Free Shipping Help Please.

[drusalina]

I have questions about Free Shipping.  Ok, Some of these questions may be obvious, but I want to be sure.   I have searched the boards and the help files to no avail. 

1.  If a buyer orders one item that is free ship and another that is not are they charged for just the shipping on the one that is not? 

2.  Is shipping discounted when they order one that is free ship and one that is not? (I offer discounted shipping)

3.  Is shipping discounted if they order 2 free ship items?

4. Should I combine everything in one box from one buyer if they order free ship and one that is not?

5.  Can I require that if they want to return an item with free ship, that they do not get the actual shipping charges I paid for back, or does ebay force to refund the whole amount? 

6.  I Have on all of my listings that shipping charges are not refundable and buyer pays return shipping fee, or Does ebay force a total refund and they get to ship the item back for free on my dime? 

Thanks for your help.  

[sam9876]

Are you serious?

[drusalina]

Yes,  I've never done free shipping before.  

[deep-garnet-red]

1.  If a buyer orders one item that is free ship and another that is not are they charged for just the shipping on the one that is not? 

Yes. Free shipping is free.

2.  Is shipping discounted when they order one that is free ship and one that is not? (I offer discounted shipping)

That depends on how you set up your shipping rules.

3.  Is shipping discounted if they order 2 free ship items?
Free shipping is free. There is nothing to discount.

4. Should I combine everything in one box from one buyer if they order free ship and one that is not?
Only if the order is combined. Remember, if you ship items together, each item needs to be connected to the one tracking number.

5.  Can I require that if they want to return an item with free ship, that they do not get the actual shipping charges I paid for back, or does ebay force to refund the whole amount? 
They force the whole amount. However, you can specify a restocking fee for returns. 

6.  I Have on all of my listings that shipping charges are not refundable and buyer pays return shipping fee, or Does ebay force a total refund and they get to ship the item back for free on my dime? 

That only counts if the buyer is requesting a remorse return. If the item is not as described, you will have to pay the return shipping. Policies trump anything you have listed as terms in your description.

[drusalina · Accepted solution]

Thanks so much for your help.

[spudcakes]

Never offer free shipping unless shipping is small $

I Shipped an item for $21.77.  The buyer said the pool cue had dings and wanted to return. My description stated clearly that the butt had a number of dings. Also my description graded the cue at 85-90%. Both of these condition statements should have turned the seller off or at least prompted questions before bidding. Long story short, Ebay required the buyer pay return shipping but I was still out my shipping of 21.77. The final explanation I got from Ebay is that free shipping is not part of the price of an item and a full refund is required, I cannot re-coup shipping from the buyer. Ebay advised that I should set up for shipping charges and abandon free shipping. Thagt way Only the actual price of the item has to be funded but the shipping is not. So, it makes no sense to figure in shipping in the price of the item and use free shipping. It can come back to hurt sellers when they sell to a "Window Shopper" who wants to buy it and look at it then return it instead of reading the description. Ebay has no help to offer the Free Shippers in such a case. I tried real hard but nuthin' doin'.

[drusalina]

I don't offer free shipping on heavy items.  I only do it for small items under the 4oz USPS First Class Mail mostly.   I also require the buyer to pay return shipping.  So if they do return a small item, it doesn't hurt that much.

But I know about buyers not reading the descriptions.  I recently listed an item.  I didn't realize when I listed it that the ebay auto fill info that I had used "sell One Like this" had it listed as New even though the listing I had used to list my item wasn't new and wasn't free shipping.  Apparently it had taken the last auto fill in I had last used on one I had done a sell similar of my own listing.  In the description it said it was used.  The auto ebay fill in also said Free Shipping.  I contacted the buyer and explained that it wasn't New.  They told me to cancel.  I dodged a bullet that time, because it would have cost me half of my asking price to ship and the buyer would have been upset that it wasn't new. 

For all the buyers out there Read the Descriptions and ask questions before you buy!