mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
Regards,
@carlmarxx wrote:I never needed ebay butting in on doing by invoice's for me ,when I know how to do it myself .
Not sure that should be the takeaway from this. Ebay has been sending invoices since around 2006. So between 2006 and 2023, sellers that realized this saved time and did not send invoices to the buyers which just duplicated the email they already received from Ebay.
Unless the seller needs to combine shipping or give some other type of discount or maybe a multiple purchase, sellers can still send these invoices, which provide the buyer with new updated information on their purchase or purchases.
Ebay is saving seller that have been sending invoices for a single purchase a bit of time. It is likely that most sellers didn't do this in the first place as they knew Ebay already took care of it. It is also likely that Ebay decided to stop sellers from being able to do this because buyers complained about the multiple emails.
It also protects sellers from accidentally restarting the 96 hour clock on being able to file a Cancelation because the buyer did not pay, as it resets every time an invoice is sent unless you are using the Tool in your Site Preferences that automatically sends the Cancellation.
For sellers that are upset by not being able to send these single invoices anymore, they can make a simple adjustment and use the new found time to send a message to the buyer instead, thanking them for their purchase. They could create a canned message to copy and paste to save time so they don't have to retype it each time as well.
I get it that some sellers are upset. Change can be difficult to adjust to, it is just part of human nature. This one however can be replaced easy enough by just sending a message instead of an invoice if one has the need to communicate in some way with the buyer after a purchase.
@mr_lincoln wrote:
You bring up an excellent point about the combination of BIN and Auction purchases from one Buyer. A number of years ago I brought the idea of Sellers having a "Pause" feature on their transactions. In essence it would be useful in your BIN and Auction example where purchases are spread over a few days ... the Pause function would suspend a listing from the Seller metrics (which are already too subjective) and allow a Seller the ability to work something out with a Buyer or Combine items spread over a few days without penalties for late shipping, etc.
I have always been of the opinion that Sellers have little flexibility in constructing their own deals for their own products with their own customers ... notice eBay is not part of that right? eBay has historically been good at juggling one ball and rating Sellers accordingly ... sadly, I think that has influenced how much flexibility sellers are given all for the sake of metrics that in most cases are subjective at best and rely on the honesty or dishonesty of Buyers.
If a buyer wants combined shipping, a seller should not encourage them to make separate payments. They should let them know not to pay until they have purchased everything.
Sellers that frequently have buyers of multiple items should seriously consider going to their Buyer Requirements and turning OFF the requirement for buyers bidding on auctions to supply a payment source when they set their first bid. They are rolling this out across the site.
The other new option should be fine as it is for Offers. Requiring buyers to supply a payment source if their offer gets accepted by the seller. That one likely won't create too much of an issue if any for multiple purchases.
I even have a note in all my listings for those that want combined shipping. To purchase what they want FIRST then ask for a combined shipping total.
@carlmarxx wrote:Sooner then later ,These policy change's will comeback to bite the folks running ebay because members sellers & buyers can take only so much and head out the door.
Help me to understand why you say this @carlmarxx . I really do want to understand. Ebay has been sending invoices for around 17 years now. What kind of issue is this going to cause to stop sending duplicate invoices to a buyer? I am sincerely asking so I can better understand your point of view and that of others.
Comments in red
@mam98031 wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:
You bring up an excellent point about the combination of BIN and Auction purchases from one Buyer. A number of years ago I brought the idea of Sellers having a "Pause" feature on their transactions. In essence it would be useful in your BIN and Auction example where purchases are spread over a few days ... the Pause function would suspend a listing from the Seller metrics (which are already too subjective) and allow a Seller the ability to work something out with a Buyer or Combine items spread over a few days without penalties for late shipping, etc.
I have always been of the opinion that Sellers have little flexibility in constructing their own deals for their own products with their own customers ... notice eBay is not part of that right? eBay has historically been good at juggling one ball and rating Sellers accordingly ... sadly, I think that has influenced how much flexibility sellers are given all for the sake of metrics that in most cases are subjective at best and rely on the honesty or dishonesty of Buyers.
If a buyer wants combined shipping, a seller should not encourage them to make separate payments. They should let them know not to pay until they have purchased everything. That would work perfectly if Buyers communicated before buying, they don't always do that. While it only happens a couple times a year I will get a message from a Buyer that they purchased a BIN item but are planning to bid on an auction and can I combine them. I want the flexibility to say "sure" and wait, not have to explain eBay's Late shipping defect Seller Metric on the BIN and 1 day handling, etc., etc., etc.
My listing descriptions all end with "Questions welcome. Shipping is combined." but I still get numerous Buyers asking if I combine shipping ... notes on the listing to Buyers are not 100% effective, they don't all read LOL, nothing new there.
I am reluctant to not require immediate payment on my BINs, not that I have a ton of UPIs on my auctions but I do get them. If eBay would give ME the flexibility to construct my own deals and suspend the "occasional" transaction from the Seller metrics the situation would be solved.
Sellers that frequently have buyers of multiple items should seriously consider going to their Buyer Requirements and turning OFF the requirement for buyers bidding on auctions to supply a payment source when they set their first bid. They are rolling this out across the site. I turned mine off the day I learned they rolled it in to my account ... unannounced.
The other new option should be fine as it is for Offers. Requiring buyers to supply a payment source if their offer gets accepted by the seller. That one likely won't create too much of an issue if any for multiple purchases. I personally like the new Autopay feature even though I don't use it. I think its value in stopping certain scams is beneficial for high value items and especially New Sellers ... I think it should be mandatory for New accounts for say 1 year for the New account's own protection ... just my opinion of course.
I even have a note in all my listings for those that want combined shipping. To purchase what they want FIRST then ask for a combined shipping total. It is certainly something I could test by turning off immediate payment required on my listings but the note in the listing I can't count on Buyers reading, Buyers have already proven to me that they don't all read LOL.
I have often wondered about the Seller metrics and the need for them as it relates to the % of offending Sellers. Are they needed because there are that many bad Sellers and eBay feels the need to try and control them via the metrics or are the metrics there for a small % of really bad Sellers that they want to get rid of by having them shoot themselves in the foot by not following certain guidelines?
@carlmarxx wrote:I never looked at winning notification ebay a true invoice Percey, when buy win's a auction or BIN from one seller only once . ebay does over kill on sending too many auto invoice payment reminders.
Not sure about the "Percey" reference. To my knowledge Ebay sends the notification of the purchase email that has the invoice in it and if after 3 days they don't pay a payment reminder goes out. So I'm unsure how that is excessive as after day 4 and no payment the seller would likely cancel the transaction for non payment.
I think you are way over thinking this. But that is just my opinion. A seller's "metrics" has nothing to do with sending an invoice.
What I an tell you is that I do not and have not sent my customers invoices in decades unless I need to combined shipping. I do not have a big problem with buyers not paying.
If I get a buyer that purchased multiple items and just paid without contacting me for an invoice, then I simply refund them for the overpayment of shipping. This doesn't have to be a complicated process.
IDK why anyone thinks with this change Ebay has taken away your ability to send a combined invoice.
Whether you should or shouldn't use IPR is a completely separate subject and you just need to do what is best for you.
@gail5176 wrote:I know eBay sends invoices/but I like to add a personal touch when I send one myself/to just take that away with no notice is wrong
I respect that some sellers like to do that, but now you can't. So instead, just send them an email and thank them for the purchase. It accomplishes the same thing.
