Do you include unannounced bonus items with your orders? If so, what kind of items?

[daveresells]

I have been selling coins mostly lately, but I sell a mix of items. Do you ever include unannounced free bonus items with your orders? If so, what do you include?

[heyyoufoundit]

If I actually owned an internet business (i.e. freestanding website w/shopping cart), I'd probably add extras and promotions to increase business.

But just being an ebay'er, no, not so much...

[lovefindingtreasures2]

Do it all the time. I mostly sell fossils, rocks, stones, crystals and live plants on this ID. I always add a nice extra fossil, crystal or stone with ever order along with a thank you note.

Plants I include extras or a different plant extra - 100% well received and loved by buyers.

On other ID I sell jewelry, pins, military, collectibles of all types, and stamps. If money, weight and space allows, I add an extra pin, stamps, a matching piece of jewelry, etc.,

I've made great friends over the years, had gifts sent to me, cards, and made repeat customers.

For me it is about making that buyer know i appreciate they chose me and I hope we can continue on with a long relationship. For my buyers, some feel special, appreciated, thought about ( a lot of lonely people in the World), it's personalized, thoughtful, fun and free.

Life is short, make it all count. Makes me feel good too, costs me very little, has a large impact with most.

I'm Old School 🙂

[moo*cow*corner]

Another dinnerware seller here.

I occasionally send an extra plate or bowl or whatever if I have one. Sometimes it has a very small flaw, and I didn't want a damaged piece to drag on the price of a lot. Sometimes I find an extra in another box, and one item just isn't worth a separate listing. There's been a time or two where I simply miscounted my stock when I wrote the listing.

My security label for that item says FREE vs. a stock number. I also write an explanation on the packing slip. "I'm sending along a freebie with a slight flaw. Too nice to throw away! I hope you can find use for it!"

Buyers have always appreciated it, especially with discontinued patterns. As a general statement, dinner plate buyers are the happiest, LOL! I use a flat rate shipping scheme, so the buyer is not paying any extra shipping at all.

Happened very recently, a buyer got an extra Corelle dinner plate with a very tiny flea bite sized chip. She sent me a message thanking me for the extra plate, but hasn't left FB yet. Go figure.

[moo*cow*corner]

I've also rec'd freebies with things I have purchased. Things like pencils, little packets of hand sanitizer, candy etc. Candy usually goes in the trash unless hubby wants it. Some things I've used, some I haven't.

The thing is this---if I'm happy with the item, the gifts are unnecessary. I'd buy from that seller again. No free gifts will make an unacceptably described item better.

[turquoisetulips]

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@daveresells wrote:

I have been selling coins mostly lately, but I sell a mix of items. Do you ever include unannounced free bonus items with your orders? If so, what do you include?

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Yes , I used to be in the habit of always including an extra gift  but now sometimes I forget  to . I sell mainly jewelry , like purse clips , lockets , earrings etc . So if I have another small item that matches the colors or theme  of the item purchased  I'll include it . Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

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@alcoforever wrote:

I do it from time to time but only with items that are related to their purchase, are light weight and don't add shipping costs and finally are too low in value to sell.

I have gotten good feedback the times I have done it.

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So have I . I don't give away junk . I give them something small they can actually use . Most buyers appreciate it.  Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

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@lovefindingtreasures2 wrote:
Do it all the time. I mostly sell fossils, rocks, stones, crystals and live plants on this ID. I always add a nice extra fossil, crystal or stone with ever order along with a thank you note.

Plants I include extras or a different plant extra - 100% well received and loved by buyers.

On other ID I sell jewelry, pins, military, collectibles of all types, and stamps. If money, weight and space allows, I add an extra pin, stamps, a matching piece of jewelry, etc.,

I've made great friends over the years, had gifts sent to me, cards, and made repeat customers.

For me it is about making that buyer know i appreciate they chose me and I hope we can continue on with a long relationship. For my buyers, some feel special, appreciated, thought about ( a lot of lonely people in the World), it's personalized, thoughtful, fun and free.

Life is short, make it all count. Makes me feel good too, costs me very little, has a large impact with most.

I'm Old School 🙂

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I love your sentiments so please don't ever let  them waver  . When it comes to thoughtful generosity   it's always the right thing to do. However  once in a great while  we will still  encounter  people who insist on seeing the glass half empty . Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

Buyers have always appreciated it, especially with discontinued patterns. As a general statement, dinner plate buyers are the happiest, LOL! I use a flat rate shipping scheme, so the buyer is not paying any extra shipping at all. 

moo cow corner 

I think your statement here is more spot on  than some may realize . It's the overall happiness and  contentment  with life in general  that guide the positive  responses people will have   . If they have a dim self or  world view  in the first place it's unlikely  they'd be happy to see thoughtful generosity in someone else . Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

If someone is allergic to the soap or its scent, adding that soap or scent to their underwear might make them allergic to their own undies. muttlymob 

Easy fix ,, give it away to someone else  who would like it .   Tulips 

[bimm_corp]

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@daveresells wrote:

I have been selling coins mostly lately, but I sell a mix of items. Do you ever include unannounced free bonus items with your orders? If so, what do you include?

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I sell comic books. When selling a set (title, character, etc) I will often include any extra copies as a bonus to the customer.  Haven't received any complaints as yet. Will give a heads up to the customer with a shipping label note. Good feedback so far.

[dazzlecity]

I ship the soap in a separate clear sealed ziplock baggie aside from the item purchased. The soap is visible in it's little gift wrapper too so if someone is allergic they know not to open the baggie.  It never fails to amaze me that  a buyer would open a SNAD over a freebie.  Never had anyone do it to me so far - been here a little while -guess I'm lucky.

[femmefan1946]

Occasionally I have a related item and I send it along.

Last week I sold a copy of Peg Bracken's "I Hate To Cook Book" and included a contemporary magazine article on the writer.

But generally no.

Adds weight and is annoying.

Religious tracts would be the worst. That might even prompt me to leave a neg-- or return an invitation to join the Worship of Cthulthu Circle.

[soh.maryl]

Why would you say that?

I believe I have a pretty good overall happiness with the world in general BUT I do not appreciate extra items sent with my purchase.  Maybe if it were related to my purchase, like those teacups, for instance, but not the candy and other trinkets.  JMHO.

And I could express real distress with the soaps, for instance.  

Fortunately, I have only received pencils (?) and some religious tracts.

[soh.maryl]

". . . and has a good idea what I might like".

I believe that's the key here. 

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

Back in the 1980s there was a famous management book that talked about monkeys. They’re a burden people carry as responsibilities and can pass to you. Monkey on your back.

this is how I feel about most of these “gifts”. Sellers are passing their monkeys on to me. They’re additional trash I have to deal with, now I’m reading I should be gifting them to somebody else AND leaving thankful feedback? 

It has has nothing to do with my personality. I’m a nice person. I volunteer every week to teach kids. It is sellers giving me their unwanted monkeys. I can buy thousands of items a year so I can be sent an entire troup of sometimes very large monkeys.

Buyers not being grateful is not a fault of the buyers, it’s a fault of the sellers sending unwanted and unwelcome monkeys. first rule of gifting isif the item isn’t wanted by the recipient it’s not a gift it’s a burden.