Problems combining shipping

[varebelrose]

Hello all.

I am wondering if something has changed on the eBay checkout system. We do not have any combined shipping rules set, nor do we have the immediate payment required option turned on. In the past, on the rare occasion that someone wanted to buy multiple fixed price items and combine shipping, we asked them to do a buy-it-now, do not pay, and when they showed up on our end as unpaid items, we could package them together and send an invoice with combined shipping. Lately we have had several buyers telling us that this is no longer possible; backing out of the pay now screen cancels the purchase (i have been sent screenshots to confirm this).

Anyone have any suggestions on what is going on, or how to "work around" this issue? Setting the combined shipping rules seems impossible (how do you anticipate what combined shipping might be on multiple items of dissimiliar size/weight? This last purchase was for a 20" doll and a DVD set...).

We have been telling the buyers we will end the listings and create a special combined one for them, which works but is inconvenient for seller and buyer, and wastes a listing, plus it makes it hard to get all the condition details in the listing.

thanks in advance for any ideas.

[penguins_dont_fly]

I don't know what's going on with checkout, but there have been posts about buyers being "commited" on a BIN item without IPR ...

I can tell you how I set up my combined shipping rules, if that might help in the future. 99% of my items are BIN/IPR.

First, all of my shipping is set to Calculated USPS Priority.

I figured out that my average packaging matierial weight is 1 to 1.5 lbs, depending on box size.

I weigh my items without packaging and enter the weight of the item as Item+1lb (or 1.5 on larger items) ... I use the "Custom Weight" when listing, not the generic  xx - xx lbs.

When listing larger items that may get ballooned, I make sure that I list as "Large Package".

My Calculated Shipping rule says "add all weights and subtract 14 oz"

The calculator will take the heaviest item and add weight to it minus 14 oz for each additional item purchased (which leaves me 2 oz per item for bubble wrap/styro)

It is usually spot on.

Note that this only works if all of your shipping options are the same ... and it doesn't work well for 1st Class items that may combine to be over 15.99 ounces.

[swenson8781]

All the buyers need to do is put the items in their 'cart', then hit the 'request total from seller' button.  

Combined shipping rules do not, and have not ever worked well for me either.  I've gone to all free shipping now, but prior to that I had a little blurb in my description stating that I do combine & discount shipping.  

Here is what I had in mine.....Yes, I do offer a discount on shipping charges when more than one item is purchased!  I charge the highest shipping rate, then an additional $2 per item for purchases shipped to a US address.  Simply add all the items into your shopping cart, then click the 'request total from seller' button.

Just to give you an idea.  You can word it however you choose, but at least it tells buyers that you offer a discount, and how to go about receiving it.  Easy peasy for you and them 🙂

[varebelrose]

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@swenson8781 wrote:

All the buyers need to do is put the items in their 'cart', then hit the 'request total from seller' button.  

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One of the recent problems I am describing was with a buyer purchasing 3 DVDs, and had them in his shopping cart...he claimed he could not find a way to request total. At the time,my understanding was that this was because items in the cart are technically not purchased yet, until they commit to buy (I think this is the case?)....and the commit to buy page was asking full individual shipping with no way to commit without paying immediately.

Its almost as if they changed fundamental operating systems without telling anyone, but they would never do that, would they? 🙂

[swenson8781 · Accepted solution]

@varebelrose

I just put 3 items of yours into my cart, 2 had shipping charges.  The 'request total from seller' button is small, and at the very top right of all the items that are in the cart.  

The buyer can still request a total for items, it's just not an easy button to find.  Find another seller, put some items into your cart, and search for the button.  Like I said, top right.  Then you will know where to tell buyers to look for it, should they question you 🙂 

If sellers are willing to combine shipping charges, this is the current way the ebay system prefers buyer do it, by using the 'cart'.  It's not an easy find (as nothing ever is! lol) unless you know what you are looking for, but it's there, and works much better than trying to create a combined listing for individual buyers 🙂 

[varebelrose]

@swenson8781

Thanks, you are exactly right! Unfortunately I did not get a screenshot from the buyer that was using the cart, but I do know what to tell them to look for now.

Have a great afternoon!

[varebelrose]

If the "ask seller for total" is now on the shopping cart page, it brings up an interesting question....

I thought items in a cart were not purchased yet, and someone else could view and buy them. If this is still the case, isnt it possible that:

Buyer A puts x number of your items in their cart, asks for total, you repackage, send them a quote, and when they go to purchase, Buyer B has bought one or more of them? Wouldn't that be a "bad buyer experience"? How would we recover that multi-item sale? "Sorry, item #3 is no longer available, but if you ask me again about the other 4, i can send another total.."?

or, if items in a cart are, in fact,  now invisible and off limits to other buyers/window shoppers, if Buyer A asks the same question for those 5 items, then buyer A  either disappears for a week or even decides the total is too high, and doesnt empty their cart, are those items now lost in limbo and invisible to other buyers? How would we go about getting them back in active listing status?

I am glad the PTB are trying to do *something* to make it easier for multiple item buyers, but it also would be nice if they communicated this change and exactly *how* it works so sellers can manage it as best they can. I guess I am expecting too much yet again.

[swenson8781]

That's a good question @varebelrose!

I know that items just sitting in cart are still visible and available for purchase.  

From what I researched, not on ebay (couldn't find anything in ebay rules so far), the consensus is that once a buyer clicks the 'request a total' button, they have committed to the purchase.  Which makes sense.  So no, after they request a total from you, the items cannot be sold to another buyer.  And if the buyer then doesn't pay for the invoice you've sent them, then you would be able to file UPI for those items, and eventually relist.

[snard-snard]

I had the same question about how do I show combined shipping and found this thread.

The good news is I found my answer.

The bad news is I found my answer.

Now, if a listing has Immediate Payment Required noted, you're expecting the buyer to commit to purchase prior to them knowing the actual shipping cost.

Also, I assume that what used to appear under shipping as Each Additional Item, no longer appears there.

Silly me for thinking that if someone wants to know if a seller offers combined shipping, they would expect to find that information in the section of the listing designated as Shipping.

Maybe I'm wrong in my assumption or just too ignorant to understand eBay's incessant addiction to fix something that isn't broken.

Or, could it be that when eBay decides to make a change, they haven't the mental capacity to investigate any peripheral items or functions that may be affected so any subsequent changes end up appearing to be disruptive piece meal patches like this one.

When I was in the Marine Corps, we had a name for that.  It was called toes and heels.  Guys that didn't have any attention to detail fell into the category of those who shined the toes of their boots but never did the heels.

Said another way and more pertaining to eBay, they were guys that would blow their nose but never wipe their _ ss.  I'll let you decide what the missing letter is.

[ymeagainlord]

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@varebelrose wrote:

If the "ask seller for total" is now on the shopping cart page, it brings up an interesting question....

I thought items in a cart were not purchased yet, and someone else could view and buy them. If this is still the case, isnt it possible that:

Buyer A puts x number of your items in their cart, asks for total, you repackage, send them a quote, and when they go to purchase, Buyer B has bought one or more of them? Wouldn't that be a "bad buyer experience"? How would we recover that multi-item sale? "Sorry, item #3 is no longer available, but if you ask me again about the other 4, i can send another total.."?

or, if items in a cart are, in fact,  now invisible and off limits to other buyers/window shoppers, if Buyer A asks the same question for those 5 items, then buyer A  either disappears for a week or even decides the total is too high, and doesnt empty their cart, are those items now lost in limbo and invisible to other buyers? How would we go about getting them back in active listing status?

I am glad the PTB are trying to do *something* to make it easier for multiple item buyers, but it also would be nice if they communicated this change and exactly *how* it works so sellers can manage it as best they can. I guess I am expecting too much yet again.

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Items in a cart ARE still available for sale UNTIL a buyer hits the request total button (which is usually either nigh on invsible or never appears). Once a buyer hits request total the items in the cart are now a commitmnet to buy. It has to change it or the seller wouldn't be able to see the items at their end to issue an invoice.

I've had buyers ask me in a message to send an invoice for items in their cart but had to explain the seller can't see what's in carts until they're actually "sold"

[pjcdn2005]

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@snard-snard wrote:

I had the same question about how do I show combined shipping and found this thread.

The good news is I found my answer.

The bad news is I found my answer.

Now, if a listing has Immediate Payment Required noted, you're expecting the buyer to commit to purchase prior to them knowing the actual shipping cost.

Also, I assume that what used to appear under shipping as Each Additional Item, no longer appears there.

Silly me for thinking that if someone wants to know if a seller offers combined shipping, they would expect to find that information in the section of the listing designated as Shipping.

Maybe I'm wrong in my assumption or just too ignorant to understand eBay's incessant addiction to fix something that isn't broken.

Or, could it be that when eBay decides to make a change, they haven't the mental capacity to investigate any peripheral items or functions that may be affected so any subsequent changes end up appearing to be disruptive piece meal patches like this one.

When I was in the Marine Corps, we had a name for that.  It was called toes and heels.  Guys that didn't have any attention to detail fell into the category of those who shined the toes of their boots but never did the heels.

Said another way and more pertaining to eBay, they were guys that would blow their nose but never wipe their _ ss.  I'll let you decide what the missing letter is.

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If there is more than one item a available in that listing the buyer can still see the shipping cost for each additional item.  I'm not sure why you would assume it isn't there any longer.

[berkeley-burt]

That used to work. Now hungry eBay changed the look of the page where the buyer page by dropping out the line with the word "CART." If you want to buy more than one item from the same dealer and the dealer offers combined shipping, you can no longer get an immediate invoice. What a Canadian dealer (where shipping to the U.S. is expensive) agreed to do using Paypal, is buy the two items seperately, pay the full shipping price (which is incredible) and he refunds the overage immediately through Paypal.

Berkeley-burt

[bazilahanisham280407]

I have tried hitting the 'request total from seller' button over and over again, but I keep on receiving the same error message saying that "we can't complete your request for now".. 

May I know whats the problem is..

[elziggo]

This is still a HUGE problem. I tried to purchase 8 items from a seller who in his postings offered combined shipping. Told to put items in cart, DO NOT pay, but instead request total from seller, Which I followed exactly, ONLY to be told by EBAY or Paypal that this seller does NOT offer combined shipping. When contacting seller, Seller stated that this problem was NOT him but EBAY!!!! that he does offer combined shipping. EBAY please correct YOUR ERROR!!!!!! THIS is a huge fatal flaw

[varebelrose]

I too had the same problem yet again...but found a solution. (Is it bad form to mark one's own post as a solution?). There is a checkbox in site preferences/selling preferences to allow combined shipping. At some point in the updates, our box went from yes to no. Changing it back to yes allowed our buyer today to successfully ask for total combined. So, for anyone having this issue, under this particular software revision, check this first!