Free Delivery as "Sweetener"?

[tedster99]

I've got an item that will be listed for sale soon - a NOS Weber Grill that will be offered as a BIN, or maybe auction. Obviously, due to size and weight a local pickup only.

What I was thinking of doing is offering a "free delivery" as a kind of added value kind of thing. Maybe a winner would rather pick it up, but on the other hand it would be an incentive to some folks, I'd think. Say, a 10 or 20 mile radius that kind of thing. I've got a 4WD pickup, so no worries. It takes up a lot of real estate in the garage, I need it gone.

But like so many things, there might be factors I'm not thinking of. Is this a bad idea, good idea? If it's a good idea, just list that in the description, or is there a way to advertise that? In the heading?

[donsdetour]

Free delivery to Hawaii ehhh....

I think you get the idea on this: such can and most likly will be taken wrong...

[tedster99]

LOL!! Well l I would hope the "20 mile radius" would be understood. You might be right though....

[mtgraves7984]

I'd reserve that kindness for later, if I offered it at all. Folks looking at your listing (in, say... a 10 or 20 mile radius from them ) might appreciate the gesture. Never, ever would I put it in the listing. I'm just sayin'...

[aprilmoviebuf2000]

I think that would be better suited for ... (I don't think I can suggest another platform here without getting a slap on the wrist).....but it rhymes with SharketFace.

[downunder-61]

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@tedster99 wrote:

LOL!! Well l I would hope the "20 mile radius" would be understood. You might be right though....

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It might be understood, but totally unenforceable and rife with problems. I am with ''shark'' girl up above LOL 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@aprilmoviebuf2000 wrote:

I think that would be better suited for ... (I don't think I can suggest another platform here without getting a slap on the wrist).....but it rhymes with SharketFace.

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Or some list belonging to Craig. 

[titipeo]

Here is my thought, take it for what is worth. If you want exposure and a larger audience, there are several platforms that give you that. If you are going to deal with a "20 mile" radius, then just deal local as that will filter out those outside of your "20 miles" radius. 

[tedster99]

....but totally unenforceable and rife with problems.  

I'm not trying to enforce anything, just offer that as an option. What kind rifeness are we talking about here, this is why I asked.

[tedster99]

 If you want exposure and a larger audience, there are several platforms that give you that. 

Bigger than eBay? No way.

If you are going to deal with a "20 mile" radius, then just deal as that will filter out those outside of your "20 miles" radius. 

Well no, don't misunderstand. If someone wants to drive from Montana to pick it up, that's fine with me. It seems to me if I was a buyer and looking at this "I'll even deliver it to your door" in the local area, that would help make the sale. People are busy, etc. 

I hadn't thought about "the other guys" like Craig and Emily and that sort of thing. They seem a little sketchy and I don't want to bother with it.

[richard1rst]

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@tedster99 wrote:

....but totally unenforceable and rife with problems.  

I'm not trying to enforce anything, just offer that as an option. What kind rifeness are we talking about here, this is why I asked.

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Regardless of your 20 mile intent, when someone sees it in their search it is going to say "free delivery". THAT is ALL they are going to understand. Oh, boy I'm in Hawaii and you will send it for free.

Better you should list it as "local pickup only". But read up on the rules. That is also rife with problems if you do not do it right. (Absent a tracking number the buyer can claim they never got it).

[patriot_bearing_supply]

The "other places" may be smaller than eBay....... but many, many more local buyers. I sell lots of stuff, anything that can't easily be shipped goes on the "other places". SharketFace is much bigger than the list that Craig made now.

[femmefan1946]

With Easter coming up, BBQ season is upon us.

We sold a lot of BBQs to the Greek community for cooking Easter lambs.

This might be a better bet on a more local site, eBay's advantage is it's wide coverage.

I don't think on eBay that free delivery would be appropriate, but it could be discussed in a Best Offer scenario with Local Pickup.
A higher counter offer but adding free delivery?

[tedster99]

Better you should list it as "local pickup only "

It will be listed as local pickup only. That's the point. I apologize if this hasn't been made clear to everybody in the very first post.

But read up on the rules. That is also rife with problems if you do not do it right. (Absent a tracking number the buyer can claim they never got it). 

Not with the QR code and 6-digit number business?

[a_c_green]

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@tedster99 wrote:

Better you should list it as "local pickup only "

It will be listed as local pickup only. That's the point. I apologize if this hasn't been made clear to everybody in the very first post.

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Yes, this is the positive flip-side of the warning that seller restrictions made in text are unenforceable: your listing is officially Local Pickup Only, but you can unofficially add in your description that you're willing to deliver it within, say, a 20-mile radius of [your town here]. Anyone who doesn't read the description won't see that promise anyway. It's still a Local Pickup in eBay's eyes, so you don't have to worry about uploading tracking for something that wasn't shipped, etc.

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@tedster99 wrote:

But read up on the rules. That is also rife with problems if you do not do it right. (Absent a tracking number the buyer can claim they never got it). 

Not with the QR code and 6-digit number business?

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Right, that's what the QR code is for: proof of Local Pickup. It doesn't matter whether it occurs in your driveway, the buyer's driveway, or someplace in-between.