Multiple orders from same customer...ship together?

[muchmerch]

I have a brand new ebayer (joined yesterday) that purchased 6 items from me.

They were all purchased and paid for separately.

All are going to the same address.

Shipping is 'free' (yeah, right)

Is there any potential pitfalls to shipping these all together?  I.e., INR scams, etc.?  Ebay protections?  

If I DO ship them all separately, what is the advantage?  Obviously shipping cost is the disadvantage....

Or does it not matter as far as shipping TO the customer?  I can't think of a scenario where it would matter if I shipped them together or separately...

Thanks!

[a_c_green]

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best_vintage_photos wrote: 
To OP: Be sure to properly combine your order next time. If someone is buying more than one item from you, send them a message asking them to wait for your invoice that will combine all items into a single purchase. Everything will be grouped together, totaled up for you and you would be able to use one single tracking number for each of the items purchased.

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I'd still like to know what it is that provoked the error message he's reporting, because I combine shipments all the time, and I've never, not once, ever had that message occur. I'm wondering if it's because I print my label on-line, and I apply the tracking number to all items in the shipment before the package goes out. (I'm assuming here that all the items were purchased by the same buyer ID.)

If the package gets Accepted at the PO first (and thus the tracking number is validated as now In Transit), then I could see the tracking number maybe getting rejected with that error message if the OP tries to apply it to other items after the fact. But if you've printed the label yourself and not yet gotten the number validated by a USPS scan, then I would expect you can apply it to other items bought by the same buyer that went into the same box. That certainly works for me.

[kimberleys_attic]

Sounds like a possible case of forced IPR, which does keep the seller from combining shipping.

[missjen831]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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best_vintage_photos wrote: 
To OP: Be sure to properly combine your order next time. If someone is buying more than one item from you, send them a message asking them to wait for your invoice that will combine all items into a single purchase. Everything will be grouped together, totaled up for you and you would be able to use one single tracking number for each of the items purchased.

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I'd still like to know what it is that provoked the error message he's reporting, because I combine shipments all the time, and I've never, not once, ever had that message occur. I'm wondering if it's because I print my label on-line, and I apply the tracking number to all items in the shipment before the package goes out. (I'm assuming here that all the items were purchased by the same buyer ID.)

If the package gets Accepted at the PO first (and thus the tracking number is validated as now In Transit), then I could see the tracking number maybe getting rejected with that error message if the OP tries to apply it to other items after the fact. But if you've printed the label yourself and not yet gotten the number validated by a USPS scan, then I would expect you can apply it to other items bought by the same buyer that went into the same box. That certainly works for me.

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I have have misunderstood but the way I read it, the orders are not combined. It’s 6 separate orders and the OP didn’t combine them before he printed the label so that’s why he can’t upload the tracking number to each transaction. 

[raceteam]

Ship together for one rate. Since the buyer is new, you might add a courtesy note to them informing them of the shopping cart for multiple purchases in the future and how to request a total payment for all. I didn't get it at first either 😄

The only advantage I can see to shipping in separate packages would be smaller packages in your mailbox and lighter weight packages for your carrier to pick up and handle 😄

[missjen831]

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@rideitout wrote:

Ship together for one rate. Since the buyer is new, you might add a courtesy note to them informing them of the shopping cart for multiple purchases in the future and how to request a total payment for all. I didn't get it at first either 😄

The only advantage I can see to shipping in separate packages would be smaller packages in your mailbox and lighter weight packages for your carrier to pick up and handle 😄

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Most likely the buyer was unable to use the shopping cart because of IPR. The cart is broken and has been for years and the new IPR on items under $1000k has eliminated the “request total” option for many buyers. The button is either greyed out or non existent. 

[a_c_green]

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jen_proudleowife wrote: 
I have have misunderstood but the way I read it, the orders are not combined. It’s 6 separate orders and the OP didn’t combine them before he printed the label so that’s why he can’t upload the tracking number to each transaction. 

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No, you're not misunderstanding. I routinely get buyers who make separate payments, but once I've shipped the first item in the usual manner, I mark each of the others as Shipped, and add the tracking number to each as well. The package itself is still sitting on the dining table at that time; it doesn't go out until first thing in the morning.

P.S. I do wonder whether that might be an unpleasant side-effect of the forced IPR, though. I generally sell at auction, so IPR isn't a factor for me; the items I'm combining are separate auction wins.

[femmefan1946]

I realize I am an outlier on Signature Confirmation, but then I don't even track most of my shipments*.

While Signature Confirmation is only required by eBay/PP to confirm the delivery of purchases over $650(?) in the few cases of Item Not Delivered claims,it still serves two purposes, cheaply.

It calms nervous sellers like the OP,  who his dealing with his first sales. (And congratulations on them , btw!).

And it tells the customer that the seller has an eye on them. Honest buyers won't mind  and may even be pleased that the seller was thoughtful enough to use the added security on a 'free shipping' item. Scammers may be thrown by having to affirm that the item was received.

Like others , I am hoping that the seller understands that Free Shipping just means the cost of shipping is included in the asking price of the item.

And following up on that, if each of the seven sales would have shipped for $3 and the combined shipment only cost $10, then ethically the seller owes the buyer a partial refund.

To complicate matters, that partial refund is NOT $11,but $11- 10%for eBay fees or $10.

The buyer will be delighted by an unexpected refund.

*Don't follow my example on this, I ship from Canada where tracking is 10x more expensive than untracked.

[missjen831]

Signature confirmation can be a real inconvenience to honest buyers and really doesn’t give the seller any added protection on sales under $750. Problem #1 I don’t want the mail carrier ringing by doorbell during the day; my husband works nights and sleeps during the day. A knock at the door or the doorbell sets my dog off and wakes up my husband & understandably makes him irritable. If they come when I am not home, then I can’t run to the door & calm my dog down. If I’m home, my husbands sleep is sinolg

disturbed for a minutes. If I’m not home, the noise and commotion wakes him up completely & he has trouble going back to sleep, gets up for a few hours, goes back to sleep and then wakes up for work feeling like crud. The joys of graveyard shift! If i’m not home, it also means I have to go to the PO to pick up the package which is Problem 2- there is the hassle of going to the PO these days, and this will be an issue for a long time—there is major construction at the courthouse next door and there are only 2 parking spots at the PO because of the construction. Finding parking downtown is a nightmare! There is no public lot anywhere near the PO and extremely limited street parking. I would be royally ticked off if a seller sent my order with signature confirmation & the listing didn’t disclose this information (I would have moved on to another seller had I know there would be sig confirmation!).

[missjen831]

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@a_c_green wrote:

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jen_proudleowife wrote: 
I have have misunderstood but the way I read it, the orders are not combined. It’s 6 separate orders and the OP didn’t combine them before he printed the label so that’s why he can’t upload the tracking number to each transaction. 

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No, you're not misunderstanding. I routinely get buyers who make separate payments, but once I've shipped the first item in the usual manner, I mark each of the others as Shipped, and add the tracking number to each as well. The package itself is still sitting on the dining table at that time; it doesn't go out until first thing in the morning.

P.S. I do wonder whether that might be an unpleasant side-effect of the forced IPR, though. I generally sell at auction, so IPR isn't a factor for me; the items I'm combining are separate auction wins.

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Ok well this is strange then because I’ve seen other sellers with this issue and the orders were also not combined. I think it’s because of IPR myself but can’t prove it & that would explain why you can do it on auctions.

[best_vintage_photos]

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@femmefan1946 wrote:*Don't follow my example on this, I ship from Canada where tracking is 10x more expensive than untracked.

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Wow. I wonder why that is?

[castlemagicmemories]

If anything is refunded, a message through Ebay should be sent to the buyer explain what the refund is for~to cover the seller.

That is what a Blue has stated, as far as I know.

[go-bad-chicken]

FYI - Signature Confirmation is now automatically included with any USPS Postage, for Top Rated Sellers,  purchased through eBay Labels that has an insured value of $501.00 or more.

I just did this an hour ago. I insured a package for $565.00. Sellers can not disable it, as this is a USPS requirement, due to the insured value. 

[femmefan1946]

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@best_vintage_photos wrote:

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@femmefan1946 wrote:*Don't follow my example on this, I ship from Canada where tracking is 10x more expensive than untracked.

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Wow. I wonder why that is?

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Canada Post is a Crown Corporation, not a government department and receives no subsidies , unlike USPS or China Post.

In fact, since it became a Crown Corporation in the 1970s it has usually made a substantial profit, although it charges less than couriers, delivers everywhere in Canada (including Tuktoyaktuk NWT), and pays a solid union wage with decent benefits and a nice pension to its workers.

While a 30gm LetterPost item will cost 85 cents and a 100gm letter $1.20 (about the same as USPS rates), the cheapest tracked service, Expedited Parcel, would be around $12Cdn($10 USD) to move from BC to NL - a distance of about 3000km.

Letters can also be Registered, but that cost $17.50 plus postage last time I looked.

Which is why, like many Canadian sellers I use Cookie Jar Insurance, putting a small amount (less than a dime) into a virtualCookie Jar as insurance against the very occasional problem transaction. Most sellers who use CJI report that they actually make money on it, especially if they add in money NOT spent on postal or third party insurance.

[d-k_treasures]

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@go-bad-chicken wrote:

FYI - Signature Confirmation is now automatically included with any USPS Postage, for Top Rated Sellers,  purchased through eBay Labels that has an insured value of $501.00 or more.

I just did this an hour ago. I insured a package for $565.00. Sellers can not disable it, as this is a USPS requirement, due to the insured value. 

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Are you sure it's real sig conf and not the fact that anything insured for over 500.00 requires a signature anyway? That's 2 separate things. The signature required for insured items over 500.00 isn't viewable online, and sig conf is.

[d-k_treasures]

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@missjen831 wrote:

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@a_c_green wrote:

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jen_proudleowife wrote: 
I have have misunderstood but the way I read it, the orders are not combined. It’s 6 separate orders and the OP didn’t combine them before he printed the label so that’s why he can’t upload the tracking number to each transaction. 

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No, you're not misunderstanding. I routinely get buyers who make separate payments, but once I've shipped the first item in the usual manner, I mark each of the others as Shipped, and add the tracking number to each as well. The package itself is still sitting on the dining table at that time; it doesn't go out until first thing in the morning.

P.S. I do wonder whether that might be an unpleasant side-effect of the forced IPR, though. I generally sell at auction, so IPR isn't a factor for me; the items I'm combining are separate auction wins.

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Ok well this is strange then because I’ve seen other sellers with this issue and the orders were also not combined. I think it’s because of IPR myself but can’t prove it & that would explain why you can do it on auctions.

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I thought someone had a workaround for that? I forget what it was, though.