Combined shipping request

[dunk_c]

Why is it that I have to commit to buy from a seller BEFORE they tell me the combined shipping total? How is this standard commercial behavior!

[papermoon.lady]

You can contact the seller before requesting a total from your cart and committing to buy. I have done it many times when I was not sure how much it would be.

[twyngwyn]

maybe, they'd like to give you a discount.....depending on how much/many you buy???

[dunk_c]

My point is that you have to COMMIT TO BUY before knowing what the total cost would be

[papermoon.lady]

I ask sellers how much it will be in a message, and if I agree I add the items to my cart and officially request a total (and yes, I commit to buy).

[dunk_c]

Thanks but this not the way eBay is set up to work.  I have done what you suggest before but there is a dedicated mechanisms in the cart to request the total.

[twyngwyn]

I offer combined postage......if a buyer messages me with the items they want to purchase & ask for cost, I will give them a combined postage total....will your seller not do that??

[dunk_c]

Sorry everyone, I am hoping to get a response from eBay technical support about this.  Do they monitor this forum!

[sandypebbles]

Nobody from ebay reads the forum (including anyone from tech support, despite the blurb that goes around about them 'checking for issues)

[papermoon.lady · Accepted solution]

The reason why they ask buyers to commit to buy is that the seller cannot send them a combined postage invoice if they don't commit to buy - because basically that's what it is (they send you an invoice when you click on "request total").

If you have a question about how much it is before buying, you just ask the seller. Maybe it is not expressed very well, but "request total" basically means "send me a combined postage invoice", that's why you have to commit to buy.

(No, eBay representatives don't read here,)