Questions on shipping costs and the 'eBay International Shipping Program'

[2486buffyslay]

If a seller has say 5 items, all small lightweight items and they're all of more or less the same size & weight, but each has a different shipping cost i.e. item 1 is $16.99, item 2 is $17.99, item 3 is $18.99, item 4 is $19.99 and item 5 is $20.99, my questions are:

1) How can each item have a different shipping cost when they're all the same size & weight?

2) If I bought all 5 individually that would be $94.95 in shipping cost! So as the buyer I'd want all 5 shipped together to save shipping cost, what then would the shipping cost be? Would it be the lower of the amounts i.e $16.99, the higher of the amounts i.e. $20.99 or some other amount?

3) If the seller only ships to the eIS Hub how do I do a 'Request total from seller' as this option appears unavailable, i.e. is 'blanked out', with the eIS Program.

4) Is it free for the seller to ship to the eIS Hub or does it depend on their location or state? So for some it could be free and for others not?

5) If I have all 5 items loaded into my Cart can the seller see all items in the Cart? If yes is it possible to request the seller manually send me an eBay invoice, where presumably the shipping cost can be 'combined' on it to get around the 'Request total from seller' option not being available?

6) Is it possible for a seller to manually send me an eBay invoice without having any items in my Cart or buying any items? e.g. in situations where the original total paid was either incorrect or charged to the wrong account and I want a 'corrected' invoice to pay on or the original invoice 'resent' so it can be charged to the right account? The original charge then being refunded.

7) How do seller's arrive at an item's shippng cost? Are they most likely entering an item's dimensions & weight into say a USPS shipping calculator? If so how can you have a situation where items of the same or similar size & weight have different shipping cost?

Is it possible, or it appears to me, eBay may not have thought through certain aspects of their International Shipping Program where a buyer may wish to combine 'multiple' items to save shipping cost. It seems eBay's International Shipping Program is geared toward buyer's purchasing only a 'single' item from a seller. Would this be a fair assessment?

[sugar249]

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@2486buffyslay wrote:

Yes the seller has said it's free for 'them' to ship as It's the 'buyer' who's naturally paying the shipping cost! I'm wondering though, how is the seller shipping the items to the eIS Hub? I bought the 2 items 'within a minute of each other'. So while I 'had to' purchase them seperately does that mean the seller has also sent them to the eIS Hub seperately?

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Does it really matter how it works at their end,  as long as you get the product.

As for why the different costs for similiar sized items,  unless you know what sizes the seller put in,  no one can really answer it.

[twyngwyn]

eBay Announces International Shipping Will Replace GSP and EISD by July - EcommerceBytes

[davewil1964]

What is the complication?

That they don't want to submit themselves to the vagaries of International shipping?

Have you asked, or are you assuming?

It's your choice - pay the freight, negotiate with the seller or look elsewhere.

[2486buffyslay]

Thanks for posting this link about eBay's eIS replacing the GSP and eISD. The part of course that applies in my case is the very first part stating 'No combined shipping'. Well wouldn't this 'increase' shipping costs for the poor international buyer who already has to contend with dramatically increased costs due to crashed exchange rates and import taxes! to give an example say a buyer wishes to purchase 5 small lightweight items from a seller where the shipping cost on each item is stated as $20.00. Without being able to combine multiple items to save shipping cost this would cost the buyer $100.00 in shipping cost compared to just $20.00 presumably if all 5 items could be combined together. So in this example could the buyer then make a claim against eBay for an $80.00 refund + taxes citing eBay cost them $80.00 in extra shipping charges by 'deliberately' preventing them from being able to combine multiple items!

[2486buffyslay]

I can't speak for the seller on how they feel about being 'drafted' into the eIS. I can ask them, but whether they feel delighted or unhappy, what would it change? You say to negotiate with the seller, unfortunately engaging with seller proved too 'high risk'! You say to look elsewhere, unfortunately the items were so rare this seller was the only one with these items - at least in the condition I was seeking. Anyway I'm not complaining about the item prices, but the shipping cost and on that point I feel my complaint should be directed at eBay, least of all who's rep, gave me poor and unhelpful advice regarding reimbursment of the 'excess' shipping cost - advice the seller did not take kindly too! Mind you the seller was not forthcoming with help either and I as the buyer got caught in the middle. Anyway I still feel eBay is ultimately responsible for reimbursing me. eBay is stated as 'the seller' on my card statement.

[sugar249]

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@2486buffyslay wrote:

I can't speak for the seller on how they feel about being 'drafted' into the eIS. I can ask them, but whether they feel delighted or unhappy, what would it change? You say to negotiate with the seller, unfortunately engaging with seller proved too 'high risk'! You say to look elsewhere, unfortunately the items were so rare this seller was the only one with these items - at least in the condition I was seeking. Anyway I'm not complaining about the item prices, but the shipping cost and on that point I feel my complaint should be directed at eBay, least of all who's rep, gave me poor and unhelpful advice regarding reimbursment of the 'excess' shipping cost - advice the seller did not take kindly too! Mind you the seller was not forthcoming with help either and I as the buyer got caught in the middle. Anyway I still feel eBay is ultimately responsible for reimbursing me. eBay is stated as 'the seller' on my card statement.

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Dealing with a seller is ''too high risk''  wow, thats a new one,  if you find it to high risk why are you dealing with the seller.  Maybe its an internal issue rather than and Ebay or seller issue.

And your comment about combined postage above, yes it is a pain,  but at the end of the day,  a seller or platform providing a service (Ebay),  can decide themselves how they deal with a client,  and not be dictated to by a client.   The customer is not always right.

If you have problems with the seller or Ebay,  you are not forced to use either.

[sugar249]

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@sugar249 wrote:

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@2486buffyslay wrote:

I can't speak for the seller on how they feel about being 'drafted' into the eIS. I can ask them, but whether they feel delighted or unhappy, what would it change? You say to negotiate with the seller, unfortunately engaging with seller proved too 'high risk'! You say to look elsewhere, unfortunately the items were so rare this seller was the only one with these items - at least in the condition I was seeking. Anyway I'm not complaining about the item prices, but the shipping cost and on that point I feel my complaint should be directed at eBay, least of all who's rep, gave me poor and unhelpful advice regarding reimbursment of the 'excess' shipping cost - advice the seller did not take kindly too! Mind you the seller was not forthcoming with help either and I as the buyer got caught in the middle. Anyway I still feel eBay is ultimately responsible for reimbursing me. eBay is stated as 'the seller' on my card statement.

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Dealing with a seller is ''too high risk''  wow, thats a new one,  if you find it to high risk why are you dealing with the seller.  Maybe its an internal issue rather than and Ebay or seller issue.

And your comment about combined postage above, yes it is a pain,  but at the end of the day,  a seller or platform providing a service (Ebay),  can decide themselves how they deal with a client,  and not be dictated to by a client.   The customer is not always right.

If you have problems with the seller or Ebay,  you are not forced to use either.

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Wow maybe I answered my own question, this buyer likes buying from sellers with shocking feedback ratings,  so I guess any issues are self imposed.

[davewil1964]

 So in this example could the buyer then make a claim against eBay for an $80.00 refund + taxes citing eBay cost them $80.00 in extra shipping charges by 'deliberately' preventing them from being able to combine multiple items!

NO!

You really need to investigate how eBay works, given you don't think other members with actual experience have any idea.

ALL you can do is negotiate with the seller to either set up a specific listing for what you want or to use another carrier.

You have no other choices, and you cannot sue eBay as they clearly state the terms, which you explicitly accept when you purchase using the service.

[2486buffyslay]

What I meant by 'high risk' was the seller became somewhat hostile toward me after I'd ask them to refund half the shipping cost. So It became difficult after that to continue to engage with the seller. I was only following what the eBay rep had told me, that yes the seller should rightly refund the excess shipping cost, that is give back half of what I'd paid them for shipping and so I simply told the seller what the eBay rep had told me. Remember the seller isn't paying for shipping. The buyer is! The seller only gets the money for the item costs. Presumably the money for the shipping costs goes to eBay in this case as they're the ones shipping the items.

[2486buffyslay]

No. The seller has an extremely high feedback rating. It's just they apparently didn't take kindly of my request they give back half 'my' money I paid them for shipping cost.  Remember the seller doesn't pay shipping cost. It's the buyer! However I presume in cases where the seller is shipping by eIS, as this seller is, they then hand over to eBay that money the buyer paid for shipping cost. So I would've thought eBay should be the ones to refund half the shipping cost, not the seller? eBay though said no you need to seek the refund on the shipping cost from the seller.  So tell me who gets to 'keep' the money for the shipping cost under the eIS - the seller or eBay?