topic Re: Posting items together - eBay rules in Selling

Posting items together - eBay rules

cheekyrebels — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:40:17 GMT

Hi

A customer purchased 2 items from me, so I posted together in 1 envelope, the buyer has advised I have broken eBay rules by putting both items in the 1 envelope as they did not ask for combined postage each item should have been posted separately and they are not happy receiving both together - the items came with free postage, they now want a refund of the extra postage paid. Is there a rule about sending items separately

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

davewil1964 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:00:55 GMT

If they pay in two transactions using Paypal, they could (if they were dishonest) open an Item Not Received for one of them, but as you have an admission they have received both items, this would not apply here.

There are NO rules as to how a seller can post. I often send two 'free' post items in one envelope (admittedly one that costs twice as much). I would politely inform the buyer that they got their items, in advertised condition, at the price they agreed to pay. How you send them is your decision, and in fact it cost as much to send as one (more convenient for them) envelope as it would have for two. Or you only factored half the cost of postage into the original listings in anticipation of buyers buying multiple items and therefore there is NO excess postage payment to refund. Or you choose to absorb the postage cost and pick up would have cost the same. Or you've already paid FVF and Paypal fees on the second lot of postage and any refund would be ex of those fees.

Having said that, I don't let buyers push me around and I sell for money, not feedback, so the inevitable negative would not particularly worry me.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

flashback_deals — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:01:55 GMT

How much extra postage is it? Did you send them a combined invoice before they paid? If you did, they have no grounds to whinge

Since it was free postage anyway, they cant really claim a right for extra postage because they paid no postage

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

***super_nova*** — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:27:33 GMT

It is impossible to give any discount on "free postage" items. If there is postage payable, then you can reduce that but you would not be able to take anything off the sale price.

As already mentioned, there is no such eBay rule. Politely inform them, or maybe ask them to send you link to this supposed rule ]:)

If they leave bad FB, you should be able to get removed as you have done nothing wrong. Seller is under no obligation to reduce postage costs for 2 items in any case. The only issue would be with PP claim, but unless the items were being sent with tracking, it really is also irrelevant.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

k1ooo-slr-sales — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:30:36 GMT

the buyer has advised I have broken eBay rules by putting both items in the 1 envelope as they did not ask for combined postage each item should have been posted separately and they are not happy receiving both together

I would reply with something like:

I have not been a member of eBay for very long and have not sold that much. I appreciate you letting me know that I have broken en eBay rule as I do want to do the right thing when I sell. So, please let me know where to find the rule that I have broken as I have searched through the policy pages, site map and help pages and have not been able to locate it.

I appreciate your help in finding the URL for this postage rule. Thanks

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

kopenhagen5 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:46:38 GMT

Pfff, the above suggestions are good.

Otherwise ignore him and move on knowing you give good service and there are simply some clowns out there. 😉

BTW, the rule is if the buyer contacts you and asks for each item to be sent to 2 different addresses when no combined discount is given, they are entitled to that. But it sounds like they didn't make contact.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

tonalidesigns — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 13:00:46 GMT

There is simply no such rule (if it was eBay would have built in a system to provide post sale refunds!).

If the buyer had explicitly paid for two lots of postage then what the buyer expects might be reasonable. But with "free" postage that is not the case - how it's delivered is up to you unless you and the buyer agreed in advance to something different. The buyer is also assuming that 100% of the postage is built into the price or that you haven't incurred extra cost - which may or may not be the case (and if they paid for each item separately using Paypal you have already paid an extra Paypal fee!).

Have you looked at the feedback they have left for others - they may be a "crusader"!

Having said all that, if you do incorporate postage fully into the price there are a couple of things you can do in future to reward a multi-item buyer ... eg include something extra or send it by Express Post.

(We did also try using best offer so that multiple item buyers could ask for a better price - 95% of them didn't use it but we got driven nuts by one-off buyers making ridiculous offers! We're removing it as we revise our items this month).

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

recordfairs — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 14:58:41 GMT

Some buyers can pay so quick, multiple purchases are paid for with full postage before you can combine them to reduce the postage cost

But when they do this, all still comes up as one transaction in the checkout

Tonaldesigns: You can still accept Best Offers and automatically select it to accept anything above a certain amount. That is what I do and anything less than my minimum I just ignore

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

colic2bullsgirlore — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:12:19 GMT

Do they want the FR or the EE component back?.... ahh hang it... I would send them both...

tell em you did not pay for postage ....because it was free... tell em to ask at their PO because they know all about it ... about free postage that is.....

... unless you pay the extortionate demand you are gunna get a neg anyways

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

colic2bullsgirlore — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:25:28 GMT

BTW there is no rule

...... I can without breaking any :"rule" ......

combine 10 items into one package and not reduce postage it may not be the best idea to lure condusive postive feedback.

I can also combine 10 items and reduce postage on one invoice and then post them all seperately in seperate packages not condusive for profit that way but not "against the rules"

I may not be able to utilize the seller protection policy.... however that is not "against the rules" either....dumb maybe but not against the rules..

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/feedback-extortion.html

What is "against the rules' is a buyer that

Threatens to leave negative or neutral feedback for another member unless the other member provides goods or services not included in the original listing .

ie postage was Free.... and half of that is....nada

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

extra-keen — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 20:52:30 GMT

Some great advice above.

Another example which I use myself as 90% of my customers make multiple purchases.

When free post is offered, (and I do include the full cost of postage and handling in the cost each individual item): I work out the actual cost of postage for all items being sent then deduct any over-paid postage and make a refund of that amount.

However, when each item is paid for with a separate paypal payment I do as above then reduce the refund by 30c for each payment, which is paypals transaction charge for each separate payment. I send a note to the buyer thanking them for their trade, then suggesting it may work out better if they await a combined invoice before paying.

If they are using an app on a mobile divice, I suggest they await payment until they can make it from a computer or use the "classic site" to make a combined payment.

I have not had any problems with this and I've done thousands of transactions that are for combined "free post" items.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

***super_nova*** — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 23:21:18 GMT

s.

When free post is offered, (and I do include the full cost of postage and handling in the cost each individual item): I work out the actual cost of postage for all items being sent then deduct any over-paid postage and make a refund of that amount.

the only problem is that when you offer free postage you are paying eBay fees on the total price, which is the reason eBay does not allow to reduce the price. So you not only pay FVF on the postage, if you refund the postage you are paying FVF on money you did not get. Of-course, it depends what you sell and whether your postage is 60c or $12.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

extra-keen — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:12:01 GMT

Hi Super nova, mostly it is 60c or $1.20 and fvf's are built into the purchase price anyway, so no great loss in the scheme of things.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

phorum_junkie* — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 06:32:52 GMT

I have it showing in my store that there is no postage discount on free post items.

All items paid for on a single invoice are posted together, what you shouldn't do is combine them in one parcel if they are paid for individually.

Re: Posting items together - eBay rules

gec2002 — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:02:37 GMT

If you had sent them as separate items they would have complained that they should have been combined and they want a refund on the extra postage.

Send them an email thanking them for helping you to better understand the seller rules, and that you will sending them a cheque for $0.00 to cover the free postage cost of the second item.

Get ebay to remove the neg when it happens, and don't forget to add them to your blocked list then move on.