Wants to combine orders from two different eBay accounts

[sin-n-dex]

So a few weeks ago a buyer in South Korea won three cheap items at auction. I combined and added shipping.

This past Sunday another account from South Korea won three more cheap items. And then I get a message after combining shipping to "combine with these items" (from the other account).

I told him the items were bought by a different eBay account. He tells me it's both him, so please combine. He points out the shipping address is the same.

I replied back that if I add tracking to one account's order I can't add it to the other account, eBay policy. It's been crickets since. The stuff from last Sunday hasn't gone long enough for me to cancel. I can cancel his two weeks ago items but I don't want to do that until I cancel everything.

In all likelihood for $5 in coins this isn't a scam. But I don't get to keep all my money by letting my guard down and making exceptions that prevent me from getting the protections eBay offers, like adding tracking to prove delivery. Even if it's not a big deal to be out $5 in coins (which probably cost $1), I'm out $12 in postage.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@sapphire_studio wrote:

They are probably trying to use some coupon multiple times on different accounts and still save on shipping

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I suggested cancelling and letting them buy again to combine, and I've been ignored.

If I continue to be ignored past 96 hours I'm going to cancel and block. The first order I can cancel now, the second will be tomorrow night.

I will continue to banter back and forth to try and work out a solution with a buyer, but if I'm completely ignored, then it's time to cancel.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

     OP didn't mention which items but they appear to have a lot of auctions. Guest Accounts cannot bid on auctions. 

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There's 65-80 auction items a week (which is all this buyer bought), and this buyer has feedback (under 100 for each account), so I didn't think it was a guest account.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@fbusoni wrote:

I encountered something very similar a few years back.  Two different BIN items, two different buyer accounts, seller in Europe.

Buyer cancelled both orders and I then listed both items in a single BIN listing.  Sent the link to the buyer.  Happy ending.

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That's another good idea (provided he doesn't have some reason for needing to purchase on two accounts).

I have to hear back from him to talk about what we'll do... it's been 24 hours of crickets since I messaged him.

C.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

Cancel based on buyers address and block!

Why deal with such a buyer who is apparently operating under multiple I.D.'s, but requesting you to combine?

I would report them to eBay. This is not normal business practices. 

[brightlightbookseller]

Report based on what?  They're not violating any policies by having multiple accounts, it's not only allowed but just about encouraged.  Please think before you post.

[dbfolks166mt]

Cancel based on buyers address and block!

Why deal with such a buyer who is apparently operating under multiple I.D.'s, but requesting you to combine?

I would report them to eBay. This is not normal business practices. 

     More common than you think. When I was buying a lot I had two buying accounts one for personal purchase and another for items I was going to sell or that were for parts I was using to fix something I was going to sell. 

[deltilogical]

"When I was buying a lot I had two buying accounts one for personal purchase and another for items I was going to sell or that were for parts I was using to fix something I was going to sell."

But did you ask Sellers to combine orders from the 2 different accounts?   

[tobaccocardyahoo]

Even if it's not a big deal to be out $5 in coins (which probably cost $1), I'm out $12 in postage.

You have already lost money on this transaction. And so has everyone who has read or participated in this thread.

[sin-n-dex]

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@tobaccocardyahoo wrote:

Even if it's not a big deal to be out $5 in coins (which probably cost $1), I'm out $12 in postage.

You have already lost money on this transaction. And so has everyone who has read or participated in this thread.

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I run auctions to create traffic in the store, they are not my main source of revenue.

By your second statement I've lost lots and lots of money reading threads and participating, but I'm not reading the newsgroup when I could be selling... I'm reading the newsgroup when I'd otherwise be wasting time on something around the house. I'm sure many people are not reading the group instead of selling.

C.

[mam98031]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

You hadn't shipped the first order?  After all that time why hadn't you cancelled them for Non payment?

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On the auctions I don't rush to cancel for non-payment. Some people combine over a few weeks, it's just with their same eBay account. This is a first for having one buyer with two different accounts trying to combine.

Also if I cancel the first order for non-payment right now, it might make him unhappy with me with regards to the second order (which I can't cancel yet, 96 hours hasn't passed yet).

C.

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I use to run auctions a lot too, but I never waited weeks for a buyer to pay for a couple of reasons.  One, after 30 days you can't cancel for non payment.  Two, if a buyer needed that much time to pay, they should have been in contact with may saying they needed the time.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

I guess the issue that I see is how the seller uploads the same tracking on multiple purchases that spam over two different buyer I.D. names. 

Is that even possible? I would think eBay would flag it. 

[mam98031]

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@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:

I guess the issue that I see is how the seller uploads the same tracking on multiple purchases that spam over two different buyer I.D. names. 

Is that even possible? I would think eBay would flag it. 

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The seller needs to ship the orders by the buyer ID.  Not combining them in any kind of way.  Not purchasing the shipping off some other site so they can combine the orders.  The seller is simply leaving themselves open to issues doing that.  

It isn't that Ebay would flag it, that would not be the issue for the seller.  If the buyer filed an INR on one of the buyer IDs that they purchased with, that could likely present an issue for the seller to prove delivery.  No good will come of a seller trying to work around this issue.  Not for the seller anyway.  

The rule exists for a reason.  The seller needs to abide by it.  

[sin-n-dex]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

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@mam98031 wrote:

You hadn't shipped the first order?  After all that time why hadn't you cancelled them for Non payment?

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On the auctions I don't rush to cancel for non-payment. Some people combine over a few weeks, it's just with their same eBay account. This is a first for having one buyer with two different accounts trying to combine.

Also if I cancel the first order for non-payment right now, it might make him unhappy with me with regards to the second order (which I can't cancel yet, 96 hours hasn't passed yet).

C.

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I use to run auctions a lot too, but I never waited weeks for a buyer to pay for a couple of reasons.  One, after 30 days you can't cancel for non payment.  Two, if a buyer needed that much time to pay, they should have been in contact with may saying they needed the time.

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If one of my customers is correct, they DO get a strike for non payment for waiting 30 days, I just can't do the cancel myself. eBay does it for me. I had a buyer take more than 30 days to pay (it was OK with me, I didn't realize there was a time limit), and he got a bunch of non payment strikes on those orders. Then he couldn't pay through eBay, but because we're members of the same coin club he sent me a transfer for the coins (Canadian banking transfer). Now I make sure that they pay within 30 days knowing they won't be able to pay if they don't. Generally my buyers have no other way to pay if eBay doesn't permit it.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@sextons-sweet-deals wrote:

I guess the issue that I see is how the seller uploads the same tracking on multiple purchases that spam over two different buyer I.D. names. 

Is that even possible? I would think eBay would flag it. 

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It's not allowed (as in, you can't do it). There's a scam warning going on in my community about buyers buying a few low priced items on different accounts and combining across accounts, then claiming INR on the items that don't have tracking because you can only use the tracking on one account. That scam would work if someone were to combine and go to the post office for their tracking, they'd find out when they get home... but if you're buying tracking on eBay, you'll find it very quickly you can't use that tracking number on another seller account.

C.

[sin-n-dex]

Just an update... it's been 96 hours since the second order, so I cancelled both and will relist the items later on (trying to get rid of the rest of the world coins before my next scheduled time away, taking a few weeks off while doing auctions never fares well).

Anyway I did block both IDs, so if he comes back with a third ID I can deal with that then, and he won't be able to purchase on the two IDs he used for these two orders.

I'm not suggesting he was a bad buyer, but it's been a few days since I tried to work out a solution with him to combine all his purchases and told him what I needed from him to do that (permission to cancel and relist his items, we hadn't gotten far enough to figure out how to work that out). I got crickets which I have no patience for. When people don't answer me, I just do whatever I want. Well I'll just auction them again. They sold before, I'm sure I'll sell them again.

C.