Do you do 'free' postage or 'charged' postage?

[oddsandendsoz]

Hi all,

Just wondering if you combine the postage in to the cost of your items and thus offer 'free postage' or if you charge postage for each item? It seems eBay like sellers to offer free postage which of course we all understand is never free, but it does seem to help sellers come up higher in search results.

But the down side is that items can look more expensive, especially when buying multiple items. On my main account I don't generally offer free postage as it varies by the item. However on another account that I have been trying to get going recently I have been offering 'free postage' more and more. However, I feel like I am ripping buyers off if they buy 3 items where the postage has been combined into the price. I also wonder if the buyers feel that each item is therefore more expensive. Any thoughts on this? 

[countessalmirena]

I'm probably not the average buyer... but I can say that "free postage" is irrelevant to me in making a purchase. It doesn't sway me to a particular listing.

[oddsandendsoz]

I have been lucky recently that a few buyers have purchased multiples, although some are the same item and so they have been built in to the volume pricing and postage accounted for within the listing. It is when a buyer purchases 3 separate items all with 'free postage' that really bothers me. Maybe what I will do from now is just refund a little to account for it. But does anyone know for sure if in the example above, if 3 sales with 'free postage' should have 3 different tracking numbers in eBay's world? 

[eol-products]

I just combine multiples in mypost then each sale in ebay gets the same tracking number. I gather you could just add the same tracking to each in ebay.

[*sons_and_daughters*]

---

@oddsandendsoz wrote:

I have been lucky recently that a few buyers have purchased multiples, although some are the same item and so they have been built in to the volume pricing and postage accounted for within the listing. It is when a buyer purchases 3 separate items all with 'free postage' that really bothers me. Maybe what I will do from now is just refund a little to account for it. But does anyone know for sure if in the example above, if 3 sales with 'free postage' should have 3 different tracking numbers in eBay's world? 

---

As long as they are sold from the same account, you can use the same tracking number for all 3 items. I have quite a few times.

As for the postage, you're really over thinking it. Most buyers aren't stupid. They know there is no such thing as free postage, so the cost is worked into the item price. If they buy 3 items with free postage, then they are happy with the overall price they are paying. I wouldn't be refunding them anything.

[love_of_cars]

I did an experiment a while ago and setup a postage policy so that domestic sales in AU had free postage (with the shipping cost added into the item price) with carefully calculated shipping costs for overseas buyers (removing the AU cost from each overseas price because it's now in the item price).

Over about a month I found that it made no difference at all and went back to conventional separated costs.

[pearlpress]

I always do free postage. I try to think of it from the customer's perspective - they want to know how much it will cost straightaway, without having to do maths. they also want to be able to compare with buying elsewhere, especially bricks and mortar stores.  I think we need to make it easy for the buyer.

I am a little disappointed that ebay takes a listing fee on my included postage, I see this as less than fair.

Quantity discounts are a good way to reflect your decreased cost of postage in bulk orders.  For orders of different items at the same, I would happily discount if messaged by a buyer to reduce shipping cost, although this takes some effort.

[twyngwyn]

90% of my items are 'postage added'...only because I have many 'bulk buyers' who buy at auction, then are told to wait until last item finishes....saves them heaps in postage costs

[davewil1964]

I am a little disappointed that ebay takes a listing fee on my included postage

They don't. The fee is on the sale and it doesn't matter whether postage is included or added.

[paper-jack]

---

@pearlpress wrote:

I always do free postage. I try to think of it from the customer's perspective - they want to know how much it will cost straightaway, without having to do maths. they also want to be able to compare with buying elsewhere, especially bricks and mortar stores.  I think we need to make it easy for the buyer.

---

Here is my perspective as a customer. Recently I wanted to buy multiple of a particular item. I found what I wanted on Ebay but the seller had free postage on each. This made the estimated total purchase very expensive. I could've spent time negotiating with the seller but decided easier to look elsewhere to see what I could Catch. Very quickly found same items reasonably separately priced and ended up with free postage anyway due to the total paid. So unless I'm buying a one-of, I'm not likely to find 'free postage' an attraction.

(my perspective as a seller is mentioned in an earlier post on this thread)

[glenbankloel]

This has been a huge debate over many years.

We don't offer "free" post, unless the item is higher price, we know that we can absorb the cost if the purchase price is fairly high so don't worry about the post. 

However, 95% of our items are in the $15-$30.00 range so can't offer "free". 

And we don't take much notice of what eBay continually promote as their suggestions don't work for us.

So really it is up to you and what you are comfortable with in your own set up and business. 

You have to know your own market and products.