The latest news this morning

[jitterbug2003]

The other site is not even going to make you join prime for free shipping. No minimum amount and it starts today.

[18704d]

"Free shipping free returns, next it will be free item. "

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No,

a couple years ago here, I made a dire prediction.

It will be Ship Before Payment.

Then, after the buyer receives the item, they will decide

if it's As Described.. and

if They Want to Keep It.

If not, the free return label is an easy click for them

(paid by the seller)

jmtcw,

Lynn

[castlemagicmemories]

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@sodelight wrote:
Wrong, I purchased something and it would have been $5.99 shipping without the membership.

BTW, why would you want to promote a competing site! Sellers complain of low to no sales, yet they post this type of info here. Not a good thing.

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That comes under, Don't shoot holes in your own boat.

[ifyouloveit]

Sadly, younger buyers often think there really is free shipping. I don't know where they get that reasoning, but I have actually had buyers tell me to take off the shipping because they want to buy it.

I respond nicely and say I can do that, but the price will go up because there is no free shipping fairy and either I pay it or they do. (well, I don't tell them like that, but you get the idea). There is a group of buyers who honestly believe that sellers can offer free shipping and the seller gets it through some deal of some kind on reduced or free shipping rates. I have had buyers tell me in the past that I get a deal on shipping so why am I making them pay for it (as if I was trying to pull a con or fast one, it gets old).

Fine on some items, impossible on others when the margin is already slim.

I had a repeat buyer on another platform who buys a lot of my crystals get totally bent out of shape because I had a heavy Jade item up and I had a whopping $4.25 shipping on it. She bought it, then wrote me and complained, saying she should get free shipping, just because she is her.

I told her she had $5 off on her next crystal order, which she promptly used. Free shipping, it's biting sellers now. Was a great way to entice people to buy more when it was first started, now it's an expectation.

They will pay for gas, their time, you name it going to a store and end up spending same or more than the shipping price, but it is what it is. I don't think most people think about it.

But to get back to your comment, yes, a huge amount of buyers (younger) believe there is a free shipping fairy and sellers who do not offer it are 'ripping them off' and keeping the free money. I know, I deal with young buyers almost exclusively on another platform and they are obnoxious about it and often very rude.

I can have an item up for $20 and $3.50 shipping, mega watchers. No sale. Change it to $24 with free shipping and bam, it sells. I don' think some people even think about it, they are focused on the shipping. Up the price, remove the shipping on items that haven't moved and quite often, they sell, for more money too which is the ridiculous part. Other times, take free shipping off an item that is stalling, add shipping and bang, that sells.

It's a giant game.

[18704d]

I believe the game is,

buyers only want to pay one price.

They know we can't ship for free.

They dont' care.

They are just tired of paying shipping,

getting the package... and then checking how much you Really Paid to ship it to them.

They don't want to feel 'cheated'.

And yes, that has happened since eBay started.

Free Shipping (or One Price Purchasing) is here to stay.

It's less complicated (especially for the buyers)

It sets a better tone between buyer and seller (imo).

And...

I wouldn't be surprised to see it mandated here...

in the next several years.

But what do I know?

Lynn

[18704d]

And btw,

to walk the talk that I am talking...

I'd like to say.

All my listings (on my selling accounts) are

Free Shipping...

Free Return Shipping .. and

30 or 60 day returns,

For any reason.

And yes,.... I've only listed smaller, lighter weight items

and items I can afford to ... write off .. risk-wise

if the worse happens.

Thanks for listening,

Lynn

[livadia]

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@cs497kcpope wrote:

Livadia, Shame on you! And you don't feel like a traitor?

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Surely, you jest.  When eBay starts offering free video and music streaming, audiobooks, discounts/two-hour delivery on groceries,  cloud photo storage,  and restaurant food delivery then we have something to talk about.  In the meantime, eBay isn't Amazon and never will be despite eBay management's delusions of grandeur.

[juststuffisell]

No, you have to pay for all the streaming production and....the corporate wide payroll increase promised to all their workers.... 😞

[gracieallen01]

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@creekcoyote wrote:

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@livadia wrote:

AND it ticks me off I'm paying $119/yr for Prime which entitles me to free shipping. Maybe that's why the cost of Prime memberships went up this year... so the rest of us could subsidize everyone else.  😞

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Well, someone has to pay for the 'free shipping.'   Actually, 'free shipping' is one of the best deceptions that has been enacted  on the buying public for a long time.    Anyone who thinks it is free, most likely, is  sufferering from temporary diminished brain function.

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Temporary?   Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahehehehehehehehehehehehohohohohohohohohohohohoho! 

[nowthatsjustducky]

Why do you make it sound like a pay raise for their employees is a bad thing?

[turquoisetulips]

Well, someone has to pay for the 'free shipping.'   Actually, 'free shipping' is one of the best deceptions that has been enacted  on the buying public for a long time.    Anyone who thinks it is free, most likely, is  sufferering from temporary diminished brain function.creekcoyote 

Socialism falls under the same description .  Tulips 

[membersinceaug2001]

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@jitterbug2003 wrote:

The other site is not even going to make you join prime for free shipping. No minimum amount and it starts today.

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They are desperate.  Sales are dropping over there, they're not even hiring as many temp workers as years past.

[membersinceaug2001]

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@hioctane62 wrote:

The value in that $119 prime membership just went down by about 1/6. Amazon is genius for selling you "free" shipping.

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BigCorp likes to prey on suckers.

[tkinnebrew]

@vintagecraze50All buyers should just get credit accounts and pay when they're done with the item or return it for no charge llmmaaoo hahahahahahah have fun, be easy

[fuzzface50]

Some of their employees are not happy either. Yes, they got pay raises but it came at a cost, they recently found out they took their holiday bonuses away to give them a raise and quite a few was depending on that for christmas spending funds. Now to make the same amount they were expecting, they need to wait a year to make up for the pulled bonuses. I know of 3 employees that walked after getting the news here. They all said the same thing, they weren't going to bust their buts this holiday season with no bonus involved.

Also they recently had a wall collapse killing 2 employees in one of their newer warehouse. Yes i heard it might have been possibly weather related but makes you wonder if poor/cheap/fast building pratices were involved too?

Big Companies around me that got to big to fast seemed to crash and burn once they crest that hill and when they start to fail they went down fast. Kinda sounds like here.   🙂   Just kidding. 

[drusalina]

Thanks for the Tip.  But for what I usually buy items are cheaper on eBay.  I'm not just saying that.  The items book, movies, used, etc. are always cheaper here, even with the free shipping on the river.