topic Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases? in Selling

Why does eBay not combine purchases?

charmony — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:14:34 GMT

Can anyone explain why this happens? Someone buys two items from me, then pays for them, but eBay doesn't combine the purchase so I end up paying the Paypal transaction fee twice.

It never happens when I buy stuff - eBay always combines purchases from the same buyer so I only checkout once.

It just happened today with someone buying the SAME ITEM twice, then paying a few minutes later - but in two transactions. Why doesn't eBay combine the purchases?

(eBay customer service has given a couple of irrelevant answers when I queried them about it, eventually blaming Paypal.)

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

patchoo78 — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:30:32 GMT

You have to buy the items first, then you pay for them together..eBay can't combine them if the buyer pays for each item separately

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

*sparklz* — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:37:25 GMT

The seller combines purchased items NOT ebay.

The buyer can pay for multiple purchases in ONE payment if they want to by ticking all the purchases to pay as a combined lot to the one seller.

If the buyer wants a combined invoice to get to cheaper postage when offered then they can request that from the seller

If the buyer purchases 1 item then pays and then purchases a second item then pays for that then why is that ebay's fault?

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

digital*ghost — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:50:13 GMT

If you find that people are buying multiple items and sending payments separately (after all purchases have been made), they are most likely using one of the eBay mobile apps. I offer combined postage discounts, and have sent multiple invoices to buyers for combined post on iPhones etc, but the app doesn't recognise the invoices and just won't let them pay for all the items at once. (It can be done on a mobile device, but they have to go to 'Classic Site', not use the app).

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

jensmanchester-australia — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:57:43 GMT

The seller combines purchased items NOT ebay.

The buyer can pay for multiple purchases in ONE payment if they want to by ticking all the purchases to pay as a combined lot to the one seller.

If the buyer wants a combined invoice to get to cheaper postage when offered then they can request that from the seller

If the buyer purchases 1 item then pays and then purchases a second item then pays for that then why is that ebay's fault?

Sparklz - unfortunately it doesn't always happen like that.

Recently I made three purchases from the one Seller.

After finishing shopping I went through checkout, ticked all the boxes for them to be paid together and made one payment.

When the email came through from Paypal it came as a receipt for Multiple payments - even though I had only made one payment.

When I checked back on ebay they had split the order into two and when I checked with the seller they had received two separate payments.

I have no idea where the order was split - I suspect when it went through Paypal as up to that point they all appeared to be on the one transaction.

I could see no reason as to why it went through as two transactions instead of one but that is what happened.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

jensmanchester-australia — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 11:58:49 GMT

Also - I was not on a mobile phone. I was using my PC at home.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

*sparklz* — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:02:00 GMT

Oh ok thanks for that Jens.

Is this a recent issue or has it all ways been like this as there has not been complaints till now.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

digital*ghost — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:07:57 GMT

jens, I've had showing on my PayPal receipts a couple of times 'Receipt for multiple payments' when sending one payment to the same seller for multiple items (also on my laptop), so I suppose they would have received multiple payments when I only sent one?

In my instance, I won a few auction items over a couple of days, the seller invoiced for the first two, then I paid as soon as I won the third - they were all free postage so I didn't bother waiting for a new invoice. At checkout, it told me that the two grouped items reflected the items I had requested an invoice for, and there was a link to request an invoice for the third one. I wonder if it's to do with the cart system we don't have as yet, because on those receipts it mentioned those two items as being in my shopping cart. ?:|

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

charmony — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:12:25 GMT

I am referring to a buyer who buys several items and THEN pays, not someone who buys and pays for each one in turn. eBay customer service had similar reading comprehension difficulties when I asked them about this.

Most of the time eBay puts them all one invoice for the buyer (with the postage added up) - the seller doesn't have to do anything for this to happen. It's what almost always happens in my experience as a seller and buyer. Usually of course the buyer does request an invoice so I can combine postage.

But sometimes - it's happened to me (as a seller) about four times over the past couple of weeks - eBay does not combine the items and the buyer pays in separate Paypal transactions. I haven't followed these incidents up with the buyer to see what they did differently (e.g. if they were using a mobile phone - is there a way to discover this without asking them?).

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

jensmanchester-australia — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:16:01 GMT

Sparklz - As a seller over the years there have been many occasions where buyers have gone through checkout once and I have ended up with more than one payment.

Paypal (or eBay) used to split the payments depending on what postage service was being offered on the listing. ie if some were for express and some were for regular they would split those.

These days they seem to be splitting the payments even when the postage service offered is the same.

Digital - I would say most likely yes the sellers have received multiple payments.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

patchoo78 — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:10:19 GMT

Considering that some on here had the same problems as eBay, maybe it's you with the comprehension problem..

Maybe you need to re-read some of your OP

It just happened today with someone buying the SAME ITEM twice, then paying a few minutes later - but in two transactions. Why doesn't eBay combine the purchases?

This reads to me as the buyer bought two things from you and paying for them separately.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

patchoo78 — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:11:38 GMT

Maybe the buyer didn't tick the boxes to combine the items..

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

lyndal1838 — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:50:34 GMT

I have had the same problem...paid for multiple items on the one invoice but received a paypal receipt for multiple payments AND had multiple payments taken from my bank account.

It has been happening for at least the last year and seems to be mainly when the seller has had all the information in the listing and there has been no need for me to wait for a combined invoice.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

charmony — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 21:40:14 GMT

buying the SAME ITEM twice, then paying a few minutes later - but in two transactions

There were two transactions and they did pay separately - that's the point of my complaint. I said:

Someone buys two items from me, then pays for them

The "then" is the key word - they buy everything first, then pay for everything.

I only offer one postage service, so that's not it. Buyers could be choosing to split them but I don't know why they would - I haven't asked (yet).

A possible explanation is that eBay's computers are just too slow when the first purchase is a long time before the second. I haven't kept records because I didn't realize this would keep happening, but twice recently buyers have bought the first item hours before the second, then paid in two transactions because eBay didn't combine them. Maybe the purchase history needs time to refresh/sync them up?

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

bf1952 — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 07:18:25 GMT

I have just sold two items to the same buyer. Both items were separate in my Sold list and I wasn't aware that the same buyer had bought them both until I went to the first item and clicked on Send Invoice.

The Invoice then came up with both items and doubled the postage. I just changed the postage and sent the Invoice.

They are now both combined in my Sold list. Buyer will pay one amount.

This is how I have always found the process to be.

Will have to see whether Paypal splits it.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

digital*ghost — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 07:58:39 GMT

I can't guarantee this will work, but if it's an invoice issue as it seems to be, and the following suggestion is workable for you, it stands a pretty decent chance of avoiding the multiple payments received when one was sent.

You can set up automatic postage discounts, thus easily eliminating the need for buyers to wait for a combined postage invoice. You can choose from several different options when it comes to applying discounts, for example each additional purchase is X amount after the first P&H cost, or even free.

Another is to subtract from additional postage costs (eg $1 of the P&H quote for each additional item - it can get a bit confusing for buyers trying to work out what the total might be, though). There's also a percentage discount option, and a postage cap option (eg pay no more than $5 P&H).

You're able to set up various postage rules under different profile names, then you can edit your listings in bulk via Selling Manager and add them to the listings that you want them to apply to. (Note: if you create a flat postage rule and a promotional postage rule, the promotional rule will always override the flat rule if they are applied to the same listings - that way, you can have it do something like this; Flat Rule - 50c per additional item, Promotional Rule: $5 postage cap, so if someone buys 5, they'll pay the $2.50 extra, but if someone buys 20, the most P&H they'll pay is $5).

Make sure that, in your site preferences, you have it set up to allow combined purchases (you can set it to a variety of time frames, mine is currently set up so that purchases will combine automatically over a period of 7 days. You can include items purchased outside of that time frame, eg a buyer buys 1 item, then 8 days later another, they won't automatically combine but you can include them in a manual invoice).

I hope all that makes sense. If you need anything clarified, or help on how to get everything set up if you want to try it, just let me know.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

charmony — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 08:34:00 GMT

I went to the first item and clicked on Send Invoice.

The Invoice then came up with both items and doubled the postage. I just changed the postage and sent the Invoice.

Yes, that's how it usually works for me too. Just not recently, at least not always.

If the buyer, for example, doesn't realize they bought two items from the same seller, eBay will nevertheless combine them (as well as summing the postage) when they try to pay for the first one. eBay actually says it will do this - that it combines items bought less than 3 days apart - but sometimes it just doesn't work.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

charmony — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 08:46:51 GMT

Thanks for the info, digital*ghost. I had considered just having a flat shipping rate, as my items are tiny and would work well with, say, $1.50 max. postage. I have just been a bit nervous about changing 100 listings in bulk. (Not that doing so would solve the problem of eBay not combining items onto one invoice, as far as I can tell - because all this happens before any invoices have been sent, as far as I know.)

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

sj.armstrong — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:32:13 GMT

It's frustrating that you can't pay for multiple items using the mobile site or the phone app. I hope they fix this soon.

Re: Why does eBay not combine purchases?

phorum_junkie* — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:01:21 GMT

To be honest I don't give it a thought, if a buyer makes separate payments I just post in separate parcels and look at it as if two different buyers had purchased.

So it may be costing me an extra 30c in Paypal fees but that is already built into the selling price so I am not going to go under just because I don't get an extra 30c I wasn't expecting anyway.