@adkhighker wrote:
To me, it isn't free shipping because sellers always try to build it into their selling price to make the buyer pay for it without them knowing it, thus with the perception that it's free for the buyer when it is anything but. I do it, you do it, and most all we sellers do it in the case of fixed price listings to cover the cost of so-called "free shipping."
Let me ask you this. Let's say the shipping cost of an item you're selling is $4. If you're building the shipping cost of $4 into that item and charging your buyer $14 instead of $10 to cover shipping cost, is your buyer really getting free shipping?
I will answer that but first let me say that is not what I was speaking about. I clearly said many companies, mine included run promotions where we give free shipping and do not raise the item price. It is probably the most successful promotion ever. Buyer are getting the same item price and also free shipping usually for a limited time. It is design to create revenue in a very short time frame, and used for dozens of different reasons.
About the scenario you mentioned above. If the buyer is not paying anything for shipping then it is a free shipping advertisement rgardless if the item price was raised and here is why on eBay this is very important. Buyer do not buy on price alone or total price alone. eBay has lots of tools like free shipping, free returns, MBG which all give buyer confidence in trying an item even if they are unsure about what they might actually get. If the buyer has to return for let just say buyers remorse, the buyer pays for the return shipping and the seller refunds them in full which would be the 14.00 instead of the 10.00 in your scenario. It works the same way if the seller had to pay for the return shipping.
Anytime there is free shipping there is a benefit to the buyer in the event of an issue after the fact.
Good Luck Selling!
