Regarding FREE POSTAGE,how on earth can a seller incorporate Free Postage into their ITEM PRICE when it could end up being sent anywhere in the world........even the cost from Australian State to State can be quite different, so there is NO WAY a buyer can cover offer FREE POSTAGE without losing both on postage & in MORE FEES TO EBAY & PAYLAP !

eBay knows it's financially risky for the seller to suggest free postage internationally because it can differ so much. That's why they don't have that checkbox next to the international rates but do for the local service. If you think about it, this new pressure to use free postage started long ago by having that checkbox. This is now an extension of that. In a few years, we'll most likely see an extension of the current settings and so it continues until we're all using free postage as standard.

Eventually they will probably promote free international postage too, once their service is more streamlined and they've tested out the "encouraged" free postage locally first.