Request or generate combined shipping fees
Not finding any satisfactory answer, I'd like to know how do we now request (buyer) or generate (seller) combined shipping costs?
Back then, all you had to do was click the "request total" button before payment so the seller would modify the "shipping costs" line.
But the last time I used eBay, it seems to me that this option had disappeared.
15 comments
mattelsociety
·1 year agoHello,
A feature is planned to ask the seller to combine your purchases:
1- Use a computer because this is not possible with a smartphone.
2- Add the items you are interested in from the same seller to the cart (on the product page, "Add to cart" under "Buy it now").
3- Once you've chosen the items, go to your cart, either by clicking on "View in cart" for the last item added, or by clicking on the small cart icon at the top right of each eBay page.
4- Now that you're in your cart, click on "Request combined shipping". It's in small text toward the middle. Above all, do not click on "Complete purchase".
5- Wait for the seller to send you the correct total, while ignoring eBay's oppressive reminders.
6- The seller has sent you the total, sometimes with several shipping options, you can pay.
Note: if you choose Mondial Relay, eBay does not validate the pickup point, you'll have to message the seller to provide it (bug, but they've been working on it for nearly 5 years now, so all good).
Finally, it is possible to set up an automatic combined total for sellers, for example adding €0.50 for each item added to the cart. That limits the damage a bit; however, for Mondial Relay, another bug, this creates separate orders for each item (with combined shipping costs for the buyer and a fixed fee for each item for the seller).
@ki-ba-go
Rather than sending a few coins to the careless buyer, use the refund function via eBay, "Issue refund." You will be reimbursed for the refund fees and this will be deducted from your sales revenue.
ki-ba-go
OP1 year agoThanks, I think that ties in with lingma85's link.
Besides, I'm astonished that ebay defaults to not allowing the "request invoice" oO
But if I understood correctly, this only works for buy it now purchases, not auctions?
I think this refund option is indeed the only simple solution to my problem.
I imagine that by clicking on "Issue the refund" you get a partial refund option where you can choose the amount, is that right?
mattelsociety
·1 year agoI don't know why eBay has stayed like this for years; it's obvious that by putting a cart system front and center, buyers and sellers would have an easier time of it!
As for auctions, all you have to do is not pay for the auctions you win. The seller can combine them without any request.
The best thing is to always communicate with your seller to let them know when you plan to stop.
Keep in mind that each separate payment creates fixed fees that can't be recovered by the seller.
For the refund, yes, it leads to a page where you enter the amount to be refunded. The amount that eBay refunds you as the seller is also specified.
ki-ba-go
OP1 year agoYeah, here I’m mainly going to be a seller and I feel like I’m forced to anticipate a bunch of things that ebay could have taken care of.
Oh? I don’t remember seeing an option the last time I sold (then again I probably didn’t get the chance to see it because it seems like all my buyers paid very quickly).
Would that be in the list of items in "my sales"?
mattelsociety
·1 year agoIndeed, the site is overall very poorly designed, which means that not many people follow the proper procedure...
It's been a long time since I last listed an item for auction. Normally it should be found here: "My eBay" -> "My sales" -> "Orders" -> "Pending payment".
Possible cases of pending payment (there may be some missing):
- the buyer requested a combined order of several items via the cart
- one or more items were sold at auction and the buyer has not yet paid (can be combined if it's the same buyer)
- you accepted an offer a buyer sent you (listing with the "make an offer" option)
- a buyer accepted an offer you sent them (when an item is watched, you can "send an offer")
As a reminder, it is impossible to buy a single item (or several from the same listing) using Buy It Now without paying immediately except in the cases below.
ki-ba-go
OP1 year agoOkay, I'll need to look into that when I put items back on sale, by including a little note about combined fees directly in the listings, and worst case I'll have the option of a partial refund up my sleeve.
Thanks for all this information o/
hunne87
·5 months agoHello, there is no line offering a group purchase when there are several immediate purchases.
noctisauxroses
·1 year agoOh wow! That was a VERY long time ago, wow^^ And I'm talking years...
No longer possible. If you make 3 purchases, the 3 shipping fees are added together, plain and simple.
It was reported and reported again to Ebay, they never did anything. Why? We don't know. Either the program is on its last legs and they're afraid it'll fall apart if they touch it again, or they're turning a blind eye because they take a percentage on shipping fees.
At one point it was a source of hassles between buyers and sellers, but with the drop in sales it has become so rare for someone to buy 2 items that well^^
Personally I slip three bucks into the parcel, deducting the fees taken by Ebay, so far never had any questions.
The only solution is the one given by @frelonverre
lingma85
·1 year agoGood evening @ki-ba-go
For combined shipping fees, see here----->
seller side---> Offer combined shipping | eBay
buyer side, if the seller does not offer combined shipping--- = see the solution from @frelonverre
Regards
ki-ba-go
OP1 year agoAh, thanks, I just saw that the option was indeed disabled by default.
Apparently this "Allow invoice requests" follows the same principle as "Ask for the total".
On the other hand, after reading the details I have a question: does it work with auctions?
("The buyer adds several items to their cart and requests an invoice.").
vert1900
·9 months agoHello,
I’m coming to this post because I want to find a solution for shipments via Mondial Relay.
I offer combined shipping fees and those:
-work normally for shipments via La Poste
-do not work for Mondial Relay: Ebay charges the Mondial Relay shipping fee as many times as there are items
(and so I refund the overpayment to the buyer).
Does anyone have a solution so that shipments via Mondial Relay work?
Thanks in advance.
ki-ba-go
OP1 year agoYeah haha, we were practically still counting in francs haha
No but it’s true that my sales rep phase was nearly 10 years ago, I think.
2 years ago I noticed this problem, but since I didn’t have much to sell I didn’t really worry about it. Except that now there should be a lot more, so I’d like to avoid the hassle.
Ah yeah but that only works for shipments in the eurozone x)
frelonverre
·1 year ago@ki-ba-go
1) that means turning off the bidding system and putting up listings that might have interested buyers on an individual basis.
that only works with completed sales so the " buyers " no longer have access
2 years ago I noticed this problem but since I had few things to sell I didn’t really stress about it. Except that now there should be a lot more and so I’d like to avoid the headaches.
you won’t have to " stress about it " it will already be good to find a buyer, the good old days of multiple sales are over, the site is out of fashion
frelonverre
·1 year ago@ki-ba-go
as a buyer, I contact the seller and ask them to make me a listing grouping several items together, and I click
as a seller, if I’m asked to do it, I do it
AI isn’t this site’s strong suit
ki-ba-go
OP1 year agoI’ve already been asked once or twice too, I did it, but honestly I think it raises several issues.
1) that means turning off the bidding system and putting out listings that could have interested buyers individually.
2) it pushes the problem onto the seller even though I’m sure eBay can put something solid in place with everything they take from us haha