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Free shipping

If I sell something with free shipping, can I still buy a shipping label? If I discount shipping can I print a label?

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Re: Free shipping

Yes, you can print an Ebay label if you offer either free or paid shipping.  All free shipping means is that the buyer is not charged a separate price for shipping.  You need to roll the actual cost of shipping into the item price because shipping isn't free, it actually costs money.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.


We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell

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Message 2 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

Yes, you can print an Ebay label if you offer either free or paid shipping.  All free shipping means is that the buyer is not charged a separate price for shipping.  You need to roll the actual cost of shipping into the item price because shipping isn't free, it actually costs money.

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.


We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell
Message 2 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

You can print a shipping label for any transaction regardless of the terms in the listing or offer.  They're not connected.

Message 3 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

The shipping cost would then be taken out of transaction 

Message 4 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

So I can offer any shipping price and print a label, and would pay for it out of final transaction?

Message 5 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

The cost of your shipping label is based on factors like package weight, dimensions, distance, and type of service.  It doesn't matter whether the shipping cost shown in your listing was Free, or $5, or $700.  

Message 6 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

Yes, that is exactly right. I use a lot of "free shipping" on one of my accounts, just means I pay for it out of the sale proceeds. 

Message 7 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

It seems like people here are trying to remind you that, if/when a seller offers free shipping, the seller needs to make sure that the shipping cost has been rolled into the item price.  

Message 8 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

You have to make sure that the starting price of the item COVERS the shipping price.  In reality there is no such thing as free shipping. ALL of my buyers pay for shipping. It does not matter if I write FREE SHIPPING in the title or charge them 4.99.  They pay for it. Every cent.  If you are not doing it this way, you are doing it wrong.

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Re: Free shipping


@ms.rodriguez* wrote:

You have to make sure that the starting price of the item COVERS the shipping price.  In reality there is no such thing as free shipping. ALL of my buyers pay for shipping. It does not matter if I write FREE SHIPPING in the title or charge them 4.99.  They pay for it. Every cent.  If you are not doing it this way, you are doing it wrong.


I find it interesting how information like this bursts so many people’s bubble.

Message 10 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

A word of advice is to be careful with free shipping.  It can burn you.  When you post your item for sale if you use shipping in flat rate boxes etc then its no problem.  If the shipping is actually calculated you need to estimate the shipping in the farthest reaches your package can go and see if you are okay with that.  I have offered items that require a calculated shipping amount as "free" or "fixed" and sure enough, they get sold to San Diego Ca. - I live in New York State.  Now lets say you want free shipping and you be sure to adjust for the distance from you, you likely are excluding all the buyers within a few hundred miles of your location.  It is is important that you have the size and weight of an item when you list it.  You don't necessarily have to have it packed to go but a good idea is necessary.  Its never been more important since the post office changed their system so items over a certain length on one side get charged a hefty fee.  Then over another size there is another up charge.  used to be it was simply like 108" girth plus length.  Then based on weight.  They've likely gotten tired of shipping golf culbs and fly fishing poles for a few dollars. 

A little story if you haven't been on ebay long.  Many years ago, ebay only charged final value fees on the price of the item.  Shipping was shipping.  I was looking at buying a nice bumper cover with a spoiler built in and it was only like $25 but the shipping was $200.  It took a bit but soon ebay was charging final value fees on shipping.  Heck, when I started with ebay, buyers would send a check directly to my home.  You could even see other bidders on an item and search for other items they were buying.  It sure has changed over the years.

Message 11 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

I had the same question. Wanted to make sure I didn't have to purchase from Pirateship or somthing like that. Thanks!

Message 12 of 13
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Re: Free shipping

I still remember a post that a newbie seller started a few years ago where he was being charged alot for shipping heavy items by Ebay.  He wanted to know why he was getting charged since he wrote FREE SHIPPING in the listing.  The moron thought that ebay was paying the shipping.  He lost money on every single sale.  That was hilarious.

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