Ebay fixes things that don't need fixing but won't address "Request total" issue on discounted items

[james8728]

I mainly sell 45 rpm 7" records, and offer combined s&h. A lot of buyers like to purchase more than one item, however if I'm running a Sale, they can not request a total for combined shipping.
Countless times, I have lost buyers because they don't want to deal with either having to pay full shipping and wait for a refund back, or provide me with a list of interested records and a special listing just for them with the correct s&h. 
I can only imagine too, the number of people that put a bunch of records in their cart and go to check out but can't request a total... so they just say eff it.
I've talked a few times with CS Reps about this problem, the last one promised she'd get it resolved (months ago) and she'd keep me in the loop... but crickets.

Here's a typical message, sent last night at 3:00 am (EST) buyer in WA.:

Hi James,

I placed 26 of your 45s in my cart.
Your site says you offer combined shipping at 25 cents for each additional item after the initial full ship charge of $3.95.
I requested a new total for combine shipping all the items in my cart but got a message that it did not apply to discounted items? Well if you will please offer the combined shipping of 25 cents for the additional its in my cart then I'll buy all 26.
Thanks for your consideration,

I responded to them:
Hi,

Yes, I do combine s&h. However, there's a glitch with ebay that doesn't allow you to "request a total" on items that are on sale. I’ve spoken to eBay about this problem, but they’ve yet to do anything about it.
Most people pay the full s&h, and I immediately credit back the difference owed. However, seeing you have many, you might want to choose the 2nd option: Supply me with a list of the items, and I'll create a special listing just for you.

Please let me know if questions, sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks,
James

And like so many times before... I have yet to hear back from them.

FRUSTRATED!

[ittybitnot]

However, there's a glitch with ebay that doesn't allow you to "request a total" on items that are on sale. I’ve spoken to eBay about this problem, but they’ve yet to do anything about it.

The whole cart/request total thing has been annoying me as a buyer for a few years now.  Even if nothing in the cart is on sale, it does not often work either.  

Friday, for instance, I won five AUCTIONS from the same seller and the request total button resulted in the same error message of "item already discounted" or some bot garbage.  THEY WERE AUCTION WINS, not on sale BINS.  Luckily, the seller was able to send me an invoice with the shipping adjusted.   Lots of times, even if nothing on sale, AND the seller advertises combined shipping it will produce an error message.  

Ever since ebay removed the option to "commit to buy and continue shopping with this seller" there has been nothing but stupid drama, cart or no cart.  It doesn't matter if the seller has selected to "allow combined shipping" most times an error message will appear of one sort or another. 

As they say at eBay, "it is working as intended"....LOL...ebay wants that money for the individual purchases I suppose. 

[coolections]

Unless you have immediate payment required, have the buyer click purchase on all the 45's but don't pay. You can send them an updated invoice.

[james8728]

I don't have my setting as requiring immediate payment. The problem is if you put it in a cart and try purchasing individually, it forces to you pay immediately. I tried out different scenarios with the C.S.R. and they agreed, it's flawed.

[slippinjimmy]

First thing you need to understand that this is not a glitch, it is completely intention on eBay's part (for reasons they have never explained).

Second, the Request Total option is not available on the mobile version, never has been.

On the desktop some buyers are able to request a total but many are not. Some reasons are that buyers have items from multiple sellers in their cart or buyers have free shipping items mixed in or who really knows why.

Regular customer support don't even know this is happening and intended to be this way so they will tell you it's a glitch and they will report it to the proper tech department (but it's not a glitch so the report goes nowhere).

This issue started in 2012, was even part of a Seller Update back then, it was a "plan" by eBay to reduce non-payment issue.

I've been making my feelings known on the issue for years but I'm doubtful it will have be changed so I just adjust my combined shipping discount refunds to compensate for the extra fees.

Some days I think this never going to be fixed and then a get a bunch of multi-item sales where buyer CAN request a total but a few hours later it's back to the same problem.

I did realize eventually that some of the buyers who were unable to request the total were using a mobile device and if they were instructed to go to the desktop they could in fact request a total. Unfortunately that only works some of the time for some buyers.

It's really annoying and somewhat costly but I've given up hoping it will ever improve.

[james8728]

It's beyond infuriating.  

[ittybitnot]

The problem is if you put it in a cart and try purchasing individually, it forces to you pay immediately.

You can put items in the cart and pay with one payment.  HOWEVER, the the total shipping for each item is added in to that total.  

So for ten small jewelry items, as an example, that have $3.00 postage each, my shipping will be $30.00 for a basically 6 ounce max parcel.  The request total is grayed out, and the seller has no way to see what is in the cart.  I cannot "commit to buy".  My choice is to pay or don't get the merchandise. 

The only reason my seller was able to send me an invoice in my previous example  was because they were AUCTION wins, and he/she could tell for which ones I was the winning bidder. 

[james8728]

EXACTLY!

My latest buyer has 26 items in their basket  X  $3.95 = $102.70 they have to dish out on the promise that I'm going to credit them back the difference.

[slippinjimmy]

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@coolections wrote:

Unless you have immediate payment required, have the buyer click purchase on all the 45's but don't pay. You can send them an updated invoice.

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This is not at all true, "forced IPR" is rampant and has been since 2012.

[ittybitnot]

This is not at all true, "forced IPR" is rampant and has been since 2012.

@slippinjimmy 

I call it the "super secret ebay induced IPR".  LOL....The seller has NOT selected it, it is NOT on the listing in any way....it is JUST THERE with no recourse when you want to buy multiple fixed price listings.   I am glad I am not the only one dealing with this nonsense.   It may prevent non-paying buyers, but it also prevents buyers who are ready to pay and don't need the drama.  Result:  No sales at all. 

Am I going to pay (as in my previous example) $30 in shipping in hopes that the seller will refund the difference?   Not in this lifetime. 

[sin-n-dex]

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@james8728 wrote:

I don't have my setting as requiring immediate payment. The problem is if you put it in a cart and try purchasing individually, it forces to you pay immediately. I tried out different scenarios with the C.S.R. and they agreed, it's flawed.

---

eBay has randomly added "immediate payment required" to listings. There was a time I could look at my listings and see this, but I think they've since hidden it. When people buy, sometimes they buy and request an invoice, sometimes they buy and send me a message, other times they pay what it says and wait for a refund. My regular buyers know they'll get the refund, all good, but I wonder how many new buyers I lose as a result of this glitch.

C.

[slippinjimmy]

Once again....NOT a "glitch". It is by design!

But as @ittybitnot says it's "super secret". I have communicated with a couple of eBay people who will halfheartedly (a nod and a wink) that it exists but they go no further.

For quite a long time references to the program were buried in the help files, these were cleansed in recent years, used to still find the verbiage on eBay.ca but I think it's gone there too.

For me this week it's been an even split between buyers who could request a total and those that could not. This included buyers who had my step by step instructions and/or were already aware of the problems and what to avoid (mobile, other sellers items in the cart etc.)

eBay's standard answer when they give you one is "use calculated shipping" or "use free shipping" or some other type of suggestion that does not work well for many sellers especially those that sell a lot of International and use carriers other than USPS.

[chapeau-noir]

My buyers find the shopping cart works about half the time.  I'm FP, IPR only, and refund shipping overage.  Yet even my regular buyers can't always get the cart to work and have to check out individually.  I fix it on my end because the busted cart is not their problem, but honestly, things need to work better.  This has been an on and off problem for years. 

It used to be when I purchased things through the cart, always, the cart amount and totals would become 'sticky' and despite having paid days ago, and even received the items, I still get that bell notification. That finally went away a few months ago.

Seems like having a robust shopping cart and the ability to combine payments would be kind of basic in a marketplace like this.  I mostly think that, as usually, no one is connecting the dots.  It just seems like failure by design.

[james8728]

I still haven't heard back from the potential buyer of 26 records. That would be a big loss of a sale because of ebay's flawed system. 

And this is far far far far far far from the first time. 

[Anonymous]

You are so VERY right about them wanting "those individual purchases"!!!  Sellers get charged 30 cents per purchase AND fees on all of that shipping.  When we refund the shipping over payments, sellers DON'T see a refund for any of those fees.  There is NO reason for them to close down that particular cash cow.  It frustrates me when I get messages from buyers using mobile devices saying there is no "request total" button, like it's my fault.