"Free Shipping" costs

[chzuck]

How does one figure what to allow for shipping when selling with the "free shipping" option?  Without knowing where the buyer will be located how do I know a dollar amount to allow to cover shipping for my auction item?

[partial*eclipse]

Look up the Zone 8 price for the weight of your package.  Here's a link to the official USPS rates publication, Notice 123.

http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/dmm300/notice123.pdf

[cinjamanbooks]

We only ship within the Continental US. We calculate the shipment of the item to the farthest possible location from us. Then we decide if we can make a profit after deducting cost, fees, and shipping on the product and list accordingly. Obviously, if we ship to someone closer to us, the profit margin is higher but we assume the farthest possible location, and decide whether free shipping is possible.

[fern*wood]

I try to only offer "free shipping" whenever I can use flat rate shipping (priority) or 1st class, where the destination doesn't change the cost.  It will work to add in an amount sufficient to cover the farthest zone, but I feel it is less fair to my buyers since closer zones are overcharged this way.  I also don't like to buy larger items from nearby sellers that use this method.

[m60driver]

As others noted, flat rate options are your friend, and don't forget the regional rate A box. Other than that you will get enough experience over time to know postage rates. But yes, despite over 18 years of selling on Ebay, I still make mistakes on estimating shipping. It keeps me humble and honest.

[duggmills]

I guessing the or a reason for offering free shipping is to get a better spot in a search when buyers select searching by lowest price on up.

And I'm sure sellers know there is no such thing as free shipping, it's added into the selling price prior to listing. It is an attractive selling point as there may be many (understatement) buyers who think it's really free.

One only has to look at some seller's conditions for refund which include; buyer pays return shipping and also, refunds will  have seller's (exorbitant) shipping cost deducted.

Since we now are seeing what looks like an exponentially higher incidences of eBay capriciously dishing refunds for almost any arbitrary excuse. 

It might be fun dreaming up some creatively humorous reasons for potential refunds and show them in some off topic place here on forums.

[idyllictiempo]

9 out of 10 times buyers from the other side of the country end up making the purchase when I was offering "Free Shipping".  Maybe they think they are getting a good deal.  Recently I got a buyer from N. Marina Islands (A US territory) which is amog one of those islands with Philiphines.  Farther than Guam.  Definitely farther than Hawaii and Alaska.  The item is a Bose.  I now no longer offer "Free Shipping". 

Those bidders may increase their maximum bids several times during bidding.  When other bidders seeing someone increasing bids multiple times, they simply just quit bidding and move on to the next listing. 

[partial*eclipse]

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@idyllictiempo wrote:

9 out of 10 times buyers from the other side of the country end up making the purchase when I was offering "Free Shipping".....  Recently I got a buyer from N. Marina Islands (A US territory) which is amog one of those islands with Philiphines.  Farther than Guam.  Definitely farther than Hawaii and Alaska.  The item is a Bose.  I now no longer offer "Free Shipping". .... 

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Perhaps that was because you were charging Zone 8 shipping, and close buyers were able to find other sellers with cheaper shipping.

Most of those remote Pacific territories (including the Marianas and Guam) are Zone 8 postage, same as shipping from your location in California to me here in Boston.  You can set up rate tables that will offer free shipping only to closer states, and charge a shipping increment to other locations.