Why does combined purchases have to be so rediculously laborious?

[roundaboutantiques]

Over the course of Sunday - I have had 2 customers wanting to buy multiple items - one lady wanted 6 items, another 3 items.

In both cases ebay won't let people buy those multiple items in one transaction - the system is designed in such a way that the people make 6 individual purchases (and pay 6 individual shipping prices - and we as sellers incur 6 individual PayPal payment receive fees of 30 cents per item). In the other instance, the same thing applied to the 3 item purchaser.

Now I know ebay charges a fee on shipping - so it wants to maximise fee income - but if people aren't buying as a result of rediculously high shipping for 6 individual items - they collect nothing in fees. As sellers we miss sales. it sends buyers away.

The only work around was for me to amend the shipping prices for each item - and message the buyer concerned, and pray noone else takes advantage of the reduced shipping prices before the buyer does make their transaction. Incidentally the buyer of the 6 items was forced to pay for each item individually (so we incur 6 individual payPal 30 cent payment fees).

This is a truly rediculous system. It is labour intensive for sellers - it penalises buyers - all so ebay can take maximum commission.

Ths is a point of frustration for me as a seller - and I have been using this platform for decades now. Why after so many years this system is getting more and more antiquated. Why does it have to be like this?

[lyndal1838]

Tell your buyers to put their items in the Cart.....you will then be able to send an invoice for the multiple items with the correct shipping cost.

[joztamps]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

Tell your buyers to put their items in the Cart.....you will then be able to send an invoice for the multiple items with the correct shipping cost.

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And you will only pay one 30c Paypal flagfall.

[roundaboutantiques]

How do you send an Invoice for items that have not been purchased? I don't understand - if its in a shopping cart what is the "trick" to invoice for an item that hasn't been bought?

[wide-world-of-stamps]

The buyer should be able to "request total" from the shopping cart, which then commits them to buy the items without paying.

However, this button doesn't always appear, especially if they are using the app.

But at least they only make one payment that way, with one 30c Paypal charge, even if we have to refund the excess postage if they pay for the whole lot.

[tazzieterror]

I've just visited the OP's store, added three items to the cart (I found the three cheapest), gone to the checkout, and there is no option displayed to 'request total'.

The only thing I can do is pay the full amount including three lots of shipping, so in this instance $30 for the items and $43.50 in shipping.

I'm doing this from my computer, not an app.

OP, at the risk of pointing out the obvious, have you followed the steps here to make sure combined shipping is an option?:

Offering combined postage 

[paper-jack]

When buyers let me know they can't request a total or ask how to get combined postage I ask them to let me know all the items they want, then I work out total plus postage, let them know and if OK to go ahead roll all items into one item,  title that item as Special Order and send item number to buyer. No problems with this so far (on another account). If there was a worry ' wrong' buyer would get in first, just a matter of making main picture a boring one.

One savvy buyer paid full price on one item and on second noted she wanted free pick up - this worked OK as postage for 2 was same as for 1.

[joztamps]

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@paper-jack wrote:

When buyers let me know they can't request a total or ask how to get combined postage I ask them to let me know all the items they want, then I work out total plus postage, let them know and if OK to go ahead roll all items into one item,  title that item as Special Order and send item number to buyer. No problems with this so far (on another account). If there was a worry ' wrong' buyer would get in first, just a matter of making main picture a boring one.

One savvy buyer paid full price on one item and on second noted she wanted free pick up - this worked OK as postage for 2 was same as for 1.

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Price it at $10,000 with Make an Offer, and tell rhe buyer to make an offer at the agreed price

[11dustyattic]

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@joztamps wrote:

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@paper-jack wrote:

When buyers let me know they can't request a total or ask how to get combined postage I ask them to let me know all the items they want, then I work out total plus postage, let them know and if OK to go ahead roll all items into one item,  title that item as Special Order and send item number to buyer. No problems with this so far (on another account). If there was a worry ' wrong' buyer would get in first, just a matter of making main picture a boring one.

One savvy buyer paid full price on one item and on second noted she wanted free pick up - this worked OK as postage for 2 was same as for 1.

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Price it at $10,000 with Make an Offer, and tell rhe buyer to make an offer at the agreed price

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No, this is a bad idea. It throws out market value and IMO should be avoided. The few times I've had to do listings for a specific buyer, I put 'FOR ONE BUYER ONLY* at the beginning of the title and in bold at the top of the description, adding 'Not for general sale'. Another buyer could jump in and buy it, they're out there lol, but I haven't had a problem doing it that way.

[davewil1964]

I have to disagree, dusty.

As it is a combined listing and won't be there for long, the only market to distort is the market for those exact items and quantities. I do it often as I'm one of those where combining through the cart is not possible.