Q For Experienced Ebay Sellers

I'm beginning to sell again on ebay after a long hiatus, and I don't have to tell you it's much different now than it used to be.

My question/problem is this:

I offer flat-rate shipping. For US, $1.75, no matter how many items are purchased.

Today, I had a situation where a buyer bought 1 item and paid immediately by PayPal. Then immediately bought a 2nd item, and paid immediately by Paypal. And then finally a 3rd item and paid immediately by PayPal. So PayPal took out an additional $0.60 in fees that I would not have paid if the buyer had paid all in one transaction. I know it's small change, but I'm trying to keep my costs as low as possible, so that I can keep my prices as low as possible.

In this case, I think I'm going to refund the additional $3.50 (2 x $1.75), even though PayPal will hang on to those additional $0.60 fees, plus ebay's fees will be higher because of that additional $3.50. But, honestly, part of me also doesn't want to refund that difference either.

But is there anyway I can prevent this in the future? Is there some setting I've failed to set, to process all transactions together? I made that shipping offer on the presumption that a buyer will make one payment in total. I have already had checked a setting that allows sellers to accumulate purchases for up to 7 days, but that apparently does not take care of this problem.

(I do appreciate that ebay is incentivized not to make it easy. While still owning PayPal, they benefit from those additional transaction fees, not to mention taking their cut on the selling fees on the excess shipping charge.)

I've just listed a bunch of things, and this is the first sale from that listing. I'd like to try to nip this problem in the bud before it gets much worse.

Thanks for any insights you can offer on this.

-- Dave

Dave....
There is no setting.
I put in my listing description that I will combine
all items for no additional shipping....immediately
AFTER all days auctions have ended.
It does happen when a buyer buys 1/pays and then later
purchases another and pays....if I catch it I refund the additional shipping paid.
Especially refund the shipping if it is a store item.
Good luck selling...

Dave...I just viewed your items.
All seem to be store items.
ebay does have a setting for buy it now.....
where if a buyer wants to use that function it has to be paid for immediately.
Check your settings.

Hi, Kevin --

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, the listings right now are all store items fixed price items. What setting would I change to not require the buyer to pay immediately?

-- Dave

The "setting" is to mention to buyers
to use SHOPPING CART for their items
before they pay for any of them... then
(THEY) can do the COMBINE before they
even pay...

P.S. Any comment critisizing the above
or stating ANYTHING about it being right
or wrong by a certain SCF member whose
initials are K.S. are to be disregarded
or ignored, as THIS member is clueless
about shipping...

According to this article from January of this year, it's ebay that now requires all "buy it now" items to have immediate payment:

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/blo...0773257.html

A comment by "bb6" includes this statement:




It is unclear to me how/where I can turn that off.

To require separate payments on each item purchased is mind-boggling.

-- Dave

Disi: I made my last post before I saw yours.

Are you saying that the only thing I can do is just have a statement in my description saying that must use the shopping cart in order to get the combined shipping?

It's business as usual for ebay to do whatever they want as long as it means more money for ebay. The best thing to do is cancel all the transactions by going on to your PayPal account and refunding all the payments and then return to the Selling Manger section and combine all the items and re-invoice the Buyer again with a note that you have done this to save the Buyer by applying your discount and ask they make payment or email you to request a final invoice if they would like to make additional purchases. Also advise them to add new purchases to their cart.

StampNut, thanks for your comments on this!

But if I do refund all three payments, PayPal will still retain 3 x $0.30, right? And then charge me a 4th $0.30 fee for the re-payment from the buyer, I think?

The only difference is that then I would not be paying ebay and PayPal the higher final-value fees from the additional shipping charges.

What a messed-up system! (But not that surprising, since, as you've said, the default practice benefits ebay.)

This should not be that complicated -- but I bet it is ...

TheStampNut: Actually, because of recent changes to ebay concerning the defect system - you DO NOT want to refund all the transaction and send a new invoice. It will result in a defect per transaction. It's happened to me. The best thing to do is do partial refunds - refund the excess shipping amounts. That won't result in a defect against you. ebay thinks a refunded transaction right after an auction is a seller cancellation even if you immediately send a new combined invoice. It's defect in the defect system.

In everyone of my listings I place it right in the description that I will combine items for one shipment, but please wait till after the auction is over. Since you have a buy it now option, try asking for buyers to request an invoice when they are done shopping if they buy more than one item. Not everyone will read it, but it will cut down on some of the unnecessary multiple transactions.

Battlestamps: Thanks for the input. I _think_ I've figured this out, and will come back tomorrow to try to restate my understanding.

But what a complicated way this was designed.

Thanks to all, and I still welcome any additional input in the meantime!

-- Dave

All you can do is ask buyers to please ask for an invoice, where-in you could combine your shipping as you state you do.

Maybe the buyer wishes to receive separate modern cancelled envelopes with modern stamps? Any communication between you?


There is the option of using Turbo Lister, or similar, an ebay program, which is a bit cumberrsome when I tried it, but does include the option to add the automatic plus 10c or 25c or what amount you wish for every extra item shipped.

Hmmm, now that I think on it, there is an option to choose how you bill shipping. ?? Just been buying lately.

Another related question - isn't a possible work-around to remove the ability of the buyer to make direct payments (i.e., do not incorporate PayPal address or don't enable self-checkout) a possibility, or has that door also been closed...?! The idea would be that the buyer has to wait for the seller's combined invoice...
John

How about simply factoring the shipping costs into the selling price and offering free shipping, at least for non-international sales? I'm not an ebay seller but I've noticed that several of the large-volume sellers that I buy from seem to be doing this lately. I apologize in advance if this is a stupid suggestion.

It all depends on the average dollar amount per item you are selling.

According to ebay....they want all items tracked.

Even using the ebay shipping with 20% discount...
it is $2.09 to ship a item to a buyer.
Not cheap.

Regarding tracking, "they" can want it all they want to - there is no requirement to use tracking... Doesn't make much sense for small value items. Now, if you want a final value fee discount, you have to have a certain percentage of tracked items as a seller. But otherwise, there is no such requirement.
John