Offers Only Allowing for Free Shipping?
Hi everyone,
I am a new business seller that is wondering about sending watchers offers. Things have really slowed down for the store, and I would like to send out offers.
Anyway, when I go to try to send out offers, my only option is to offer a percentage off + free shipping or a set discount price + free shipping. I do not have an option to eliminate the free shipping because it is grayed out. I cannot do both on the listings that are not already free shipping as it would kill my profit margin on those items that don't have free shipping. Has it always been like this where you can't just offer a percentage off on offers and must include the free shipping, or is there something wrong?
I do not remember if it has always been this way. When I sent out offers to watchers a few months ago, all of my items had free shipping so I didn't pay attention.
Also, my impressions and views are half of what they were a month ago. I only had about 100 - 150 listings a month ago. I now have 350 + listings and list daily. I price competitively. Even my products that are still selling for others at a higher price and that were getting a lot of views a month ago all of a sudden dropped dramatically in impressions and views. I promote all of my listings and some at the dynamic rate. The only thing that changed was that I joined the EIS program since then and have a lot more listings. I would not have thought that my impressions and views would have dropped so dramatically with so many more listings. Any insight or anything else that I can do other than to keep trying and keep listing?
Thanks in advance.
unveiledtreasures
OP2 years agoI figured at least part of it out.
On my listings that have flat rate shipping for everyone, I can send offers with the shipping price.
On my listings that I use a shipping rate table, they default to free shipping and I think I know why. Going to see if I can fix that.
Unavailable member
·2 years agoIf the eligible listings to send offers only offer free shipping. Then it would stand to reason the only items that buyers are watching, viewing or have in their carts are those that only offer free shipping.
When sending those offers you can only decrease the cost of the item. Shipping is never part of the offer.
unveiledtreasures
OP2 years agoThis is not the case and is more complicated than that. But, I figured out what is wrong I think.
cass78
·1 year agoSO, what is wrong? Please share!
brightlightbookseller
·2 years agoCurious to hear the advantage to you of shipping rate tables vs calculated shipping? Not saying you're wrong to use it, I just never really understood it. It's likely calculated shipping wouldn't have this issue, but of course you'd have to decide if that was worth using it to you.
unveiledtreasures
OP2 years agoThere is no advantage. That was a "I'm new at this" issue. I caused myself a lot of extra work and am going to switch to calculated shipping and add a small extra handling fee. I think that will fix the problem on those listings that I'm having trouble with offers on.
On those listings, I have a domestic shipping rate table checked and it charges the buyers the correct shipping amount on the actual listings. However, I believe that I also have 0 listed as the shipping fee on that shipping policy because that is a mandatory field even though the domestic rate tables apply. So, while its showing up correctly for buyers on the listings and charging them appropriately, its defaulting to free shipping on the offers and ignoring the rate tables.
unveiledtreasures
OP2 years agoVoided due to error.
brightlightbookseller
·2 years agoSounds like a plan! I'll let you know from experience that calculated shipping with a handling fee works great for us, so I think you'll like it! It doesn't separately display the handling charge, so no one knows their being charged that.
brightlightbookseller
·2 years agoYou have a store subscription it appears, so you have access to sales. You could change everything you want to change temporarily to Free Shipping by starting a sale with that selected, and then any watchers should get notifications (you can also use that to drop the price, or only do the free shipping). Might work out better for you in this instance than sending offers.
gone.c-33
·2 years agoAn offer cannot contain modifications to the already listed shipping costs. That is good for both buyers and sellers.
If your item is already listed with free shipping, you cannot charge for shipping with your offer price.
All the same, if a listing shows a shipping cost, a buyer cannot ask for free shipping with their offered price for the item.
unveiledtreasures
OP2 years agoMy listing does show the shipping cost, but when I go to send an offer on that item, it only offers the option of giving a discount with free shipping or a decrease in the item price with free shipping. It won't let me keep the shipping price as is.