"Sell as Lot" - should be simple. but it's not. Confusing for both sellers and buyers.

[stoneledge]

If I want to sell 2 of the exact same item as "a lot" and sell those for a different price than 2 of the same item sold from a multiple item fixed price listing,  how do I do this?

If I list 2 lots of 2 available, the buyer sees the item page with clarifying text from eBay.  It says

• 2 lots available (2 items per lot)

But if I list only 1 lot of 2, the clarifying text from eBay disappears from the item page for the buyer. 

ebay's directions on  how to WRITE these listings is the most confusing part.

To simplify, let's just say I have multiples of the exact item available (no variations and in this example the term "lot" is not meant to mean a mixed bag of similar items...so just get that out of your head for now).    

I can sell these as a multiple-item Fixed Price BIN listing.  Simple.  Let's say they are $20 each with free shipping.  There's no combined shipping (just leave that out for simplification) .  A buyer wants to buy 2, he pays $40.  Simple. 

Let's say I want to just try out the eBay "sell as lot" option and offer to buyers 2 of these exact same items in a lot of 2 for $36 total or $18 each.   And I want to offer only 1 lot on eBay at a time (the buyer can only buy 1 lot in a transaction... my Quantity Available will be 1 for this listing).

How do I do that?  What will the buyer see?

MOST IMPORTANTLY:  How do I write up the item?  Is the Item Title supposed to say "lot of 2?" Is the description supposed to write out that it's a "lot of 2?"  Are the photos supposed to show 2 itemse next to each other.

It's not clear.  It's just confusing. 

Let's see how many different responses we get on this one.

[stoneledge]

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@vw wrote:

Here's how sell something I have more then 1 of.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Monogram-Hand-Cylindrical-Cleco-Wedgelock-Runner-CBHT-01-Aircraft-Tools-/4...

and here is a lot of (2) with only the 2 being available

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Columbus-Mckinnon-Chain-Load-Binder-1-4-034-WLL-2600-lbs-Made-in-USA-/3918...

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Thanks.  Your listings are clear to me.

Please explain if you used the "Sell as Lot" setting for either or both of these and what the settings below that were if you did.  

[z50com]

NO

I do not use sell as a lot when listing items like I do

I even sell lots of 2 when the picture only shows 1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Wedgelock-Cleco-Pliers-in-Unused-Condition-Aircraft-Tools-/401398676334?ss...

You'll notice I mention this in the listing

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

At one time, there was no such checkbox on the SYI form. Auctions are always considered a quantity of "1" regardless of what you are selling. For example, a group of 5 dinner plates and 5 matching cups and saucers is a single lot, namely 15 pieces.

However, with the prevalence of fixed-price listings on eBay (about 90% of the total!), and especially when eBay added variation listings, the quantity became more important with reference to the displayed price. Even now, some buyers are terribly confused about how many items they get for the specified price. Is it a unit price or a "group" price? Do I get 1 item or a set of 4 items?

Actually, eBay uses the term "bundle" to indicate related items in a listing that may or may not have different UPC's. Either way, lot or bundle, it can be helpful to make clear exactly what the buyer gets.

I agree that perhaps the lot or bundle checkbox might affect a buyer's drilled-down search. It certainly can't hurt! So, now, when I set up a listing (auction or FP) for 2 or more related items -- postcards, magazine ads, miscellaneous jewelry, glassware, dinnerware or even books -- I check the little box. If there's any question later on, then at least I've covered all the bases if a buyer claims an item is missing or he/she misunderstood what was included in the listing for the designated price.

Of course, as many of you know, I describe each item very precisely -- but many sellers barely tell buyers what they are selling.

~~C~~

[stoneledge]

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@z50com wrote:

NO

I do not use sell as a lot when listing items like I do

I even sell lots of 2 when the picture only shows 1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Wedgelock-Cleco-Pliers-in-Unused-Condition-Aircraft-Tools-/401398676334?ss...

You'll notice I mention this in the listing

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All your listings are very clear.    I can and do do that already 

This entire thread is about how to use the "Sell as Lot" checkbox in a listing.  Not how not to use it.  

But thanks.

[buyselljack2016]

Fixed price listing.

I have 40 of 1 item.

They are used in pairs.

Main photo shows 2.

Describe as "your purchase is for 2 ............"

List quantity of 20.

I never check the sell as a "lot" box.

If I wanted to sell 2 at a different price I would change the title so that it was not a duplicate listing, and list at the price for those.

I would still not check the "lot" box.

[mariellenm]

This thread was infuriating. 

Original question was about why people would use the Sell as Lot checkbox.

Almost every answer is about why and how most people DON'T use it.

What the hell is it even for? it's just stupid and confuses the form. 

People who paste the ebay documentation as an answer are double infuriation.

I am in Australia and have never heard anyone say "one money" in my whole life and I am pretty **bleep** ancient.

[mariellenm]

Anyways, trying to be useful now.. My guess is it's for people who have something like this situation, say someone has 500 pencils that are stuck together somehow e.g. in that **bleep** hard plastic/clingwrapped and they have a UPC for each pencil, but they are not usually sold together, so no UPC for a 'bunch of 500 pencils

So they can prepopulate the form with product details for an individual pencil but have to sell them in a LOT because they are stuck together and they don't wanna open the plastic/clingwrap/whatever.

Maybe then I would check the box... but seriously, probably not.
You still have to be super clear in the title and description and photos because people will always want the biggest of what you are displaying anywhere. So if you have 500 lots of 500 pencils they will probably want all the pencils in your house and your first born pencil.

[kh-ornesh]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began, we have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread HERE.

Thanks.