UGH! Diligent Buyer

[i-love-my-sheep]

I seem to have a very diligent buyer. He is buying quite a few items and is paying for each one as he wins it. He's going to cost me a FORTUNE in PayPal fees for all these individual payments. I sent him a message earlier tonight and asked that he wait until he finished buying until he pays, yet he keeps paying!!

I guess it's better than a non payer, but now by rights, I'm going to have to send 8 things in separate packages (all are free post large letter, except for 1 small parcel). I suppose I don't have any protection on large letter anyway, so may as well just send them altogether in the small parcel, but what about all those PayPal fees!!!!!

[digital*ghost]

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@i-love-my-sheep wrote:

 what about all those PayPal fees!!!!!

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The way I would look at it, is if a different buyer had purchased each one, the fees would have been incurred and paid anyway, and you would definitely have to send individual packages. 

So it's not a loss, per se, as much as it is a removal of opportunity for a bonus.... 

This happens quite frequently on my store ID, and I charge a flat rate postage amount separately to prices, so the buyer is really only disadvantaging themselves when they pay for items individually - depending on circumstances, I either post separately, or send them a message and explain that I would usually post separately, but would like to give them the opportunity to save a bit on postage, then I mention that - in case it helps for future purchases - they can access even greater postage discounts by not paying for their purchases until they've finished shopping for all of them. Works most of the time. 

[i-love-my-sheep]

He finally saw and replied to my message and without me even suggesting it, said to send them all together in one package. He's since bid on another item with postage, so have tried to enforce not to pay until he has finished buying, or else he'll pay too much postage. 

I wasn't keen on sending so many single packages as he lives in WA and it would be just my luck one or more would get lost on their way across the country! At least they will go with tracking now.

He'll definitely be getting great feedback, so far he's been a great buyer and he said he's still eyeing off a few more things!!

[lalala-au]

At least your diligent buyer is buying from a diligent seller.

I too agree that it is best to view it as if different buyers bought the items. I too sometimes have this happen to me and I also use large letters. I just work out which way would be the cheaper to post the items. I too also think about the prospect of maybe losing one,. But then I think if I send them all together and that parcel gets lost then that is even worse so I just go with the cheapest way and hope for the best. (Even though parcels have tracking, I have bought  2 different items with tracking on them and Australia Post has no idea where they ended up!) On all of my large letters I do put a senders address on the back of it too, just incase.

Good Luck!

[goldeagle1970]

If he has paid enough postage for registered or maybe express post, just send them all in one.
I had a lady pay with all the postage on, but was enough for express parcel, so will be sending that way.

[i-love-my-sheep]

He'll end up (at this stage) buying 2 items that attract $8 postage each.....the rest are 'free' postage. Most of the time those 2 stamps come out of my pocket. I think I've now convinced him to finish buying before he pays for the rest as I pointed out that he would end up paying far too much postage. If for some reason he does pay before I can remove the postage cost on the other item, then I'll send express. 

Can you get express post boxes, or only satchels and envelopes?I normally use my own boxes and the size of the box I'll need for his order wouldn't fit in a satchel, I don't think.

[digital*ghost]

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@i-love-my-sheep wrote:

Can you get express post boxes, or only satchels and envelopes?I normally use my own boxes and the size of the box I'll need for his order wouldn't fit in a satchel, I don't think.

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You can purchase express post via eBay and Click & Send as an assessed parcel, so the packaging can be anything (as long as you get the weight / dimensions correct) - if it'll be under 500gm and you buy on eBay, you get the 10% rebate for a 500gm assessed parcel, so a $1-odd saving. 

If the package is going to be over 500gm, then you could still use a satchel, but package the items in a box - if the satchel is too big for the box and you don't want it loose, I'd just tape it down to the sides of the box so it's essentially a wrapping.

[digital*ghost]

Oops -  I just read the second line of the bit I quoted properly , so I guess the satchel isn't the go and it will probably be over 500gm? You can still just purchase and print an express post label via eBay or C&S, though. I do that sometimes, and the staff at the PO just put some yellow 'express post' tape on it to help show it is express, since I print the labels in greyscale.  

[i-love-my-sheep]

I don't use eBay labels or C&S. I don't use a printer enough to warrant having one, even though they are dirt cheap these days. I have owned a few printers in the past and they got used so infrequently the inkjets would clog up and not be able to be unclogged. 

The parcel should come in at under 500g (assuming he doesn't buy any more than what's he's already bought / bid on. Most of it is small stuff). I have to go to the PO today, I'll get them to show me the express satchels for a comparison. If they are the same size as the regular satchels, I don't think the box I'll use would fit into a small one (a couple of the items need to be packaged well so a slightly larger box is needed).

If they can just stick express tape on it, that might be an option too. Although I think he's now got the idea to finish buying before he pays. He's only got 100 feedback and exceptional feedback at that, so I think he was just trying to be a good buyer, not realising the possible implications of multiple purchases and combined postage. 

[digital*ghost]

If the parcel will weigh less than 500gm, it will be slightly cheaper (about 50c, from memory) to pay for postage at the PO than buy a satchel, plus you should get a proper lodgement form for proof of postage, which can be useful even if combining purchases might negate some PayPal protections, and you don't get one for a satchel unless you add the SOD option (I think) - the staff would sometimes recommend I use a satchel instead, but I always explained the cost was pretty much the same (I paid about 50c each for the envelopes I was using), and I specifically wanted the lodgement form - I sometimes had to ask for the form, but assuming they still have them for express parcels in own packaging, they shouldn't have any issues with providing it. 🙂