Why is Free Shipping so hard for some sellers?

[guybemis]

Can somebody help me understand this. I'm looking at an item priced $4.99 plus $2.69 shipping. It's a good price. The next lowest seller is charging $12.99 with free shipping for the exact same item. My question is why would the seller choose $4.99 plus $2.69 shipping?

From my buyer perspective, I would be just as likely to buy the item if it was priced $9.99 with free shipping. Because 1. it would still be under the $10 price point and 2. it would still be the lowest price on eBay. Mentally I have already put it over the $5 price point, because of the shipping charge. As a matter of fact I might be slightly more likely to buy it at $9.99, because I might have searched for it with Free Shipping checked. Though usually I use Price plus Shipping Lowest First. That is why I saw the item.

The seller is a long time seller and seems to price all their items similarly. The only thing I can think of is the seller is charges shipping without even thinking about other possibilities. Because maybe that is the way they have always done it.

Is that it, or am I missing something?

[tellmemama]

---

@emerald40 wrote:

"If a buyer does not know how to shop"

Every buyer knows how to shop but may not know the ins and outs of a particular venue.  So a seller needs to be welcoming not chase him away.

I went into McDonalds the other day.  This particular one has become automated so everything is done on a computer.  Well I know how to order, just not how to work the computer.  Glad the manager showed me how rather than chase me out.

---

Well I'm not sure where I said ignorance of a venue equals a buyer who doesn't know how to shop.  Those who can't figure out whether the total cost of an item is acceptable or not are the ones who are lacking basic shopping skills.  And the ones who buy anyway and complain about it afterward are probably the ones who should be chased out.

I'm glad you were finally able to order your McDonalds.  I don't touch the stuff.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@sam9876 wrote:

"No but I remember the old ebay when shipping had to be actual cost.  It was the amount you handed over to the carrier."

That was never the case.

---

True, and I would never expect shipping to be actual cost.  Have actually had this conversation with buyers, who DID expect it to be actual cost.  Shipping and handling was a given ordering from anywhere and these are large companies that still passed off the costs to the consumer.  There are expenses relative to selling that are passed along to the buyer and there is nothing wrong with that.  It is up to the buyer to decide just how much they want to pay.

[18704d]

Again, directed to everyone.

Shipping costs are too confusing, for many buyers

or .. let's say, a sufficiently notable percentage of buyers.

I can see how some big websites may eliminate separate shipping charges,

in order to .. make the buyer experience ... less complicated, less confusing.

Yes, it's call (free shipping)

and I'm not going to be surprised to see it mandated.

Sooner, or later

(under whatever name they choose.  "One Price" shopping, etc)

Lynn

[creekcoyote]

---

@18704d wrote:

Again, directed to everyone.

Shipping costs are too confusing, for many buyers

or .. let's say, a sufficiently notable percentage of buyers.

I can see how some big websites may eliminate separate shipping charges,

in order to .. make the buyer experience ... less complicated, less confusing.

Yes, it's call (free shipping)

and I'm not going to be surprised to see it mandated.

Sooner, or later

(under whatever name they choose.  "One Price" shopping, etc)

Lynn

---

I guess expecting a buyer to know how to add  is to much to ask for in these modern times.

Another example of 'dumbing down' people.

That seems rather insulting.

If we quit expecting something from someone, sooner or later they will live down to our expectations.

[emerald40]

---

@creekcoyote wrote:

---

@18704d wrote:

Again, directed to everyone.

Shipping costs are too confusing, for many buyers

or .. let's say, a sufficiently notable percentage of buyers.

I can see how some big websites may eliminate separate shipping charges,

in order to .. make the buyer experience ... less complicated, less confusing.

Yes, it's call (free shipping)

and I'm not going to be surprised to see it mandated.

Sooner, or later

(under whatever name they choose.  "One Price" shopping, etc)

Lynn

---

I guess expecting a buyer to know how to add  is to much to ask for in these modern times.

Another example of 'dumbing down' people.

That seems rather insulting.

If we quit expecting something from someone, sooner or later they will live down to our expectations.

---

Wow.  I would never insult somone because of their grammar error.

Just like I would not call someone dumb because they have not figured out ebay.

[18704d]

"I guess expecting a buyer to know how to add  is to much to ask for in these modern times."

------------

No.

It's about expectations.

About buyers feeling.. no, needing...

to know they are being treated Equally when buying here.

That they don't (shouldn't ) have to review multiple sellers and

try to figure out what it costs to buy here.

No.  What they will Really be charged. 

And why.

For a buyer buying One item.

They should only need to see.. One simple price.

The first thing an interested buyer asks is..

How much does it cost?

Why shouldn't it be a easy & quick iron-clad answer?

Lynn

[juststuffisell]

Ha! I bet you never imagined your one question would result in 200 plus opinions....lol

Cheers

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@creekcoyote wrote:

---

@18704d wrote:

Again, directed to everyone.

Shipping costs are too confusing, for many buyers

or .. let's say, a sufficiently notable percentage of buyers.

I can see how some big websites may eliminate separate shipping charges,

in order to .. make the buyer experience ... less complicated, less confusing.

Yes, it's call (free shipping)

and I'm not going to be surprised to see it mandated.

Sooner, or later

(under whatever name they choose.  "One Price" shopping, etc)

Lynn

---

I guess expecting a buyer to know how to add  is to much to ask for in these modern times.

Another example of 'dumbing down' people.

That seems rather insulting.

If we quit expecting something from someone, sooner or later they will live down to our expectations.

---

It's not unreasonable to expect someone to be able to add~it doesn't take long and isn't labor intensive, it's not INconvenient OR confusing, IMO.  How confusing can it be, you have the item price, and the shipping price.  You pay both if you want the item.  Add it for a total.  If you can't do that, estimate.  Elementary.  Hardly confusing.

I've seen this explanation before, though.  JMO

[ads*and*ends]

---

@18704d wrote:

"I guess expecting a buyer to know how to add  is to much to ask for in these modern times."

------------

No.

It's about expectations.

About buyers feeling.. no, needing...

to know they are being treated Equally when buying here.

That they don't (shouldn't ) have to review multiple sellers and

try to figure out what it costs to buy here.

No.  What they will Really be charged. 

And why.

For a buyer buying One item.

They should only need to see.. One simple price.

The first thing an interested buyer asks is..

How much does it cost?

Why shouldn't it be a easy & quick iron-clad answer?

Lynn

---

I absolutely understand this, I get if someone is just buying one item, this would be a huge plus for them. 

BUT

I have predominantly built a business model based upon a buyer buying MULTIPLE items (though I'm admittedly planning to get away from that). 

Many others who sell what I sell do the same. When someone searches "price - lowest first", I'm not the most appealing for that buyer. But if they are buying multiples, I charge a flat rate of shipping on most items, and often run discount promotions. That's where my appeal is. I don't want someone to buy something for .99 cents. I want them to buy multiples, and save on shipping by doing so. 

I'm getting out of this model anyway, because less and less people are reading descriptions to even see the "flat rate shipping" or "promotional discount". 

I don't expect a buyer to have to review multiple sellers, but I do expect them to at least read the description, or investigate even 20 seconds further. They don't. They used to. 

Everything now is immediate, with zero personal investment... and commerce both physical and online has absolutely encouraged this behaviour. It's fine if Walmart adopts these "no problems!" policies, it's different and odd when eBay thinks they can do the same. 

But I get what you're saying...one price. For all the anti-mathites and "too busy posting pictures of my food and what I look like on social media" to some weird "following", as if everyone is famous just from being born.

[mam98031]

@18704d

"That they don't (shouldn't ) have to review multiple sellers and

try to figure out what it costs to buy here."

I'm not sure of your point.  What you state is what Ebay is as a site.  What are you saying?  Do you want Ebay to only return one item in a search return?  Do you prefer that Ebay decide for you what your best deal is?  I'm not trying to be difficult, I just don't understand your statement since what you state is exactly how Ebay has always worked.

"For a buyer buying One item.

They should only need to see.. One simple price."

Which they can.  If they only want to deal with listings with Free Shipping, they can do that anytime they want to when they do a search.

"The first thing an interested buyer asks is..

How much does it cost?"

Then all they need to do is look at the listing.  It is stated in every listing on Ebay.  What am I missing here?

[mountainmommie]

I think there are a few sellers in Russia and China that would appreciate your business.

[mountainmommie]

Heck, you don't even need to buy. I'll decide what you should buy and you don't need to think at all. 

[mathven-usa]

dude....so, did you buy the item or not?

seems you are not a serious buyer, thats another reason to charge for shipping: To avoid "remorseful" buyers 

a buyer who REALLY wants the item is going to pay shipping. 

[uzumakey]

I'm sure someone has already said this in this 15-page thread, but say you offer returns and free shipping. If a buyer returns on their dime, you're still refunding them the shipping fees for an item you made zero profit on. If you charge for shipping and you receive a remorse return, the buyer is not refunded (rightfully so) for shipping fees. I used to enable free shipping on all my items but stopped doing that after eBay kept expanding their return policy.

[guybemis]

---

@creekcoyote wrote:

---

@18704d wrote:

Again, directed to everyone.

Shipping costs are too confusing, for many buyers

or .. let's say, a sufficiently notable percentage of buyers.

I can see how some big websites may eliminate separate shipping charges,

in order to .. make the buyer experience ... less complicated, less confusing.

Yes, it's call (free shipping)

and I'm not going to be surprised to see it mandated.

Sooner, or later

(under whatever name they choose.  "One Price" shopping, etc)

Lynn

---

I guess expecting a buyer to know how to add  is to much to ask for in these modern times.

Another example of 'dumbing down' people.

That seems rather insulting.

If we quit expecting something from someone, sooner or later they will live down to our expectations.

---

It's called "customer service". It's like the difference between the self service checkout stand, and having an actual cashier ring up your order. Some people will go for the self-service, others will just shop elsewhere.