Getting rid of each additional item cost,eBay being underhanded again?

[go-tazz]

I know I didn't put them there and eBay always state they don't participate in the listing,then why do I have

additional item costs added?

I tried revising the listings but they just revert back to $2 for additional item costs.

The item postage costs are $2 and I can post two items for that price but it would be puting buyers off to see that

they wont get a discount.

If they buy four or more it will cost less then the quoted $8 in the listing.

So how do I get rid of it please,(can I get rid of it as the only way that I can is if I select free postage).

Is this an underhanded way to get sellers to go to free postage,

It's happened to my other account as well,

[harley_babes_hoard]

You haven't said how you are listing your items. For me it has always been this way listing through TL the additional item postage cost pre fills as the same cost as the original unless I manually put in 0.00. it will then come up as additional items free.

[mbselections00]

Hi tazz,

Don't know if I can explain this very well, but I'll give it a go - keep in mind, I'm not very experienced by comparison to many here, so someone else could well come along with better advice.

I have had so many issues with postage, and have tried so many different ways to make it work the way I want it to, I'm sure I've tried everything, so totally get where you're coming from -  Selling low value & small items I wanted to offer combined postage - but sort of with limits.  I've spoken to CS twice, they understand what I'm trying to achieve, but cannot find a way to make it work - lol, suprise suprise !!

The first thing it took me a while to understand was that there are sort of two levels of discount if that makes sense.  So where you put your Flat Rate, so say in your case $2.00, beside that you can put $0.00, so if the Buyer purchases more than 1 of that item, it doesn't cost any extra.  I tried using the Combined Postage discount rules - so if the Buyer purchases other items, they also get Combined Post - but that's where the whole thing kept coming off the rails for me.  I'm pretty sure after I had set those rules and applied them to Listings, when I later removed them, the system automatically reverted to charging the additional $2 again, so check if you have any Combined Postage rules applying.

The best option I have been able to come up with, is the $0 for additional items in Flate Rate, No Combined Postage Rule and then at the very top of my Description - in every listing - I offer Combined Post Discount if items are paid for on 1 Invoice and I ask Buyers to message me and request an Invoice.  From what I can work out, if they request a combined invoice through eBay, they get an automated invoice, which will appear to give discounts, but the discounts are only for multiples of the same item, not all items combined.  So they still get charged individual post on each different item.  Most of the time, when Buyers see an invoice with excessive postage - they message.  But I've had a few that haven't, so I offer them their choice of an extra item to the value of the overpaid post (less fees of course now) and most are really appreciative.  I had a Buyer the other day though who bought 10 different items and paid for each one individually (so not only eBays fvf on excessive post, but an extra 30 cents to PayPal for every payment as well & she wasn't even a newbie !  But it meant she paid $17.00 for post, when Registered is only $4.90 and she wanted a Refund - so I had to issue 10 separate part refunds).

I hope this all makes sense and is some help, any questions, just sing out.

PS I did have a look at a couple of your listings and you seem to have them listed two different ways  . . . . .  I guess as I did in the past, trying to get it right, the way you want it ??

[digital*ghost]

I haven't experienced this issue per se, sometimes the additional item costs is pre-filled with the standard P&H cost but I'm able to revise that without any problems, so don't really know what might be causing it or how to fix, but postage discounts might be a feasible workaround, if your items will have a fairly fixed cost for various quantities.

I use them quite successfully, and there's several different options - you can even use two rules at the same time (eg flat rate and promotional discounts), and they should override the listing specific per item quotes, although sometimes it will depend on the device the buyer is using, whether the cart is being used and behaving properly...just typical eBay stuff .

With flat rate, you can just set it up so that there is a fixed amount added per additional item, and that way you can apply it to all listings it's relevant for, allowing people to buy several different items and have the P&H automatically adjust during checkout. 

[go-tazz]

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@harley_babes_hoard wrote:

You haven't said how you are listing your items. For me it has always been this way listing through TL the additional item postage cost pre fills as the same cost as the original unless I manually put in 0.00. it will then come up as additional items free.

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I list via TL and have only just started doing multiples as I have extra copies of some.

Using free is not an option.

@mbselections00 wrote:

The best option I have been able to come up with, is the $0 for additional items in Flate Rate, No Combined Postage Rule and then at the very top of my Description - in every listing - I offer Combined Post Discount if items are paid for on 1 Invoice and I ask Buyers to message me and request an Invoice.  From what I can work out, if they request a combined invoice through eBay, they get an automated invoice, which will appear to give discounts, but the discounts are only for multiples of the same item, not all items combined

PS I did have a look at a couple of your listings and you seem to have them listed two different ways  . . . . .  I guess as I did in the past, trying to get it right, the way you want it ??

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The $0 cost isn't an option as it will change with added items.

I put in that I'll combine postage where possible and had a buyer buy 4 items on my other account,(so I had to

issue two separate invoices as for two combined it's still $2 but to combine the 4 would've been over $7)

So they where sent as 2 packages.

Yes,just experimenting and seeing what will work best,

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@digital*ghost wrote:

I haven't experienced this issue per se, sometimes the additional item costs is pre-filled with the standard P&H cost but I'm able to revise that without any problems, so don't really know what might be causing it or how to fix, but postage discounts might be a feasible workaround, if your items will have a fairly fixed cost for various quantities.

I use them quite successfully, and there's several different options - you can even use two rules at the same time (eg flat rate and promotional discounts), and they should override the listing specific per item quotes, although sometimes it will depend on the device the buyer is using, whether the cart is being used and behaving properly...just typical eBay stuff .

With flat rate, you can just set it up so that there is a fixed amount added per additional item, and that way you can apply it to all listings it's relevant for, allowing people to buy several different items and have the P&H automatically adjust during checkout. 

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I might just leave it as is and message buyers if a problem appears,and refund any over payment as I do now, 

If I wanted additional item costs I would have put them in myself,

Thanks all,

[digital*ghost]

May I just ask if you were meaning to have no entered cost for each additional item?

If so, as far as I know, no matter what, eBay has always defaulted to showing and charging the buyer full P&H costs per item if they purchased more than one from a listing and no other costs have been entered by the seller. They basically default it to the same cost entered in for that item, per item, if that makes sense? It's been that way for as long as I can remember, so even if previously you were able to leave it blank, if a buyer was looking at your listing and they got rates for more than one of the same item, they would be shown a quote of 2 x $2 (i.e. $4.00) anyway. And they would have $4 come up on the invoice automatically, as well, unless / until a new invoice was issued. The only way to override that is to enter a different amount. 

In case it helps, you can send a single invoice for a total cost, even if the items will be split over more than one package 🙂  The only thing you're not supposed to do is combine items from separate transactions into one package, but even then if you're using a postage method that won't qualify for seller protection anyway, there's not going to be much of an issue to do so (postage charge discrepancies - if any - notwithstanding). 

[go-tazz]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

May I just ask if you were meaning to have no entered cost for each additional item?

If so, as far as I know, no matter what, eBay has always defaulted to showing and charging the buyer full P&H costs per item if they purchased more than one from a listing and no other costs have been entered by the seller. They basically default it to the same cost entered in for that item, per item, if that makes sense? It's been that way for as long as I can remember, so even if previously you were able to leave it blank, if a buyer was looking at your listing and they got rates for more than one of the same item, they would be shown a quote of 2 x $2 (i.e. $4.00) anyway. And they would have $4 come up on the invoice automatically, as well, unless / until a new invoice was issued. The only way to override that is to enter a different amount. 

In case it helps, you can send a single invoice for a total cost, even if the items will be split over more than one package 🙂  The only thing you're not supposed to do is combine items from separate transactions into one package, but even then if you're using a postage method that won't qualify for seller protection anyway, there's not going to be much of an issue to do so (postage charge discrepancies - if any - notwithstanding). 

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See you worded it so I could work out how I was confusing the issue,thanks,

It's for additional items in the listing,not for other items purchased.

I feel like one of those numptie buyers that doesn't read the listing correctly,

As buyers wouldn't be buying more then one copy of the items I sell it's not an issue at all for me,

Thanks all for getting it sorted and sorry for the confusion,

[go-tazz]

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@mbselections00 wrote:

Hi tazz,

Don't know if I can explain this very well, but I'll give it a go - keep in mind, I'm not very experienced by comparison to many here, so someone else could well come along with better advice.

The first thing it took me a while to understand was that there are sort of two levels of discount if that makes sense.  So where you put your Flat Rate, so say in your case $2.00, beside that you can put $0.00, so if the Buyer purchases more than 1 of that item, it doesn't cost any extra.  I tried using the Combined Postage discount rules - so if the Buyer purchases other items, they also get Combined Post - but that's where the whole thing kept coming off the rails for me.  I'm pretty sure after I had set those rules and applied them to Listings, when I later removed them, the system automatically reverted to charging the additional $2 again, so check if you have any Combined Postage rules applying.

That explained it as well but I was on a different tangent with my thoughts,

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[go-tazz]

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@harley_babes_hoard wrote:

You haven't said how you are listing your items. For me it has always been this way listing through TL the additional item postage cost pre fills as the same cost as the original unless I manually put in 0.00. it will then come up as additional items free.

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Oops!!,so did that one,

Spoiler

For future reference I'll need to read,check,double check,triple check and then maybe post to the boards,