Question / Advice on Combined Shipping

[tpuck99]

I'm starting to sell comic books and want to combine shipping on multiple orders.  I'm not sure if I have it listed right.  Some I'm listing as single books and some have multiple.  I want to set a shipping price for the number of books being ordered as opposed to the number of orders.  The easiest thing would be for me to send an invoice once they make all their purchases and give them the shipping cost based on what I have presented. 

I got a message from someone saying they were trying to purchase multiple items and it was trying to add the base shipping cost for each item to the entire order.  I made some changes but I am still not sure if I have done it right because they way it's written is not entirely clear for what I'm wanting to do.  Any suggestions? 

[richard1rst]

You can set it up so that there is a discount if they multiples of the SAME item (in your case book) in a single order. But I have yet to find an ACCURATE way to automatically show a discounted price when they buy multiple items (in your case different books).

If people ask ahead of time I send them instructions on what to do.

If they pay the amount that eBay charges then, in fairness to them, I refund the excess.

This is the note I send (Yes it is a little lengthy but it covers all the bases and it has worked just fine)

*****

Thank you for your note. Yes, we always combine and discount the shipping on multiple orders.

Open the listing that you want to buy, Change the quantity if you want more than one, then click ADD TO CART instead of the BUY NOW button. On the cart page click “continue shopping” and add your next item. After you have added everything that you want, on the “cart” page will be another link near the top right that says “request total from seller”. Click that INSTEAD of Proceed to checkout. That will then prompt us to send you an invoice on which we can and will modify the shipping charges.

One minor possible problem: We have had reports that on mobile devices (i.e. smart phones, etc), because their smaller screens make it necessary to abbreviate the content, the links mentioned above are not always visible and/or easily located.

[berserkerplanet]

Combined shipping (calculated or flat rate) for purchases of items from different listings or different item in variation listings and/or promotional rules can be set up here: https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

[richard1rst]

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@berserkerplanet wrote:
Combined shipping (calculated or flat rate) for purchases of items from different listings or different item in variation listings and/or promotional rules can be set up here: https://www.ebay.com/ship/prf

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Thank you. I am aware of that program. But so as to not mislead the OP I did put heavy emphasis on ACCURATE.

For example, I have some promo jigsaw puzzles that, even in an outer cardboard shipping box are light enough to ship as first class mail. So first, if someone buys 2 of the lightweight puzzles that would ship as first class, the 2 combined now makes it a 2 pound Priority Mail package which actually costs MORE than 2 first class packages individually.

Many of the puzzles I have in 500-1000 pieces ship at about 2-3 pounds. But I have larger puzzles from 2000 to 18,000 pieces that are progressively significantly more expensive to ship. Some of them, based on the manufacturer’s packaging, will fir a Regional Rate A box, or one of the flat rate boxes, some will not.

My 3000 and 5000 piece puzzles are in elongate boxes that fit the large flat rate game box. The 2000 puzzles are larger 13" square boxes that do not. So it costs more to mail a 2000 piece than it costs to mail a 5000 piece.

Setting up an ACCURATE “buy one and the next ships for $xx additional” is impossible with that range of weights and sizes.

[berserkerplanet]

For OP's comic books (which are mostly uniform and do not have the same problem your bulky puzzles have), and the flat prices being charged in the listings I looked at, a combination of flat, combined, and promotional shipping rules would cover most scenarios, and can then issue any refunds for just the edge cases where buyer is overcharged instead of issuing refunds for every combined purchase.

OP appears to be using flat shipping and wanting a discounted "each additional" cost to apply, which is doable with a combined flat and a promotional rule to cap the charge ("Buy 3 or more and pay $7.55 max" type of promo rule)

Usually those using a Flat cost shipping approach don't intend it to be "accurate" - only to be close enough to cover average actual shipping costs with a little (or a lot of) handling tossed in.

The drawbacks of the combined shipping rules approach are fewer than those involving request total from seller, and are offset by the process being mostly automated and smoother for the buyer.

OP can choose the approach that fits his needs.

[wickerjay]

I have been using the calculated shipping rule for international orders to Canada for years, but a recent order (since the new shipping label page) didn't calculate correctly. My rule is supposed to take the base ounce rate for an item, add the base ounce rate for the next item, and then subtract three ounces. However, eBay is now just adding up all the base ounce rates without subtracting anything which results in overcharging the buyer.

For example: An order of 4 different items each with base ounce rate of 4 ounces

Before new shipping label page:

4 + (4 - 3) + (4 - 3) + (4 - 3) = 7 ounces

New shipping label page:

4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16 ounces

As you can see that is a huge difference and only on four items. Now imagine if it was large order of items, say 10 - 20.