additional item shipping charges

[faircrochet]

I've been away from selling for a while so business policies are new to me.  I've never sold anything where I've had multiples of the same item - each listing is a "one off'.  However, people often buy items from multiple listings and I ship them together.

In the past I've had a flat shipping rule where shipping is charged on the first item and then a small increment is added for each additional listings purchased together.  Protects me somewhat from the risk of someone buying enough auctions that I am bumped up into a much higher priced canada post rate because the package got bigger.

When I set up the business policy I saw the the box next to the shipping cost marked "Each Additional" and I thought that was for additional listings.  I was quite happy that you could charge a different increment for domestic, US and international shipping.  But in reading other posts on the forum I now think that "Each Additional" is for listings with multiples of the same item.  Is that correct?

My flat shipping rule still exists but there doesn't seem to be a way to use the business policy and the flat shipping rule in the same listing.  You used to see a little message in the listing saying something along the line of "save money, additional auctions only cost $x more" but it's not there any more.  Am I right in thinking you can use either business policies OR the flat shipping rule, but not both?  If so, it seems it's not possible to charge just a little extra for multiple listings bought at the same time. Is that correct?

Thanks in advance.

[faircrochet]

I contacted customer service by phone.  I used the option where they call you (instead of me calling them) and the phone rang immediately - very impressive.  However, when I explained my question I was greeted with stunned silence. Sigh. Then she jumped back into her script and said she was looking for an answer.

After explaining the question a couple more times she concluded that the preferences (flat fee shipping with a small price for additional listings purchased at the same time) would still work even though the listing doesn't show it the way it used to.  She never did answer whether the business policy Additional Item is just for multiples in the same listing, but I'll make the assumption that it is.

Of course, so far I've only sold individual listings.  If anyone buys multiples I'll update with what actually happened.

[pierrelebel]

What is the listing number for the one listing offering multiple quantity at fixed price?

[faircrochet]

I don't have any with multiple quantity at fixed price.

I'm trying to get the set up right for someone buying multple listings at the same time.  If someone buys 5 items (from 5 listings) I don't want them to pay 5 x full shipping, I want them to pay 1 x full shipping + 4 x small extra shipping.

The listings used to say something along the lines of "save if you buy more from this seller, additional auctions shipping only $X", now it doesn't. I was concerned that the business policy had over-ridden the flat shipping preferences that are set up. (I haven't sold in a while so I missed the initial implementtion of the business policies.)

A bunch of listings end in 4 - 5 days, we'll see what happens then.

[pierrelebel]

You will need to read those rules very carefully:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/pay/shipping-discounts.html

Once done, take a few more minutes and read again. 

[faircrochet]

Thanks, but I do know how to set up shipping discounts in the "preferences" section, that's how I always did it before.

My confusion is in reference to the new Business Policies.  There is a field next to the shipping cost for "Each Additional" and I took that to be each additional listing purchased by someone at the same time (like shipping discounts set up under preferences).

Then I read in the forum where somone said "Each Additional" was only for listings where there are multiples of the same item in the same listing (something I don't do).

Fair enough, I still had my flat fee shipping with discounts set up, so I thought everything would be fine.  But when I look at my listings I don't see the note that used to be there before saying there was a discount for additional auctions purchased by the same person.  It appears as if the flat fee shipping discount has been superceded by the Business Policy.  But maybe not.  That's my question.

The customer service rep on the phone couldn't tell me if the "Each Additional" in the Business Policy was for multiple items in the SAME listing or multiple listings purchased at the same time.  She did seem fairly certain the flat rate shipping discounts would still be applied by the system even though I have a business policy for shipping set up.  She couldn't tell me why the note about savings when purchasing more auctions from the same person doesn't show up any more.

So we'll wait and see what happens when my auctions end in a few days.  I wanted to know for certain before setting up more inventory in Turbo Lister, because the wording of the listings would change (and I might have opted out of business policies).  But I guess I'll just have to suck it up, create my items and run the risk of having to change a couple hundred of them later.

[pjcdn2005]

The additional item shipping box is for shipping the identical item and used to only come up for listings with multiple items. Now it comes up for even single items.

I'm not sure why the message you mentioned doesn't come up anymore but I suspect it has to do with the fact that in many categories you have to now pay for each item when you purchase it unless the item is put in a shopping cart. But .ca items can not be put in a cart yet.

[pierrelebel]

"it has to do with the fact that in many categories you have to now pay for each item when you purchase it unless the item is put in a shopping cart."

That was one of those "stupid" policies adopted by eBay last year.  I say "stupid" because it was not needed: sellers already had the option to ask for "immediate payment" if they wanted to.  That policy forced sellers to demand "immediate payment" whether they want to or not.  Stupid!

There is one way around it: offer more than PayPal as a method of payment.

[faircrochet]

All listings have a buy it now price, and I'm pretty sure I had the option to ask for immediate payment or not - it's one of those things that I didn't really know what would be better.  I'll go in and uncheck immediate payment, see if anything changes.

If I offer payments other than paypal, wouldn't I need a merchant bank account to accept credit cards?  I'm just in this to get money to feed my collecting habit, not quite at the business level yet lol.

[pierrelebel]

"wouldn't I need a merchant bank account to accept credit cards?"

They idea to offer a payment option other than PayPal is to bypass the system.

http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/accepted-payment-methods.html

Use your imagination!

[westernstargifts]

All listings have a buy it now price, and I'm pretty sure I had the option to ask for immediate payment or not - it's one of those things that I didn't really know what would be better.  I'll go in and uncheck immediate payment, see if anything changes.

If you asked for immediate payment then the additional item discounts don't work.  The purchases have to be paid for with one payment.

I haven't quite figured out yet how I have some buyers pay for multiple items with one payment and others that don't seem to be able to do so.  Both buyers can be from the U.S. or from any other location.  Most don't bother to request an invoice or contact the seller which makes it hard to determine.

[faircrochet]

I just went to eBay.com to see about listing items there (to take advantage of the extra 50 free listings).  When setting up a shipping business policy on .com the flat fee discount is directly linked to the policy - you can specify which flat fee discount applies to US shipping and to other types of shipping (Canada and International lumped together).

On eBay.ca there is no line for the flat fee discount anywhere that I can find in the shipping business policy.  So I'm still suspicious that even though I have a flat fee discount set up in preferences it won't be applied.

[faircrochet]

I still don't have an answer to report because my earliest listings have another day to run.

I can say, though, that I didn't have the "require immediate payment" box checked, so that can't be the problem.

I still am mystified how the system will apply the flat fee shipping discount at all when you are using business policies, when you can't specify which flat fee shipping discount applies to the chosen shipping method - I have three.

[faircrochet]

OK, it's official - on eBay.CA even though I have a flat fee shipping discount set up the system does NOT calculate it that way - the first buyer took 15 items and would have been charged $15.00 shipping instead of $3.10.  I've worked out something with him as he has a lot of other items over the next week he's going to purchase.

Unfortunately sending an invoice with the correct amount won't work in a lot of cases because people are very eager and pay before I can send them one. (nice problem to have, but a problem none the less)

Moving this to Seller Tools  per Kalvin's suggestion