Free Postage? No such thing!

[lawnbowler46]

Hi all,

I know eBay likes to have and encourages sellers to list everything as free postage for their items to be more noticicable etc. (or Postage Included as some sellers would prefer it to be called after reading previous posts) But to me this can be a issue when wanting to buy multiple items for the one delivery!

"eBay need to drop this so called free postage policy that they encorage sellers to use, because I for one am getting tired of being treated like a fool from some sellers"

For example; I wanted to buy a pair of work pants, a particular type of top, a jacket and boots.

One seller had the pants for $42.00 w/ free postage the top for $29.50 w/free postage the jacket for $67.00 w/free postage and the boots for $89.00 w/free postage. Total of $227.50 including postage.

I contacted the seller and asked if he combined postage as I know each of his items has postage costs already included in the price. He replied that he already offers "free postage" and can not do any better. (yeah right).

Naturally like any good buyer should, I then shopped around and after a lot of effort (but nearling giving up and heading to a bricks and mortar store) I found a seller of all the similar items.

Pants $31.50 + $7.50 postage, top $21.90 + $7.50 postage, jacket $48.00 + $10.50 postage and boots $75.00 + $12.00 postage. Total of $213.90 with postage costs. Win I have already saved $13.60

I contacted the buyer and he said he would discount all the postage costs, combine and send everything in a 3kg express post satchel for $14.80 (what a wonderful seller!)

So instead of paying $227.50 with free postage I payed $191.20 including paying the postage costs.

Sorry for writing a book, but eBay in particular need to stop pushing free postage and giving those listings a big advantage over other honest sellers listings.

Thank you for listing to my rant 🙂

[redders_60]

I too buy my padded bags & tough envelopes cheaply, 30c to 50c per item. But I have to make a special trip to buy, which isn't factored into the full item cost. I too post some items at LL rate in those baggies, other really thin items inside a reusable card & envelope inside a larger envelope. 

I buy the nice cards in boxed sets  from a local charity. ( a win/win situation)

Freepost is a myth. I allow the price of the baggies or cards/envelopes into my Freepost price, but sometimes subsidise the cost. It's just extra pressure thatebay puts upon sellers!

[cherry*135]

This ad is on the home page. Free shipping a selling point!!

[go-tazz]

But when you do a search that has over 19 million items only a bit over 550.000 items show up under free

postage.

That's less then 30%

That's one of the reasons they got rid of the wildcat searches,(it's supposed to stop you from knowing how many

items are listed on eBay.au).

That way they can make up any lies they need to "prove" their scenarios.

[springyzone]

I contacted the buyer and he said he would discount all the postage costs, combine and send everything in a 3kg express post satchel for $14.80 (what a wonderful seller!)

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I was impressed that anyone could fit a jacket, a top, a pair of pants and a pair of boots into one 3kg bag as they are not all that large, from memory.

I was wondering, does the express satchel come with tracking, as if it doesn't, wouldn't the seller be in some trouble if things went missing?

I agree with you that free postage is not free, so it would be better to be listed as postage included but ebay probably like the sound of 'free'. Must think it pulls in more buyers.

[modestbods]

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I was impressed that anyone could fit a jacket, a top, a pair of pants and a pair of boots into one 3kg bag as they are not all that large, from memory.

I was wondering, does the express satchel come with tracking, as if it doesn't, wouldn't the seller be in some trouble if things went missing?

I agree with you that free postage is not free, so it would be better to be listed as postage included but ebay probably like the sound of 'free'. Must think it pulls in more buyers.

---

I've still got a handful of the older 3kg Jumbo express satchels (that are a good deal bigger than 5kg stachels) that could easily fit all that, and more... but for $14.80... erm no.

An express satchel has it's own tracking number already attached with a peel off copy that the sender keeps. If however it's an older satchel like those of mine, the tracking number on it is no longer any good (obsolete & no longer recognized on AP system), so you would need to ask the PO for new tracking stickers for it, or else pay for sig on delivery which has it's own tracking that overrides the satchel tracking regardless of how old/new the satchel is.

 The problem when using an express satchel without sig on delivery; is that even if you buy the satchel at the PO at the time you are using it, I'm almost positive that they can't include a postcode on the receipt, as you're not paying for postage to a particular address but rather you're merely paying for a prepaid satchel to send whenever & wherever in Australia you wish. Of course if you do use it immediately & hand it over the counter to them, they might agree to write the postcode, date, and sign, the receipt for you if you ask nicely (whether or not Paypal would accept that as proof in a INR claim is another thing though).

[lane-ends]

yes they have tracking but not proof of where you sent it nor linking that tracking number with that buyer, much the same as a regular over the counter satchel.

All you know is that package #XYZ was delivered from ABC dlivery centre. But no proof that package #XYZ is linked to that transaction or even that postcode.