Selling Multiple Items on One Listing

[dmlmo]

I've been buying on eBay on & off since 1999 but I only put up my first sale recently.  I just sold two concert tickets which i could no longer use. I listed both tickets on the same listing so buyers could either 1) buy both together, or 2) just buy one. 

Well, I sold one ticket each to two separate buyers, and now one of them has contacted me asking why they only received one ticket in the mail...they said I advertised the listing as "2x paul mccartney tickets".  

I was selling 2 tickets in the same listing but the buyers had to fill in the quantity they wanted, but this buyer only bought one. And I've already sold the other ticket. She thought it was $240 for two, not $240 each. Did I falsely advertise the listing? Any advice?

There's only a week to the concert so there's probably no time for me to try to resell the ticket. 

[kopenhagen5]

Unfortunately it states 2 tickets in the title and in the description it makes no mention of the price being for one.

That little small number in the box(quantity) is something many buyers are not familiar with and may not even know exists.

I would also think it was for 2 tickets if I didn't see the quantity box.

It should have been clear in the title and listing, price is for one ticket - 2 available.

[digital*ghost]

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@dmlmo wrote:

Well, I sold one ticket each to two separate buyers, and now one of them has contacted me asking why they only received one ticket in the mail...they said I advertised the listing as "2x paul mccartney tickets".  

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That's because your title said 2 x tickets - I agree with kopes, pretty much anyone looking at that would expect to receive two tickets, and you may yet get a message from the other buyer, I'm afraid. 

The title is there to tell people in a brief summary what they will get when they buy something, and putting the quantity available in the title, rather than the quantity being provided from one purchase, is bound to cause issues.

To exemplify why with perhaps a more clear scenario, if you were buying envelopes and came across a listing title that said 100 x White envelopes, would you think the seller is listing a box of 100 envelopes, or that they have 100 envelopes and you have to buy 100 lots to get 100pcs?

[dmlmo]

I pretty much just copied someone else's title & description for 2x tickets because I'd never listed anything for sale before. And I didn't realise that not everyone is familiar with that Quantity box. She hasn't asked for a refund as yet but if she does I guess I ought to give it to her because I wasn't clear enough in my description. The concert is 5th December so if she returns the ticket to me in the mail, there'll hardly be any time to try to resell it.

The 2nd buyer hasn't received her ticket yet so I hope she won't have the same complaint as the first, and that I don't end up with 2 useless tickets. I don't plan to ever sell on eBay again but if I do, I know now to try to be absolutely clear in my description...but this has been a costly mistake. 

[digital*ghost]

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@dmlmo wrote:

And I didn't realise that not everyone is familiar with that Quantity box.

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Most people are, and I can almost guarantee you that if anyone purchased a quantity of 2, they would have expected 4 tickets (as in, 2 lots of 2 tickets, because that's what the title told them they were buying, and it was not contradicted by the description in any way - there are also a high number of people that either don't read or just briefly skim drescriptions, which makes titles and gallery photos that much more important).

I know you already understand the problem and me saying that doesn't help, I'm not reiterating it to criticise or anything, I just wanted to clarify this because (if it makes you feel any better) you're not the first seller who has made this error, and at least the info will be here if someone looks it up and happens to find this thread. 

[dmlmo]

I wish I had've sent the buyers the e-tickets instead of the hard copies because if they return them it'll take a few days by mail. Just before I sold them, someone else messaged me asking whether $240 was the price of one or both tickets together. So I should've realised then that my description should've been clearer. I thought it would be obvious to anyone that I wouldn't be selling 2 Platinum tickets for the price of one. Lesson learned I guess but I just wish it hadn't been with something worth $480. 

Thanks for all the replies!

[enigmabear]

I'm afraid I also see the title clearly saying 2 tickets first and foremost and that is what most people would go by

Although I saw the little number to select 1 or 2 tickets, many many people would not even have looked, mostly due to the title (plus there are those who never read beyond the title

[dmlmo]

Other people had the same title as I did on their listing for concert tickets with "2x tickets". But maybe they were more clear in their descriptions.

Right now someone has "2 x PLATINUM Paul McCartney Tickets - AAMI Park, Melbourne 6th December 2017" in their listing title. And they're using the Quantity box to sell one or both for $220 each. But that seller makes it plain in their description that they're "Selling 2 x PLATINUM ticket for $220 each which is LESS THAN FACE VALUE".

People have been selling their McCartney tickets for Face Value or for $10 or $20 under face value. So why would buyers think a seller would be selling two for the price of one? No wonder my tickets got snapped up. I didn't want to have to sell them on separate listings so I listed them together in case anyone wanted to buy both as they're seated together. 

One of my buyers has already asked for a refund and claims she never knew about the Quantity box...she thought she was buying two because it said "2x" in my title. The other buyer hasn't even received her ticket yet (I sent them with tracking) but I won't be surprised if she also thought she was getting 2 tickets for the price of one and also ask for a refund. 

Then it might be too late to relist them...even just the e-tickets. 

[dmlmo]

It seems crazy that people would never read beyond the title esp if they're buying something for $240. Before I buy anything, I closely read everything, and if I'm not sure about something I message the seller to clear it up for me. I don't click on Buy hastily.

But I guess I should've been much more clear in my title & description. Not sure how else I could've titled it as there's only so many characters allowed. Perhaps "Paul McCartney concert tickets Melbourne 5th Dec 2017 - $240 each - 2 available". 

It actually says in my listing that I accept no returns but I guess because there's been some confusion over exactly what i was selling I do owe them one.

[digital*ghost]

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@dmlmo wrote:

Right now someone has "2 x PLATINUM Paul McCartney Tickets - AAMI Park, Melbourne 6th December 2017" in their listing title. And they're using the Quantity box to sell one or both for $220 each. But that seller makes it plain in their description that they're "Selling 2 x PLATINUM ticket for $220 each which is LESS THAN FACE VALUE".

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No they're not - there is only one item available. 1 lot of 2 tickets, whereas you listed 2 lots of 2 tickets (which is why I said people would have expected 4 tickets if they bought both).

Unfortunately, I think you're still misunderstanding what the quantity box is for.

To go further with my envelope example, a listing that says 100 White Envelopes in the title, and then in the listing has a quantity of 5 available, means that if people enter 1, they will be purchasing 100 White envelopes. If they enter 2 in the quantity field, they are purchasing 200 White Envelopes.