Shipping and handling fees on multiple-item listing

[kamikamio]

I am selling SSDs, and due to the high item value, I would like to include insurance charges on the shipping cost.

I have set up a multiple-item listing, with calculated shipping and a handling fee which is an approximate insurance cost for one item.

I fully expect when a buyer buys multiple items, the total S&H will be calculated as shipping + N x handling.

But I was surprised that a recent order came through with a buyer purchased 3 drives, and only paid shipping + 1 x handling. As a result the S&H cannot cover the insurance at all... :{

Making the matter worse, currently there is no where to get a preview of the total S&H on the listing page, so I have no idea how it is actually calculated...

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

Insurance is overhead.  Add it to the price of the item.

There is no need to mention insurance in your listing. Buyers don't need insurance.  eBay's buyer protection policy, which they call the "Money back guarantee," ensures that the buyer will get a full refund if the item is lost or damaged. Insurance protects the seller, not the buyer.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

[kamikamio]

I end up resorting to put the approximate insurance for all items in the handling fee, which screw up the S&H cost for buyers only interested in one item. Not a good solution... :{

[gwzcomps]

As it is your shipping is too high, as you have noticed.  You are better off building the shipping into the price of the drive and doing free shipping.  If you want to be conservative I would guess $12 a drive.

[kamikamio]

Well, I was making an extra effort to be transparent to buyers what they are paying for...

Oh well, sometimes the effort backfires.

I agree with you two that build the insurance into the price is much less of a hassle.