Combining shipping for multiple purchases under one order.

[thewinterfox]

Another buyer purchased two different items from me yesterday. One order, two different items.  I would like the ability to combine the shipping costs every time this happens. Most of the time this happens, one or more items are on sale, which prohibits the buyer from being able to request an invoice total (which is something else I would like to be able to do).  How can I make these suggestions to eBay? Every time I try to find some sort of customer service email address, I'm directed to some kind of automated troubleshooting page. I know I'm not the only person with these suggestions, but I'd like to add my name to the list of people who would like to see this happen.  

[heckofagame]

An item being on sale should not prohibit combined shipping, unless you are not allowing combined shipping for that item. 

[stainlessenginecovers]

You need to look at your business policies; combined shipping policies etc. But; if a buyer purchases 5 items, could go over 1 lb and now be priority so it's just best to 'refund' the customer the portion you want to refund. 

[rfmtm]

If you want to automate this, you need to enable combined payments and setup the combined shipping rules in your Shipping Preferences.  Then apply any specific rule to the appropriate listings.

[monica-sells]

@heckofagame 

I think the OP is referring to....

Items being "on sale" or already receiving a discount of some sort are 'blocked' from the BUYER option to "REQUEST TOTAL" from the Cart screen.

If any item in the cart is one sale, the link is not active and (the little info icon) says something like

"You can't request a total because the seller has already offered a discount for these items."

You still should be able to combine when your are printing labels though....

[southern*sweet*tea]

If you want to always have shipping combined, you can set your shipping preferences to allow it.

On the Manage shipping settings page: https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf   select Edit beside Allow combined payments and shipping. Choose the time period during which you're willing to combine payment for purchased items and select Save.

On that same page you can set up your combined shipping rules - calculated, flat rate or promotional.

This page: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/postage-rates/postage-discounts?id=4168 will tell you in more detail how to set up your combined shipping policy and explains the combined shipping rules you can set up.

Combining multiple orders

***Buyer HAS paid***

1. Go to your awaiting shipment page: https://www.ebay.com/sh/ord/?filter=status:AWAITING_SHIPMENT
2. Select the items you want to combine, then click print shipping label from the drop down menu. This will show all your items together as one package with one tracking number.
3. Make your weight adjustments so you can print the label with the correct postage.
4. Print your label.

***Buyer HAS NOT paid***

Here is how to send an invoice for several items:

Find the items you’re wanting to combine payments for:
1. In Seller Hub, select Orders https://www.ebay.com/sh/ord/?filter=status:ALL_ORDERS In My eBay, select Sold https://www.ebay.com/mys/sold
2. Use the drop down menu to the right of the item to select send invoice next to one of the items you’d like to include in the invoice.
3. On the next page, all items purchased by that buyer will be shown.
4. Adjust shipping charges.
5. Enter a message to the buyer if you wish.
6. To preview the invoice, select Preview invoice before sending.
7. To send the invoice, select Send invoice.

[ittybitnot]

@thewinterfox 

eBay knows.  The "request total" button does not work in this case, and there are many other reasons why it won't or throws an error message.  Again, eBay knows, has known for years and still insists all is great and working as intended.   I don't even know if they have put a "Request Total" button YET for users of a mobile app.  Those people have been asking for one for years. 

As others have suggested you can apply "shipping policies".  However, if you are a seller of an eclectic variety of sizes, weights, and shipping classes that does not help either, and will not help to make the "request total" button any more functional for your buyer. 

It does not work if you are shipping auction wins, with fixed price, or items of different shipping classes.  Sometimes I think eBay's "working as intended" attitude came to be because most fixed price items behaved as if they had immediate payment required even though that was not selected by the seller.  The "commit to buy and continue shopping with this seller" option was removed, and the button in the cart disabled. As a buyer, I could make ONE payment, but the shipping fees were assessed in full for each product.   A seller that "refunded" overpayment with shipping in a multi product order was still charged the fees on the original total shipping paid, which was advantageous for eBay.  Though I think the fees a seller pays on the total shipping charges may be reduced if they refund the excess now,  it does nothing to fix the cart and the non-functioning request total button. 

[deltilogical]

I combine orders constantly (thank you Ebay buyers!).  The Best Practice is for buyers to put the items in the cart and send an invoice request - which locks in their purchase so no one else can buy it.

Once the order is paid, you can't combine them other than manually refunding the overpaid total postage.   It is much easier to get the customer to send the invoice request from their cart in advance so you can provide the correct shipping amount.   As we've discussed for years now without resolution, this doesn't work on the app.   

This is your choice but don't forget when combining after payment and refunding payment each order incurred a 30 cent order fee. 

[heckofagame]

@monica-sells   All these years on eBay and I was not aware of this issue. Thanks for updating me. 

[az93]

I would just mail them separately with 2 dif tracking numbers.

[inhawaii]

I already typed one of these out so that I could cut and paste the next time someone asked.

Great minds...  😉

[thewinterfox]

Thank you.  As a buyer, I'd be **bleep** if everything I ordered was shipped in one envelope but I still paid shipping for each item.  And like you said, eBay is charging fees based on the total, so...

[thewinterfox]

Unfortunately, my customers can't request a total because the items are usually on sale. They've tried. They've sent me screen shots of the automated eBay response which tells them that because one or more items were on sale, they cannot use the "request total" function.   

[thewinterfox]

Thank you. That's exactly what is happening. When I combine items, it still charges them shipping for each item. Then I have to refund them the shipping costs. 

[ham*i*am46]

The same thing happens to me all the time.  I explain using the cart to the buyer but most times they just go ahead and buy the items.  Because I have immediate payments on buy it now, they just go ahead and pay.  I usually end up just sending a refund in their package.  I know  that is costing me but I often take the easiest route.  It should not be so involved.  I sell on another site which allows the buyer to bundle up what they want and ask for one price on all their items.  You can give them a discount for buying multiple items and change the cost to ship them if you want.  I was told that because I do not have a store I cannot even offer a discount. It seems like there is a lot of back and forth when the buyer just wants to buy more than one items.