Pet Peeve to Stamp Sellers Who Offer Combined Shipping ....NOT!

[komics4sale]

Just expressing my frustration to stamp sellers (or other similar small & low weight items) who offer Combined Shipping & then arbitrarily tack on an extra 50 cents or more onto each item even when the extras don't increase the postage costs.

It's perfectly OK to state that you offer Combined Shipping & that you will be adding an extra 50 cents for each additional lot.    I don't even mind if they mention they will be adding another $10 or even $100 for each additional lot  (as long as the amount is clearly stated).

Pet peeve also applies for sales taxes.

As long as it is clearly mentioned, not a problem.    But to find out during the payment process is very annoying.

If some of these sellers happen to read this & change their habits, then this rant will have served it's purpose.

I don't want to post negative feedback to sellers for this trivial matter, as it would adversely affect their seller's fees.

[momcqueen]

Add to Cart should solve the problem of additional postage cost surprises.

Also, negative feedback affects nothing but a seller's reputation. This changed a few years ago with a major revamp to seller performance metrics in a Spring Update, it was Spring of 2015 or 2016.  A seller could presumably be operating with a feedback score of 15 per cent and it would not stop them from selling unless it frightened away buyers.

[momcqueen]

Also, that 50 cents is not arbitrary. You are speaking, I assume, of domestic lettermail. That handling fee is used for insurance purposes by smart sellers so that is allows them to stay afloat when they have to issue refunds for lost/stolen/missing/late lettermail because it was sent without tracking in order to keep postage costs low for their buyers. 

[komics4sale]

I don't really care if the extra 50 cents per additional lot is arbitrary or for their children's education fund.

What I do care about is if some arbitrary number is added to the shipping cost when it has not been stated in their listings...... especially when they go to great lengths to mention that they offer Combined Shipping.

Thanks for the info on the affects of Ebay's negative feedback.  I wasn't aware that a seller's fees were not altered by having a bad feedback score (just their reputation).

[momcqueen]

Using Add to Cart will eliminate any postage charges that you, as a buyer, may not expect.

[komics4sale]

I'm not sure if the Cart Method work work for most sellers.

After I add items to the cart, I then must hit the button "Request Total From Seller".

Then I get the revised invoice from the seller that gives me Combined Shipping....but with the "unexpected" extra 50 cents or so added to each extra item, which was not advertised.

Especially important when the item actual costs are  $1 or $2, which makes the extra 50 cents a huge percentage of the actual cost.

[momcqueen]

If the seller has actual Combined Shipping policies established with ebay, there is no need whatsoever to Request Total From Seller. It only applies to those who don't and I'm quite sure those who do not are in the minority of sellers on ebay. Most buyers today want to be able to fill their cart and go, not wait for an invoice.

[momcqueen]

Look for this on Item Listing pages under the Shipping tab. The green text indicates the seller has established a Combined Shipping policy and that you, as a buyer, will be allowed to shop and pay without having to wait for an invoice to be sent to you. Add to Cart, look at the total and proceed with payment. This is how ebay wants all checkouts to flow. 

A seller saying they Combine Shipping is meaningless until actual Combined Shipping policies are set-up with ebay in their preferences

[momcqueen]

If nothing else, the text that says 'Save on shipping. This seller offers shipping discounts on combined purchases for eligible items' assures buyers there will NOT be any surprise combined postage charges such as the charges you are taking issue with in this thread. It's all right there on the table. 

[komics4sale]

Unfortunately over the years, I've been burnt on this hazy phrase.

The seller often states that they offer "Combined Shipping" or "Save on Shipping".

Then I get the unpleasant surprise of the extra add-ons.

In my mind, they are ethically wrong but technically they are still legally correct.

As I have still "saved' on shipping, having been assessed a total less than if I had to pay for all the items separately.

When I don't see any offer of Combined Shipping in their descriptions, I email the seller to enquire.

I ask if they offer combined shipping & what their combined shipping rules are.

Their replies are often still vague.   They say they will offer combined shipping....and then I get the surprise later.

I estimate I have to send this unnecessary email 50 times a year.

[marnotom!]

I'm an occasional buyer on eBay.  Perhaps I'm a bit naive as I'm not a "power buyer" but if a seller states that they offer combined shipping, I take that simply to mean that they offer a lower overall shipping price for a purchase of multiple items than if the items were purchased separately.  If I were to want more details, I'd try asking the seller.

Granted, I purchase items that are larger and more varied than stamps, but I think it's generally a bit much to expect sellers to anticipate a number of shipping variations, particularly if they ship internationally, and have this information in the listing description.

However, I do agree that if sellers charge HST/GST/PST, they should state this in their listings.

[komics4sale]

In the olden days, even though there were free listings offered, many sellers had to pay to list items over their alloted quotas  .  I believe that's when some sellers decided to add a small amount for each item to essentially help pay for these postings.    Maybe many sellers still pay for these listings, but still no excused to add them into the shipping without advertising the fact.

Still there's no excuse to not write down some simple rules for the calculation of shipping.

For stamps, one can often comfortably ship 10 or more lots at the same price.

A stamp weighs next to nothing.

As a seller, I just state the shipping for 1 item & everything else will enjoy free shipping as long as it's paid for on 1 invoice.   Reason of course is that Paypal charges about 4% plus an extra 30 cents for each transaction they do on behalf of the seller.

Not sure about this next statement..... but I think even if a seller refunds a buyer, the seller is still dinged a percentage even on the amount refunded.

ie  when $1 is refunded, paypal takes $1.+ from your account.

[reallynicestamps]

I don't want to post negative feedback to sellers for this trivial matter, as it would adversely affect their seller's fees.

No.

Feedback has no effect on eBay's metrics for seller accounts.

It has some effect on future buyers, but most Buyers Don't Read™️.

Those that look at feedback often assume it's like school and 95% is an A.

A few actually look at the numbers. Some of those understand how ratios work.

And a very small number look a the actual words in the negs. Some of those decide the buyer was being a jerk, not the seller.

And I suppose technically, combined shipping is not discounted shipping. Some times kleenex are Scotties.

But personally, I offer Free Shipping (which obviously isn't) on anything that fits in an envelope for Canada and the USA. Even a big envelope that fits a full sheet of stamps.  Only parcels use Calculated Shipping.

[marnotom!]

---

wrote:

In the olden days, even though there were free listings offered, many sellers had to pay to list items over their alloted quotas  .  I believe that's when some sellers decided to add a small amount for each item to essentially help pay for these postings.    Maybe many sellers still pay for these listings, but still no excused to add them into the shipping without advertising the fact.

Still there's no excuse to not write down some simple rules for the calculation of shipping.

For stamps, one can often comfortably ship 10 or more lots at the same price.

A stamp weighs next to nothing.

---

I don't see a shipping charge as a reimbursement of what the seller pays their shipping agent.  Remember, you're paying for shipping and handling.  You're paying for services rendered by or through the seller.  If the seller feels that their service is worth more their shipping agent's shipping charge, it's up to the buyer and the market to decide likewise.

In your case, that 50 cents that seller is charging for each extra cents is likely going towards handling, not shipping, but whatever it's going towards is a service rendered by or through the seller.

There's no excuse for buyers not making inquiries about the seller's rules for combined shipping if the seller doesn't state them in the listing and those rules are important to the buyer.  The buyer is also free to walk away from the sale if they don't like what they see at Checkout.

[5274646]

I'm just curious...

I assume that the 50 cents extra per item was not advertised on the listing page. How about the shipping tab? Sometimes they state that they offer combined shipping and the shipping tab would list "first item ships for $$" and additional items at $ each" or the similar. (It's been quite some time that I've checked on those tabs...lol...don't know if they still set it up like that)

But since you had to request for a total from the seller...I assume it wasn't set up. Then again, eBay is always "glitchy" or screwing things up...there was a time when the eBay cart didn't revise the total for combined shipping that was offered on tab...

But I agree. From my experience, when I "request total from seller"...I'm "committed to buy". What if I don't agree with the "extra" charges? To cancel or not to cancel...lol

[marnotom!]

Also consider that sellers who offer "free" shipping by building the shipping price into the item price can't offer combined shipping, so buyers of multiple items from the same seller don't receive any sort of overall reduction in price.

[komics4sale]

I can see from the replies that I've gotten that I've not expressed my thoughts in a manner that appropriately describes my pet peeve.

I am cognizant of most of the suggestions & reasons that have been relayed to me.

I'll try once more....

I feel its entirely OK for a seller to put whatever charge they feel is necessary for them to be able to sell on ebay.   Not only for postage, but for stationary, tape, ink, gas, car insurance,  time, & even their children's university education, & of course the side trip to Starbucks for a cup of java.

Also OK for them to say they charge an additional 50 cents per extra lot.   Even OK if they charge $100 per extra lot.    But as long as they actually state this, it does not fall into my pet peeve category.

What irks me is that the unadvertised charge assessed after the sale, even when the seller has been emailed beforehand if they accommodate combined shipping to which they say they do.

Even if it's 1 cent over their advertised rate.   Of course I'm being facetious here.

To be fair, I find most sellers do not do this extra charge after being asked if they offer Combined Shipping.....but enough do that causes me to have this "pet peeve".

[komics4sale]

Yes...I also know this obvious fact.

Free Shipping items are great to buy singularly as 1 lot.

Unless their pricing is too good to pass up, I tend to avoid them when purchasing more than 1 lot from the same seller as I'm aware the shipping is priced in already & combined shipping is not an issue.

[komics4sale]

I'm not talking about when a buyer wishes to purchase more than 1 item in a multi item auction.  Almost 100% of the time the extra items are advertised in the ebay system.

I'm talking about buying different lots from the same seller where I think ebay hasn't made any way for sellers to do combined shipping.

Of course the extra unadvertised charges assessed after the sale are usually very minor.    That's why I call this a Pet Peeve & not a major concern.    It's not usually in the interest of buyers to cancel the transaction, as I'm sure they want the item they just bought more than the few cents "robbed" from them.

[momcqueen]

“I'm talking about buying different lots from the same seller where I think ebay hasn't made any way for sellers to do combined shipping”

There’s always a way to do combined shipping. All online stores offer Shopping Carts.

Add to Cart means there are no surprises when the seller has taken the time to set up proper rules.