Combining postage for multiple items sold

[shanizzlethewizzle]

I've had an enquiry from a customer for 3 items and understandably they don't want to pay 3x postage. Before Simple Delivery took over, I could have deleted the postage costs from 2 of the items and just charged postage for 1 and sent them all together.

How do I now prevent the customer from having to pay for 3 lots of postage now? As when I log on to the listings, there are hardly any options to tinker with the postage costs etc. 

Last week I sold 2 separate items to the same person and they somehow were grouped together and I shipped them together in the same package. So there must be a way to do it from the buyers end? But as I hardly ever buy anything from Ebay anymore, I can't see how you would combine postage as a buyer.

Please help as this is something that I have wondered about for a long time. Thank you.

[**peaseblossom**]

If they buy them together ebay should combine but it doesn't always happen.    The best thing is to revise a listing to add the other items with one postage.   Just end the other two early.

[tressygirl]

Combining postage has been,  and frustrated many,  an issue now for a long time with Simple Delivery and combining postage,  not possible.  We are though receiving reports here, that buyers placing purchased items into their basket first,  eBay then combine postage.

If postage was purchased though Simple Delivery and you now post all the items together the buyer will receive a refund for the unused labels they paid for, might be worth sending them a message explaining this,  and that it may take up to / over 30 days for the refund to appear.  You will though,  only have one tracking number for all those items,  and a potential opener for  an item not received case.

The best way forward would be to cancel all items, of course,  with the buyer's acceptance, and relisting them as one, so there's one  important tracking number, one postage price. Ensure any message to your buyer makes it very clear the reason why the items are being cancelled,  that they are to be relisted on eBay again,  for the buyer to buy, leave no room for doubt that this is Not an off eBay sale.

Some sellers are leaving a message on their listing,  for example.....   ' If you wish to buy multiple items,  please let me know before buying,  I will relist them as one listing so only one postage cost is charged, combining postage is not currently possible.  Or,  place items in your basket first, and eBay will combine a postage cost for you to pay. '

@shanizzlethewizzle 

[shanizzlethewizzle]

Thank you for your reply

[shanizzlethewizzle]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I ended up bundling them together and selling them that way. I really wish that things like this were much more straightforward. 

[tressygirl]

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@shanizzlethewizzle wrote:

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I ended up bundling them together and selling them that way. I really wish that things like this were much more straightforward. 

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Just be aware,  sending separately purchased items together in a bundle, you'll only have tracking and proof that one item was posted,  you can potentially open yourself up to item not received cases.

For any unused Simple delivery labels these can be refunded:

• If you selected 'Buyer pays’ when you created the listing, your buyer will automatically be refunded for any Simple Delivery label that isn’t used after 30 days

• If you selected ‘Seller pays’ and offered free postage on your listing, you'll need to fill out the Request a refund for Simple Delivery form for the label that wasn’t used. Make sure to send your request within 14 days of your item selling.  Also ensure you add the replacement tracking number of the service used, and it shows delivery.

@shanizzlethewizzle 

[wara_rat]

Thanks for your reply, though, as usual "simple" delivery is complicating things.

[cheekychippy210]

if the buyer adds all items in basket then sd should combine postage.

if buyer buys each item seperately then not combined.

you can encourage upsales by stating in advert, top of description,  combined postage when items placed in basket and checked out.

[cheekychippy210]

combined postage, i have been told, does not work when buyer using the app. 

[uniq7024]

you need to go to your settings and set the combine postage option there.

[tressygirl]

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@uniq7024 wrote:

you need to go to your settings and set the combine postage option there.

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It still does not apply to Simple Delivery items,  cannot be done,  unless they are purchased first by being placed in the basket,  we've also heard this is not foolproof either.

[uniq7024]

i normally just go Manage paid and dispatched orders, from the drop down menu, select send refund. and only send whats due.

[cheekychippy210]

perhaps put a screen shot up of what you are trying to say. 

app platform is different to desktop pc. 

[charliethomasbobcat]

BUT EBAY TAKE THE SHIPPING MONEY, IF YOU REFUND THE BUYER THE DIFFERENCE IT COMES OUT OF YOUR POCKET.

[61stephenuk]

If you don't use the eBay Simple Delivery label and the buyer paid for it they will be refunded by eBay.

[neovass0]

   The annoying thing is, eBay themselves told us they were aware of the issues regarding 'combined postage' and simple delivery, when it was introduced, and that they were working to rectify them. Months later, still the same, no progress at all, despite countless forum threads and countless calls to customer services.

   I'm only a small seller, selling my books / comic books and I usually cover postage. A common situation / example is, recently three volumes from the same series, suddenly had a 'watcher' start following them at the same time. In all likelihood it's the same person watching all three listings. In the old days I would at this point tweak (ie lower) the prices of each listing, to encourage a bulk sale in one parcel. That usually worked, or the person would then reach out to me to try and work out a custom listing. I don't do that anymore, because from past experience, postage paid now under simple delivery is all over the place, a lottery. 

  As tressygirl suggested above, it is probably time to revise all my listings with a header, suggesting buyers contact me regarding purchases of multiple items. I have been reluctant to do so, only because when I used to have 'Best Offer' enabled, people would reach out for custom listings, but for ridiculous prices, lol. Rant over, lol.

[cheekychippy210]

I have no such problem. 

I only use a pc and i gather from friends and relatives the multilpe items in basket and discount postage does not apply when buyer using app. Sister explained this to a buyer and when they switched back to their pc the multiple purchase under one label was applied.