Free postage - does it attract more buyers

[jaks_thingz]

I am in the process of compiling listings for an assortment of video games. These are discs only, so can be posted as a large letter for a couple of dollars....

Normally I add postage to my listings.. But i'm wondering if offering free shipping would attract more buyers

[davidc4430]

oh and hasnt having the postage printed on the label killed the charging more for postage than it actually costs lol

now the buyer knows exactly how much it cost and did the seller make a profit on post.

[lane-ends]

i will throw in an often overlook aspect. Buyers like to kid themselves (and their partners) they got things cheaper

eg

$29+ $8= Look i go this for less than $30

vs

$37= not sure i want to pay over $30 for it / you paid HOW MUCH for that?

ie everyone likes to kid themselve how savy a buyer they are, and often delude themselves over the real cost. Add to which there is a buyer perception that free post prices are loaded.

Ebay does not boost freepost items in searches as much as often thought, if at all.

I choose a subsidised option, ie a flat rate which is less then the minimum regardless of what it turns out to be ie $5 whether it end up in a 500gm or 3kg satchel. That way, no need to estimate it (and many of my items are borderline). No disputes if i get it wrong. It gives a facility to discount postal rates for combined if necc, in many cases no need to as 2x$5 is still under price of a 3kg satchel even 3x isn't loaded especially if using signature.

A lot depends if it is a common item with definate market value or not, if they are individual items with suck it and see values then perception plays a bigger part than actual total $ price point

[lyndal1838]

As a buyer I look at the overall cost of the item and postage.....I don't care how it is made up I just want the cheapest overall price.

The only time I specifically look for Free postage is when there is an ebay discount promotion on.....postage is never included in the discount so the way to maximise your discount is to find items with free postage .

[melbourneclearance]

The first thing I do when searching for stuff to buy on ebay is to sort it by Price+Postage. The Free Shipping thingie was cooked up by the dark souls at ebay so that when there is a dispute there is no dispute who gets ripped off for the original postage --> the seller.

Keep in mind that Free Shipping (plus 30 day money back return and Express Post) gives you a Premium Service badge if you are a Top Rated Seller which will rank your listings higher in Best Match searches. No doubt a lot of people are using Best Match, so I guess Premium Service gets you more customers.

Having said that, I am listing more and more of my items with postage nowadays because I just don't like this Free Shipping thing. It is not free and it is insulting the buyers' intelligence. I use it for some items but most of my items are listed with postage now.

[springyzone]

As a buyer, I always search by typing in my own key words for whatever I want.

I had to check how my results are sorted & it is by 'items ending soonest'. What ebay's default setting is, I do not know.

But after that, my choice comes down to what's on offer & the overall cost. Free shipping in itself is not a drawcard.

I think its main value probably comes in for smaller items eg $4 plus $2 postage versus $6 with 'free postage'. I know postage isn't free, it's in there with the cost but the $6 ad is 'at a glance' user friendly, I suppose.

The only time a separate postage charge might turn me off a bit is where it is the major part of a purchase eg item $5, postage $15. I find myself asking whether it is really worth it to buy that particular item on ebay.

[collect247]

So kopes when you say the seller has better feedback do you mean overall positive feedback or the amount of positive feedback?

[collect247]

Yes but when I used to sell I sold at auction with free postage included and started at $0.99 so my postage was really free and no buyer was paying for it at all and there are alot of sellers that list this way also.

[springyzone]

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@kookakook wrote:

Yes but when I used to sell I sold at auction with free postage included and started at $0.99 so my postage was really free and no buyer was paying for it at all and there are alot of sellers that list this way also.

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Did you find that worked for you?

My fear would be that if i got only one bid & the item only sold for 99c, I'd be out of pocket a fair bit as not only would there be ebay & paypal fees, but I'd be up for all the postage costs myself-plus the added bother & cost of wrapping, posting etc. No way would I want to be in that position.

I suppose some items generally might get multiple bids but you're braver than I would be!

[egglesdtp]

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@kookakook wrote:

Yes but when I used to sell I sold at auction with free postage included and started at $0.99 so my postage was really free and no buyer was paying for it at all and there are alot of sellers that list this way also.

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The way things are now, if you sold at auction starting at 99c with free postage, you'd soon be in the red. 'Ordinary' items rarely attract more than one bid these days and I don't understand why some sellers continue to run auctions. I know there are some that find auctions still a good way to sell, but I think these would be far and few between (at least for the sort of items I am usually looking for).

[whiznumber6]

Dunno - if there are three or four of the same item at the same price, the one with free postage is the one I go for.Very often, the one with free post is the same as an identical item including post.

Having said that, I often have buyers purchase multiple items and paying without waiting for a combined invoice (so, paying five times as much postage as they need to in some cases), so free postage clearly isn't a determining factor for some!