Politely refusing combined postage?

[van_werkhoven]

I offer combined shipping, which is fine, for satchels. However, many of my items are sent via large letter. Some can be combined, but many can not, only one will fit in the large letter, and two large letters is still cheaper than a parcel. 

Nonetheless I constantly get people asking for a combined invoice for two items, both of which are listed with $2.50 postage costs. I don't know what to say to these people. The truth is I CANT combine them, but I feel like, if I say that, I risk coping a low DSR for postage cost or even a neg for not combining because buyers don't care how australia post handles letters and packages, so at the moment I end up dropping a few dollars out of my profit to discount it for them. 

[clarry100]

I've seen envelopes marked "Postage Paid" with some kind of rubber stamp.

Seems like such a stamp would be pretty easy to have made up (in China they can make anything you want).

How do you get these?

And what are the benefits, if any?

[go-tazz]

I put that I'm happy to combine postage where possible and will let a buyer know if items can't be combined,

(I let them know the weight of each item and why they can't be combined).

[aps1080]

"How do you get these?

And what are the benefits, if any?"

You have to have an account with the Aust Post.

You buy the rubber stamp from them.

EVERYthing you post under that account has to be stamped with the rubber stamp.

No more paper stamps, no $$$ amount on the envelopes or boxes.

(You can often make a $ or two on the postage).

Only one piece od paper to be filled in which receipt is stapled to so easy to find a record.

That's just my HO.

[cherry*135]

Put in something like this in description? 

Item sent at letter rate $ 2.50 .

2 items at letter rate $5.00

Parcel rate for more than 2 items -  up to 500g  - $8.00

[digital*ghost]

I had the same issue early on, and usually if someone asked I'd explain about it being more cost effective to send as two packages due to the size etc, but gave a 50c discount on the total anyway because 1 payment for two items = 1 less PayPal flagfall. (I always said something along the lines of savings would be minimal due to it being more cost effective to send two packages, but I'll provide the discount as a thank you / courtesy for the multiple purchase - was always thanked kindly. 🙂 )

[springyzone]

I don't know how it would affect your selling, but are you able to bump the price of your large letter items up $2.50 and then advertise them as 'free postage'.

You can't do better than free, now can you, so people who buy two iems should not be hassling you then.