Combined Postage Mayhem

[rogerday]

I asked a support agent how to combine postage with Simple Delivery and she did not know the answer. The Ebay guidelines still show the old way of re-sending and adjusting the invoice, which will no longer work. How can Ebay implement a new policy without updating the guidelines at the same time? As far as I can see it will no longer be possible to combine postage, which is a ridiculous outcome.  Secondly, a potential buyer messaged me wanting to offer a lower price on multiple items (books) I was selling. How can I sensibly negotiate prices in this way when the Buyer is seeing a different price from the Seller because of the Buyer Protection Fee?  BPF and SD are both stupid policies implemented without proper consideration, consultation, and without training the agents to fully understand them or even updating the help guidelines to be in alignment.

[tressygirl]

Yep, it's an issue affecting one and all, for the time being ( eBay say ! 🤔)  it is a technical issue that they are aware of , and working on a fix.

No date of that fix has been announced!

What some sellers are suggesting is to leave a note on listings words such as ......  ' if you wish to buy multiple items from me,  please message me before buying,  then I can list all the items together with one postage cost, as there is currently a tech  issue , and sellers cannot combine postage. '

The message must make it very,  very clear items being delisted will be relisted for sale on eBay, and  that this is not heading for an off eBay sale !

Not ideal I know,  but may stop some lost precious sales.

@rogerday 

[rogerday]

In my view EBay should sort out technical issues BEFORE implementing
significant changes. This is amateurish

[sml192]

If the buyer places the required items in their shopping basket first and then goes to checkout eBay will automatically calculate a combined postage price.  

[rogerday]

I tried that but it did not work. Also I asked a support agent who did not think that would happen.

[xenavsbuffy1]

For now we have seen the end of Combined Postage unless its a work around, it went as soon as the Buyers Protection came into force and now with SD, the system can't work out one parcel much less a combined amount....now whether we like or loathe them they are here to stay until they are eventually replaced and they get drastically worked and improved on to accommodate Combined Postage which it can't do right now and that could be a very long time....or in short I wouldn't hold your breathe 

[sml192]

There have been several posts on the boards where users have experienced postage being combined automatically when multiple items are placed in the basket such as the one below.  Maybe it depends on the type of items being placed in the basket or it could just be one of the many things that eBay are still working on or rolling out in phases. 

Am I right that Simple Delivery cannot combine postage for multiple purchases?

davrman

Conversationalist

(4017feedbacks) 

‎17-04-2025 10:00 AM - edited ‎17-04-2025 10:03 AM

I haven't sold any items with Simple Delivery, but I have bought several including some that were combined automatically by eBay. If the buyer adds all the items to the basket and pays for them together, then eBay combines them automatically. Here's an example I just tried with a couple of random items:

These lenses had the usual cost of £2.94 each for Standard Tracked Delivery, but the combined total was only £3.44 (saving £2.44). If you offer "free" postage, then you would pay instead of the buyer. Actual charges will vary depending on the size and weight that eBay expects the items to be. These savings may not be as generous as a seller would have offered manually, but the system is automatic and only generates one label with one tracking number.

I don't know if the seller has to have "allow multiple purchases to be combined" enabled in their preferences, but I suspect not as it has worked for every one I have tested.

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[pansy10cat]

The vinted method of choosing bundles seems to work as then there is only one postage to pay.

[caf_uk]

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@sml192 wrote:

If the buyer places the required items in their shopping basket first and then goes to checkout eBay will automatically calculate a combined postage price.  

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No, that does not happen....

[honeymonster007]

Seems you have to have the box ticked

Wounder what the *time period to combine payments* means? ..

[jma2815]

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@sml192 wrote:

If the buyer places the required items in their shopping basket first and then goes to checkout eBay will automatically calculate a combined postage price.  

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That doesn’t work any more. 

[honeymonster007]

Is this the box?

[sml192]

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@caf_uk wrote:

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@sml192 wrote:

If the buyer places the required items in their shopping basket first and then goes to checkout eBay will automatically calculate a combined postage price.  

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No, that does not happen....

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Well it was working that way 2 days ago as illustrated by the poster whose post I provided a copy of above (message #7).

[sml192]

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@jma2815 wrote:

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@sml192 wrote:

If the buyer places the required items in their shopping basket first and then goes to checkout eBay will automatically calculate a combined postage price.  

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That doesn’t work any more. 

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Well it was still working that way 2 days ago as illustrated by the poster whose post I provided a copy of above (message #7).

[sml192]

According to the Seller Centre help page for Simple Delivery combined postage is available provided the items are purchased at the same time:

'Can I use one label to post multiple items to a buyer?

If your buyer has purchased more than one item from you in a single transaction, you’ll receive one prepaid label for posting your items to them. You can only use the label provided once. 

If your buyer has purchased items from you in different transactions, you’ll receive separate postage labels to post each of the items.'

[rogerday]

Was the seller a Private seller or Business seller?  Business sellers pay selling fees and are not forced to use Simple Delivery so the postage discount may have been applied automatically because of the postage discount settings that business setters can still apply. When I tested multiple purchases on a Private seller no postage discount was applied.  Maybe Ebay are still refining this but whatever the case they should not have implemented it without more rigorous testing first. Right now it is a cluster *bleep* of confusion and the guidelines on combined status have not been updated to clarify the new rules, whatever they may be. Also the two support agents I spoke to didn't seem to know either.

[f1fuzzball]

Hi. Thanks. I tried that yesterday for two items from the same seller and it did not work. The postage fees were added together in the final total. The Ebay system is still very unworkable!

[lavenderthimblebunny]

I'm guessing if your listings are set to "pay immediately" then separate items bought by the same buyer can't combine?  Not sure whether the "basket case method" would work and an eager buyer might be miffed if the item is bought by another buyer in the time it takes the seller to respond to a combined postage request.

I'm bucking the trend; I've just resumed selling after a year's break.  Mind you I haven't bought much since the BPF and SD were introduced so can't speak from either experience. 

It's the uncertainty that impacts buyers and sellers; the fake confidence in their processes by ebay staff and the constant fire-fighting we and ebay are doing as each new consideration is raised.  I hope my return isn't too short-lived.