How come an Australian seller can offer free shipping?

[312217084]

How come an Australian seller can offer free shipping even the item located in Australia??

For example, seller post their phone cases and screen protectors for free.

Anyone can figure it out for me?

Thanks

[austeam]

As postage will always cost the seller, whether or not they charge it, there is no such thing as free shipping.

The postage price can be built into the item price (as I do) or taken out of profit (as austeam seems to do), but the carrier still requires payment for the service they provide. 

Surely the buyer realises that somewhere someone pays for it.

The FREE shipping is free to the buyer, just like if I include Free coffee beans, Free milk frothing jugs, Free thermometers.  Of course they cost me money, but I gave them to the buyer as a gift for choosing to shop with me.

However, if I put my price up and then advertised the item as including a free item then I could be reported to the ACCC for misleading advertising.  I can only claim the item is free if the price remains the same or less.

[phorum_junkie*]

All my BIN items have free shipping because i know exactly how much they are going to sell for and can therefore work out exactly how much the total is going to cost me including fees and delivery charges, I then add on my profit margin and that is my selling price.

with auction items I don't offer free shipping as i cannot know what the item will sell for therefore cannot know what my profit margin will be and if it is enough to cover postage.

[davewil1964]

Surely the buyer realises that somewhere someone pays for it.

I remember a few months ago somebody complaining that free postage wasn't and it wasn't fair that the seller built it into the price.

Most of us suggested we would be happy to post really free when we found a carrier who didn't charge.

[digital*ghost]

I suppose then that the test for something that is free (to the buyer) post is, if a seller's return policy states that in the event of a return for change of mind, how much they'll be refunded is less postage costs (be it specific or called a restocking fee), it's not free. 

[thesoulyearns]

Free postage is great for the seller on multiple purchases.

[davewil1964]

Depends on the items.

I use 'free' post on my books that will go as large letters. Unless somebody buys six (or combines with one that is thicker than a letter), it is cheaper for me to post them individually. I don't usually do that, but the postage ends up costing me more than the postage built into the price.

Yeah, great.

[ilovefashion!]

There is no such thing as free shipping, it is a term used when shipping is included in the cost of the item. My items include the standard parcel rate, with a small added optional fee for tracking or express. Unfortunately eBay won't add a 'shipping included' option, so free shipping or post or whatever is never free, unless like some one else said there is a magical company who will deliver for free, and pack them and take them to the post office. 🙂

[bdstratton]

im an Aussie seller and i offer free postage on some of my items.

To do it i just add the shipping fees to the item price.

[thesoulyearns]

Depends on the items.

I use 'free' post on my books that will go as large letters. Unless somebody buys six (or combines with one that is thicker than a letter), it is cheaper for me to post them individually. I don't usually do that, but the postage ends up costing me more than the postage built into the price.

Yeah, great.

😉 Yeah, it depends on the item. Thinking about all of the possibilities re: combined post is good before listing an item.

[i-once-was-bump]

Surely the buyer realises that somewhere someone pays for it.

austeam I would have to say obviously not, otherwise this thread would not exist.

The OP seems to be of the opinion that some sellers are not having to pay Australia Post for delivery of items, what else would be the point of asking this question?