I am a big time Ebayer. I've bought cake decorating products and books. I always carefully read the seller's commentary and if it is not clear that they accept combined shipping, I email the seller before I bid.
If the seller offers combined shipping, if I do win multiple items, I immediately let the seller know the item number of the other items I won. This can be time consuing but it alleviates the problems for you and the seller in the long run.
I also take time to carefully review each sellers feedback. Feedback is very helpful. If the overall positive feedback is above 95%, I generally take negative feedback with a grain of salt. I haven't had a problem yet (knock on wood).
I think there needs to be a little truth applied here.
First ALL of our listings, auctions and the link entitle Combine Items Guide which is on all of our listing, states that combine s & h REQUIRES, not that it's optional, but REQUIRES a single payment for combined s & h.
cmjnc paid for her items THEN asked for combined shipping. She even admitted that she didn't read the listing until after she had purchased the items. When we pointed out the requirements in the listings, she decided we should make an exception for her. So if we have to make an exception for her, then we have to make another exception for the next person that does not pay attention to the listing and so on. Eventually there is no need for the policy. Once she realized we would not combine them she decided to critize us with all type of unpleasant terms.
Now, try this on....say the pans she received were not as descibed in the listing. Don't you think she would be holding our feet to the fire because we did not comply with the listing? You know she would and if you think anything else you are fooling yourself. Terms in a listing are to protect BOTH the buyer AND the seller.
If you don't understand anything else on eBay understand this. When you bid or use the Buy It Now, YOU ARE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THE LISTING. Not just the seller but the buyer too!
You may think we are totally wrong (and no the customer is NOT always right) andy ou are entitled to your opinion. But critizing a seller because the BUYER does not comply with the terms of a listing when the seller most certainly would is wrong. Just wrong.
We have had over 18,000 satified customers in bother our eBay stores. This does not include customers from our websites. If you are the type of cake decorator that can ONLY see one side or the negative side of a seller then we do not want you as a customer and invite you to shop elsewhere.
However, if you are they type of individual who would abide by a listing, treat the seller the way you want to be treated then we welcome you.
Well, welcome cntcakes! This is a great forum for cake decorators, isn't it? But I digress...
I never lied about what happened with you. If you'll look back at my original post, I simply said I asked you to combine shipping and you went ballistic. And, I said that when you refused, I paid and completed the transaction - YET you still chose to give me negative feedback.
That is the problem - not your technical requirements for your auctions, not your refusal to combine shipping - it's your mean, combative attitude. If you had just nicely declined to combine shipping, there would be no problem!
Instead, you chose to call me names, tell me I'm not good at cake decorating, go on and on ad naseum about how I had to comply with the terms of the auction (which I did), and leave me horrible feedback. Hence the problem...
Obviously, other people have had problems with you, a quick look at your negative feedback and unsatisfactory Better Business Bureau rating shows that. But I do commend you on the 18,000 + alleged customers you've had with no problems. But I bet you those customers didn't ask you for one thing. Had they asked you anything - from what color is the pan to please combine shipping - no doubt they would have been confronted with the worst customer service I have ever seen on eBay or in "real" life.
Just wondering why you can't be civilized and nice....would make for a much better virtual and real world. 
I think YOU need to review the emails you FIRST sent deary. When we did reply nicely you are the one that started with the nasty grams saying that our customer service was poor and there was no reason we couldn't make an exeption for you and you couldn't see why you had to pay add'l shipping. THAT WAS YOUR first response to our response when we pointed out the terms of the listing. You proceeded to go on about how you couldn't believe we couldn't combine them now and how you just wouldn't pay for the items. We then informed you that was your decision and we would file an UnPaid Item notice with eBay. THAT IS WHEN YOU PAID and not before. As far as the feedback, eBayers need to learn that if a SELLER is not happy the way the BUYER perfoms during the transaction we have EVERY RIGHT to post negative about how the Buyer handled the transaction and you were a total pain during the entire transaction and you are still going on about it as this forum proves. YOU ARE OUT OF CONTROL.......and BTW I'm a GUY not a female.....THANK GOD!
I think YOU need to review the emails you FIRST sent deary. When we did reply nicely you are the one that started with the nasty grams saying that our customer service was poor and there was no reason we couldn't make an exeption for you and you couldn't see why you had to pay add'l shipping. THAT WAS YOUR first response to our response when we pointed out the terms of the listing. You proceeded to go on about how you couldn't believe we couldn't combine them now and how you just wouldn't pay for the items. We then informed you that was your decision and we would file an UnPaid Item notice with eBay. THAT IS WHEN YOU PAID and not before. As far as the feedback, eBayers need to learn that if a SELLER is not happy the way the BUYER perfoms during the transaction we have EVERY RIGHT to post negative about how the Buyer handled the transaction and you were a total pain during the entire transaction and you are still going on about it as this forum proves. YOU ARE OUT OF CONTROL.......and BTW I'm a GUY not a female.....THANK GOD!
Nice attitude, cntcakes. You've just proven all the negative things about you to be correct.
I wasn't a part of this discussion, but was curious to know what was meant by the thank god he was a guy thing too. If you sell cake supplies, I bet it's pretty safe to say that the majority of the customers are female, and I bet it's pretty safe when saying the majority of the people on here are female, not a good way to get business.
dang it! i was thinking of buying their pan sets!! i went today to write down the price of the ones i wanted from a local store so i could compare the ones from the website with shipping...guess i don't have to worry about it now. this little lady will shop local!!
oh, i forgot, mostly men buy from them so he's not too worried about this little lady not shopping with him!
THAT IS WHEN YOU PAID and not before.
I am confused... I thought he said she paid first and then asked for combined shipping.... now he is saying she didn't pay until after?
I am an ebay seller too and I think that is a bunch of BS! All you had to do was refund her Paypal pmnt and then she could have paid with one.... you wouldn't have gotten a multiple pmnt charge thru Paypal and you could have made your customer happy. I realize you would have had to make an exception but when you have a customer order many items thru you, doesn't it make sense to keep her happy? So she will come back and then come here and post happily about what a great deal she got from you?
Maybe once you realize just how many cake decorators... potentially YOUR customers read this board, you will lose that crappy attitude! Do you have any idea how word of mouth works? There are 50,000 registered users on this forum - from all over the world.....
It adds up.... perhaps we should think before we speak, eh? 
I agree with you cakediva73, I am an Ebay buyer and seller and I sell cake decorationg stuff and never had a problem working things out with my costumers, many times people had bought from me and didn't wait to have the combined invoice sent before paid for the items, and because I'm an honest person, even tought they didn't pay for all the items at once I refund the money that was overpaid for shipping, I just can't believe people can do that, is so easy to do a refund thru paypal, and it doesn't cost any money to the seller, I guess is just a matter of honesty and treat people they way we would like to be treated.
You know, if I won a couple of auctions from a seller and asked for combined shipping, I would hope that the seller would be considerate enough to give me what I requested. It actually is less work for the seller. But I think a lot of the problem lies in the fact that a lot of e-bay sellers do charge mopre than needed for shipping, giving them a higher profit margin, if any.
At any rate, cntcakes, I think that it was rather childish of you to come on this site to bait everyone into the fight. While some of us were looking at things from both sides, we are all now looking at things straight on. If you think offending the majority of the people on this site is defending yourself, please think again.
Ladies (and gentlemen), we have but one choice. We can buy from this person or not. It's that simple. I don't think his business will hurt much if we decide not to buy from him, but if we continue to badmouth him on our forums, then we are no better than those spiteful folks who give negative feedback because we were "put out" by a simple request. We are better than that, my friends.
Moderator, I request this thread and any other thread reguarding negative aspects of out new member, cntcakes, be locked and never more be opened!
Debbi
While I certainly agree that no more badmouthing need occur, I think there are two points that go against deleting this thread.
The first is that cntcakes is not a true member of this forum - meaning, he is a vendor and presumably is not searching for the best ways to cover a cake in fondant, etc. The second is that the thread does nothing but put the truth about an eBay seller out there, which is definitely helpful to those who may purchase their baking goods and accessories on eBay.
Just my two cents....
cntcakes also has an unsatisfactory rating with the Better Business Bureau. That isn't spiteful badmouthing; it is fact. It is a fact that should be publicized to those who really should know... the people on this site, for example.
Also, cntcakes is not only an Ebay seller. He also has a brick and mortar store as well as a web site unrelated to Ebay. No feedback in those places.
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