Why does Ebay Limit quanity in invoices?

[neverfear-iamhere]

I just had to send 3 seperate invoices to the same person because Ebay limits invoices to 40 items.  Does anyone know why they do that and any way around it? 

My customer seems confused and frankly so am I.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[farmerphil2]

It has been that way with 40 items since shortly after I started here on eBay in about 2004 or 2005. Yes, it doesn't make sense why all items can't be combined onto one invoice, but that's the way it is. When I started in 2003, the only way you could combine items was through a Paypal invoice.

Until the eBay/Paypal split, it made sense to eBay to fight the combined invoice as much as possible and have each item shipped separately because that results in higher Paypal fees due to multiple payments. After the split now, not so. But since they started charging the 10% fee on the S&H costs a few years back, the more S&H costs the more they make and multiple shipments with eBay postage makes them more even more, so they still fight the combined invoice as much as they can.

Phil

[whatmodernwas]

It's eBay, so it's likely either poor programming or a greed grab. Or a combination of the two.

[dktoss]

Most likely it's an old limit that was never updated by their crack IT staff.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

Very few eBay orders exceed 40 items.  I would imagine the average is somewhere between 1 and 10.  Hence, software that allows up to 40 items is very generous.  (The most I have ever ordered at one time is 23 individual FP listings -- and that was only because the seller offered a deep discount.)

If you routinely encounter extremely large orders (lucky you!), may I suggest you offer larger quantities per single order.  That is, if buyers are likely to want more than one item, then offer 5, 10, 20 or 50 per unit.

~~C~~

[neverfear-iamhere]

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@duchess-at-speakeasy wrote:

Very few eBay orders exceed 40 items.  I would imagine the average is somewhere between 1 and 10.  Hence, software that allows up to 40 items is very generous.  (The most I have ever ordered at one time is 23 individual FP listings -- and that was only because the seller offered a deep discount.)

If you routinely encounter extremely large orders (lucky you!), may I suggest you offer larger quantities per single order.  That is, if buyers are likely to want more than one item, then offer 5, 10, 20 or 50 per unit.

~~C~~

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I wish that were possible.  They are small items that average $2 - $5 a pc.  All very different items.  No duplicates usually.  My average sale includes 2-5 items with the occassional larger one, maybe twice a month, reaching to 20 or 30 pcs.  My profit in this store is really based on selling lots of small lots. Because each item is different and has to be viewed for someone to decide if it's something they want Multi part autions dont work.  People need to be able to browse or I wouldnt have near as many sales.  If I had to give a wild guess I would bet 80% of my sales are impulse buys.

This Specific transaction was a bit of an exception to the rule.  It's a long time customer.  I told her that I was running the sale to reduce some stock.  She asked for  good deal (ontop of a sale I am running) and I said ok so she had fun shopping.  I am not complaining about the sales.  It is certainly wonderful to have a large quantity of sales but when she asked for an invoice, I sent her one.   Then she asked me why I didnt send them all.  It took a few mins to realise why.  Then I had to send her three so I could waive shipping for her.  I was just confused.  I think she was too but she happily paid all three after we discussed that it wasnt me 🙂 

I am glad the invoice is not smaller.    I would have this issue a lot more frequently. 

[10centstoreandmore]

I had the same problem except that it wouldn't let me combine the next 6 invoices that I had over the 40.  After sending the invoice with the 40 items I clicked on the 41st item Send Invoice and it took me back to the 40 item invoice. I could bring up one invoice by clicking on the sales record number but it wouldn't let me combine the other 6. Even if I adjust the shipping I don't want to send six 30 cent invoices to the customer--and he has more coming in. I'm guessing I will have to wait until he pays the first 40 items invoice before it will let me combine again.

[kboons]

This last issue is something new. They've changed the invoice about 2 weeks ago.

It's now impossible to send invoices for more than 40 items (random from the total of items purchased it seems). It's pretty much a broken system now.

Please Ebay hurry up fixing this.

In the stamps category more than 40 items is not an exception!

[normandroy]

I have the same problem. I called ebay and they confirmed the limit and the only thing they could suggest was giving feedback and that would alert them to this problem. Sadly, as I read the comments here, this has been going on for awhile and no action has been taken by eBay. So, much for giving Feedback as a way to get their attention.

[johnfduda]

I put in my listings for items I have lots of that I have more than listed and am willing to dicker on the price for quantities thru eBay.  I make a seperate listing after we agree on the price and the correct shipping for the quantity the customer wants. Usually this starts out with a looker asking how much I want for so many. For 40 of an item I'm usually happy to take 40% off the onsy price.

The buyers are happy and I'm happy. I never had it happen that my buyer listed them to compete with me.

[tkinnebrew]

Forget the fact that there is an item limit (like they don't want us to sell that much), how about the fact that when you DO TRY to buy a bunch of items like this (as a buyer), it is extremely difficult to navigate your purchase history and cart...it can only get better from here!