eBay

radioguy79 · ‎09-03-2016

I have a suggestion for a future improvement eBay could make for sellers, one that I would greatly appreciate. When creating listings, if the Free Shipping icon is checked, a seller should be clearly be warned before confirming the listing, in case the box was checked by mistake. I offered free shipping on a listing some time ago, and it wasn't until several sales later (and having to lose money paying the shipping) that I realized the option remained checked each time I created a new listing. A major annoyance.

Alternately, the Free Shipping option could be made to remain unchecked by default, requiring the seller to click it only when they wish to use it.

Just a suggestion that would be helpful to me and probably other sellers too.

momcqueen · ‎09-03-2016

Good advice.

Was it by chance the 'Sell Similar' feature that you were using to create all the new listings that had Free Shipping marked by default?

femmefan1946 · ‎09-03-2016

(and having to lose money paying the shipping)

There's the problem.

Free Shipping isn't free.

It is an advertising slogan like' Buy One Get One Free' (BOGO) for a '50% or less off' sale.

Free Shipping means that you add the cost of shipping into the asking price for the item.

Which is cheaper?

A $5 item with $10 shipping?

A $10 item with $5 shipping?

A $15 item with Free Shipping?

Once you understand this, then you can take advantage of buyer's fondness for the Free Shipping illusion without losing money (or worrying about the odd listing accident.)

mr.elmwood · ‎09-03-2016

Thusly we have Femme's world famous pricing tutorial.

Up the price and keep the free shipping, you will have more sales.

I have a particular line of widgets.

Priced at $21.99 + $8 shipping = $29.99 one sale in five months.

Priced at $29.99 free shipping = $29.99 five sales in one month.

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momcqueen · ‎09-03-2016

@mjwl2006 wrote:
Good advice.

Was it by chance the 'Sell Similar' feature that you were using to create all the new listings that had Free Shipping marked by default?

Actually, I can put that theory to rest. While Sell Similar will certainly also trigger a Free Shipping for a new listing, I just created a new listing from thin air and it still selected free shipping for me due to it being my choice from the last listing that I created. Not the same product or category or anything. Nothing else is pre-selected on the page except free shipping. I could see how this might become a problem.

radioguy79 · ‎09-03-2016

As the previous poster said, the box remained checked even when starting a new listing from scratch.

And yes, anyone with half a brain knows that the sellers cost of shipping is factored into the item price, but it seems that the average consumer is pretty gullible these days - all the better for us sellers, I guess.

pierrelebel · ‎09-03-2016

"Priced at $21.99 + $8 shipping = $29.99 one sale in five months.

Priced at $29.99 free shipping = $29.99 five sales in one month."

Not only will you sell more but you will pay lower fees if you are TRS. No kidding.

On a $21.99 sale you pay FVF on $21.99 and those fees are eligible to the 20% discount while the FVF on the $8.00 shipping pays full fees (not eligible to the discount)

On the $29.99 transaction (free shipping) the fees are eligible to the 20% discount.

Every little bit helps.

More sales and lower fees. Does it get any better?