What are you opting for - 'free' postage or not ?

[bettyboopsadaisy]

Now that the new FVF policy has begun, I would be interested to know what decisions others have made re offering free postage or not.

I have decided to continue unchanged with my approach, ie Postage listed separately from sale price.

Obviously, contrary to the belief of ebay, I know that buyers are not stupid and would see immediately that the 'free' postage that some will offer is actually not free but simply added to the sale price of the item.

I will afford buyers the respect I think they are due by being honest and upfront, in letting them know exactly what they are bidding on and what they will be paying for by itemizing, instead of hiding the postage cost in the sale price and calling it 'FREE'.

Ebay have tried to make us sellers partners in their dishonesty and lack of transparency by suggesting that we do just that.

Well, sorry ebay, but I'm not playing !!!!!

[lane-ends]

Are you allowing pick up or any other way that buyers can avoid paying postage so that they need only pay the list price?

If not the only reason for not including it is so discounting is easier for combining.

if Ebay renamed it post inclusive and allowed means to work discounts for combining into it, that would solve a lot of these predjustices against it.

Sellers can't add anything into anything, they just sell for best price they can get. The buyers determine what this will be. Some will be lulled into thinking they only paid $X for something (or so they tell their partners) but in reality they paid $X +$Y due to unavoidable postal costs, but by seperating the components out sellers can make their items seem cheaper.

Postal costs are online business operating costs just the same as a B &M store rental costs are. Nothing to do with the buyers unless they have the option to avoid them.

[clarry100]

We have been using "FREE" post now for 12-months or so.

When a buyer buys multiple items we combine them but because we cannot discount on an invoice we simply include bonus items in the package we send out. Usually something they have not ordered.

We often get thank you notes back from appreciative customers.

This works for us as our items are small & "squishy" and mostly travel by large letter. We use click n send 500gm satchels for larger or more highly valued orders.

I agree that there shold be some way of discounting the postage component on multiple BIN items. This would alleviate lots of these problems, but of course ebay will not do it becasue they might miss out on a few cents in FVF. They don't care about the honesty & integrity of sellers unless it translates into $$$ somehow.

[secretgarden6341]

I agree with you. I did try the "free" idea but received no sales during that time ..I can understand that buyers can see through your adding the postage to the original price, however, if I was to offer "free post" on my items,,which are very low cost (from $1.20) I would be paying for someone to buy them, there is no option but to continue as usual, although I am seriously considering giving up on Ebay because of this as there is too much work involved for so little return.

[digital*ghost]

I sell the type of items that it's more common for people to buy several and the postage stated separately has always worked significantly better than post-inclusive or 'free post'. I actually offer as close to a flat rate as I can (in that after the first item, all subsequent items are free post, and while most items are at the standard large letter rate, I do have a few higher value items where some of the cost of registered is included in the P&H charge, so actual postage paid will depend on the highest P&H charge of the purchased items). 

I personally prefer flat rate postage as a buyer, as well, especially when I'm buying the same kind of items I sell; it encourages me to make the most of the postage - i.e. the more I buy, the more negligible the P&H rate becomes and therefore the better value each item is (eg 1 item at $5 with $5 post = 1 $10 item, but 10 x $5 items with $5 post = 10 x $5.50 items). If every single item has a fixed price no matter what, there's no incentive to make the most of the purchase and craft businesses will generally thrive on multiple purchases.

I might reconsider if I ever do wholesale and/or eBay do introduce a way to discount item prices for multiple purchases, but even then I would rather something like "get this items for $x amount when purchased with any other item" clearly displayed rather than a vague discount promo. 

[the_pooze]

Item price plus postage all the way for me.

I'll sell the way I prefer to buy and if somebody wants to pick up, ideal for me and they know what to expect to pay for the item alone, no messy negotiating on what the postage value is/was/could/should be.

[cherry*135]

I think keeping the postage separate so they buyer can see how much it is is a good thing also. They can work out the maximum postage costs if they intend to buy multiple items and if the seller gives a combined postage amount quote they can see if they are getting a genuine postage discount.

A lot of buyers are aware of what AP postage rates are and prefer sellers who charge at actual cost or close to it.

International buyers.. Having domestic postage cost included with item cost doesn't work in their favour.

Postage costs of .70 -$1.40 wouldn't make much difference either way.

[cherry*135]

Refunds could be an issue for buyers as well. For money back guarantees (as promoted by eBay) the seller will want to refund less the postage cost.. Buyer will have no idea what that amount is going to be.

[paulsurf88]

I am not sure where my thinking is going wrong, but haw exactly does it make any difference, ( apart from a buyer thinking its a bargain) when you offer free postage. The only person who loses is the seller everytime.

No matter which way you take it, free or ad  what the postage actually costs us, ebay still takes same percentage?  or am I missing something?

Luckily today one buyer bought 3 books from me, and seriously  even at a fraction of the cost of any book I put on here, Including what postage ads on to the buyers price- which I always consider-  listing anything for $20  altogther is about as high as any sensible person would buy - on a second hand book- even if it is still as good as new.

No matter what happens I lose here -   sales are pathetic,  compared to what once happened on ebay.

[*stuff*books*]

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@am*3 wrote:
Refunds could be an issue for buyers as well. For money back guarantees (as promoted by eBay) the seller will want to refund less the postage cost.. Buyer will have no idea what that amount is going to be.

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Sellers will have to refund the full amount as it was free postage.

It wasn't added so it can't be taken away.

I'll continue to add postage but have always combined where posssible.

To me stating free postage is akin to lying to a buyer,(some could mark down the DSR's if they later find out that the free postage

wasn't free and actually added to the cost of the item).