posted on September 26, 2003 04:25:57 PM new
It's me again....first I want to say how nice it is to be able to get some ideas on things...I appreciate all the input that has been received....
Now..my next question...
I would like to offer combined shipping. I am unsure what time frame to set post sale options on...If I list an auction say for 7 days, and a few days or so list again, etc., I will have them ending at different times, and some will pay immediatly with paypal.
I like to ship as soon as I recieve payments. Now if someone paid today for an auction, and in say 7 days, won another auction, the first one would be shipped out before the other on ended, and if I was not aware of the possibility there could be more auctions won by same bidder, I wouldn't hold a shipment.
Sorry for being long winded, hard to explain my thoughts...I'm sure you get what I am trying to say,(I hope), how do you folks set up for this?
posted on September 26, 2003 04:57:50 PM new
Perhaps you can limit combined shipping by stating in your TOS that only items paid at the same time can be combined.
posted on September 26, 2003 05:04:01 PM new
I,ve had items paid for,with the buyer bidding on others.
I email them and ask if they would like me to send or hold to see if they win the other.
If they want me to hold (not all do) I ask them to contact me before paying again so I can give the a total due with combined shipping.
posted on September 26, 2003 05:40:07 PM new
All of my sales involve the combining of shipping. My TOS state payment is due by the 10th day so I use that as a yardstick as to how long to drag out a group of transactions. I tell the bidders that they have until the 10th day after the FIRST items ends at which time payment is due. Since I will only combine shipping with a single payment, that makes all other payments come due as well. Just a thought...
posted on September 26, 2003 05:46:10 PM new
Set a certain range of days that you will combine auctions or there will be buyers that will string it out for weeks and even months if they see the opprotunity to do so. Some may think it's like a lay-away plan or a bar tab.
-------------- sig file ----------- The Fluffster --- a true scrounger
posted on September 26, 2003 06:03:23 PM new
Since I only list every other week it is easy for me. I do combine shipping but it is in that week I am listing. If it happens ( very seldom) that I list the next week and one of the previous buyers bids on one of those items and they haven't sent payment for the first one I will wait until that week is over.
posted on September 26, 2003 06:34:05 PM newhow do you folks set up for this?
I used to combine shipping, back in the days I was doing 50 or 60 auctions a week. It was a PITA even then. People would abuse the heck out of it. "I'm still bidding...I'll send you a check when I'm done." This, three weeks after their first win. And wouldn't you know it, somehow they just never got around to sending that check. But they sure had fun bidding.
Letting people run a tab with you (because, of course, that's what combining really is) is risky because of the aforementioned human tendency to not deal with things like paying for auctions more than a few days after the fact.
Oh, and then there's "These three items shouldn't weigh more than 6 ounces altogether, so according to the Postal Service website the postage should be 97 cents. Your email said $2.00. You're trying to cheat me!" If you love arguments over postage and shipping costs, if you enjoy having to explain over and over again that packing materials cost something, combining auctions is the way to go for sure.
Here's another one people would use:
"I got the total you sent me, but one of the items is for my sister-in-law and she'll be paying for it. Please send me a revised total with the new lower shipping."
Some people will game you like this if you combine.
That being said, yes, most eBay sellers do combine so I can see why you're considering it. I don't. I want, need and insist on a steady cash flow. I keep very simple books. One auction = one transaction = one payment. There is NO confusion in my winning bidder's mind how much she is to send; it's all right there in the auction. She doesn't have to wait for an email from me with her grand total.
This is the system I decided on after three years of eBay selling. You can judge for yourself whether or not it's right for you. If you really enjoy back-and-forth emailing (I don't), if you still get that little thrill when you hear "You have new mail" or the equivalent (the thrill was gone 10 years ago) or you want to keep on top of your bidders, combining may be ideal for you. I don't know. But if you're planning on growing your business, take it from me: keep it simple.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 26, 2003 09:28:49 PM new
I ship about as soon as payment is made, and I combine shipping using Vendio Checkout.
When they pay, I ship.
At least with my experience, usually if people are wanting to combine shipping, they usually wait to pay.
If they pay for one item, I would ship immediately unless I knew they had other bids in. I usually would not know that, so I would go ahead and ship. I have never run into a problem where they wanted to combine, and I had already shipped.
posted on September 27, 2003 08:37:39 AM new
My system works like this. If you buy within 7 days and pay all at once and let me know within 1 day of the first auction ending, I don't have a problem combining.
The only trouble I've ever had combining was I once had a guy want to combine 75 items over about 5 weeks. Once the amount was over $550, I started to get nervous and asked for payment for what he owed me. That ended up taking another 4 or 5 weeks and involved my calling him at his place of business (he owed the place, he just had time to bid, not to write a check). I'll tell you, I was very happy when that check arrived and I was able to ship out that box... $9 shipping $3 shipping and Handlign paid...
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. B. Franklin
posted on September 27, 2003 12:28:25 PM new
I list once a week on Thursday for a 10 day auction. Only if the buyer buys on that series do I combine shipping. I am not going to wait for 3 weeks for payment.
posted on September 27, 2003 12:49:30 PM new
I guess it depends on what you sell. My items are mostly unrelated. I have very few combined orders and even fewer repeat customers (as I usually carry the same item just the once). When I have a collection I have all the auctions end about the same time, so if someone is going to win more than one it will make it easy. It usually ends up that they tried to win more than one, but were not successful.
I will wait 3 or 4 days for another auction to end if the person asks me to. But I have only had this happen a couple of time. So even though I run 100+ auctions a week, I don't have any specified time period... because it has never been an issue.
I would test the water at first... you don't want to make your ad less attractive with extra tersm, unless it becomes necessary.
