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    How do people offer free shipping

    How do people on eBay offer free shipping on low cost items say under $3 for an item when tracked shipping in Australia is a lot more than the item. 

    lizmcdo78
    lizmcdo78
    8View listings
    Posted 1 year ago·Last reply 1 year ago
                                           
             
    7 comments

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                   
    twyngwyn

    twyngwyn

    ·1 year ago
    View listings

    Can you give an example - what is the item number?

                                           
    lizmcdo78

    lizmcdo78

    OP1 year ago
    View listings

    What do you mean I look up things like Pokemon cards and they go for under $3 but shipping is free. How can they make any profit if they want to send with tracked postage 

                                           
    imastawka

    imastawka

    ·1 year ago
    View listings

    A lot of sellers will use them as 'loss leaders'

     

    Loss leaders are products sold below their cost or profit margin to attract customers and encourage them to buy other, more profitable items. The strategy relies on the assumption that the initial loss on the loss leader will be offset by increased sales of complementary or higher-margin products. 

     

    People who buy such items rarely buy just one.

     

    Sellers will make a profit when they purchase more.

                                           
    lizmcdo78

    lizmcdo78

    OP1 year ago
    View listings

    If I put postage on an item will people still buy my item. 

                                           
    davewil1964

    davewil1964

    ·1 year ago
    View listings

    If I put postage on an item will people still buy my item. 

     

    That depends on the people. Not if they can get the same item cheaper from other sellers.

     

    Not all items are sent tracked.

     

    Small items like cards can go in a standard untracked envelope @ $1.50

                                           
    sandypebbles

    sandypebbles

    ·1 year ago
    View listings

    As asked, what is the item number?

     

    Is the seller registered in China?

     

    Are they brand new sellers who may wrongly think eBay pay for postage?

     

    Or the reasons already mentioned 

                                           
    springyzone

    springyzone

    ·1 year ago
    View listings

    For things like cards, maybe they are not sending with tracked postage, maybe they are just in an envelope, as dave said.

    All the same, I get your point, there wouldn't be a huge amount of profit in it for them if the item itself, with postage, was only $3.

    You'd be wanting to make a lot of bulk sales to make it worth your while and maybe with things like cards, they do get a lot of people buying 2 or 3 at a time.

                                           
                                                                                     
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