Why shipping fee isn't free of charge

[ka9r23]

Ebay says that if you purchase more than 25 dollars shipping fee is free of  charge. I am buying an item that is outstandingly higher than it, I still need to pay for an outragous shipping fee. Why is that.

[mrdutch1001]

Are you reading the seller's shipping terms correctly? Such as is the seller in another country and you are  reading the domestic shipping?(Sellers often offer free shipping for within their own country) and charge shipping for buyers in other countries?

[ypdc_dennis]

Are you perhaps confusing ebay.ca with amazon (which has free shipping over $35 when you buy directly from an amazon Canadian warehouse) ?

Or did you get a special offer from ebay that is good for certain items ?

[reallynicestamps]

Free Shipping is not free.

It means that the seller includes their cost of shipping in the asking price of the goods.

Which is cheaper - a $100 item with $50 shipping or a $150 with Free Shipping?

EBay charges the seller fees on the ENTIRE customer payment, which includes selling price, taxes, and shipping charges.

The seller uses the money paid by the customer (including that $50 hidden in the Free Shipping listing) to buy a shipping label. If the seller buys through eBay, there is often a discount from the shippper's counter rate.

But somewhere a bunch of people are going to process and deliver the shipment, and they are going to get paid.

Free Shipping is an advertising gimmick, like BOGO or "We pay the taxes" sales.

TANSTAAFL.