3 on our transaction and I told him that it was impossible for me to ask him for a combined invoice as the checkout process has changed and I told him that I'm losing on every customer who purchases multiple items that are on sale as they have to pay all the postage on each item upfront and as you state, we are not getting the fees back from Ebay or Paypal on the overage that the customer pays that we refund in order to remain fair and honest in our dealings.  

[mysticmountainlapidary]

Thank you for your reply to my query, however, that is not the answer.  I used to require "pay immediately" on some items that I used to sell when I lived in San Jose but those were items such as guitars, African Sculpture/Masks, etc.  Items that could not be combined with others due to their size, fragility, or some other factor.  I never require immediate payment  on any items in my store since 2010.  as I run what is called an "open box" where the customer can  commit to purchase one item and then delay paying for any/all items until they are done shopping and they are given 14 calendar days from day of first commit to purchase to add to their box before payment is due and appreciated to be paid at that time.

[dhbookds]

All his items were on sale

ebay doesn't' give the option of combining shipping when items are on a sale of some kind......... their contention is that a buyer already gets a discount.  Many sellers wish the option to combine was still there and have asked ebay to reinstate it. 

[mysticmountainlapidary]

Thank you for your reply to my concern.  I realize now that this is the decision of Ebay management to not allow any further discount, but clearly, they must re-instate the old system of allowing further discount on multiple purchase of items on sale because it is very unfair to the customer to make them pay 100% of the postage on each item upfront in addition to the State taxes they already have to pay.  That requirement to make the customer pay all that postage on each item has definitely caused a loss of sales for me.  When some customers are anticipating multiple purchases and they are frustrated because they cannot send me an invoice, after an explanation of the process they must go through and assuring them that I will refund the excess postage paid, some of them never are heard from again.  Those constitute lost sales for me without a doubt because I never see any sales from that user's name after their first couple of attempts to use the checkout and their subsequent enquiry to me - which obviously upsets them further.  Thanks Ebay for creating this situation for the customers and the sellers, all of whom you say you really care about.