Never allows combined shipping when I go through checkout

[quitesomething]

The seller does not offer combined shipping discounts.The seller has disallowed combined payments and shipping discounts. Please proceed to checkout to complete your purchase.

I keep getting this message even though it is stated on the auctions that the Sellers will combine shipping. So, it won't even let me ask for the Seller to reduce the shipping to what he states on the auction. VERY frustrating. Have had this happen multiple times.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@quitesomething wrote:

The seller does not offer combined shipping discounts.The seller has disallowed combined payments and shipping discounts. Please proceed to checkout to complete your purchase.

I keep getting this message even though it is stated on the auctions that the Sellers will combine shipping. So, it won't even let me ask for the Seller to reduce the shipping to what he states on the auction. VERY frustrating.

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Does the seller ship to Canada? Seem very odd that you can't contact the seller to ask a question.

[momcqueen]

Sometimes sellers write that in their Item Descriptions thinking only of their domestic customers when you might be an international one. And if they have enrolled anywhere in the Global Shipping Program, ti doesn't allow for combined postage pricing as each item must ship separately.

[momcqueen]

Try going to one of their listings and Ask a Question at the bottom of the page, explaining the problem you are having and the items you want to purchase. If that seller is truly motivated, they will find a way to get you your order with reduced postage. One method that works is if the seller creates a Custom Bundle for your ebay buyer ID but that takes extra work to do and some might be reluctant at this time of year to do it. 

[quitesomething]

Yes, they and I are in Canada. I suspect it is because they don't put in their listing on the shipping when you have more than one card: Each card after the first costs $0.50. They are just typing a sentence into the listing.

[i.am.vivian]

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@quitesomething wrote:

Yes, they and I are in Canada. I suspect it is because they don't put in their listing on the shipping when you have more than one card: Each card after the first costs $0.50. They are just typing a sentence into the listing.

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As mjwl2006 says, find that "Ask a question" link, choose "combined shipping" from the topic choices, and tell the seller you would like to buy multiple items.  

The seller can then make up a special listing for you or else you can buy them individually and wait for the seller to reinvoice you for the total with the reduced shipping charges.  But start by scrolling down to where the "Ask" link is

[i.am.vivian]

You can also use the "Contact" link beside the seller's ID when you click on it,

[momcqueen]

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@quitesomething wrote:

Yes, they and I are in Canada. I suspect it is because they don't put in their listing on the shipping when you have more than one card: Each card after the first costs $0.50. They are just typing a sentence into the listing.

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That is the combined postage amount. Add to Cart. Look at the Shipping Cost. You don't get to Request Total, it's not required because the seller has established and is utilizing an set price per amount like that. If you see the cost is too high, that is another matter entirely. 

Or are you trying to buy multiples of other items, as opposed to multiples of the same item?

[momcqueen]

Or are you saying there is nothing at all about shipping costs combined other than that one line of text. 

Maybe that seller isn't as savvy as they should be. You might be better to look elsewhere. It could be a long, painful process with that one if they don't know how to combine postage for multi-item sales and instead decided to just write their rule without thinking ahead to the fact they wouldn't be letting a buyer utilize it. 

Without prejudice against new sellers or part-timers, sometimes a blatant error or shortcut like that one is a red flag for trouble of the future. 

[pjcdn2005]

The systems is supposed to allow a buyer to ask for an invoice even if there are no rules set up. The mesage they are getting should only be shown if the seller has specified in their preferences that they don't combine shipping but it's been reported on the boards that it is showing up at other times and Raphael confirmed that.  Lots of sellers including myself do not have the rules set up mainly because it is so overwhelming to set it up when dealing with various items sizes. I agree at it should be set up for the buyers convenience but to suggest that the op change sellers and see it as a red flag is over the top imo.

[quitesomething]

That's not the point! I am wondering why there is a malfunction by eBay, not whether I am smart enough to figure out another way to buy them!

[momcqueen]

Malfunction or not, do you want to buy the stuff? If so, contact your seller. If not, don't worry yourself. There's always a glitch somewhere on a site as gigantic and diverse as this one.

[i.am.vivian]

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@mjwl2006 wrote:
Malfunction or not, do you want to buy the stuff? If so, contact your seller. If not, don't worry yourself. There's always a glitch somewhere on a site as gigantic and diverse as this one.

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Touché.  That's about the size of it.  🙂 

You know what I'm thinking, is that it may not be a malfunction at all, like if the seller has listed on .com.  The seller may well be located in Canada but a .com listing will have IPR put on items under $1000 automatically.  

Are you having déjà-vu?  Because I am really feeling déjà-vu about all this.  Remember how so long as a seller had a shipping fee put on (sounds like this one does), items listed on .com will have IPR.  The presence of IPR will negate the Request Total if the seller has NOT set up the listings for the combined shipping.  I would say you were right that the seller has not done that, out of inexperience or laziness, who's to say.  But in that case the only way to get a combined deal is to contact the seller if that seller has not set up the listings for it.  Does that sound about right to you?  

Here's the link again, and I am referring mostly to the passage that says, 

Immediate payment is automatically required on items priced below $1000, that have a specified shipping cost, and where PayPal is the only payment method offered.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/require-immediate-payment.html

and of course that lengthy to-and-fro we all had about IPR a while back.  What's your guess?  Or maybe you even have an answer or The Solution, that would be good.  

I do wish we could just post listing numbers and say 'What gives with this?' instead of fumbling around in the dark all the time.  😞 

[momcqueen]

I think you've hit the nail on the head, Vivian.