Locked
Discussion interactions are currently paused.
Well, I did it. I'm now offering free shipping. Yes, it increases sales
I guess Amazon and others have spoiled the buying public with free shipping so much that it's expected. buyers go for a $20 item with free shipping before they will one at $15 and $4.50 shipping. At least that's the results I'm getting.
My history has been to list high, offer good discounts, but charge fair shipping.
Now, I'm finding buyers will go for the posted price so much quicker with free shipping. My sales are up. I'm reviewing profits. And, yes, I'll be making some adjustments. But, surviving this economy is an ongoing battle.
29 comments
kh_nipun
·1 year agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
adamcartwright
·1 year agoI've tried offering free shipping on my items that weren't budging -- keeping the overall price + shipping competitive -- and it didn't make a bit of difference. That was disappointing for me, but I realize it all depends on the market.
inhawaii
·1 year agoYour buyers must prefer a $25 widget with free shipping over a $20 widget with $5 shipping.
But if it works for you, that's great.
kandf_vintage_finds
·3 years agoI offer Free shipping on all Items under a pound. Add a few dollars to the price. Shipping is calculated on everything else. I do believe that people sort by "Free Shipping"
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoI offer Free shipping on all Items under a pound. Add a few dollars to the price. Shipping is calculated on everything else. I do believe that people sort by "Free Shipping"
It never ceases to amaze me that people can be so gullible at times. There is NO such thing as "free shipping" somebody is paying even with Amazon. That being said about 75% of the items listed on eBay offer free shipping.
Like @the_fancy_fox I live on the coast it just happens to be the opposite one. I use calculated shipping on everything unless I can identify the one cheapest method by which I can ship a package regardless of where the buyer is located. This usually happens with heavier items that I can fit into a flat rate envelope or box. For example I can ship a 40 pound medium flat rate box anywhere in the US for $14.00. Nothing else even comes close to being that cheap.
robbie31415
·3 years agoTypically true, and 'Free shipping' can be more expensive.
I'll use DVDs for an example. A seller who combines and sells DVDs $5+$3.92 media mail (total 8.92)
But if you buy 5 combined you could pay $28.92, only 1 ship charge because media mail goes to 1 lb
But if you have free shipping and undercut at $8.91
On a singular sale you would beat that calculated shipping, but on 5 the cost would be $44.55, about $15 dollars more expensive.
However, the free shipper can use promotions on what they will save as advertise 'Deals' % off with higher percentage that would lower that gain and increase marketability.
Honestly it's all a mind game.
the_fancy_fox
·3 years agoFirst off free shipping isn’t free. The cost is built into the item price.
So with that in mind, being able to offer free shipping depends on the item and the shipping zones and the acquisition cost of the item.
Since I live in California, free shipping to the states around me isn’t such a good deal. Shipping to the east coast is a decent deal and to the Midwest it’s a good deal.
So to be fair I use calculated shipping. If my total costs beat my competitor’s I win.
And Amazon did change to $35 minimum for free shipping as well as a longer ship time. They also now charge their sellers extra that don’t use the Amazon warehouses for their items.
tobaccocardyahoo
·3 years agoIt depends on what you sell. They buyers for what I sell can do arithmetic and know what the total they are paying is, whether is free shipping or not. Not everyone's buyer is capable of mental arithmetic.
sapphire_studio
·3 years agoEbay has said they will place you better in search results if you use free shipping
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoEbay has said they will place you better in search results if you use free shipping
I always stack my search results by Price + Shipping Lowest First. Free shipping gets no priority in the way the search results are listed. In fact often those with shipping costs come before those with free shipping. Makes sense since if you build the shipping cost into the price and offer free shipping you have to build in the worse case shipping scenario.
sapphire_studio
·3 years agoThe average person does not sort by price they just let eBay sort it for them. The algorithm slightly prefers people with free shipping when it is sorted this way by best match.
bill.purvis2012
OP3 years agoI think it may be true.
ckimodog
·3 years ago@bill.purvis2012
Congrats Bill! Keep up the good work!
Happy Selling.
my_boston_baked_beans
·3 years agoSince, you sell light weight items FREE shipping will work for you, but for others, myself included, who have heavier items FREE shipping would dig into any profits made.
my_boston_baked_beans
·3 years agoFREE shipping with Amazon is included with your Prime account.
Regarding FREE shipping; I would assume you have to charge more for your items in order to cover shipping plus fees. Also, asking more for the items many put you behind on a LOWEST price search I use all the time. How do you offer FREE shipping for heavy oversized items that cost $$$$$ to ship?
bill.purvis2012
OP3 years agoBuilt into the sales price or on some I charge shipping.
wilsonharborsales
·3 years agoWith returns being so high right now, it does not work with my business model to cover the cost of shipping both ways.
mike_jayroe
·3 years agoI tried for two months, changing everything over to free shipping. Did not help too much. So I switched back to buyer pays shipping. My sales have dropped considerably since January. Ready to hang it up. Don't know if it's the economy or that people don't want what I am selling.
Best of luck to everyone.
keziak
·3 years agoThank you for that information. I have always charged shipping because often people combine and it's easy to adjust their invoice. But if the shipping is built-in and it's free then they would get no discount unless I guess I do some math and give them a discount anyway.
What are you doing about stuff in your store, editing everything or do you mean you just started offering free shipping for new stuff?
bill.purvis2012
OP3 years agoI did the marketing promotion to include free shipping. The, as I end listings and sell similar, I go back and bulk edit the new listings from sell similar to the shipping to be free shipping.
keziak
·3 years agoI'm giving it a try with some books as I list them into the store. Not the larger auction lots though. Until I get the shipping address I won't know if I'll end up shipping Media Mail or Ground Advantage so I can't really include the shipping rate in the asking price.
inhawaii
·3 years agoI don't do free shipping but I'm glad it's working out for you.
I wish you continued success.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·3 years agoI think a lot depends on what you sell. Looks like you sell a lot of jewelry...I'd probably do it on that, too.
I will often look at Terapeak to research prices for my stuff, and you can see at a glance whether most sales were made with free shipping or not. I think buyers do expect it for some thigs, but expectations are much lower for other types of things.
Certainly glad it is helping you!
meme6253
·3 years agoActually Amazon has started charging delivery on some items, I think even the big guys are starting to feel the increased shipping costs effect their bottom line & others will soon start to follow
inhawaii
·3 years agoI hear they raised their minimum for free shipping (for non-prime members) from $25 to $35.
legalbeagle52
·3 years agoI just read up on this. They are testing it in certain markets. I gave up Prime after the pandemic & always spend the $25 to get the free - but not so fast - shipping. I buy a lot of necessities, so I don't feel like I am wasting money.
A few wks. ago, all of a sudden, the $25 turned into $35 on my account. Luckily, it didn't last but a few hours & mine turned back to $25. But for now, it is only in some markets.
It's the 3rd party sellers that charge the shipping fees. If it ships from Amazon, it's fee with Prime, otherwise the minimum $25 or $35 applies.
meme6253
·3 years agoYep & as I stated I think others are going to start following that lead!
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoActually Amazon has started charging delivery on some items, I think even the big guys are starting to feel the increased shipping costs effect their bottom line & others will soon start to follow
Amazon does not charge the shipping but a lot of the 3PL and FBA sellers aligned with Amazon do. I have had a couple of things I bought off of Amazon that had a shipping cost but they were not shipped from Amazon.
lakefor94
·3 years agoMakes sense. That is what they have been telling us for years.
I have certain items I do free shipping on because most all other sellers are doing free shipping. Usually the items that ship USPS Ground Advantage under a pound and some of the lighter weight Priority items and some UPS Ground.
The heavier larger, heavier items generally have shipping costs attached separately.