eBay

demethom7408 · ‎05-17-2022

The “Request Total” Trap

I, like countless others before me, stepped into this trap.

Researching it after the fact, I found that it traps people at least since 2017!

I am not a native English speaker but anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of English understands that the words “Request Total” cannot possibly have the same meaning as “Buy now” or "Commit to Buy"

In another similar thread someone suggested that we should contact the seller and ask for item consolidation shipping discount. I really thought THAT was what I was doing when pressing “Request Total”. I am sure most people think: “””Great! I won’t just ask blindly for a shipping discount, the seller will see all of my items and decide if they want to offer me a shipping discount because e.g. all my items are small or they are very light or my total order is expensive and they’ll make a good profit or they might offer me express delivery for the same amount or whatever. IF I am satisfied with their reply I’ll continue and buy from them, otherwise I’ll find these items elsewhere.”””

There are other reasons for order item consolidation, besides discounted shipping, e.g. in Europe we now have to pay a per-package minimum import fee for orders from non-EU countries (this is different from VAT, which is a percentage of item price). So receiving only ONE package, for some is a requirement.

In all fairness, there is a “if you continue you commit to buy” warning which I am sure most people think is there for some other situation.

In any case, even if you don’t ignore the ridiculous warning, when you receive an immediate automated reply that the seller does not accept consolidation requests, you assume that the “deal” is off!

I was lucky that I was able to cancel all items when I realized what has happened, but others were not so lucky.

This is a very poor choice for an otherwise logical User Interface. Besides, if you commit to buy anyway, contacting the seller is pointless, since their reply does not affect the outcome! If it is for adding notes/instructions, buyers can do that it the final step of the order process.

I think the “Request Total” functionality should be changed as explained above or at least change the wording to something like “Commit to Buy”, or remove it altogether.

femmefan1946 · ‎05-17-2022

jasmen@ebay

I think this is worthy of the Wednesday Chat.

My own bete noire is the new use of Cancellation for the automatic closing of Unpaid Transactions after four days.

The word Cancellation has been traditionally used for mutually agreed ending of transactions without penalty.

The ending on Unpaids has been called just that. The seller in particular is not likely to be happy about the transaction.

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎05-17-2022

@femmefan1946 wrote:
jasmen@ebay

I think this is worthy of the Wednesday Chat.
My own bete noire is the new use of Cancellation for the automatic closing of Unpaid Transactions after four days.
The word Cancellation has been traditionally used for mutually agreed ending of transactions without penalty.
The ending on Unpaids has been called just that. The seller in particular is not likely to be happy about the transaction.

And even more confusion happens when, if by chance the seller has automatic payment turned on....causing request a combined invoice to be moot.

-Lotz

pjcdn2005 · ‎05-17-2022

I understand what you're saying as you want to know what you are going to pay in shipping before you commit to buy. It does seem a bit backwards. But if a seller does not have combined shipping set up, it is always best to ask first. In some cases the request total will say the seller doesn't combine shipping even though they do.

The request total system definitely needs some work.

pjcdn2005 · ‎05-17-2022

You don't think that it makes sense for the seller to use the cancel link and then choose that buyer didn't pay?

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎05-17-2022

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
You don't think that it makes sense for the seller to use the cancel link and then choose that buyer didn't pay?

@femmefan1946

For just sayin' reasons, many buyers and some sellers use unaccurate choices for INR's, NAD's, cancelling transactions, etc. In some cases they may be fibbing. In others because an accurate choice is just not there. Becomes a case of....close enough. Through the course of time eBay has removed these reasons for their own agenda. Try correcting a case after the fact? Next to impossible. Or the request to update tracking when tracking was there to begin with or there was never any tracking.

-Lotz

jasmen@ebay · ‎05-18-2022

THanks for all the feedback @femmefan1946 I'm more than happy to pass it along!

lotzofuniquegoodies · ‎05-18-2022

@pjcdn2005 wrote:
I understand what you're saying as you want to know what you are going to pay in shipping before you commit to buy. It does seem a bit backwards. But if a seller does not have combined shipping set up, it is always best to ask first. In some cases the request total will say the seller doesn't combine shipping even though they do.
The request total system definitely needs some work.

Even if combined shipping is turned on there are still the associated problems of a system that is unable to do the math when a buyer buys for example a book and toaster and doesn't understand the variables with options when the items go over what is allowed for any service. That is why the option for buyers to request and sellers to send revised invoices is extremely important. A seller will never know in advance what 2 or more items a buyer could be potentially buying and accurately come up with fair and correct shipping. Only is reasonably possible if items are identical in nature. But not 100% guaranteed.

-Lotz