Sellers and Buyers Beware one reason why your sales are suffering

[quicksilverdiecast]

2nd Buyer today messages me "I tried through my ebay cart but wouldn't allow me to ask for combined shipping?"

This is the latest one of over 300 instances (documented) of issues with the cart where a seller nor buyer can complete a successful accurate total. and either gave up or was forced by ebay to pay shipping(and additional ebay fees) on each item rather than letting the seller actually combine the order or even allow the buyer to "request" and new combined total...I have been over and over with them on this ebay has checked my settings in my store and say they all check out ok. I spend the time it takes to show them step by step for them to recreate the issue which they do and see there is a problem and write "IT" tickets to send upstream to those who created the problems....YET in over 2 years NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, and we keep losing sales....In this economy it is hard enough to keep sales going, but when you pay ebay to hinder your sales....that is a bigger problem. 

[stephenmorgan]

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@quicksilverdiecast wrote:

AND as for the pop up window you show stating I have already "OFFERED" a discount for these items"  I have NOT and even if I did what difference does it make on how much the items will weigh packaged together....it is apples and oranges....

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Since the pop-up window is beside the "Request combine shipping" button I would understand the discount it is talking about is with the shipping. On your first item the shipping to me is $6.05 but if I buy two items the shipping is not $12.10. The shipping is discounted to $8.85 and this is what I understand already "OFFERED" a discount is talking about.

I do agree that it would make sense to allow you to further reduce shipping if you choose to. What if a person is buying enough items that you want to give them free shipping? You cannot do it unless you make a special listing for them. Sometimes a person will have already moved on to a different item if it gets too complicated.

[duffy4444 · Accepted solution]

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@quicksilverdiecast wrote:

I appreciate your input on this and will look into it over the weekend and if indeed eliminates ebay's involvement in the shipping end I AM GAME...the less ebay interferes with things the better...It is obvious they know nothing about shipping and good customers service there of, and should stay in their own lane.

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@quicksilverdiecast:

    What I can tell you on this particular subject is what I learned about a reliable 3rd party shipping/labeling service.

    When I switched ~15 years ago away from eBay's shipping/labeling "service" to Stamps.com,  I found how easy shipping and combined shipping could be. After importing all the orders there with one click, under Profiles I simply click on the eBay Profile > Awaiting Shipment > click on the orders I want to combine > go up to Combine Orders > click once, and boom - all orders are combined into the one common address in as little as 15- 20 seconds. Then all I do is weigh the one box, select the shipping choices, and the label and combined packing slip are ready to print. Easy-peasy.

    In addition, Stamps automatically posts back to eBay all the tracking information, marks the items shipped for me there, and even includes automatic positive feedback for the buyer if I want. All done automatically.... I'll never go back to eBay's shipping labeling "no service".

    Other 3rd party shipping services are also available, but I have stayed with Stamps.com all this time now for only $20/month and also get real live, understandable people on the other end of the 800 line when necessary, who have the authority to actually answer a question truthfully or even solve a problem or reliably pass me along to a tech when necessary. I've only had to do this 2-3 times over the years.

   This has been my experience. I like simplicity and reliability, and I hope it's helpful to many others who are tired of pulling their hear out.

Cheers, Duffy

[ittybitnot]

I found how easy shipping and combined shipping could be. 

@duffy4444 

Yes, we understand how to put all the items in one parcel and create a label.  How do you then  deal with a buyer who has not/cannot request a total that reflects the new shipping cost for combined items?  How do you deal with a buyer that is forced by eBay to pay full shipping price on each item,  and has already done so? 

[inhawaii]

"Sellers and Buyers Beware one reason why your sales are suffering"

I don't think everyone's sales are suffering.

[duffy4444]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

I found how easy shipping and combined shipping could be. 

@duffy4444 

Yes, we understand how to put all the items in one parcel and create a label.  How do you then  deal with a buyer who has not/cannot request a total that reflects the new shipping cost for combined items?  How do you deal with a buyer that is forced by eBay to pay full shipping price on each item,  and has already done so? 

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    @ittybitnot:

    On only two or three occasions have I had a buyer who was so concerned about combined shipping costs that they requested a total. I estimated it and replied. On each occasion the buyer was ok with the estimate and the buyer trusted me, paid full shipping and was refunded the bulk of the difference when it was calculated and ready to ship. It's a moot point with free shipping.

 How do you deal with a buyer that is forced by eBay to pay full shipping price on each item,  and has already done so?

    See my response #16 above. They get refunded, are happy, and often become return customers.

    This whole issue is not really on either my or the buyer's radar of things to worry about, and is dealt with by wording in my listings and buyer faith.

    The only real question I get about combined shipping is whether I can do it or not, and not about how much money the buyer saves. The vast majority of my buyers just order what they want, use eBay's Shopping Cart feature, and don't even contact me about how much they're going to save. If they don't use the Shopping Cart, I easily combine the items into one shipment at Stamps.com and refund the bulk of the savings.

    Happy customers -- that's what it's all about.

Cheers,

Duffy

[quicksilverdiecast]

3/31/2024

Here is another one...

" I have 16 items in cart including this at 81.80 shipping."

 and that is where he is trapped with no way but being forced by ebay...(and this is going to stop ebay) to pay for each item...

[quicksilverdiecast]

Fortunately my sales are up 10% and doing well, however could be doing a LOT better without ebay in the middle of shipping when it comes to multiple item orders which can be in the 100's of dollars, that ebays blows out of the water upon the sticker shock of shipping costs.....profit is not a dirty word but being molested is. Sure the current state of chaos that has been created and not getting better is a challenge for sure...but when ebay intentionally screws things up and lack of if any common sense...well....

I want to see all sellers do well and make it worth the effort, as well as buyers (legit buyers) get a good deal and customer service(which ebay sorely lacks). That way the buyers come back and buy more as well as good word of mouth....as for ebays word of mouth on the street we all know slangs of which none is positive...

[quicksilverdiecast]

3/31/2024

This is a follow up to Kevin's transaction and his message to me:

"I appreciate the effort and yes I will reach out to Ebay on this.

FYI, the link on my end when i went to pay for it that usually lets me request combined shipping gave me the reason it wouldn t allow it: cannot combine shipping on items that require immediate payment ...LOL makes ZERO sense, right? Payment due timing shouldn t align with combined shipping but oh well."

I have also found to ask sellers to take screen shots if they would...and have found that what ebay is telling them does not match the facts at hand...the above ebay lie 

"reason it wouldn t allow it: cannot combine shipping on items that require immediate payment" is utterly false as not one of the items he purchased was checked for immediate payment....facts that ebay cannot deny...but sounds good to the buyer with ebay shifting the blame to the seller so they do not take the heat.

When the buyers find out the truth and how they have been being ripped off by ebay ...even with other sellers....they get slightly upset as well as calling ebay to educate them.

additional: once I just completed MY combined shipping accurately and here is the results:

Refund Details
$42.27 refund initiated Mar 31, 2024

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Now how many buyers do you think would go forward and pay this much of an overcharge on shipping? Be it my customer or yours? I can assure you very few and even less if your in accurate feedback might play into it...which feedback can and does affect how much ebay can get away with charging you in fees and hoops you have to jump through.

[twk]

I find I cannot get a combined shipping cost from a seller when they have the offering set up for immediate payment.   I find myself passing on many things due to this.  Combined shipping helps with todays astronomical shipping costs.

[allthingssurplus]

I use a third party shipping service, ShipWorks (owned by Stampas.com).  It is fare superior to eBay shipping and cheaper and maintain all of our sales since 2011.  I can look up what Buyer purchased what for the past 13 years and contact them when I have more of the same product.  Cost, just went up to $24.99 a month.  As you stated tracking number are sent directly to eBay.

Here is the major with the tracking number.  In December 1, 2024 eBay took all of the power from CS.  Now AI monitors the tracking and delivery times.  We deal in returns, a  very common thing in online selling.  Well eBay has no idea about returns.  I currently have some 23 shipping defects on my account due to returns.  What happens now after 12/1/20 AI picks up the replacement delivery tracking date and applies it to the original tracking delivery date of the item.  So it appears to AI that the original sale was two week late when in fact the Seller is doing a great job at customer service.  

I have many tickets on this with IT.  I have messages your CS agents that sent us email agreeing this is what is happening.  They all say would like to fix this however no long are able.  They sent all the my tracking to the back office team ( AI ) for review and nothing happens.

eBay is systematically taking away my 10% discount on FVF with their AI tracking system.  I calculate at the rate I am receiving these shipping defects in another 3 months I'll lose the 10% discount and in our case that is $700-900 a month.  Is the eBay system working as designed I believe so.  It gear to remove FVF discounts and boost the bottom line for their sharehholders.

[anjofak]

I wouldn't want things to sell if I was selling advertising...