Raise Prices or Charge For Shipping or Something in the Middle?

[blueapples_22]

Hi Ebay Community!

I've been a member since 2000 and opened a proper store about 7 years ago.

We offer free shipping on all of our items with an avergage selling price of about $37 (although we do sell plenty of items under $20).

Over the past few years, postage continues to creep up and now I am noticing, with the volume we are doing, it's really cutting into our bottomline.

My question is, should we raise our prices by a couple of dollars per item?  Should we now start charging for shipping?  Should we just charge like $2 shipping?

Anyone find themselves in a simlar situation?  Looking for some ideas here.  Thank you very much.

[onefootflipper1]

I normally always preach heavily against free shipping on my youtube channel, but looking at you store I don't think it matters one way or the other. Everything you sell seems to weigh almost nothing so your shipping charges should be known. 

I would list your items at the price they will sell for.  $15 with $5 shipping is the same to the customer as $20 free ship and the shipped price is what you should be looking at when setting your prices against other listings.

So basically if you start charging shipping and don't lower prices by an equal amount then your sales will seriously go down hill immediately. 

[bennotbill]

I've noticed quite a few sellers on the UK site split the difference. Where before they were freepost they now charge say £1.50 where the actual postage is around £2.90.

I guess the £1.50 covers rising postage costs while still allowing them to keep the item price the same. And like freepost the underpriced postage keeps the postage price moaners at bay.

[12345jamesstamps]

I won't. I offer free shipping domestic and I won't for International shipping which I usually still charge $1.30.

You would have to look at other sellers on your item for sale page and see who has the lowest priced item with shipping. It's very competitive out there. Buyers can see who has the lowest price when they pull up your item page. My "repeat buyers" are my base and don't want to lose them. Changing a price having any "repeat buyers" they might look elsewhere. I always want to see the address with payment and "repeat buyers' in it. Just my thoughts.

[adkhighker]

Most savvy buyers realize there is no such thing as free shipping and that most sellers stating free shipping are rolling their shipping cost into their listing price.  Maybe try calculated shipping along with reducing your price by the same amount as the shipping cost and see how it goes.  You could state in your listing that their shipping cost is no more than the cost as calculated by eBay's shipping calculator.  Some buyers actually would rather be charged the actual shipping cost, rather than thinking the seller is hiding a much higher shipping cost within the price that's listed in a so called free shipping listing.

(This is no my selling ID)