Small Free Gift With Purchase A Disappearing Ebay Tradition

[the-fab-gift-shop]

What ever happened to the old Ebay tradition of sending a small free gift with every purchase? We've been doing this for years now, because we enjoy doing it and buyers love it too. With a bit of creative thinking, it doesn't  cost much to do and I think it is still a nice touch. We've even received unexpected feedback from delighted and suprised buyers, telling us that they felt valued as a customer, simply by receiving a little extra something that may have cost all of 40 cents. As a buyer, I have not received a free gift with my purchase in a few years now, except from one or two exceptional sellers, and  from a seller in China, who sent a 1cm piece of green string in a tiny cello bag, with 'free gift' written on it. I am not sure as to whether they 'got the idea' right with that one?! Anyway, with so many aggressive impatient buyers and distrusting resentful sellers operating on Ebay these days [am i correct?], perhaps a free gift with every purchase, would at least work towards something positive, in calming all those stormy oceans ...

[jameshouseofstyle]

Great buys, sorry to disillusion you about the free gifts with purchase!

After many years selling on Ebay  I can tell you that free gift does nothing at all to appease buyers.

I have even read here on the boards that one great seller got a neg for including the free gift, I think it was tea towels with sheets , comment was "I didn't order the tea towels" Almost unbelievable - but true.

We include quality (expensive ) items sometimes with purchases, not because we want to make them feel beter, how they feel generally is their problem, but because we want to and they are in most cases repeat customers.

For the best part we never even get a thank you - but a very different story on our non  Ebay site! People think and behave differently there - and we still don't know why is that. It's like we operate on another planet - where friendliness, good manners, social graces... are still very much in use - even without the free gifts!

[putney32]

personally, I HATE free gifts..  .. if I want something I'll buy it, I do not need an ebay seller sending me items. 

Good Descriptions, clear photos, excellent packing and prompt postage are  all I want or expect from a seller when I buy something.

for which they are rewarded with a thank you email and appropriate feedback.

I do not need 'new friends'  'goodies' or a pen pal.  it is a business transaction. end of story.

[jameshouseofstyle]

Hi putney (always reminds me of living in London - close, in Chelsea),

I get gifts with regularity, even though I don't expect them - evn from DJ's!

After a particularly big shop recently they delivered a biggest hamper to my office, that same afternoon, full of all sorts of yummy stuff and expensive crockery to eat it with! It took 2 guys to bring it up!

Other than that, every time I buy a coat, or a suit, or a handbag, or a watch or whatever (from non Ebay sites) they include a very valuable items from their range (not 40c. worth), more like several hundred worth.

The only gift I have ever received from an Ebay seller after messaging to and fro - told her how I looooove chocolates, cakes, lollies, have them for breakfast, lunch & dinner - she's sent me a Darrel Lee gift voucher for 50bucks!

Cheers!

[trulyspecialgoodies]

I didn't realise it was an eBay 'tradition' to include a small free gift with purchases. It's something I've always done since starting selling a couple of years ago - simply because it's a nice thing to do. I don't have an awful lot of buyers since I only have 20 auctions a week. Each buyer is very important to me so I try to make them feel special by including something extra. I have pretty 'thank you' cards printed which I include in a small organza bag which also has 'thank you' printed in gold all over it - the free gift is either a pair of earrings, bangle or a bracelet (I try to match them to the rings). Sometimes the buyers will mention 'thank you for the gift' in their feedback - which is nice of them, but that's not why I do it - it's just something that makes me feel good

[jhyll]

we love the idea, especially when selling dresses for little girls.....makes us feel happy too!

[digital*ghost]

Sometimes my 'gift' is the item priced so low I don't really make a worthwhile profit...  (In other words, some of my items are loss-leaders and I couldn't afford to sweeten the deal with something else...or maybe I just don't want to. Some others are handmade and the prices are often lower than most other people would charge for similar work). 

I generally include a little something extra for repeat buyers, or buyers who have purchased multiple items in one transaction, but not for standard, single item transactions. 

[phorum_junkie*]

I generally include a little something extra for repeat buyers, or buyers who have purchased multiple items in one transaction, but not for standard, single item transactions. 

me too DG.

You do have to think carefully about what you send though, i have received sweets when I am on a strict diet, pillar earrings when I don't have pierced ears and worst of all a lavender bag when I am allergic and sneezed for two days!

[springyzone]

I've rarely received a free gift and I don't expect one.

I doubt it would swing me to  positive feedback if everything wasn't right with my main purchase.

But having said that, I did get a little freebie the other day. I bought a sheet of paper-it came out quite expensive for one sheet, mind you, but the seller included a small pack of embellishments, little light coral coloured flowers. I was very impressed as they matched the paper so well.

Now, that seller put the sheet into a padded bag, but the postie, in his wisdom, bent the bag in order to put it in our letter box.

I gave the seller top feedback because he deserved it and i did appreciate his effort with the freebie, but I also messaged him privately, just to let him know it wasn't a problem for me, but the sheet got bent and a normal envelope with maybe a cardboard backing for the paper might work better than the padded bags.

I noticed someone else gave him neutral because an item was bent in the post and I bet they got the freebie as well.

So I am not sure a gift is necessary-but I have to admit, I like them.

[onekiwi0]

I have a few free gifts next to the computer to send when I send preloved boys clothes, however more often that not it'd bump the postage from 500g to 3kg so I don't!  I think its a nice thought to put something little in extra for your return buyers though.