I am so tired of buyers not able to ask for combined shipping

[triber]

In the last few weeks I have had 4 buyers wanting to have combined shipping, I have tried, all my settings are correct, but it is just not working. 2 of them just gave up. I am having to send special listing for each one. This has been going on for so long, surely someone at eBay can fix it. One of the buyers has been purchasing from me for about 16 years, and not able to ask for combined shipping invoice. Some are in Canada and some in the US.

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@triber wrote:

In the last few weeks I have had 4 buyers wanting to have combined shipping, I have tried, all my settings are correct, but it is just not working. 2 of them just gave up. I am having to send special listing for each one. This has been going on for so long, surely someone at eBay can fix it. One of the buyers has been purchasing from me for about 16 years, and not able to ask for combined shipping invoice. Some are in Canada and some in the US.

---

@triber 

devon@ebay 

Urgent. Can you address this please? This has been a known off and on issue for several years for a large number of sellers. Sellers need to be able to combine on shipping without all of the extra work to create a special listing each time a situation arises. This is made worse by the fact if a buyer is having problems, often they just give up and go elsewhere. There are no guarantees of sucesss with add to cart and from my testing there is still not continue shopping button. (Not that I see on a PC)

Thanks,

-Lotzofuniquegoodies

[intimewithmusic]

It's hard to know what's going on without knowing how your business policies and shipping rules are set up. To get a proper review of your issue you would have to provide too many details for a forum but it sounds like you need to review all of your settings and how they interact.  You are losing business by making your customers jump through hoops after the "iron goes cold" due to the delay. 

I have no issues at all with combined shipments. eBays system works fine for me.  One prerequisite is to turn off "Immediate Payment" if you haven't done so.  My buyers pay regardless and it gives them more time to shop. Sometimes they send a message asking for a total because of the simple instructions in all our listings (but they don't have to). If they clear checkout without requesting an invoice our setup is very accurate for the USA and Canada.  (That said, the CS system doesn't work well for International Tracked Packet.) 

An interelated suggestion is make absolutely sure your shipping rules for combined shipping offer the lowest shipping cost you can provide. Some sellers don't monitor what happens when multiple handling charges, weights and retail freight add up in a combined order.  Combined shipping must be incentive, not a deterrent.  IE: The freight on 3 magazines should be close to the same as the freight on one. 

I don't know what you sell. Sometimes you need to use flat rates on large items. No pun intended but there's no "one size fits all" in a combined shipment. Once you get your system working, which you will , the last thing you want is to scare away your customers. 

I think eBay has set it up as best they can considering the variety of things that can be combined. Unfortunately the interactive settings can be complex. It takes patience and experimenting but they do work at least for me. Be sure to listen to the weekly eBay For business podcast as this topic comes up a lot. I think there was a discussion on January 17 or 24 from a caller's question.

Good luck with that!

IT

[recped]

This issue has existed since 2012, part of the "problem" is completely intention on eBay's part, another part of the problem is also sort of intentional and the final part is on the buyer.

- in 2012 eBay introduced a policy whereby some transaction did not allow buyers to click the Request Total button. It was offered in a Seller Update as a way that eBay could reduce non-payments.

- The Request Total button is not available via the mobile App, it wasn't a huge issue in 2012 but now it is because so many people use the App.

- Buyers are confused about the Request Total process, simply add to cart and pay

Personally I gave up on this driving me crazy stuff and all the custom order listings waste of time/effort last Spring when eBay finally started giving fee refunds on partial refunds to buyer. I no longer worry about the issue and simply give combined shipping discounts via refunds since they no longer cost me extra fees.

Asking eBay to "fix" this issue is futile, it's pretty much impossible to get eBay to even admit there is a problem.

FYI - You can find the original annnouncement/update in the archives but I thing they have scrubbed all references to it there and I don't believe it still exists in the Help pages (it did at one time).

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@recped wrote:

This issue has existed since 2012, part of the "problem" is completely intention on eBay's part, another part of the problem is also sort of intentional and the final part is on the buyer.

- in 2012 eBay introduced a policy whereby some transaction did not allow buyers to click the Request Total button. It was offered in a Seller Update as a way that eBay could reduce non-payments.

- The Request Total button is not available via the mobile App, it wasn't a huge issue in 2012 but now it is because so many people use the App.

- Buyers are confused about the Request Total process, simply add to cart and pay

Personally I gave up on this driving me crazy stuff and all the custom order listings waste of time/effort last Spring when eBay finally started giving fee refunds on partial refunds to buyer. I no longer worry about the issue and simply give combined shipping discounts via refunds since they no longer cost me extra fees.

Asking eBay to "fix" this issue is futile, it's pretty much impossible to get eBay to even admit there is a problem.

FYI - You can find the original annnouncement/update in the archives but I thing they have scrubbed all references to it there and I don't believe it still exists in the Help pages (it did at one time).

---

Thanks for the clarification @recped  . I was quite sure I had seen something previous but not easy to always retrieve when you need. Kind of sad there is no desire to fix something that is standard with most online market vendors. Reminds of the situation (goes back yearsssss) where ebay is unable to solve under minimum measurement for postage not displaying but the systems will let you create the postage using those  smaller measurements when the item sells. The error comes up no problem if you go over the max for measurements. Stops you in your tracks from completing the listing. 

-Lotz

-Lotz

[regs43]

If memory serves me, part of the issues I had for a while years ago when setting stuff up was that I had things listed with different services (Economy shipping and then also Standard shipping) So my policies were not applying even though I did offer combined shipping on all things and half the time it worked properly. It depended on what service was listed on the combined order. I use business policies now and everything is streamlined and works perfectly.

@triberat the very least for your like items (at a quick glance your sweing patterns) you can set them up to combine hassle free. If you know how many you can send in the same package for 100 grams and then 200grams etc you can assign a value for each additional one that works for your shipping weights.

https://www.ebay.ca/ship/prf

In this section of ebay you need to allow combined payments

Then you need to assign Flat shipping rule - this is where you would say I want to add an extra $1.00 for each additional sewing pattern bought, you can creat multiples here, Canada and USA for me have different values.

THEN you need to go into each sewing pattern listing and find just below where you set your flat rate shipping price for both CANADA and USA
"Combined shipping discounts

Apply my flat shipping rule with profile name:"

Then you select the $1.00 policy you created on the other page for Canada and then do the same with whatever you decide for USA

Hope this helps in some way

I believe you can do the same with items base on calcuated weight but thats more risky from the horror stories I have heard about on youtube etc

[tuckhouse2021]

Hi-I agree. It is very frustrating as I offer combined shipping and many of my buyers can't access the option to use it for their purchases. I now have a standard pre-typed answer to send explaining how the option doesn't show on  mobile phones and that the buyers should access a computer like a laptop and then proceed or trust me and have me send the refund. It is very cumbersome if they make multiple orders and it would good to get this dealt with. 

[triber]

I appreciate your comments. I always apply the same economy or standard shipping. The main problems I have had recently is for yarn, one that I lost was for 8 lots, it was very disappointing, I think the buyer thought I didn't know what I was doing and just gave up. Even sewing patterns can be up to 100g, 200g or 250 grams and there is now way to just do "add a pattern".

Ebay just needs to remedy this problem and allow buyer to ask for  combined shipping. Sometimes it does work, so I know it's not my settings. In the past when I have contacted eBay, they delete the combine shipping link and then re-do it, I am told it will then work, it never does!

[intimewithmusic]

Hi @recped and the rest,

  I can't agree with you going back in time 10 years and saying this is an eBay fixable issue.

• eBay cannot possibly account for accurate "predictions" for unknown combined shipment quotes when they have no idea how big the final packaging will be. Shipping costs are based on SIZE, not just weight. 
• At ITWM we have about 7 Shipping Business policies. They all have different parameters based on the item. some are immediate payment (high end items) and some aren't. If a buyer chooses multiple items with different business policies you can't blame eBay. The items could have  4 days to pay with a "Request Total" or "Immediate Payment" depending on the policies. eBay can't make that decision at checkout. 

At one point I thought the system was broken too and I did exactly what @triber is doing. When I understood what combined shipping really is for sellers that sell a huge variety of sizes, prices and weights of items I realized the onus was on us, not eBay, to provide the buyer with the best possible checkout options.

 .... so we "retooled" our Account settings. Then we developed unique business policies that accomodate the wide variety of shipping methods and payment options we need for items that have nothing in common.  Then we added simple instructions to every listing. 

It's not going to be perfect. If a customer buys a vibraphone (immediate payment, flat rate shipping), a guitar magazine (delayed payment, tracked packet), and an accordian (pay or not we don't care just take it away, free pick up only .. {I hate accordians}) how do you expect eBay to offer this buyer combined shipping? eBay has no idea how big the box is going to be?

 Turn off immediate payment on any item you can.  Make it a point in your listing to tell customers you provide a savings to your buyer if they

A) message you or

B) Request an invoice. 

Finally,  know ahead of time that if your customer buys vibes, a mag and a squeeze box all at once, well, you're hooped... unless they read your listing and send you a message.

eBay could never provide the service you are asking for at the point of sale. Not gonna happen.

IT

[intimewithmusic]

PS Here's an abridged part of the eBay for Business podcast I mentioned earlier.  It's episode 226 and aired January 24. The link is at the end.  This is from eBay...

Brian: The next question is a perennial popular one. [Combined shipping]

Griff:" I normally sell military surplus field gear and every once in a while I get an order with multiple items. I'm always willing to sell more than one item, but the calculated shipping on larger items doesn't seem to be calculated properly. The sale goes through but only adjusts by the weight, not the package size. While this is okay with small items on large items, it has been costing me to package and ship the products. The latest example is for four of the items on this listing. I sold four and the customer paid a $14.60 cents for shipping and I paid $18.06 cents and had to pay for the shipping materials too. Is there a way to set my listing up so they will properly calculate shipping? "

Brian: Definitely. I don't think combined shipping calculates the dimensions. Does it?

Griff: It doesn't. And in fact that's something that a lot of sellers have asked for and it's just not possible. I will explain why. It would have to make a lot of assumptions about how you pack your items. We can't do that. So although the combined shipping calculator behind that feature, when you combine multiple purchases like what Charlie's done here, it will figure out based on your weight, the weight that it's going to be. But it's not gonna then say, Oh and then you're gonna need this size box. There's no way for us to know that. And in fact, if we made that assumption, I guarantee you we would make more sellers angry than we would by solving a problem. So that has to be on you unfortunately, Charlie..."

Brian: ............."It sounds like Wei might not be using business policies."

Griff: ...........There's no report of a bug of any sort. So what it sounds like to me, and I've actually heard of this from other sellers, they will create a new listing or a sell similar listing and there may not have been immediate pay and that'll carry over. And then when you create the listing, there's no immediate pay. I would opt into business policies..............

https://community.ebay.com/t5/eBay-for-Business/Ep-226-Tax-Considerations-for-Selling-Personal-Prope... 

[intimewithmusic]

@intimewithmusic

PS

In this podcast you will notice Griff's mention of the carry over effects of using "Sell Similar".  If you're using SS to refresh your oldest items (a great way to boost sales and influence the allgorithym) it can also mess up your Combined Shipping by repeating old shipping policies you may have on dead stock that may not fit into your current combined shipping rules.

IT

[intimewithmusic]

Hi Triber,

You're asking eBay to bill the customer before you provide your packaging specifics. 

IT

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@regs43 wrote:

If memory serves me, part of the issues I had for a while years ago when setting stuff up was that I had things listed with different services (Economy shipping and then also Standard shipping) So my policies were not applying even though I did offer combined shipping on all things and half the time it worked properly. It depended on what service was listed on the combined order. I use business policies now and everything is streamlined and works perfectly.

@triberat the very least for your like items (at a quick glance your sweing patterns) you can set them up to combine hassle free. If you know how many you can send in the same package for 100 grams and then 200grams etc you can assign a value for each additional one that works for your shipping weights.

https://www.ebay.ca/ship/prf

In this section of ebay you need to allow combined payments

Then you need to assign Flat shipping rule - this is where you would say I want to add an extra $1.00 for each additional sewing pattern bought, you can creat multiples here, Canada and USA for me have different values.

THEN you need to go into each sewing pattern listing and find just below where you set your flat rate shipping price for both CANADA and USA
"Combined shipping discounts

Apply my flat shipping rule with profile name:"

Then you select the $1.00 policy you created on the other page for Canada and then do the same with whatever you decide for USA

Hope this helps in some way

I believe you can do the same with items base on calcuated weight but thats more risky from the horror stories I have heard about on youtube etc

---

@intimewithmusic 

@triber 

There is a relatively simple fix. But would work best when sellers sell multiples of the same item. (Not so good when items are different sizes.) Adding a box similar to Flat rate(Upcharge per additional unit.), where the seller could key in the weight for the additional unit(s) only. The system assumes incorrectly that an additional box is required for each additional item. It also doesn't comprehend that if the total weight goes over the allowable limit the next service is required. NOT shipping in 2 boxes. That's what inflates the shipping and scares the bejeebers out of buyers. Seeing excessive shipping amounts. This would not work if the item is really bulky, but would leap ahead of what we have to work with now.

Then a disclaimer (Pop up message that appears when they attempt to pay.) for buyers to message for a revised invoice and as long as automatic payment is not turned on. Then the seller has to be able to send. (Not grayed out/deactivated.) Again, not perfect but better than refunding every other order.

-Lotz

PS. In speaking to tech end on this they have agreed this would be workable. It has just never happened.

[intimewithmusic]

@lotzofuniquegoodies  "There is a relatively simple fix." ?? 

Really Lotz? It's been a long time since we had a good song...

I Donna Thinna So 

I think you may be spinning a good yarn. Combined shipping includes all sellers ,

"But would work best when sellers sell multiples of the same item."

I dream to become "Mr. Magazine", stuffing the same sized thing into the same sized thing, day in and day out... but that's boring, never going to happen, so Lotz, be all inclusive.

eBay's magic  is about selling one offs. 

That's what Rock and Roll is all about.  Please tell me you noticed the marimba in this song. Combine ship one of those and you know where I'm coming from Mr. Magazine...

IT

---

[lotzofuniquegoodies]

---

@intimewithmusic wrote:

@lotzofuniquegoodies  "There is a relatively simple fix." ?? 

Really Lotz? It's been a long time since we had a good song...

I Donna Thinna So 

I think you may be spinning a good yarn. Combined shipping includes all sellers ,

"But would work best when sellers sell multiples of the same item."

I dream to become "Mr. Magazine", stuffing the same sized thing into the same sized thing, day in and day out... but that's boring, never going to happen, so Lotz, be all inclusive.

eBay's magic  is about selling one offs. 

That's what Rock and Roll is all about.  Please tell me you noticed the marimba in this song. Combine ship one of those and you know where I'm coming from Mr. Magazine...

IT

---

---

@intimewithmusic 

I didn't say it was 100% perfect. But sheesh. Multiple units. Give me a break. Not my fault there are sellers who sell bricks and yarn in their B & M stores!?!? 🤣

-Lotz

[intimewithmusic]

Are you callin' my xylophones bricks? Grrr, why I oughta... 

  There are other topics that ARE fixable needing fixing such as listing multiple items in lots, Lotz. Thanks to Item Specifics selling lots, Lotz is extremely complicated.  @lotzofuniquegoodies 

[intimewithmusic]

With all due respect here are a few relevant statistics about how impossible it is for eBay to accomodate this complaint;

"As of December 2022 there are at least 1.7 billion eBay listings active on the site.

There are more than 18 million sellers currently on the platform.

There are over 135 million eBay users worldwide. There are few marketplaces or platforms that give you access to a bigger audience for your products.

More than half (60%) of eBay's gross merchandise volume involves a touchpoint on a mobile device, underlining the importance of making your store mobile-friendly.

Source 

[intimewithmusic]

A few relevant statistics 

"As of December 2022 there are at least 1.7 billion eBay listings active on the site.

There are more than 18 million sellers currently on the platform.

There are over 135 million eBay users worldwide. There are few marketplaces or platforms that give you access to a bigger audience for your products.

More than half (60%) of eBay's gross merchandise volume involves a touchpoint on a mobile device, underlining the importance of making your store mobile-friendly.

Source 

If perfected eBay's Combined Shipping would need to to accomodate what eBay sells including:

A grilled cheese sandwich with the face of Virgin Mary
A ghost in jar
A haunted rubber duck
A Dorito shaped like the Pope’s hat
The meaning of life
A grandmother
Britney Spears bubble gum
Unwanted brussel sprouts
A man’s life

  All items were sold on eBay,  Source 

Suppose you're the seller and asked to combine the shipment. Please tell me the dimensions, weight and most of all where to get a box for the meaning of life.

[pjcdn2005]

---

@intimewithmusic wrote:

Hi Triber,

You're asking eBay to bill the customer before you provide your packaging specifics. 

IT

---

No, she and many others are asking and what recped was referring to is for the request total button in the cart to work so that buyers can ask for combined shipping when necessary.    The request total button is not available on the app and will not work on a PC IF any of the items on the cart have free shipping, are marked down, are part of any type of promo or require immediate payment. There have been lots of reports of it not working even when the items are full price with no immediate payment. 

[msau4301]

As pjcdn has said sums it up. It is the need for an across the board Request Total option. I'm happy to do the work of weighing and measuring a mix of different size and weighted items (though not as diverse as IT's list!) I have a scale here and when asked it's easy to do. I still run auctions which are still very easy to send a combination invoice for but on the Buy it Now it is always a battle. I've tried work arounds when asked like adding the "Make an Offer" since once accepted it is in the buyer's cart and then they can request total. I've added "Local Pick up" since that will have a zero shipping (this is when someone has already paid for one thing but wants to add more), and of course as recped has mentioned have sometimes refunded the difference now that we get our fees refunded also. Problem is not everyone is comfortable with the refund option and may be put off from the sale.

Not being at all technical I would still like to think it isn't too hard to have request total button always accessible and usable? After all it's super easy to "watch an item" from anywhere, getting "Still interested?" and "An item you're watching ends in 15 minutes" notifications constantly, why not a consistant "add to cart" if needed.