eBay didn't combine invoice - Paypal takes multiple fees

[charmony]

Not the first time this has happened... A buyer purchased 6 small items from my store, over $10 in total. My store is set up to give free shipping over $10 purchase, and usually does. Just now, however, eBay didn't combine the invoice or give free shipping.

The buyer then started paying for the items (AFTER buying them all) - one by one. Halfway through, I realized what was happening as the notifications were emailed to me. I went to my account and tried to combine the remaining items - it appeared to work, but the buyer continued to pay one item at a time and the option to combine vanished from my account.

So now the buyer has paid for all 6 items individually, meaning I paid $1.80 in eBay fees instead of 30c. Given that most of the items only cost $1 to $1.50, that's a huge chunk of my profit.

Why didn't eBay combine the invoice? Even without the $10 free shipping that I set up, it should still automatically combine items from the same buyer when the buyer checks out. This is what happens every time I buy more than one item from a store, and it usually happens when buyers do the same from my store.

Last time this happened, I asked eBay about it and they said it was a Paypal matter. Obviously it's not, as it's eBay that didn't function correctly. So what do I do? I can't ask for a refund from Paypal for the extra fees because they'll just say it's eBay's fault (which it is).

[motherbear2003]

Apart from the fact that ebay owns PayPal, neither one will ever admit fault:|  I would refund all the payments, then send a money request to her email address for the total amount.  I would then explain to your buyer what has happened, and if she wouldn't mind making one payment.  It could also be that she made her purchases using a "smart" phone, which in my experience doesn't combine purchases for most people.:-)

[crypsynight]

I have this happen a lot, and as Mother suggested, it is with buyers using smart-phones.

[lyndal1838]

If the invoices are not being combined to give the free postage that the buyer is expecting there is the possibility that the buyer is "getting even" with you and deliberately paying for everything individually.  As you say, it has cost you a lot extra in fees.

It would not be the first time that I have seen the advice given here to make the seller pay for not combining/giving discounts or whatever.  I have also seen the advice given to change the addresses on the paypal payment advices to force the seller to send each item in a separate package, thus forcing the postage up also.

[charmony]

This definitely wasn't deliberate on the buyer's part. I think it must be that she used a phone - I'll ask her. She contacted me before buying and I said she wouldn't have to request an invoice before paying if she spent $10, as eBay automatically combines it with free postage, but now of course I wish I had sent an invoice myself. Maybe that would've worked.

Anyway, considering these are small amounts of money I'll let it pass and just refund all her postage and cop the fees. I'll write to eBay asking about the phone problem but I guess they (via Paypal) have no incentive to fix it!

[motherbear2003]

Both ebay and PayPal have known about the problem for a very long time, and as their bottom line is the almight dollar, they are definitely in no hurry to fix it:|

[digital*ghost]

Sending a combined invoice unfortunately won't work for buyers using smart phones, either. They will get an error message when they try to pay using the app - it should work ok if they use the classic site and not the app, though. 

[digital*ghost]

I think I might put up a notice in my store about this issue - app use is on the rise and it would probably be helpful for all concerned if more people knew using the classic site solves a few of the problems with the app. 

Checking out should be the most intuitive process on an e-commerce site. >_<</p>

[*bad*angel*]

The eBay app is all but useless for many site options. I always advise people to use the browser in their phones if they must use a phone at all, and then browse and log in as they would on their computers.

[charmony]

eBay has now responded, assuring me the combined invoice thing is working perfectly. They said either the buyer checked out after each purchase (which I know did not happen - she started paying several minutes after making the last purchase), or that she intentionally clicked the "uncombine invoice" button, which I also know she didn't do.

I've asked them about the smart phone app being responsible, so I'll see what they say.