FREE postage on multiples

[gardening70]

Australian Sellers  mostly add the postage cost onto their item then list as FREE postage. This is fine, but if a seller has mutiples of the same item and buyers buy more than one, then buyers are in fact paying full postage on every mutiple they buy. So an item listed at $15 (which includes $7 post) is fine for 1 item but start muliplying that and it gets nasty.

[annies_fancy_dress]

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@misterforgetfulsbooks wrote:

a bit of a gripe of mine too

okay, the items are $29.99 free post, post = $13.40ea. for 600gm

you want five of them and don't want to pay $149.95 because you believe the post will only cost $16.70 because you sell similar stuff and know the postage for them.

You therefore inform the seller that you want to pay $100 for these five items because of the combined postage being cheaper.

To which the seller says they cannot do it, you then just inform them they have lost a sale and you move on.

Some people just don't want to make sales.

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It does seem silly, I have had people request mutiples on low/free postage items.

Once I told someone to buy and pay for 9 items and I would send 10.

Simple!

[misterforgetfulsbooks]

I've noticed some people offer very good multiple purchasecombined postage rates and their sales show that works for them

[truecrimebook]

I have offered discounts on multiple items with free post, but I don't seem to be able to send an invoice with a discount.  I keep getting an error message saying to enter an amount less than $0.00 and when I type in $-3.00 to the discount box it just tells me again that I must type in an amount less than $0.00.  You should be able to offer a discount for multiple buys!

[cq_tech]

You can only apply discounts to postage on ebay invoices, not the actual item. If you're selling with 'free postage' then no invoiced discounts are possible.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@china2u4u wrote:

I tried that, but because the padded envelope would not fit through the slot, Australia Post refused to post it at letter rates, and told me that it had to be posted as a small parcel < 500g for $7.20. Does your P.O. not use the magical cardboard with slot measuring device to sort out letters from non-letters/parcels?? I wish I had an eBay seller friendly P.O. near me!!

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If you go to the post office, you can get one of those mail cardboard things with the different sized slots, for free

so you can check yourself it your item will fit through the slots and also if your "package" is within the measurement guidelines for a "letter"

I'm guessing your flash drive, when packaged was thicker than 20mm - and that's why it wouldn't go through. annoying eh?

But lots of books are under 20mm thick - maybe not War and Peace or LOTR kinda ones, but if you look around - heaps of em. For example, I sell those EXCEL books that school kids use - they're not really much more than a magazine - A4 size, cardboard cover, but most under 20mm thick and can be posted as a large letter.

surprisingly, a fair few novels are under the 20mm as well

[clarry100]

We asked our local PO for one of those mail gauges and they told us they were not available to the general public. Internal use only.

[*crikey*mate*]

oh

ok

I asked

they gave me one

*shrugs*

I don't see any copyright on it - would you like me to photocopy mine, send it to you and you could make one for yourself?

or maybe ask a dif post office?

[lousbloomingarden]

I have one here I dont use...I think I just know in my head now whats Large  medium and small...I can post it to you if you want.. but some post offices have different rules to each other so just ask another if yours isnt accomodating....

[lousbloomingarden]

Yes , its the . WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT technique

[lane-ends]

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@truecrimebook wrote:

I have offered discounts on multiple items with free post, but I don't seem to be able to send an invoice with a discount.  I keep getting an error message saying to enter an amount less than $0.00 and when I type in $-3.00 to the discount box it just tells me again that I must type in an amount less than $0.00.  You should be able to offer a discount for multiple buys!

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Ebays theory is that postage is actually free so there is nothing to discount. 

It is the one major drawback of the whole free post debate.

If someone asks me, I temporarily add in a best offer option on one of the items, then use that to accomodate any discount.

Most of my items are 300-500gms. So buy two and it goes to a 3kg satchelsso theres not much postage saving until you get 3 in a satchel.

Although my method works it doesn't get around the first impreession any browser may get that its not possible. So yes I will be losing sales because of this. Its swings and roundabouts, lose for this reason and win others because they like free post.

I dont add it in, I just sell for best price I can get postage cost will be whatever it will be, like any other overhead. Buyers decide for themselves how much they are willing to pay in total. My items are individuals and dont have "market rates", so there is no going rate onto which a postage mark up can be added.