Ebay Combined Postage?

[EDDIE51]

I have just bought 3 small items ( camera lens filters) from the same seller on eBay. I asked for a combined postage total only to get a message that the seller does not offer combined postage. This means the postage is 3 times what it will actually cost , all 3 will easily fit into a single padded envelope.
Does this sound reasonable? I always offer combined postage and every time I have bought several items from one seller until now they have always offered combined postage.

[tandh]

no it doesn't sound fair eddie, can you not message another seller and see if they could do a combined postage deal for you?

[EDDIE51]

I have bought the 3 items but when I sent off a 'request total' as ebay tells you to do for combined purchase I get a message 'This seller has disallowed combined postage discounts' The 3 items are all just plastic filters 2 & 1/2 inch sq. They will easily fit in one envelope.
I have sent another message saying I am not happy and asking again for a combined price, I'll see what happens.

[EDDIE51]

They are private sale items not a shop. So i can't go to another seller.

[trt]

Complain/report them for unfair trading Eddie.

[Smowball]

That sounds very unfair

[waterboatman]

Sounds unfair to me too.

[Buenchico]

I know people who trade on eBay who have everything packed up ready to send before they even advertise it for sale. e.g. a guy I know who deals in DVDs has them all sealed up in padded envelopes (with numbers to identify what's inside on the flaps) on the shelves in his study. I doubt that he'd be prepared to combine postage because that would mean him having to rip open several envelopes just to put them all into a new one.

I also suspect that some people aren't confident enough with using eBay to know how to issue a combined PayPal invoice instead of the several that they'd otherwise send.

[waterboatman]

Thanks for that Chris. But, if the envelopes were not sealed, then it would't be a problem surely?

[Gizmonster]

3 items purchased = 3 potential negative feedbacks for the seller.
A message along the lines of "this will be reflected when I leave my feedback", might gently nudge them in the right direction :)

[EDDIE51]

Good news, after my message saying I was not happy to pay 3 times the postage he has sent a new invoice with all 3 for £2.85 post, I have paid and thanked him.
Chris, in the case of your cd seller, he could just put 3 smaller envelopes in a large envelope or a box. Royal Mail will send any 'small package' up to 2Kg weight for £2.85 UK 2nd class postage. A small package can be the size of a shoe box! I also find that for small packages rather than letters there is no difference in delivery time between 1st and 2nd class post.

[tandh]

i'm so pleased it all got sorted for you, and you're right, i always get my things from ebay faster than stated

[Quizproquo]

It's completely fair Eddie and it's what you elected to pay.
Don't presume combined postage is offered without checking with the seller first.
They may have priced their postage across the board for all you know and combining it would cause them a loss.
Always read the seller's T&C and postage rules and check their neutral and negative feedback for common issues, but remember, if they have 9 negs and 50,000 positives, they're not a bad seller. Alarm bells start ringing with me when a seller's feedback is below 99%.

[Quizproquo]

Oh, as an aside, if you add to basket rather than clicking buy it now for each item from the same seller and then check all the items out together, combined postage is often automatically triggered.