How to Check Efficacy of Combined Shipping Rules?

[Anonymous]

I've been playing around with automated combined shipping rules in an effort to forestall some of the trigger-happy multi-item buyers out there who pay each invoice before I can issue a combined one.

Is there any way to check whether listings created using the combined shipping rule work (other than waiting to see when someone actually purchases them?) Without actually "purchasing" the items, is there any way to see the combined shipping?

Or should I just leave well enough alone in anticipation of the soon-to-arrive shopping cart, and all the mayhem that may cause?

Karin

[westernstargifts]

It should, and always did previously, know which one to use. One is Light Packet U.S. and the other is Light Packet International which are 2 different services. The only one that does not seem to work is to the U.S.

There is one thing that I have noticed a couple of times (but not in all cases) when I sent an invoice to a U.S. customer. The shipping showed Standard Delivery, or something like that, to the U.S. with NO shipping price shown. I don't use that service. Somehow the system is changing it because the S/H in the listing was correct. I don't know what happened with the others as they showed the correct shipping service and price but they charged full price for every purchase...even from the same FP listing.

I just sent an invoice to a customer for 5 items. In SM the shipping showed as "Standard Int'l Flat Rate" with no amount. I checked all of the listings which were set with Light Packet to the U.S. except one which was Small Packet.

If the buyer had paid without requesting an invoice the shipping would have been calculated at $19 instead of $8.

[pjcdn2005]

It should, and always did previously, know which one to use. One is Light Packet U.S. and the other is Light Packet International which are 2 different services. The only one that does not seem to work is to the U.S.

I realize that they are 2 different services but when I click on your listing 110665269127 shipping rates and then change my location to the U.S. it shows 2 rates and 2 different services for the U.S. One for light packet U.S. and one for light packet international. Since it is only the US that you are having problems with, I am guessing it might be because of that second rate which shouldn't be there. It may have worked before with set up like that but perhaps something got changed on the settings which doesn't allow it to work now. Ebay seems quite good at changing one thing that ends up affecting tons of other things.

I don't know if this would affect you or not but on item 110519892863 it is set up differently. The U.S. looks fine but if I change my location to an international one..the UK as an example, the service shows as Light Packet US rather than international.

The Canadian shipping calculator seems to let us enter whatever we want and doesn't have any checks or balances to make sure that what we enter is even available.

[pjcdn2005]

My apologies..I just realized that the reason that extra shipping rate appears for the US is because when "worldwide" is selected for the international rate, it automatically includes the U.S. I wonder if it didn't do that in the past and that's why there never used to be a problem?

[pjcdn2005]

The shipping glitch that began in October 2010 is well and alive, so to speak.

Mostly, the eBay system combines correctly but we end up refunding one or more customers every day.

There seems to be no pattern that I can see but I do notice that it seems to affect some repeat customers, over and over, whereas others have no issues.

And I don't mean the ones that can't read and pay for every item individually. I am referring to the ones that buy everything first and then go through checkout.

We list on .ca only and each item has the "free" rule assigned for extra items.

The system worked well for years and the glitch begain in October of last year.

Bernie

Bernie, Did they change something in the shipping section about that time? It still seems to me that if you are using standard int'l rate shipping for both the U.S. and international and they both have different prices, that the shipping calculator would get confused.

Although why it would get confused for just some transactions, I don't know.

It would be nice to figure out what the problem is especially with the fvf on shipping coming as well as the shopping cart.

[westernstargifts]

Hi PJ,

Thanks for checking that out.:-) I have always listed it that way and it worked with absolutely no problem until last October. They made some changes to the bulk editor back then and I used it to edit most of my listings at that time. Since the problem started right after that I thought maybe the bulk editor was the problem. However, I have created new listings and revised most of my old ones since then & it still doesn't work.

That is eBay's job to figure out the problem but they don't seem to be doing anything. I read on the U.S. board last night that they are having problems with the same thing.

Judy

[Anonymous]

Heh, now I'm totally confused :>D

I was trying to use the automated shipping combiner thingie, available under Shipping Preferences, but I can't really tell whether it's working or not -- or indeed whether, if it is working, it's creating a shipping cost for any two or more combined items that makes sense.

For instance, do all my listings have to have the same combined shipping profile in order for the rule to work? The combiner thing allows me to create a whole bunch of rules, so which applies in any given combination? Here are the rules I've created so far for flat rate shipments:

Charge the highest shipping cost and add an amount for each additional item .
Profile: Under 750g, US $2.00
Profile: Under 1kg, US $3.00

Let's say that I create a listing for Product A, and apply the Under 750g rule, which adds US$2.00 for each additional product. So far, so good.

Now let's say that the customer purchases Product B, then C, then A. Product B has the under 1kg rule (since it weighs 900g), while Product C has no rule applied. Which -- if any -- combined shipping rule wins?

How does all this appear to the buyer? Does he or she see any of this, or does this merely appear to me in my SM screen?

I am pretty confused by now. Should I give up on the automated thing, and merely state a combined shipping rule in the description (which is what I did years ago anyway)?

[pierrelebel]

"Should I give up on the automated thing"

It depends on your margins.

If you have substantial margins, it makes it a lot easier for the customer if every additional items purchased at the same time receives free shipping (if all items are combined in one payment). Sure it does cost you some more shipping but if you have the margins in the products to cover the cost, it makes sense.

However, if your margins cannot justify it, you will need to work on a "simple" formula that does.

KISS

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Pierre (and a fellow Bellevillian, too!)

So you would put this, or something like this, into the description?

"When you buy two or more items and pay for them on the same invoice, you pay only the highest shipping fee. The other items ship for free!"

Not very well worded, but I don't know how else to put it.

[axe_n_gear_music]

This is what I use:

"FREE SHIPPING FOR MULTIPLE PURCHASES! - When paying for multiple items on one invoice, you only pay the one shipping cost of the item that has the higher shipping amount."

AXE

[Anonymous]

Oooooh, I like that. Thanks, Axe!

[pierrelebel]

"into the description? "

More important than the description is to set up your preferences so that all additional items receive free shipping - should you wish to go that way,

[Anonymous]

Do all listings need to be revised away from calculated shipping and to flat shipping in order to institute this preference?

In other words, if I go with the "pay the highest shipping, the rest ship for free" on all listings going forward, what about those already listed with calculated shipping and no shipping rule applied?

[axe_n_gear_music]

They will all have to be revised.

[Anonymous]

<<i>Sobs, then takes a deep breath.>

Okay, then. Thanks, Axe.

[dipmicro]

Dip, not sure, but I kind of doubt it, because the shipments that I have received from him come from northern ontario.

He may be using multiple distribution methods. Different one for Canada and different one for USA. If I had small number of higher priced items, I'd do the same. However, I have high number of small value items, so I'd pay sick amounts on warehousing and fulfillment fees.

[axe_n_gear_music]

Yeah, gotcha. But the thing is, this guy has a ton of stock, and it seems to me it would be a nightmare for him to keep tabs on what he has and doesnt have if he had two different countries of distribution. All of his stock comes from China.
Makes me wonder, and again the way he only shows United States in his shipping, and in the description it shows North America and Worldwide.
Whatever he is doing and however he is doing it, it sure looks like it is working. I almost feel like I put too many details in my listings when I look at huge sellers like him and how he does things.

[coxengines]

Sorry PJ just noticed your question.

The glitch appeared around the time 3rd.party checkout was dropped. We list with Auctiva and that may have something to do with it.

Bernie