Three Separate Transactions - Buyer demanding that I separate packages

[williazwer_0]

Hi, I could use my advice here

I sell VERY LOW MARGIN items on my page - some as low as ONE PENNY. I make it VERY CLEAR in my posts that I do NOT COMBINE SHIPPING.   In some cases, the ONLY PROFIT I make on a low margin auction is a few cents on the shipping.

The winning bidder on THREE of my auctions - a grand total of 2 dollars or so -  obviously did not read my ad, and

a. First asked if we combined shipping - we said NO; and

b. Upon payment, is now DEMANDING that I send in "Three specific packages" - in other words, they WANT to see me take a loss.

I have two choices here - cancel the three auctions (and impact my rating,) OR, send as is - in ONE package, and risk getting THREE negative feedbacks.

What's the least worst option here? I Refuse to give my product away to vindictive buyers looking to game the system for free items.

[kenneth686321]

So you want your cake and eat it too right? 

The buyer is not demanding anything. All they are asking is that you adhere to your listing terms. 

You do not combine shipping, your choice, thats fair. You charged your buyer 3 separate shipping charges so the buyer would be expecting 3 separate packages. 

You can not charge 3 separate shipping charges, tell your buyer you don't combine shipping and combine into one package anyways without giving your buyer a shipping discount. Thats just asking for a disgruntled buyer leaving negative feedback. You either combine shipping or you don't you can't do both.    

You should rethink your business model, if you are trying to make a profit on shipping. It looks unsustainable and cause you more problems. 

[gamersbaystore]

Buyers are not allowed to make demands for anything that wasn't mentioned in the listing. They can ask, but they cannot demand. Your buyer is violating ebay's policies by doing so.  Likewise, you have no obligation to negotiate prices after a sale either.

You have no obligation to ship a certain way, and your buyer has no say in it whatsoever.

I don't think cancelling is a wise idea, that could negatively affect your account. You definitely have some defense should they leave negative feedback.

I report the buyer regardless, they made unreasonable demands that were not part of the sale.

[kenneth686321]

Forgot to add. Ship your items out 3 packages since you stated in your listing that you do not combine shipping. 

In the future I'll give you 2 options 

1. If you don't want to combine shipping, charge a shipping cost that allows you to make a profit on every item shipped separately, even if a buyer buyer more than one. 

2. Change your auctions to fixed price. Charge a higher BIN price, lower the shipping cost and offer combined shipping like everybody else. 

[gamersbaystore]

Wrong. Buyers are obligated to pay the price they agreed to pay at checkout. They are also obligated to the terms laid out in the listing; such as the OP clearly stating they do not combine shipping.

Haggling over the price after a sale and demanding things be shipped a certain way are both violations of ebay's policies. You can't demand anything that wasn't stated in the listing.

[chapeau-noir]

You are fighting over crumbs. My advice is to change how you are selling.

I would suggest taking door #2 of @kenneth686321 options.

[gamersbaystore]

The OP has no obligation to offer combined shipping. I do not offer it on every product I sell either. For instance, I don't combine shipping on movies and video games, as the movies ship media mail, and the video games ship ground advantage, 2 completely different methods of shipping. 

[stephenmorgan]

Can you combine the items into one package and offer a $2 or $3 discount on shipping?

Is shipping the items separately cheaper than discounting the shipping a little?

If the items were sold on different days or to different buyers you would be shipping them separately, correct?

[yuzuha]

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@gamersbaystore wrote:

Buyers are not allowed to make demands for anything that wasn't mentioned in the listing. They can ask, but they cannot demand. Your buyer is violating ebay's policies by doing so. 

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Except in this case, what the buyer is asking for is exactly what was stated in the listing: no combined shipping. So they're violating exactly nothing.

[mam98031]

Well you kind of boxed the buyer into making that statement.  Put yourself in their place.

You won't give them a combined shipping break with purchasing multiple items, you are requiring that they pay the full shipping fee stated on the listing.  OK I get that, I don't agree with it, but I understand.

So the buyers reaction is OK since I can't get a combined shipping discount I want each of my items shipped separately.  I'm unsure as to why you find that surprising or an unfair request.  It appears that you were planning to ship all the items together but NOT give the buyer ANY benefit to the money you saved in the shipping, it was all going to your pocket.  And you somehow think that is fair.

The buyer didn't set your pricing.  Starting ANY auction off for below what your costs are is not a good thing to do.  At a minimum your auctions should start off at a break even price.

Shipping charges are NOT a profit center and should NEVER be treated as one in the way you are doing it.  It is unfair to the buyers.

If the buyer were to give you 3 negative FBs because you shipped all three items in one package, charged them full shipping on all three times and then shipped the items TOGETHER and pocketed the money you saved in shipping.  You betcha that buyer is going to hit your FB.  Why in the world would you think they wouldn't????

On a separate note, you have some Magazines for sale and oddly enough you have the shipping charge a bit low.  Magazines are NOT eligible for Media Mail, so you will have to send them Ground Advantage, so you should check your costs again.

[mam98031]

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@gamersbaystore wrote:

Wrong. Buyers are obligated to pay the price they agreed to pay at checkout. They are also obligated to the terms laid out in the listing; such as the OP clearly stating they do not combine shipping.

Haggling over the price after a sale and demanding things be shipped a certain way are both violations of ebay's policies. You can't demand anything that wasn't stated in the listing.

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Not wrong.  The buyer was willing to pay the three separate shipping charges, they just wanted the Seller to also adhere to the stated terms and ship each one separately.  There is NOTHING wrong with that.

What is WRONG is to not offer the buyer combined shipping, but when the buyer buys multiple items the Seller WILL take advantage of that and ship as if Combined Shipping was in play by shipping the items all together and making a tidy profit off the shipping.

The seller wants to deny the buyer so the Seller can make EXTRA money.  Refuse the buyer combined shipping discounts while the seller ships them combined.  Very wrong on the Seller's part.

[mam98031]

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@gamersbaystore wrote:

The OP has no obligation to offer combined shipping. I do not offer it on every product I sell either. For instance, I don't combine shipping on movies and video games, as the movies ship media mail, and the video games ship ground advantage, 2 completely different methods of shipping. 

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That is completely different than what the OP is doing.  They are not allowing the BUYER combined shipping, but the Seller is willing to ship doing combined shipping and pocketing the extra money.

[stephenmorgan]

I once asked for combined shipping for three of the same items.  The seller said that the shipping is the same because they had to ship separately.  I ordered one item and when I received it, I ordered the second one and did the same for the third one.  The seller chewed me out stating how he could have sent them all in one package.  I did not need all three at the same time and I would not save anything ordering them all together so I do not understand why it is was problem to order them one at a time and besides he already stated items would be shipped separately.

[inhawaii]

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@williazwer_0 wrote:

Hi, I could use my advice here

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My advice:  Re-think your business plan.

[luckythewinner]

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@williazwer_0 wrote:

I sell VERY LOW MARGIN items on my page - some as low as ONE PENNY.
What's the least worst option here?
I Refuse to give my product away to vindictive buyers looking to game the system for free items.

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You are the one looking to game the system by taking a 1 penny margin on the item and expecting to make a profit on shipping.

If this was three separate buyers, you would end up sending three separate packages.

Combined shipping is now commonplace on eBay. The flaw here is in your business plan, not the buyer's expectations.