Free Shipping is an advertising gimmick. It still costs the seller money to buy postage or a label. The cost for which is hidden in the asking price of the listing.
Which is cheaper?
A $10 item with $5 shipping?
Or a $15 item with Free Shipping?
Shipping costs have risen since I started selling here at the turn of the millennium. The lowest Letter Rate then was 47c and now is 99c.
Parcel rates have risen even more, especially international tracked packages.
On the other hand, eBay has negotiated lower discounted rates for those using their labels, as much as 53% off the counter price!
The shipping supplies coupon is another example of somewhat misleading advertising.
If we compare the cost of any given product with those available from Staples or U-line, the prices seem inflated (probably because they are).
But.
Choose the product, subtract the value of the coupon from the price, realize shipping will be free (not necessarily true from U-Line etc), and realize that we actually pay only the sales tax on the original price of the product plus any difference between the posted price and the discounted price and the actual cost often will be lower than we would be paying U-Line.
Not always.
Do your research.
Take notes.
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